ABOUT GARRISON FOREST SCHOOL

The all-girls’ Kindergarten through 12th grade and coed Preschool programs at Garrison Forest School empower students to reach their fullest potential and live a life of purpose—in an environment where every child is supported, celebrated and encouraged to be his or her true self.

Educational Philosophy

Since Garrison Forest’s founding in 1910, they have prepared students to embrace the complex and changing world and to lead and serve with passion, purpose and joy. They challenge students to strive for academic excellence and to grow into informed, independent and creative thinkers. Their motto, Esse Quam Videri—“To Be Rather Than To Seem”—speaks to the way they cultivate an authentic and resilient sense of self. Their five Core Values—Be Authentic, Be Brave, Be Compassionate, Be Curious and Be Spirited—define and reflect the essence of the Garrison Forest community.

Unique School Characteristics

Their program is among the most unique in the country: Garrison Forest is all-girls from Kindergarten through 12th Grade, with a coeducational Preschool for Twos through Pre-Kindergarten. From 8th to 12th Grade, they are a day/boarding school with students from around the region, country and globe! As a result, they are a diverse and global community where bonds cross divisions and many cultures and customs are shared through their boarding program.

Since the school’s earliest days, the idea of the “Garrison Forest Spirit” is something that threads through the classroom, campus and academic divisions and reaches across generations of Garrison Forest alumnae. It is a joy and warmth, a deeply rooted feeling of community in which every person’s authenticity is respected and celebrated. One of the best aspects of their spirit is the deep relationships between each teacher and students. Their faculty truly knows every student and is invested in every student’s success as a scholar and as a person!

Equally notable are the nationally and internationally recognized programs at Garrison Forest, providing infinite possibilities for their students. Since 2004, Garrison Forest has partnered with Johns Hopkins University for their groundbreaking Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program. They place talented GFS students in Hopkins labs three times a week for a whole semester. Working with a Hopkins professor or graduate student, WISE students participate fully in the research focus of a Hopkins lab—and dive into their passions for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Their James Center—an endowed program bringing together all experiential learning at the school—sponsors an in-depth community outreach program that includes the Jenkins Fellows program through which upperclassmen apply for summer service fellowships in the U.S.A. and abroad!

School Traditions

The Garrison Forest Spirit starts with their Light Blue/Dark Blue Spirit Teams, a tradition dating back to the school’s founding in 1910. Each new girl and faculty member is given a team designation, and throughout the year, the teams enjoy friendly competitions to earn the most spirit points and the very popular spirit days and rallies. Each year, they participate in numerous outreach projects, particularly the Komen Race for the Cure, the Lower School’s bagged-lunch-making project for Our Daily Bread on Halloween, and the Middle School-led “stuff-a-bus” food drive. Juniors receive their coveted school ring from Seniors in the fall, a tradition started in Lower School with a popular Big Sister/Little Sister program for class and co-curricular activities.

Campus and Facilities

Their 110-acre, mostly wooded campus is breathtaking and provides space for girls to build, create and think. From historic buildings to collegiate-level athletic and art facilities, their campus provides endless learning opportunities outside the classroom. They are also dedicated to continual enhancements to meet the needs of their students–this includes the recent renovation of the Upper School’s Marshall-Offutt building, which brought new and improved spaces for lab sciences, mathematics and world languages, as well as improved spaces for student support services and meetings, all of which transformed Marshall-Offutt into an attractive and energizing space for teaching and learning! Biology students use the campus pond as a learning lab, and art students create outdoor, large-scale sculptures.

When not enjoying the elevated running track and expansive courts in the Searle Athletic Center or our turf fields, Lower School and Middle School students go on “Power Walks” in Physical Education class, walking the wooded trails on campus. 4th and 5th Grade love the unique P.E. rotation in Riding, Polo and Dance, taking full advantage of Garrison Forest’s nationally known Riding and Polo programs and exceptional equestrian and dance facilities.

Several years ago, the school inaugurated their Creative Co-op “maker spaces” with high-tech and low-tech—think 3D-printers and endless craft supplies—for creating, tinkering and building. Research shows that when children are outdoors in nature they encounter opportunities for decision making that stimulate problem solving and creative thinking, as well as curiosity and the use of imagination. Their Outdoor Classroom offers in-depth, age-appropriate outdoor learning and fun, while the rest of their campus offers endless opportunities to explore and learn!

Extracurriculars

The Lower School Woodlands after school program provides an array of activities for Kindergarten through 5th Grade. Students may learn chess, dance, engineer Robotics, create art and much more in this popular, fee-based program open only to Garrison Forest Lower School students. Lower School may also play in clinic-style Basketball and Lacrosse programs designed to teach the girls basic skills and teamwork. The Applied Music program with conservatory-trained musicians coming to campus to teach guitar, flute, piano, percussion and voice, gives Lower School girls exceptional music training. In Middle School and Upper School, the school offers 50 teams across 17 intercollegiate sports in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland, as well as numerous clubs, student government opportunities, performance groups and more!

What would prospective parents and students be surprised to know about your school?

Most of the parents are surprised at the depth and breadth the regional, national, and international boarding program adds to their child’s experience, whether their student is in Preschool or Upper School. The 8th to 12th Grade boarders—about 50 students from around the state, country and world—live and learn on campus. They share their customs with the Preschool and Lower School throughout the year from Lunar New Year activities and Cinco de Mayo, and students hear different languages spoken every day! Boarders visit Lower School and Preschool classes for activities and cross-divisional spirit days. Most importantly, they form deep friendships with girls from around the world and develop a genuine respect for differences and other cultures—a critical skill to becoming a global citizen and thriving in a diverse world.

They are as committed to your daughter’s social-emotional growth as they are to her academic success. The school uses the research-based Responsive Classroom program in their Lower School, using daily moments to teach practical and loving guidelines and consistent expectations for behavior.

ADMISSIONS INFO

The school typically holds numerous visiting programs in the fall, and encourage a personal tour, shadow day and visit! Due to COVID-19, they are hosting virtual events, tours and interview opportunities. Learn more here.

Admissions Process

Admission requirements vary by division and are detailed at gfs.org/admission. Please call 410-559-3111 for further information. They offer financial aid for those families who qualify with merit scholarships available in the Upper School.

Important Dates

For students applying to day school from Kindergarten through Grade 11, the Online Application form and supplemental forms are due by January 15, 2021. The preschool accepts applications on a rolling basis until a class is full. Please call 410-559-3222 to set up a Preschool tour.

For students applying to boarding school from Grade 8 through Grade 11, the Online Application form and supplemental forms are due by February 5, 2021.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Kareem Sykes

I love Garrison! My daughter Paige’s growth, both academic and social, has been nothing short of absolutely astonishing! These unique people we call teachers at Garrison are a cut above and they have a way of instilling morals, values and character that is at once remarkable, and at best, life changing for the girls of Garrison Forest! How do you put a price tag on that?

Kareem Sykes, father of a Garrison Forest Lower School student

CONTACT INFORMATION

Janice Bogdan

Senior Associate Director of Admission

janicebogdan@gfs.org

410-559-3222

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