Sandy Spring Friends School
Encyclopedia
Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) is a Quaker pre-Kindergarten
through Twelfth Grade
co-educational
college preparatory
day school with optional five and seven day boarding
programs in the Upper School. SSFS is located on a 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) wooded campus in the historic Quaker community of Sandy Spring
in the heart of Montgomery County
, Maryland
. The school offers academics, arts, and athletic programs, including Advanced Placement courses in the Upper School, and an emphasis on traditional Quaker values. SSFS is under the care of the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting and the Baltimore Yearly Meeting
.
while serving in the Civilian Public Service
as a conscientious objector
during World War II
, was appointed the school’s first headmaster in 1959. SSFS opened its doors in September 1961 with 77 students in Grades 10 and 11. Twelfth Grade was added a year later.
The school’s first buildings were the Headmaster’s home, named “Scott House” after Esther Scott, and a dormitory, named “Moore Hall” after Brook Moore, with room for 46 students. The dormitory building also held two faculty apartments and classrooms, plus the school’s kitchen and dining room, library, laboratory and lockers on the lower level. The school quickly outgrew the original buildings, and over the next decade additional classrooms, an arts center, faculty housing, an infirmary and a second dormitory with expanded kitchen and dining facilities were constructed.
In 1973, a 9th Grade program was added, with classes initially held in the nearby Sandy Spring Community House; the 9th Grade was brought onto the main campus in 1990. In 1980 SSFS expanded to include a middle school, and the lower school was added as a result of the 1993 merger with Friends Elementary School.
The nearby Thornton Friends School
, named after former Sandy Spring Friends Head of School C. Thornton Brown, traces its roots to an innovative academic program, the “Interlocking Curriculum,” that was first developed at SSFS in 1973.
†Administrator from 1966-67; appointed Head in 1968
, among others. The SSFS curriculum is intended to prepare students not only for entering college but also for being valuable citizens of the world. It stresses the challenge of Quaker values, academic excellence, and personal growth in an environment that stresses personal responsibility. Approximately 15% of the students are Quaker.
The Lower School (Pre-K to Grade 5) curriculum includes basic skills in reading, mathematics, science, art, music and languages, as well as conflict resolution and Quakerism, and children are encouraged to apply these skills to other life contexts, to think analytically, and to evaluate in both verbal and quantitative areas.
The Middle School (Grades 6-8) offers a curriculum of English, general mathematics and algebra, social studies, science, foreign language, art, music and sports. Other activities include field trips, art and music programs, and science activities.
The Upper School (Grades 9-12) has a daily schedule that includes six academic periods, jobs, lunch, an activities period, and sports. The average class size is 14 with a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:7. A 5- and 7-day boarding program is offered in the Upper School.
SSFS offers a specialized program for international students. The school’s International Students Program (ISP) includes English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, including an ESL/English transition course, ESL Science, ESL American History, and ESL World History. International students are placed in regular classes according to their level of English proficiency, and all receive preparation and practice for the TOEFL
and other standardized tests.
To graduate, students must earn 24 credits, including English (4), foreign language (3), history (3), mathematics (3), science (3), electives (3), and fine arts (3). Additional requirements (noncredit) include a physical activity each year and a semester-long course on Quakerism. Fifty hours of community service are also required prior to graduation. Full-year courses are offered in English, French, Spanish, history, algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology, advanced science, art, orchestra, chorus, theater, modern dance and wood shop. Advanced Placement courses are available in Art History, Environmental science, music theory, English, history, calculus, statistics, chemistry, French and Spanish.
The historic wooden Ashton Meeting House (built 1881) was moved onto the SSFS campus in 1983, and a new library and gymnasium was constructed in 1987. In 2005-2006, a new middle school building was added, as well as a new performing arts center and athletic facilities, along with substantial renovations to several of the existing buildings.
In 2005, the school’s buses were converted to run on recycled grease or biodiesel
.
and offers the following varsity and junior-varsity sports:
The Morley Games. The whimsical outdoor games of Frazleerham, Hoop-a-Doop, Brindledorph, Nurdleybawl and Friedlefrappe were invented by Barry Morley, a long-time SSFS teacher. The Morley Games, inspired by limited funds and facilities early in the school’s history, made use of everyday objects, and continued to be played long after the introduction of soccer, lacrosse and other sports to the school’s curriculum. Brindledorph, a field hockey-like game, is played with ordinary brooms, and Hoop-a-Doop with old bicycle tires. Nurdleybawl (a variation on tee-ball) uses a small rubber ball and sawed-off softball bat. Frazleerham, a combination of rugby, soccer, basketball and ultimate Frisbee, is played with a soccer ball and wastepaper can (held by the “frazsnapper”) standing in a small enclosure (10’ x 10’ x 2’) or “rham” made of 2-by-4’s. In Friedlefrappe, a “friedlesphere” (a ball) is thrown up to a “friedlesnatcher” (goalie) standing on a “friedleplat” (an elevated platform) who attempts to catch it with a “friedlesnare” (a net on a pole), and defended by a “friedlefrapper” swinging a broom.
Spirit Week. Held within the first few weeks of the school year, this recent school tradition is a weeklong event that features a number of school-wide and division-wide activities, such as "Twin Day" (students dress alike), "Pajama Day" (come to school dressed in pajamas), and "Crazy Hat and Hair Day."
Community Day. Held in the fall, Community Day began as "Mountain Day
," in which the entire school would travel to nearby Sugarloaf Mountain for a picnic and a day of exploration. In the mid-1970s the venue changed to Catoctin Quaker Camp
. As the size of the school grew and the logistics of transporting the entire school over long distances became more difficult, Mountain Day evolved into Community Day, a day of campus-based work projects (such as trail maintenance, tending to the community garden, and bus waxing races), followed by school-wide games.
Intersession. In the week before spring break each school year, all SSFS Upper School students are required to participate in an Intersession, a trip of experiential learning that supplements the traditional school curriculum. Intersessions often involve community service, physical activity, or environmental stewardship. In the past, Intersession trips have gone to Florida, Senegal, Korea, Sicily, and numerous other locations.
Strawberry Cowbake. An end-of-year festival featuring a cookout and strawberry shortcake.
.
The Torch Committee, the student government organization, includes day and boarding students, as well as faculty and administration representatives. A Torch representative is invited to all faculty meetings, school business meetings and meetings of the Board of Trustees.
Toshi Reagon
, American folk/blues musician
Robby Reider
, musician
Jesse Swenson
, actor
Josh Joplin
, musician
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through Twelfth Grade
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
college preparatory
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
day school with optional five and seven day boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
programs in the Upper School. SSFS is located on a 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) wooded campus in the historic Quaker community of Sandy Spring
Sandy Spring, Maryland
Sandy Spring, Maryland is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland.The community was founded by Quakers who arrived in the early 18th century searching for land where they could grow tobacco and corn. One of the very early land owners in the Sandy Spring area was Richard Snowden,...
in the heart of Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The school offers academics, arts, and athletic programs, including Advanced Placement courses in the Upper School, and an emphasis on traditional Quaker values. SSFS is under the care of the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting and the Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Baltimore Yearly Meeting
Baltimore Yearly Meeting is a body of the Religious Society of Friends headquartered in Sandy Spring, Maryland that includes Friends from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. It was the first Yearly Meeting founded in North America, meeting in May 1672...
.
History
The establishment of a Quaker school in the Sandy Spring community was first suggested by S. Brook Moore at a meeting for business of the Sandy Spring Friends Monthly Meeting in 1958. Although some were initially skeptical of the idea, the next day Brook received a $100 check and a group of concerned Friends formed a school committee shortly thereafter. Esther Scott followed by donating several acres of her family farm for the school and an adjacent Friends Center. Sam Legg, who had participated in the Minnesota Starvation ExperimentMinnesota Starvation Experiment
The Minnesota Starvation Experiment, also known as the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Experiment, the Minnesota Starvation-Recovery Experiment and the Starvation Study, was a clinical study performed at the University of Minnesota between November 19, 1944 and December 20, 1945...
while serving in the Civilian Public Service
Civilian Public Service
The Civilian Public Service provided conscientious objectors in the United States an alternative to military service during World War II...
as a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was appointed the school’s first headmaster in 1959. SSFS opened its doors in September 1961 with 77 students in Grades 10 and 11. Twelfth Grade was added a year later.
The school’s first buildings were the Headmaster’s home, named “Scott House” after Esther Scott, and a dormitory, named “Moore Hall” after Brook Moore, with room for 46 students. The dormitory building also held two faculty apartments and classrooms, plus the school’s kitchen and dining room, library, laboratory and lockers on the lower level. The school quickly outgrew the original buildings, and over the next decade additional classrooms, an arts center, faculty housing, an infirmary and a second dormitory with expanded kitchen and dining facilities were constructed.
In 1973, a 9th Grade program was added, with classes initially held in the nearby Sandy Spring Community House; the 9th Grade was brought onto the main campus in 1990. In 1980 SSFS expanded to include a middle school, and the lower school was added as a result of the 1993 merger with Friends Elementary School.
Connections With Other Friends Schools
The establishment of SSFS was preceded by the Sherwood Friends School (also known as Sherwood Academy) as the first Quaker school located in Sandy Spring, from 1883 to 1906. After 1906, Sherwood Academy became part of the Montgomery County public school system, eventually becoming the Sherwood High School. Sherwood Academy occupied the old Ashton (Orthodox Quaker) Meeting House, which was later relocated to the SSFS campus.The nearby Thornton Friends School
Thornton Friends School
Thornton Friends School was a 6-12 Quaker school with three campuses, two in Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., and one in Alexandria, Virginia in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area...
, named after former Sandy Spring Friends Head of School C. Thornton Brown, traces its roots to an innovative academic program, the “Interlocking Curriculum,” that was first developed at SSFS in 1973.
Former Heads of School
- Sam Legg (1959-64)
- John H. Burrowes (1964-66)
- C. Thornton ("Thorny") Brown (1966†-79)
- Edwin E. Hinshaw (1979-91)
- Stephen L. Gessner (1991-96)
- Kenneth W. Smith (1996-2010)
†Administrator from 1966-67; appointed Head in 1968
Academic Profile
SSFS is accredited by the Association of Independent Maryland Schools and approved by the Maryland Department of Education. It is a member of the Friends Council on Education and the National Association of Independent SchoolsNational Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
, among others. The SSFS curriculum is intended to prepare students not only for entering college but also for being valuable citizens of the world. It stresses the challenge of Quaker values, academic excellence, and personal growth in an environment that stresses personal responsibility. Approximately 15% of the students are Quaker.
The Lower School (Pre-K to Grade 5) curriculum includes basic skills in reading, mathematics, science, art, music and languages, as well as conflict resolution and Quakerism, and children are encouraged to apply these skills to other life contexts, to think analytically, and to evaluate in both verbal and quantitative areas.
The Middle School (Grades 6-8) offers a curriculum of English, general mathematics and algebra, social studies, science, foreign language, art, music and sports. Other activities include field trips, art and music programs, and science activities.
The Upper School (Grades 9-12) has a daily schedule that includes six academic periods, jobs, lunch, an activities period, and sports. The average class size is 14 with a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:7. A 5- and 7-day boarding program is offered in the Upper School.
SSFS offers a specialized program for international students. The school’s International Students Program (ISP) includes English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, including an ESL/English transition course, ESL Science, ESL American History, and ESL World History. International students are placed in regular classes according to their level of English proficiency, and all receive preparation and practice for the TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....
and other standardized tests.
To graduate, students must earn 24 credits, including English (4), foreign language (3), history (3), mathematics (3), science (3), electives (3), and fine arts (3). Additional requirements (noncredit) include a physical activity each year and a semester-long course on Quakerism. Fifty hours of community service are also required prior to graduation. Full-year courses are offered in English, French, Spanish, history, algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology, advanced science, art, orchestra, chorus, theater, modern dance and wood shop. Advanced Placement courses are available in Art History, Environmental science, music theory, English, history, calculus, statistics, chemistry, French and Spanish.
Facilities
The wooded campus includes a stream, pond, meadows, and several athletic fields. The physical plant includes a historic Quaker Meetinghouse, a new science center, a new performing arts building with a fine arts wing, a new athletic complex that includes a fitness center, training room, and a 9000 square feet (836.1 m²) gymnasium, an expanded Lower School, a new Middle School building, a dormitory and dining hall, three major classroom buildings, a large resource center with a 25,000-volume library, a second gymnasium, an observatory, classrooms, and computer lab, an administration building and faculty housing. Computers are integrated into many aspects of the curriculum. Each school division is equipped with its own computer lab, and every classroom is wired for network and Internet access. The School’s library includes computers for online research through online subscription reference tools and the Internet.The historic wooden Ashton Meeting House (built 1881) was moved onto the SSFS campus in 1983, and a new library and gymnasium was constructed in 1987. In 2005-2006, a new middle school building was added, as well as a new performing arts center and athletic facilities, along with substantial renovations to several of the existing buildings.
In 2005, the school’s buses were converted to run on recycled grease or biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
.
Athletics
SSFS is a member of the Potomac Valley Athletic ConferencePotomac Valley Athletic Conference
The Potomac Valley Athletic Conference is a group of independent schools in the Washington Metropolitan area for interscholastic athletics. It was formed in 1979.- Member schools :The current member schools are:*Barrie School**Edmund Burke School...
and offers the following varsity and junior-varsity sports:
- Women’s: Cross Country; Volleyball (Varsity and JV); Soccer (Varsity and JV); Basketball; Track & Field; Tennis; Lacrosse; and Softball.
- Men’s: Cross Country; Soccer (Varsity and JV); Basketball (Varsity & JV); Track & Field; Tennis; Lacrosse; and Baseball (Varsity and JV).
Traditions
Some of SSFS’s notable traditional activities, which date to the earliest days of the school, include the following:The Morley Games. The whimsical outdoor games of Frazleerham, Hoop-a-Doop, Brindledorph, Nurdleybawl and Friedlefrappe were invented by Barry Morley, a long-time SSFS teacher. The Morley Games, inspired by limited funds and facilities early in the school’s history, made use of everyday objects, and continued to be played long after the introduction of soccer, lacrosse and other sports to the school’s curriculum. Brindledorph, a field hockey-like game, is played with ordinary brooms, and Hoop-a-Doop with old bicycle tires. Nurdleybawl (a variation on tee-ball) uses a small rubber ball and sawed-off softball bat. Frazleerham, a combination of rugby, soccer, basketball and ultimate Frisbee, is played with a soccer ball and wastepaper can (held by the “frazsnapper”) standing in a small enclosure (10’ x 10’ x 2’) or “rham” made of 2-by-4’s. In Friedlefrappe, a “friedlesphere” (a ball) is thrown up to a “friedlesnatcher” (goalie) standing on a “friedleplat” (an elevated platform) who attempts to catch it with a “friedlesnare” (a net on a pole), and defended by a “friedlefrapper” swinging a broom.
Spirit Week. Held within the first few weeks of the school year, this recent school tradition is a weeklong event that features a number of school-wide and division-wide activities, such as "Twin Day" (students dress alike), "Pajama Day" (come to school dressed in pajamas), and "Crazy Hat and Hair Day."
Community Day. Held in the fall, Community Day began as "Mountain Day
Mountain Day
Mountain Day is a traditional student celebration in which classes are cancelled without prior notice, and the student body heads to the mountains or a park.The day chosen is often a beautiful, crisp day when the fall foliage is in full color...
," in which the entire school would travel to nearby Sugarloaf Mountain for a picnic and a day of exploration. In the mid-1970s the venue changed to Catoctin Quaker Camp
Catoctin Quaker Camp
Catoctin Quaker Camp is a small, Quaker, residential, wilderness summer camp operated by Baltimore Yearly Meeting for Quaker and non-Quaker children aged 9–14. Catoctin is located off of Old Mink Farm Road, on Catoctin Mountain, near Frederick, Maryland. Children come to camp for two- or...
. As the size of the school grew and the logistics of transporting the entire school over long distances became more difficult, Mountain Day evolved into Community Day, a day of campus-based work projects (such as trail maintenance, tending to the community garden, and bus waxing races), followed by school-wide games.
Intersession. In the week before spring break each school year, all SSFS Upper School students are required to participate in an Intersession, a trip of experiential learning that supplements the traditional school curriculum. Intersessions often involve community service, physical activity, or environmental stewardship. In the past, Intersession trips have gone to Florida, Senegal, Korea, Sicily, and numerous other locations.
Strawberry Cowbake. An end-of-year festival featuring a cookout and strawberry shortcake.
Student Government and Publications
The Gnus is an upper-school student newspaper. Other student publications include a literary magazine and a yearbookYearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
.
The Torch Committee, the student government organization, includes day and boarding students, as well as faculty and administration representatives. A Torch representative is invited to all faculty meetings, school business meetings and meetings of the Board of Trustees.
Notable alumni
Amy Michelson, actress/clothing designerToshi Reagon
Toshi Reagon
Toshi Reagon is an American folk/blues musician. She is the daughter of Freedom Singers co-founders Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of Sweet Honey in the Rock, with whom she has sometimes collaborated on musical projects and of Cordell Hull Reagon, a leader of the civil rights movement in...
, American folk/blues musician
Robby Reider
The Friday Night Boys
The Friday Night Boys were a pop punk band from Fairfax, that formed in 2006. The band consists of Andrew Goldstein, Mike Toohey, Robby Reidera, and Chris Barrett....
, musician
Jesse Swenson
Jesse Swenson
Jesse Swenson born November 13, 1986, is an American actor best known for his role as Asher Hornsby in Gossip Girl on The CW. Swenson was also a cast member of the Broadway show, Spring Awakening where he performed as an ensemble member. Jesse is also the lead vocalist in his band, Bubble & Squeak...
, actor
Josh Joplin
Josh Joplin
-Biography:Joplin was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Conestoga Valley, in the heart of Lancaster, Pa., until at the age of 12, when his family relocated to Columbia, Md....
, musician
External links
- Sandy Spring Friends School Official website