SSFS HOS leaving

[Anonymous]

Announcement about 500K grant to improve the LS is wonderful news! I have continued faith in SSFS to move in positive directions!

[Anonymous]

That is very promising..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never expected so much cattiness from the parents of this community. DC in upper school loves the school and the community. His peers seem like great kids. I don’t know how most of you posting can have such great kids but be so mean spirited and not want the best for this school. Smearing it and telling others to stay away is not helpful for the future of the school. I have had kids at other private schools in the area and even then, I’ve never seen such vitriol.

This ^ +1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Announcement about 500K grant to improve the LS is wonderful news! I have continued faith in SSFS to move in positive directions!

Where did the grant come from?

[Anonymous]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 16, 2024

Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a generous $500,000 grant from an anonymous foundation to support renovations to the Lower School. These improvements will enhance the learning environment for the school’s youngest students, ensuring that SSFS continues to provide the highest-quality education while securing a bright and sustainable future for the entire community.

The funds will be used to modernize Lower School facilities, addressing a key area of our 140-acre campus that has not received significant updates.

Planned Lower School renovations include:

* replacing and resurfacing flooring;
* reconfiguring classroom spaces to better support both collaborative and individualized learning;
* purchasing new pedagogically-appropriate furniture; and
* constructing an outdoor mud kitchen play area that will enhance students’ hands-on, outdoor learning experiences.

.....

In addition to the physical improvements, the creation of flexible learning spaces and outdoor play areas will align with SSFS’s mission of fostering creativity, collaboration, and a connection to the natural world. These enhancements will help students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, ensuring they develop the skills they need to succeed in the future.

.....

The renovation project will begin in the coming months (especially over the School’s winter break), with completion expected before the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Announcement about 500K grant to improve the LS is wonderful news! I have continued faith in SSFS to move in positive directions!

Where did the grant come from?

Don’t know but I’m sure TG coming to the board has something to do with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Announcement about 500K grant to improve the LS is wonderful news! I have continued faith in SSFS to move in positive directions!

Where did the grant come from?

Probably someone with hope now that RG is gone

[Anonymous]

Such great news on the grant. Here's hoping SSFS continues to find a positive way forward in the chaos created by RG.

[Anonymous]

Parent of two SSFS alumni currently in college here:

My (non-white) kids were at SSFS during the Covid lockdown and RG's tenure. Despite the many unprecedented challenges, they received an outstanding education - something for which I will be forever grateful to SSFS, and for which the returns to them over the courses of their lifetimes is incalculable. The ability of SSFS to pivot to remote learning and continue to progress at grade level expectations - as opposed to the children of friends who were enrolled in public school - is an enduring testament to the school's resilience and innovation, and its superior, supportive, caring staff.

My youngest just sent me this message in a chat today:

"i just finished an office hours appointment with my criminology professor to talk about my paper and i was showing her what i had so far and she said i write better than most of her grad students at COLUMBIA 🤭
she said sometimes she has to take breaks from reading their papers cause it’s just not the level she wants it to be lol"

Punctuation and capitalization aside, I've read a number of their papers, and they're AMAZING.

I have full and utmost confidence that SSFS will turn things around.

Peace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Announcement about 500K grant to improve the LS is wonderful news! I have continued faith in SSFS to move in positive directions!

Where did the grant come from?

Don’t know but I’m sure TG coming to the board has something to do with it.

Nah. This was all the new Director of Advancement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of two SSFS alumni currently in college here:

My (non-white) kids were at SSFS during the Covid lockdown and RG's tenure. Despite the many unprecedented challenges, they received an outstanding education - something for which I will be forever grateful to SSFS, and for which the returns to them over the courses of their lifetimes is incalculable. The ability of SSFS to pivot to remote learning and continue to progress at grade level expectations - as opposed to the children of friends who were enrolled in public school - is an enduring testament to the school's resilience and innovation, and its superior, supportive, caring staff.

My youngest just sent me this message in a chat today:

"i just finished an office hours appointment with my criminology professor to talk about my paper and i was showing her what i had so far and she said i write better than most of her grad students at COLUMBIA 🤭
she said sometimes she has to take breaks from reading their papers cause it’s just not the level she wants it to be lol"

Punctuation and capitalization aside, I've read a number of their papers, and they're AMAZING.

I have full and utmost confidence that SSFS will turn things around.

Peace.

^100%. Our SSFS graduate is doing well in college - the education and experiences they took away from SSFS are helping them significantly - from their interactions with professors, to their ability to interact with their peers, their curiosity, respect for others, communication, time management and study skills - all of it are a direct result of SSFS preparing them well. Covid years were tough but SSFS stood head and shoulders above what many of their peers were experiencing at local schools. Not to say it wasn't without its bumps - but the majority of SSFS faculty and staff provided a caring learning environment that suited our student well.

[Anonymous]

I am a math tutor who has worked with quite a few SSFS students. In the course of my work I have gotten to know many faculty members. I believe that SSFS was and is a great school. That is not to say it is the only good school in the area. Different students have different needs and each family needs to do their due diligence in order to find a school that fits their child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of two SSFS alumni currently in college here:

My (non-white) kids were at SSFS during the Covid lockdown and RG's tenure. Despite the many unprecedented challenges, they received an outstanding education - something for which I will be forever grateful to SSFS, and for which the returns to them over the courses of their lifetimes is incalculable. The ability of SSFS to pivot to remote learning and continue to progress at grade level expectations - as opposed to the children of friends who were enrolled in public school - is an enduring testament to the school's resilience and innovation, and its superior, supportive, caring staff.

My youngest just sent me this message in a chat today:

"i just finished an office hours appointment with my criminology professor to talk about my paper and i was showing her what i had so far and she said i write better than most of her grad students at COLUMBIA 🤭
she said sometimes she has to take breaks from reading their papers cause it’s just not the level she wants it to be lol"

Punctuation and capitalization aside, I've read a number of their papers, and they're AMAZING.

I have full and utmost confidence that SSFS will turn things around.

Peace.

^100%. Our SSFS graduate is doing well in college - the education and experiences they took away from SSFS are helping them significantly - from their interactions with professors, to their ability to interact with their peers, their curiosity, respect for others, communication, time management and study skills - all of it are a direct result of SSFS preparing them well. Covid years were tough but SSFS stood head and shoulders above what many of their peers were experiencing at local schools. Not to say it wasn't without its bumps - but the majority of SSFS faculty and staff provided a caring learning environment that suited our student well.

Sorry to put a damper on this lovefest but 72 pages into this board I think everyone should realize at this point sure ssfs wasn’t all bad. But again it had problems for many ppl -
Students and faculty alike. That’s what started this thread. And yes hopefully they will pull thru now that the most toxic influence is gone. The bad started with that guy and hopefully can end now that he’s gone.

[Anonymous]

The love fest obviously bothers you.

The challenges SSFS is facing coming off what many feel was a toxic few years isn't lost on anyone including those of us who feel our kids are still having a good experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of two SSFS alumni currently in college here:

My (non-white) kids were at SSFS during the Covid lockdown and RG's tenure. Despite the many unprecedented challenges, they received an outstanding education - something for which I will be forever grateful to SSFS, and for which the returns to them over the courses of their lifetimes is incalculable. The ability of SSFS to pivot to remote learning and continue to progress at grade level expectations - as opposed to the children of friends who were enrolled in public school - is an enduring testament to the school's resilience and innovation, and its superior, supportive, caring staff.

My youngest just sent me this message in a chat today:

"i just finished an office hours appointment with my criminology professor to talk about my paper and i was showing her what i had so far and she said i write better than most of her grad students at COLUMBIA 🤭
she said sometimes she has to take breaks from reading their papers cause it’s just not the level she wants it to be lol"

Punctuation and capitalization aside, I've read a number of their papers, and they're AMAZING.

I have full and utmost confidence that SSFS will turn things around.

As a parent of two SSFS graduates I couldn't agree more. I'd add - SSFS taught them, or ignited, their love of learning. They both recently received graduate degress (MD & two Masters).

Peace.

^100%. Our SSFS graduate is doing well in college - the education and experiences they took away from SSFS are helping them significantly - from their interactions with professors, to their ability to interact with their peers, their curiosity, respect for others, communication, time management and study skills - all of it are a direct result of SSFS preparing them well. Covid years were tough but SSFS stood head and shoulders above what many of their peers were experiencing at local schools. Not to say it wasn't without its bumps - but the majority of SSFS faculty and staff provided a caring learning environment that suited our student well.