The admission folks are working on a new brochure for Sandy Spring Friends School, and I was asked to come up with a couple of sentences that would serve as a kind of “elevator pitch.” The concept comes from Silicon Valley and is based on the notion that you finally get a meeting with a potential supporter, but it is in the elevator. You both get on in the lobby, and you have the person’s undivided attention, but only until she gets off on, say, the 12th floor. So you have that amount of time to explain your idea at least so you can go on to the next step. So here goes.
“Let Your Lives Speak”
Sandy Spring Friends School provides students with a 21st Century college preparatory education grounded in Quaker values of equality, justice, tolerance, respect and collaboration. We teach a global curriculum steeped in science, math, the humanities and technology, alongside the arts and athletics. We give students the framework to discover and strengthen their individual interests and talents.
Although the contours of the future are not entirely predictable, we prepare our graduates to enter a world that values and respects independent thinking, cooperation, motivation and initiative. We are a community of life-long learners and leaders who believe our diversity enhances our excellence, and cultural proficiency is fundamental to the success of our students.
At one with the Quaker value of seeing “that of God within each person,” a Sandy Spring education prepares students to be caring citizens of the world.
Sold? I am.
To be the School that we describe ourselves to be means that we are willing to be daring, nimble, determined, committed and, in the best sense of the word, professional. OK, bring it on. But it also means that we must be able to look at ourselves and not flinch, see where we can do better, correct deficiencies, build on strengths and, above all, remain true to exploring the limitless possibilities of being a Friends School rooted in Quaker values.
We are an excellent school because we have all of the ingredients (your kids, great teachers, plenty of land, some good inside places). We have a great recipe (small classes, Meeting for Worship, amazing traditions, Community). Every so often, we consult the SSFS cookbook to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything (is it time to add some spice to our
athletic program?).
I do not want to minimize the ways in which we can do better. We recognize that the world is not staying the same, nor will our ideas of what it means to educate kids for the 21st Century. This means that teaching kids and infusing them with a love of learning is not done by rote: there is no one-size-fits all approach. Even though Sandy Spring Friends School is 50 years old and Quakers have been leaders in educating kids for the past 350 years, we are still pioneers; we are still
innovating. We are still getting it right.
So we are thrilled to begin the new school year; we are full of enthusiasm, brimming with energy and loaded for bear. We are particularly delighted to partner with you, our families, in this most important work of preparing and inspiring our students as they become the next generation of leaders and citizens.