Meet Mark Anderson, Head of Sanford School in Hockessin, DE

WHAT WILL YOU FIND AT SANFORD?

Yourself. That’s what makes Sanford so special—and what makes me so proud to be part of this creative, inclusive community.

Here at Sanford, we value each student for who you are, what you love and what you want to achieve. It’s this individual acceptance and support that make our school family diverse in its talents and exceptional in its achievements.

Beyond our 100% college acceptance rate, our 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and our demanding yet innovative academics, Sanford is truly a place to be yourself, express yourself and challenge yourself.

Our safe community is made up of happy, healthy achievers who live by our Honor Code and champion each other’s successes.
Our outstanding college-preparatory curriculum and stellar faculty challenge students to broaden their ambitions, take risks, set higher standards and develop lifelong habits for achievement.
Our award-winning arts and strong athletics programs empower students to tap into their talents and boldly pursue their own excellence with no fear of judgment.
Our stunning, college-like campus offers the ultimate physical space for learning, both in and out of the classroom, while fostering self-reliance and independence.

WHEN WE SAY “NO TALENT LIES LATENT” AT SANFORD, WE MEAN IT.

That’s why our students and alumni achieve amazing things, like:
Raising record-setting fundraising dollars for charity
Presenting TED Talks to global audiences
Earning national AP Scholar Award recognition every year
Performing in renowned venues throughout the country
Excelling in nationwide competitions.

It’s why our families consistently report that their children are thriving, responding to challenges to do their best, and achieving success.

It’s why our graduates return to us year after year with tales about how they taught their dorm floor how to write a term paper, or how a professor displayed their work as examples. Or even, decades later, telling us that “even after graduate school, it’s been my opinion that the most education I’ve received in life came from my time at Sanford.”

It’s why, once you’re a Sanford student, you’re always a Sanford student. And it’s why I hope that soon you, too, find yourself at Sanford.

Best,
Mark J. Anderson

Mark Speaks to Sanford Families

List of 3 news stories.

Leadership Lessons from Disney
2/12/2020
This fall, my fifth-grade son Oliver asked me: “Dad, can you wait for November 12th?” At first, I was unsure where he was going with this, but I quickly learned November 12th was the date that Disney planned to launch its new streaming service, Disney+. Over the past year or two, Oliver has developed into a Disney super-fan. In fact, he chose Walt Disney as his subject to study and present for Fourth-Grade Biography Day. The company’s history, Walt’s story, parks, movies, shorts—there are so many pieces of Disney trivia in his brain, he could be considered a mini Disney historian.
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Creating Lifetime Memories
12/3/2019
What a fall we have enjoyed at Sanford! A few of the highlights that have positively colored the air in the Sanford community in 2019–20:
- Opening the year with an overall increase of 20 students enrolled (117 new students)
- Completing last year with record-breaking fundraising ($1.7 million in total giving)
- Improving our facilities with a refreshed Middle School and a new Bermuda grass field for our boys' lacrosse and girls' and boys' soccer programs
- Launching our new preschool program.
It is no wonder that energy, excitement, and enthusiasm abound within our Sanford community.
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Tradition and Change
11/1/2019
Several years ago, I was heading into a Board committee meeting when a trustee walking into the room and announced, “Hey, someone built a brick wall on the Quad!” What this Sanford board member and parent was seeing—for the first time—was Sanford’s War Memorial which honors Sanford alumni and teachers who were killed in the service of our country. It was built in the early 1950s. The reason our trustee had driven by the monument hundreds of times and never noticed the wall was that the structure was covered by a line of tall Hemlock trees, which blocked the view.
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