Empowering students to achieve their fullest potential and live lives of purpose—this has been the core of Garrison Forest School since 1910. What was an innovative educational mission for girls at the turn of the 20th century remains so in the 21st century. Garrison Forest was founded in 1910 as an all-girls’ day and boarding school with a coeducational primary program (now preschool).
Throughout our history, our mission has been to prepare young women for a rewarding college experience and for a purposeful life well beyond. Guided by our motto, Esse Quam Videri—To Be Rather Than To Seem—Garrison Forest’s curricular and co-curricular program balances exceedingly high standards within a welcoming, spirited atmosphere. Here, students flourish intellectually and individually. Find their voice. Discover their passions. And embrace their potential.
In 1910, Mary Moncrieffe Livingston, a teacher from New York, moved to Maryland with a mission and a vision: to found a much-needed primary through twelfth grade school for the local community. The educational model she espoused remains a nationally distinctive program nearly a century later.
Garrison Forest then was an all-girls’ day school, Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade, with a residential program for older girls and a coed primary program. Today, the model remains nearly identical with the addition of a vibrant international boarding program and two-year-olds as the youngest Garrison Forest students. The motto Miss Livingston chose for her burgeoning school, Esse Quam Videri—To Be Rather Than To Seem, perfectly captured her vision for a school steeped in academic rigor while infused with exceptional character building. Today, it inspires our Core Values:
These five Core Values, created by the GFS community in 2015, guide how we teach and learn, connect and collaborate, serve and succeed. Underscoring our Mission and Statement of Respect, these five values are a road map for every member of our community, adult and child, to be our best selves.
At Garrison Forest School, we prepare our students in and out of the classroom to thrive in a complex, changing world by:
The Garrison Forest School community is deeply committed to equity, honesty, kindness and respect as part of the educational experience. To this end, we:
We recognize the dignity and worth of all individuals. To protect their rights we confront bias, prejudice and discrimination. Garrison Forest School does not condone any behavior which is inconsistent with these tenets. We believe that it is unacceptable for our spoken and written language and behavior to demean anyone’s physical characteristics, as well as anyone’s ethnic, gender, personal, racial, religious or sexual identities. We, as individuals, must take responsibility for our words and deeds and respect all people.
Please do not post:
Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.
My child has thrived at Garrison Forest School in Maryland. The staff is incredibly helpful and the quality of education is top-notch. I am amazed at the progress my child has made since attending the boarding school.
By Olivia Harris (Jan, 2023) |
Twitter
The boarding experience in Maryland has been transformative for my child, with dedicated staff guiding their impressive academic growth in a vibrant learning community.
By Laura Winters (Jun, 2024) |