Gnu Stories Podcast by Sandy Spring Friends School

02.20.2023

College Counseling for Gen-Z Students and Families

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...

12.23.2022

Ep. 29: 2022 Winter Holiday Episode

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!

11.23.2022

Ep. 28 | Future-Focused Planning: What a Strategic Plan Tells You About the Values of a School

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...

06.24.2022

Ep. 27: Creating a Place of Belonging for the LGBTQ Community Pride Month Edition

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...

05.13.2022

Ep. 26: DEI Practitioners & Parent Involvement Discussion

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...

04.01.2022

Ep. 25: Mindfulness for All: Practices and Practical Application

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...

02.25.2022

Ep. 24: Creating Places of Belonging & Professional Growth at SSFS

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,...

12.17.2021

Ep. 23: Holiday Episode: Winter Traditions from the SSFS Community

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...

11.26.2021

Ep. 22: Meet Anna Tsouhlarakis, SSFS Nov. Artist in Residence

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...

11.12.2021

Ep. 21: Friends School 101: What is Quaker Education?

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...

10.29.2021

Ep. 20: Sustainability Education at SSFS

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...

10.15.2021

Ep. 19: SSFS: 60 Years on Norwood Road

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...

09.03.2021

Ep. 18: SSFS Alumni Spotlight: Call for Kindness Competition Winners - Michel Ruiz-Fuentes & Frank Sheffield, Class of 2020

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...

06.24.2021

Ep. 17: Looking Forward, Seeking Guidance (Student-Led Interviews)

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...

05.28.2021

Ep. 16: Hear From Our Teachers (Student-Led Interviews)

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...

04.30.2021

Ep. 15: Have You Herd? The Middle School has a Podcast!

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...

04.19.2021

Ep. 14: DEI in the Lower School

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...

03.19.2021

Ep. 13: Heads of School Reflect: Leadership, Identity, & Quaker Education

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...

02.26.2021

Ep. 12: Self-Advocacy From a Student Perspective

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...

01.28.2021

Ep. 11: Let Your Lives Speak: Self-Advocacy For All Ages

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...

01.13.2021

Ep. 10: How do you return? Being back on campus during COVID-19

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...

12.23.2020

Ep. 9: Winter Holiday Traditions at SSFS

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...

12.09.2020

Ep. 8: SSFS Alumni Spotlight - David Ayala '96

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...

11.18.2020

Ep. 7: Civic Engagement From A Student Perspective

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...

10.28.2020

Ep. 6: Civic Engagement & The Role of School

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...

10.14.2020

Ep. 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. See the video of the...

09.30.2020

Ep. 4: Infusing Fun into Learning

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...

09.16.2020

Ep. 3: Where Do We Go From Here? The SSFS Diversity Audit One Year Later

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...

09.02.2020

Ep. 2: Welcome to a Brand New School Year

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...

08.19.2020

Ep. 1: Preparing For Online Learning, Virtual School, and Beyond

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...

Gnu Stories Podcast

What's Gnu Stories Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Gnu Stories Podcast episodes: