Gnu Stories Podcast

From the move to digital testing and college testing requirements to expectations for selective college applications and gap year options, the college admissions landscape has shifted in recent years. Join Head of School Dr. Rodney Glasgow and the SSFS College Counseling staff as they discuss changes in the application process and share advice for students who will be applying to colleges and universities in the next few years!

Listen to our winter holiday edition of the Gnu Stories podcast, featuring the 2020 Virtual All-School Assembly performance of "How the Grinch Stole the Holidays," as well as recent performances from our Lower School students and Upper School Handbell Choir!

As SSFS prepares to launch our 2022-2027 strategic plan, "Going Places, Together," Head of School, Dr. Rodney Glasgow, talks with Christina Drouin, Founder and CEO of the Center for Strategic Planning, about the evolution of strategic planning in the independent school world and what role they play in carrying out the mission of a school.

In this Pride Month Edition of the Gnu Stories Podcast, Head of School Rodney Glasgow speaks with Erin Uritus, SSFS parent and CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. He also meets with faculty mentor Kristen Amouri and rising-9th graders Karma and Twig, who are part of the Middle School Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Together they dicuss defining LGBTQ+ across generations, supporting students as teachers and parents, and the importance of building places of belonging for students in their journey of self-discovery.

In this episode of the Gnu Stories Podcast, Head of School Rodney Glasgow speaks with the SSFS Director of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging (IEJB) LaVern Burton and two SSFS parents and co-clerks of INTERSECT, a parent group that provides a forum for parents and guardians to explore issues related to diversity, equity, and belonging. They discuss the importance of supporting students of diverse backgrounds through the inclusion of parents' sense of belonging. Hear about how DEI work at schools can actively involve parent participation and contribute to a sense of belonging for all.

In this episode of the Gnu Stories Podcast, Head of School Rodney Glasgow is joined by Joel Gunzburg, Lower School Counselor; Shaakira Raheem, Upper School Co-Dean of Students and African-American History Teacher; and SSFS alum Jessica Zipin '09, therapist in K-8 public education. Rodney, Joel, Shaakira, and Jessica discuss what mindfulness means and how they were introduced to it in their own lives and practice. They discuss how to incorporate mindfulness practices in everyday life for students and adults through practical application.

In this episode of the Gnu Stories Podcast, Head of School Rodney Glasgow is joined by Courtney Benson, Director of Professional Development and Growth, and Hayes Davis, Assistant Director of the Office of Institutional Equity, Justice, and Belonging. Rodney, Hayes, and Courtney discuss how the development of professional growth opportunities for SSFS faculty and staff intersects with creating a place of belonging for students on campus.

In the holiday edition of the GnuStories podcast, listen to our Lower School students as they perform Joyous Hanukkah (1st grade) and Joy to the World (4th grade). Then hear a collection of SSFS students and faculty sharing their family winter traditions.

In this episode of the Gnu Stories Podcast, Head of School Rodney Glasgow is joined by Anna Tsouhlarakis, an artist of Navajo, Creek, and Greek descent who works primarily with sculpture, installation, video, and performance art. Anna works at the University of Colorado Boulder as an Assistant Professor and has joined SSFS as a virtual artist in resident for the month of November to discuss her work with students and faculty in honor of Indigenous People's Month. This podcast features questions from Rodney as well as from Middle & Upper School students.

What does it mean to be a part of a “Friends” school community? How do Quaker values influence the approach to learning and teaching at a Friends School? We see many different Friends schools across the world; how are they similar, and how are they different? Join Head of Sandy Spring Friends School Rodney Glasgow as he hosts a conversation with the Associate Director of Friends Council on Education and other longtime educators and administrators at Quaker schools about these and other questions about Quaker education.

One of the central Quaker values ( “SPICES”) is “stewardship.” Hear from SSFS faculty Linda Garrettson (4th-grade teacher), Steffany Cartellone (6th-grade & MS teacher), and Joe Heathcock (SSFS community farmer), as well as SSFS alum and former faculty member Kip Kelly (owner of Full Cellar Farm), as they discuss how we teach an appreciation for and understanding of the importance of stewardship of the earth, and provide opportunities for students to observe firsthand the natural cycles of growth.

Listen to the latest Gnu Stories podcast featuring Kwame Darko ', David Hickson, Johanna Cowie, and Bob Hoch as they talk with Head of School Rodney Glasgow about the founding of the School, the role of the community over the past 60 years, and our school's connection to the wider Sandy Spring community. (SSFS 60th Anniversary Episode)

In this episode, SSFS Head of School Dr. Rodney Glasgow speaks with SSFS Alumni Michel Ruiz-Fuentes and Frank Sheffield who won the national Call for Kindness competition sponsored by Riley's Way Foundation in May of 2021. The competition challenges teens to apply for grants that fund initiatives that strengthen their communities and inspire kindness. They were the only two recipients in the State of Maryland and were part of a small group of 22 inspiring teens across the country who received the award. Listen to the episode to hear Michel and Frank speak about the competition, their work with Mary Center in Washington DC through Candid Community Care, and their plans for the future.

The 2020-21 school year has come to an end and our rising 6th & 9th graders, as well as the graduated class of 2021 will be starting a new chapter in their lives. In this episode, our rising students ask questions to rising 7th & 10th graders, as well as an SSFS alum for guidance.

In this episode of the Gnu Stories Podcast, we learn more about our teachers as they're interviewed by their students. Hear from the teachers about how they got into the education field, their favorite parts about being a teacher, and what it's like to be in the SSFS community.

In this episode, join Rodney as he talks with Middle School faculty member Lindsay Kellogg and our student podcasters, Ben and Zoe about their podcast "Have You Herd," and the MS online newspaper "The Wildebeest Weekly." Then, hear clips from their podcast to get a closer look at our Middle School community.

SSFS Head of School Rodney Glasgow speaks to Nicole Lee, Director of Institutional Equity Justice and Belonging and author of “Raising AntiRacist Kids: The Power of Intentional Conversations About Race and Parenting” about our youngest learners - preschool through 5th grade - through the lens of diversity, inclusion, and belong and how we, as a school and as parents, can raise children who are anti-racist, anti-ableism, and anti-oppression.

In this episode, Rodney speaks with Brenda Crawley, Head of Plymouth Meeting Friends School, and Karen Cumberbatch, Head of Carolina Friends School. Brena and Karen share their experience as members of the SSFS community and reflect on what it means to be a woman of color in a leadership position, decision-making during COVID-19, and what drew them to Quaker Education.

Join Dr. Rodney Glasgow as he takes a deeper dive into self-advocacy with our SSFS Middle and Upper School students. Hear what students have to say about self-advocacy, how they practice it in the classroom, what teachers can do to create a safe space for their students to practice, and how students can psych themselves up to test out this important skill.

What is self-advocacy and why is it important? What do we risk by not teaching this skill? Our Learning Specialists and Upper School Director of College Counseling speak with Dr. Rodney Glasgow about the importance of becoming a self-advocate, its alter ego of learned-helplessness and selfishness, and the role self-advocacy could have played in the insurgency at the U.S. Capitol. 

After an extended time in virtual mode, SSFS is opening its campus to students for in-person learning. From dealing with an array of emotions to building new habits, hear from our counselors about how you and your student can get ready to come back to school —whether at SSFS or another community.

Come and celebrate the winter break with us as our community shares some of our favorite winter holiday traditions! First, listen to our play How the Grinch Stole the Holidays, a rendition of the Dr. Seuss classic, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. This play is an annual tradition at SSFS during our winter assembly in which our faculty and staff perform for our preschool-12th grade students. Then, hear from TORCH members – our upper school student body government – as they share some of their favorite traditions during the winter holidays and what they are excited about for the 2020 holiday season.

In November, David Ayala '96 met with SSFS Head of School Rodney Glasgow about his transformational experience at SSFS and his journey to his current role at School Leader Lab. ___ David Ayala is the Senior Director of Program at School Leader Lab, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that partners with schools to support their organizational capacity for school leader development. At the heart of School Leader Lab is its School Leader Cohort, a two year program that, grounded in the principles of equity and local context, develops participants in instructional and adult leadership. As a Senior Director of Program, David designs and manages the School Leader Collective in Kansas City, drives instructional leadership work, leads school projects, and coaches.

Join Rodney as he invites our SSFS students to reflect on the 2020 election, what it has meant to them and their classmates, and the role of social media in civic engagement. Further, the group discusses how we, as citizens and community members, resolve conflict and how we all work together to make our school, our country, and our world a better place.

As an educational institution, how do we prepare our students to be civically engaged citizens while also practicing civility? What lessons from history can help guide our students as they learn about democracy and find a way to use their own voice for change? What is the role of school in civic engagement? Hear from faculty members Pinki Shah and Mao Wang as well as Director of DEI Nicole Lee as we explore these questions.

https://www.ssfs.org/news-media/ssfs-blogs/article/~board/sandy-spring-friends-school-blog/post/gnu-stories-podcast-episode-5-experiential-education-in-a-virtual-world (WATCH/LISTEN:) Recorded in September 2020, Head of School Rodney Glasgow spoke with Shoshanna Sumka, SSFS alumna and Executive Director of ISEEN, about experiential education, creating connection in a virtual environment, and her time as a student at SSFS. https://www.ssfs.org/news-media/ssfs-blogs/article/~board/sandy-spring-friends-school-blog/post/gnu-stories-podcast-episode-5-experiential-education-in-a-virtual-world (See the video of the interview )

With stress and anxiety levels raised, fun is more critical than ever. Join Rodney as he speaks with Jenai Bell (Cross-Divisional Learning Specialist Admin. Assistant), Joel Gunzburg (LS Counselor), and Shannon Needham (Upper School Learning Specialist) as they discuss the importance of fun for learning, community building, and stress-relief and how they are infusing fun into everyday activities. 

As we near the year mark of the SSFS Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Audit publication, hear from Rodney Glasgow (Head of School), David Hickson (Assistant Head of School), Nicole Lee (Interim Director of DEI), Candice Ashton, (Clerk of the All-School Diversity Committee) and Julie Méndez, (Co-Clerk of the Audit Oversight Committee) about where we've been and where we're going to ensure the school becomes a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place.

In the second episode of the "Gnu Stories: Highlights from the SSFS Community" podcast, hear two recorded sessions from our Head of School Rodney Glasgow. The first recording is from his presentation at the All-School Welcome on September 1, 2020 during the SSFS Virtual Orientation Day for parents and guardians. The second recording is an interview conducted by Brenda Crawley, Head of Plymouth Meeting Friends School and former Lower School Head of Sandy Spring Friends School. The Interview was conducted in June 2020, prior to Rodney's first official day as the new Head of School.

In the first episode of the "Gnu Stories: Highlights from the SSFS Community" podcast, our Head of School Rodney Glasgow interviewed Bela Meghani, Rasha El-Haggan, and Sara Oestrich about this summer's professional development for SSFS faculty and administration, and how this training—in conjunction with the ongoing Mind-Brain Education training—will allow SSFS to provide a robust program during online learning through virtual school, and when we return to in-person learning on campus.