MS Summer & Back to School Info
We look forward to having your child join us! Below please find some general information about health forms, academic resources, upcoming dates, technology information, and more as you prepare for the upcoming school year. Please bookmark this page, as posted information will be updated throughout the spring and into the summer.
Please see our COVID-19 Update web page for more information about School re-opening plans for Fall 2020.
Jump Down To: MS Summer Reading & Resources
- Required Health and Permission Forms
- Re-Opening Plans for Fall 2020
- Class Placements & Course Scheduling
- Book Ordering Information
- SSFS Website Account/Login Credentials
- Technology and Website Information
- MS Student Supply List
- Bus & Aftercare Registration
Required Health and Permission Forms
Family health and permission forms that you will need to fill out for your child are submitted using Magnus Health. Families are asked to submit all required health forms for the 2020-2021 academic year by July 15. Please contact health@ssfs.org with any questions or concerns.
Parents should log in to the Parent Portal Page with the login information provided by the Technology Dept, and click the Magnus Health link to access your family account and download any forms that require a doctor's signature. View online instructions and FAQs.
Re-Opening Plans for Fall 2020
SSFS plans to open on Sept. 1. All academic and co-curricular programming for grades K-12 will be conducted online for the first semester. SSFS will also provide scheduled opportunities for in-person, socially-distanced “meet-ups” for classrooms or advisories (12-16 people) on their 140-acre campus every three weeks on a rotating basis. See more information and updates on our COVID-19 Updates web page.
Class Placements & Course Scheduling
Middle School student schedules have been published, and families may view their child’s schedule in their Veracross account. If you have any questions about your child's schedule, please contact the MS office. Our book ordering site will be live soon, and families will receive an email when they may begin to purchase books. Book ordering instructions are available here. The 2020-2021 Middle School Course Curriculum will be available soon.
Book Ordering Information
The online bookstore via Follett will open in mid-August, 2020. Logging in to Follett after this date allows you to view the book list and access the online bookstore. Click here to view an instruction page that will walk you through the process of viewing and ordering your child’s books. Please pay attention to the “Section Note” section of each course page, as there may be important details regarding a particular course’s books.
SSFS Website Account/Login Credentials
After enrolling, each family is assigned a dedicated SSFS account with a unique username and password for each parent and each student; users can sign in to the website using the "Springers Login" link at the top of each web page, or going directly to https://www.ssfs.org/log-in.
Website login information and Veracross account set up information for families was emailed to families on August 6. The website login gives families single sign-on access to Veracross (the primary School database system) and online classrooms from the website, as well as other password-protected modules.
If you have submitted your enrollment contract and not yet received login information for (or need assistance accessing) your Veracross account, please contact the Technology department at tech@ssfs.org or 301-774-7455 x111. Your Veracross account will give you access to a number of services including:
- Billing and student accounts
- Student class schedules and grades/comments
- School directory
- Family contact information
- Enrollment contracts
Please ensure that your contact information in your Veracross account is accurate. See instructions for how to update your contact info here. As a part of our continuing efforts to act in environmentally sustainable ways, SSFS rarely sends information by paper mail. All communications about events, grades, billing account status, re-enrollment, and other information are sent electronically through Veracross using the email addresses you have provided. An emergency notification service is also available via text message, so please also provide a cell phone number where you may reached.
Technology and Website Information
For the 2020-2021 school year, all 7th and 8th grade students in the Middle School need to have an iPad for daily academic use. All 6th grade students will be using Chromebooks. SSFS is purchasing these Chromebooks and will give them to 6th grade students at the beginning of the school year.
Middle School Computer Requirements
for 2020-2021
Website login information and Veracross account set up information for families was emailed to families on August 6. The website login gives families single sign-on access to Veracross and online classrooms from the website, as well as other password-protected modules.
New Family Technology Set Up Checklist
Technology questions may be directed to the Technology Office at tech@ssfs.org.
MS Student Supply List
Bus & Aftercare Registration
Bus Transportation
Information about bus routes can be found online here. During the summer and fall of 2020, the School is transitioning to a new system. During this period, please click here for the form to register for the bus. Once we return to an on-campus learning environment, families can enroll in Bus Transportation and After Care services via Veracross. Directions for bus registration may be found online here. For bus/transportation questions, please contact Cathryn Carnevale at cathryn.carnevale@ssfs.org or 301-774-7455 x177.
Questions?
Contact Us:
Erin Ryan
MS Administrative Assistant
send email
301-774-7455 ext. 160
Patti Lemere
MS Learning Specialist
send email
301-774-7455 ext. 116
Erin Rose
MS Counselor
send email
301-774-7455 ext. 175
Summer Reading and Resources
Sandy Spring Friends School develops the trained mind, the skilled hand, and the healthy body within a nurturing community centered in the Life of the Spirit. During the summer months, we encourage our Lower School students to explore their unique gifts through activities that interest them. The assignments below are provided to enhance a student’s curiosity about different topics and to guide parents who may be seeking appropriate academic activities for their child(ren). We hope our students will use them to think, discuss, create, enjoy, and mostly to “Let Their Lives Speak.”
Don't forget to check out the Scholastic Bookfair, open online all summer! Find reading lists for your student's age and reading level, and support the School, too!
- Required Reading
- Global Languages
- Math
- Science
- Humanities
- Athletics, Electives, and Arts
- Just For Fun
Required Reading
MS students are tasked to read three books of interest. Humanities faculty recommend titles from Maryland’s Black-Eyed Susan and Newberry nominees and award winners. While students are not required to generate a product (e.g. book report, poster, etc.), English classes are launched with conversations about students’ favorite summer reads. There is no need to bring in these titles in the fall; faculty encourage families to utilize their local libraries for books and suggestions.
Don't forget to check out the Scholastic Bookfair, open online all summer! Find reading lists for your student's age and reading level, and support the School, too!
Global Languages
Global Languages REQUIRED summer work for NEW 7th or 8th grade students: Click here for PDF, or see below.
Welcome to Sandy Spring Friends School! We hope you are excited to learn French or Spanish! In order for you to feel comfortable and be familiar with the material you missed in our program, we ask that you complete EACH Quizlet set created for you (below), in either French or Spanish.
If you are a French student, please follow these steps:
1. Go to www.quizlet.com
2. Search liz_donelson in the search box at the top of the screen
3. Click on the set you want
4. Do the first step, Flashcards (from French to English, then English to French). Make sure you listen to the correct pronunciation as well as pay attention to the spelling of each word.
5. Then do the next step, Learner.
6. Then do the next step, Speller.
7. Skip the next step, Test (for now), and play the Games Scatter and Gravity
8. Finally, do the TEST. Keep doing the Test until you have earned 80% or higher.
9. Once you are happy with your final score, print out the Test result (and save it to turn in on the first day of school).
10. REPEAT the above process until you have printed out the test results for the sets assigned per grade.
Incoming 7th grade French Quizlet flashcards sets: *Remember to search liz_donelson to find them!
- Summer greetings
- Summer family
- Summer colors
- Summer days
- Summer months
- Summer weather
- Summer numbers
Incoming 8th grade French Quizlet flashcards sets: *Remember to search liz_donelson to find them!
- Summer greetings
- Summer family
- Summer colors
- Summer days
- Summer months
- Summer weather
- Summer verbs
- Summer numbers
- Summer question words
- Summer conjugating ER verbs
- Summer adverbs
- Summer objects
- Summer adjectives
- Summer house
If you are a Spanish student, please follow these steps:
1. Go to www.quizlet.com
2. Search “mccarkr” in the search box at the top of the screen
3. Click on the set you want
4. Do the first step, Flashcards (from Spanish to English, then English to Spanish). Make sure you listen to the correct pronunciation as well as pay attention to the spelling of each word.
5. Then do the next step, Learner.
6. Then do the next step, Speller.
7. Skip the next step, Test (for now), and play the Games Scatter and Gravity
8. Finally, do the TEST. Keep doing the Test until you have earned 80% or higher.
9. Once you are happy with your final score, print out the Test result (and save it to turn in on the first day of school).
10. REPEAT the above process until you have printed out the test results for the sets assigned per grade.
Incoming 7th grade Spanish Quizlet flashcards sets: *Remember to search “mccarkr” to find them!
- Summer greetings
- Summer family
- Summer colors
- Summer days
- Summer months
- Summer weather
- Summer numbers
Incoming 8th grade Spanish Quizlet flashcards sets: *Remember to search “mccarkr” to find them!
- Summer greetings
- Summer family
- Summer colors
- Summer days
- Summer months
- Summer weather
- Summer numbers
- Summer question words
- Summer food
- Summer important verbs
Math
Everything given below is optional and is meant to be used to help students be successful when they come back in the fall. If you have questions please reach out to heidi.duff@ssfs.org. Download PDF version of this information here.
Below are the skills that students need to be proficient in so that they are successful in the class they are entering in the fall.
Sixth Grade Math
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with whole numbers
- Understanding of fractions
- Understanding of place value and decimals
Pre-Algebra
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with fractions
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with decimals
- Understanding of negative numbers
Bridge to Algebra
- Solving one and two step equations
- Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with fractions, decimals and integers
- Understanding slope
- Combining like terms and distributive property
Algebra
- Combining like terms and distributive property
- Solving equations, including putting an equation in slope-intercept form
- Graphing a line in slope-intercept form
- Solving a system of equations by graphing
Geometry
- Solving equations and systems of equations
- Evaluating expressions and using formulas
- Simplifying and evaluating radical expressions and equations
- Understanding scale factor
- Applying area and perimeter to figures with algebraic side lengths
General websites to use to strengthen the skills above are listed here. Some of the websites have games, some are meant for students to do the work on them, and some allow for printing of worksheets to be done with paper and pencil.
- https://www.mathsisfun.com/
- https://khanacademy.org/
- http://www.math-drills.com/
- http://www.mathworksheets4kids.com/
- https://www.youcubed.org/resource/number-sense/
- https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/55961/how-sidewalk-math-cultivates-a-playful-curious-attitude-towards-math
- https://ixl.com – if you have an account or want to create an account
- http://kutasoftware.com – for students entering Algebra or Geometry
Science
Under normal operating conditions, the DC metro area is ripe with summer events and opportunities for enrichment in Science. All of the museums in the following list have great regular exhibits; in addition, we are providing some of the calendars and websites the Middle School Faculty use to find special events with our families. With the possibility that museum closures and event cancellations due to the risk of Covid-19 may continue through the summer, we are including some virtual suggestions as well. See below, or download the PDF.
For 6th graders, who will study Earth’s systems and structures, some great options might be:
- Events at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (usually free)
- The Irvine Nature Center
- Events at the National Aquarium
For 7th graders, who will study Sustainability, some great options would include the above places as well as:
- Events at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (visits and talks are free, but classes, camps, and some events require tickets)
Note: the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings at least through July 1, 2020. In the meantime, they invite the public to explore the Zoo online by visiting nationalzoo.si.edu for more online collections, live animal webcams and educational resources.
For 8th graders, who will center their study on the Human Body, some great options might be:
- The National Museum of Health and Medicine
- Events (including virtual opportunities) at the Maryland Science Center (also runs camps and classes)
Because of our spiraling curriculum in which every year of Middle School Science explores multiple scientific disciplines, there may be particular events or exhibits at all of the above locations that would interest students. In addition, there are a few event calendars that are not particularly tied to our curricula but often have things that are of interest to our students.
- DC STEM Network calendar
- Events at the National Building Museum (NOTE: all public programming has been canceled through the end of September.)
- Events at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (usually free)
Note: the Smithsonian is postponing or canceling all public events, programming and gatherings at least through July 1, 2020. In the meantime, explore the Museum's online resources through the Air and Space Anywhere page and K-12 Learning Resources portal. - National Geographic Museum Calendar
Virtual Opportunities for Enrichment:
Humanities
(Click here to download PDF of info below)
Under normal operating conditions, the DC metro area is ripe with summer events and opportunities for enrichment in the Humanities. All of the museums in the following list typically have great regular daily exhibits to visit. With the possibility that museum closures and event cancelations due to the risk of Covid-19 may continue through the summer, we are including links to their websites so you can check availability before venturing out. Many are offering virtual opportunities and activities.
Rising Sixth Graders: Movement and Activism
Local Day Trips: The following Smithsonian museums on the Mall in Washington: National Museum of African Art, Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery (Asian Art), The National Gallery of Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of African American History and Culture. Also, the National Geographic Museum.
Book Suggestions:
-
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas - Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.
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Smile by Raina Telgemeier - Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir. Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement.
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Fish in a Tree by Lynda Hunt - Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities.
Rising Seventh Graders: U.S. History from Colonization through the Civil War
Local Day Trips: In Washington D.C.: Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of American History, the National Archives, Frederick Douglass House (Anacostia), President Lincoln’s Cottage (Rock Creek Church Road, NW), Ford’s Theater (10th St., NW)
In Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia: Mount Vernon (Alexandria); Monticello (Charlottesville); Manassas National Battlefield (Prince William County); Antietam National Battlefield (Sharpsburg); Monocacy National Battlefield (Frederick); Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (West Virginia); Fort McHenry (Baltimore); the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (Washington DC to Cumberland, MD), USS Constellation (Baltimore).
National Parks: The National Park Service has many historical sites across the country. If you are traveling, check their web site for parks around the country.
Book Suggestions:
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare - An orphaned young woman moves from the Caribbean to live with her aunt and uncle in the Puritan settlement of Wethersfield, Connecticut and struggles to find her place in a very different world.
- A Break with Charity: A Story about the Salem Witch Trials by Ann Rinaldi - While waiting for a church meeting in 1706, Susanna English, daughter of a wealthy Salem merchant, recalls the malice, fear, and accusations of witchcraft that tore her village apart in 1692.
- Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson - A yellow fever epidemic wipes out 10% of Philadelphia's population in three months. 16-year-old Matilda, separated from her sick mother, is forced to cope.
- The Fighting Ground by Avi - Thirteen-year-old Jonathan goes off to fight in the Revolutionary War and discovers the real war is being fought within himself.
- The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss - Each of the girls in a middle-school clique reveals the strong, manipulative hold one of the group exerts on the others, causing hurt and self-doubt among the girls.
Rising Eighth Graders: U.S. History from the 1870s to the present
Local Day Trips: Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of American History, Baltimore Immigration Museum (Locust Point), Baltimore Museum of Industry (Key Hwy.), B & O Railroad Museum (Baltimore).
National Parks: The National Park Service has many historical sites across the country. If you are traveling, check their web site for parks around the country.
Book Suggestions:
- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - A classic coming of age story of an Irish American adolescent girl struggling to survive life in a tenement in early 20th Century New York.
- Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix - The story of the shirtwaist factory strike and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911 from the perspective of two immigrant girls and the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Excellent history about industrialization and labor in early 20th Century America.
- Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse - The hardships of living in Oklahoma during the dust bowl in the 1930s told in a series of poems.
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor - The story of the children of an African American family living in rural Mississippi during the Depression. An instance story of the horrors of growing up in the Jim Crow South.
- Red Moon at Sharpsburg by Rosemary Wells - As the Civil War breaks out, India, a young Southern girl, summons her sharp intelligence and the courage she didn't know she had to survive the war that threatens to destroy her family, her Virginia home, and the only life she has ever known.
- True North: A Novel of the Underground Railroad by Kathryn Lasky - Because of the strong influence which her grandfather, an abolitionist, has in her life, fourteen-year-old Lucy assists a fugitive slave girl in her escape.
- Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt - The unforgettable story of young Jethro Creighton who comes of age during the turbulent years of the Civil War.
- The Cold War Pigeon Patrols and Other Animal Spies by Danielle Denega - How animals are used for espionage in a setting that deals with war.
- Crash by Jerry Spinelli - Seventh-grader John "Crash" Coogan has always been comfortable with his tough, aggressive behavior, until his relationship with an unusual Quaker boy and his grandfather's stroke make him consider the meaning of friendship and the importance of family.
- The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss - Each of the girls in a middle-school clique reveals the strong, manipulative hold one of the group exerts on the others, causing hurt and self-doubt among the girls.
- The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers - An illustrated biography of boxing great Muhammad Ali that addresses his politics, his fight against Parkinson's disease, and boxing's dangers.
- Guts by Gary Paulsen - The author relates incidents in his life and how they inspired parts of his books about the character, Brian Robeson.
- Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson - Sixteen-year-old Hattie Brooks inherits her uncle's homesteading claim in Montana in 1917 and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war in Europe.
Athletics, Electives, and Arts
Just For Fun
If your child is looking for something fun to do this summer, they can try their hand at making some of the recipes from our Virtual Baking Elective. Click here for a cookbook that includes step-by-step instructions and how-to videos. Bon Appetit!