Welcome to Garrison Forest School. Welcome to our spirited community, where students lead, create, and innovate. Welcome to our expansive, green campus, with room to explore and learn. Welcome to finding your passions and making connections. Welcome to being yourself and being seen.
Welcome HOME.
WHO THRIVES HERE?
All-Girls K-12 Co-Ed Preschool and Daycare
Lower School (Grades K-5)
Daycare (Ages 6 weeks-2 years)
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Preschool (Twos-PreK)
Upper School (Grades 9-12)
Boarding Students From across the country and around the world (Grades 8-12)
An academic journey designed for
YOU.
Our academic philosophy is simple: We know our students, we know how they learn best, and we know what they need to succeed. At each step, our students are guided by a network of educational professionals, from teachers and advisors to Learning Specialists, who look at each student individually and work together to create a path that feels intentional, appropriately challenging, and meaningful. Opportunities abound for students to dig deeper, push themselves, and find new areas of interest.
EVERY STUDENT DESERVES TO THRIVE. The Boyce Center for Learning and Thriving is an innovative and comprehensive approach to educating the whole student. It weaves a vital thread between academic success, growth and enrichment, and wellness and wellbeing.
A tradition of
EXCELLENCE.
At Garrison Forest, school spirit goes beyond face paint and fun— although we have plenty of that, with a friendly Light Blue/Dark Blue Spirit Team competition each year! Our spirit is steeped in traditions that have uplifted and connected generations of GFS students.
LIGHT BLUE & DARK BLUE SPIRIT Every GFS student in grades K-12 begins her journey with a sprint through the spirit tunnel during our annual Sorting Day, where you find out if you’re on the Light Blue or Dark Blue Spirit Team. Spirit Captains are chosen in every division each year and serve as leaders of their division’s spirit activities and competition.
AUTHENTIC JOY To us, spirit means being your authentic self; be silly, serious, funny, fun, driven, bold, thoughtful, kind, unique. Share the perspectives that make you YOU and celebrate the accomplishments of your friends and peers. That’s the GFS spirit.
Girls win
HERE.
Imagine competing at a place where girls’ sports aren’t secondary. Where every field, court, arena, and facility is already reserved for you. Where your accomplishments are celebrated and your peers are there to cheer you on. And where dedicated coaches and staff ensure you can compete at the highest level—while understanding the unique importance of wellness, nutrition, and training for young women.
ATHLETICS AT-A-GLANCE
Mascot:
Grizzly
20
Sports Offered in Middle and Upper School
Championships won since 2019 Field Hockey (Twice!) Golf Tennis Volleyball (Twice!)
Polo
One of two schools— and the only girls’ school—to offer polo
Nationally recognized equestrian program with riding for all skill levels
Stay On Your Toes
Every 4th and 5th Grader tries riding, polo, and dance as part of Physical Education
Becoming women of
IMPACT.
Students leave the Forest uniquely prepared to succeed and harness their potential. They attend some of the best colleges in the country and then go on to make their marks on a wide breadth of industries. GFS alumnae are CEOs, medical professionals, engineers, business owners, communicators, creators, and more—and they’re forging new paths every day. They use their voices to ask important questions, share transformative ideas, and inspire those around them.
RECENT COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES Bates College Baylor College Boston University Clemson University Duke University Elon University Johns Hopkins University Princeton University Rochester Institute of Technology Savannah College of Art and Design Spelman College Temple University Texas A&M US Naval Academy University of Virginia
THE POWER OF BEING WISE For over 20 years, the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) program with Johns Hopkins University has given Garrison Forest School students the opportunity to work in real labs alongside Hopkins mentors. Their work spans all disciplines, from traditional lab sciences to public health, Earth and planetary sciences, political science, and more.
Esse Quam Videri
TO BE, RATHER THAN TO SEEM The school’s motto has guided how we teach, learn, and live since the school’s founding in 1910.
300 Garrison Forest Road | Owings Mills, MD 21117
gfs.org