In 1958, Brook Moore suggested a new school for Sandy Spring at the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends. Interest grew, and Esther Scott gave the first of several acres of her family farm to develop a Friends Center and a school seeking to educate the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Sandy Spring Friends School opened in September 1961 with a limited enrollment Upper School program for 77 students. In 1980, SSFS added a Middle School program in Brookeville, which moved onto campus in February of 1984. In 1983, the historic Ashton Meeting House was moved to the campus. Since then, each division of the School has held Meeting for Worship on a regularly-scheduled basis in the Meeting House. It is a visible reminder of the living Quaker heritage of the School. In 1992, Friends Elementary School moved onto campus, officially merging with SSFS one year later. The following year, the School expanded again to serve students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grade. In recent years, the Athletic and Performing Arts Centers have opened, the Community Farm and solar arrays have become living symbols of our commitment to sustainability, and our revitalized campus enjoys a swimming pond, a climbing wall, and the neighboring Adventure Park. Today, our student body reflects a truly global community as our International Student Program attracts students from around the world to engage in intellectual, athletic, artistic, and personal pursuits with our already-diverse community of students representing many backgrounds, faiths, and cultures.