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January 11, 2024

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Pursuing Academic Excellence: Professional Learning & Growth at Potomac
Pursuing Academic Excellence: Professional Learning & Growth at Potomac

Sarah Beck, assistant head of school for academics, explores Potomac’s commitment to academic excellence. Rather than aim for perfection, she writes that we “emphasize a joy of learning, encourage experimentation, skill development, and learn from failures.” Beck details the school's approach to professional development for educators and provides an example of the ongoing math curriculum review, showcasing Potomac’s commitment to continuous improvement. Read more, and join us at the Winter PA Spotlight event on February 7, where she will share more about how we relentlessly pursue quality learning for our students.

Tomorrow’s MLK Assembly

The Potomac School community will celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at our K-12 MLK Day Assembly on Friday, January 12, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm, in the Spangler Culp Main Court. The assembly will feature student speakers, musical performances, and the presentation of The Potomac School Award for Exemplary Service. Parents are invited to attend the assembly and may also watch via livestream. We hope that you will join us!

Venture Meets Mission

Core to the mission of Potomac is our commitment to preparing students to lead lives of purpose, achievement, and generosity of spirit. This week, Potomac parent Arun Gupta released a new book, Venture Meets Mission, which explores how the intersection of mission, innovation, and entrepreneurship can align people, purpose, and profit to transform our society.  Mr. Gupta, venture capitalist, professor, and foundation leader, has played an important role in supporting our entrepreneurship program in the Upper School.

Things to Know

Learn about DC Real Estate: A Morning of Insights and Networking

Are you interested in learning more about the Washington, DC, area real estate sector? Parents are welcome to join our alumni for The Potomac School Real Estate Breakfast on Wednesday, January 17, at 8:30 am. Learn more information and RSVP here.

Learn about the future of commercial real estate from our panelists Ray Ritchey, Senior Executive VP of BXP; David Cheek, Co-Founder of The Meridian Group (TMG); and Dave Ritchey, Chief Commercial Officer at JBG Smith. Eric Rosenthal '03, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Machine Investment Group, will moderate this program.

Opening Tomorrow: Summer@Potomac Priority Registration

Priority registration opens tomorrow, January 12, at noon. The link for priority registration will not be posted on the website but instead emailed to the families tomorrow morning before registration opens. 

Getting Involved in the Auction
Getting Involved in the Auction

Potomac’s 2024 Scholarship Auction, "Bloom," will be here in two months! We invite you to save the date – Saturday, March 2 – and plan to join this evening of fun and friendship. You can organize your own table or ask to be seated with other parents in your child's grade. Invitations will be sent later this month. Every dollar raised through the auction supports student scholarships and faculty professional development.

Here are three ways you can get involved:

Think Wine. For many years, the auction has included an excellent selection of wines and spirits from around the world. We need your help! This is a great chance to join other wine aficionados in donating some bottles for the auction. Consider tapping your collection or view our wish list of items.

Donate/Solicit items. We are still collecting donations for the auction. Help us get items for our live and silent auctions! We welcome donations, both large and small. Do you have tickets to sporting events, restaurant connections, a vacation home, or AMEX points that give access to unique or memorable experiences? Please consider donating.

Volunteer. Donate your time and talents to help make this year’s auction the best yet! If you’re interested in helping, please contact one of our chairs, Kiley Ohly, Priscilla Stanzel, or Christine Wang.

Help Us Spread Some Love and Cheer to our Elder Neighbors

The Parent Association Service Learning Committee (PASLC) will kick off its annual Valentine’s Day service project on January 17, to bring cheer to older adults in our community. Potomac families are invited to create DIY valentines for older adults living in local senior living communities, including Chesterbrook Residences, Culpepper Gardens, Sunrise McLean Village, and the Washington Home Center, through Monday, February 5. Collection boxes will be placed by the Lower School Library, Middle School Square, Intermediate School Commons, and Mrs. Bolton's desk in the Upper School. Learn more, and sign up to participate!

Potomac Represents at Washington Revels’ Show
Potomac Represents at Washington Revels’ Show

The Washington Revels’ The Christmas Revels is a longstanding tradition for many of our families, especially since the program has Potomac roots – Revels founder Jack Langstaff was a much-loved faculty member here. This year’s cast included several members of the Potomac community: IS teacher Mr. Bill Hoffmann '79, students Journey Jackson ’31, Liezel Phillips ’30, Genevieve Privitera ’32, Millie Stanzel ’31, and Jocey Wallace ’32, and alums Chris “Kip” Lewis '98, Patrick Malone '98, and Maud Taber-Thomas '05. Congratulations to all the performers! 

Pawz Corner

School Closed on Monday

Potomac will be closed on Monday, January 15, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

Week Ahead

January

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Spangler: Culp Main Court

Potomac Social

    VIDEO OF THE WEEK

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    Lower School News

    Lower School

    Save the Date! Grade 2 Parent Forum

    Grade 2 parents are invited to join the conversation during our annual Grade 2 Parent Forum. It will be on  Thursday, January 18, from 8:30 to 10:15 am, in the Trundle Family Team Meeting Room in Spangler.  Parent Forums are informal gatherings of parents in a particular grade. At these programs, parents have the opportunity to discuss topics and challenges that are most relevant to their children's developmental stage.

    Reminder for January Assemblies

    There will be no Sharing Assembly tomorrow due to the K-12 MLK Assembly or Friday, January 19, because of the student-only LS Author Assembly.

    Off to the Museum We Go!
    Off to the Museum We Go!

    Kindergarteners visited the  KID Museum in Bethesda on their first day back from Winter Break. They tinkered and created at four different stations with a variety of activities that tested their ability to persevere, problem-solve, and work together in a team. The field trip was the perfect provocation to the marble run unit, which kicked off this week. 

    Lower School Family Event: Science and Tech is Coming Soon!

    Mark your calendars! Join us for our LS Family Event: Science and Tech on Thursday, February 8, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, in Ramsey Auditorium, brought to you by the Children's Science Center Lab and our LS Science and Tech faculty. Students do not have school the next day due to parent-teacher conferences. For planning purposes, please RSVP no later than Monday, February 5, at 4:00 pm.

    Bundle Up

    Unless temperatures are dangerously cold or there is heavy rain, our LS students will go outside every day for much-needed fresh air and play. Please be sure your child is dressed warmly, with labeled coats, hats, and gloves. Students without boots or snow pants will still go outside but may only play on paved areas. Also, please make sure that your child’s clothing at school still fits, contains their name, and is appropriate for the season. 

    Lower School Dates

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    Middle School News

    Middle School

    Grade 6 Parent Forum - January 23

    Grade 6 parents are invited to join the conversation on January 23, from 8:30 to 10:15 am, in the Trundle Family Meeting Room in Spangler. Parent Forums are informal gatherings of parents in a particular grade. At these programs, parents have the opportunity to discuss topics and challenges that are most relevant to their children's developmental stage.

    DF6 Class Play is Tomorrow

    Ms. Furr's sixth graders practiced their lines while on Winter Break since they took on the daunting task of presenting their class play during our first week back. They will perform Alice in Wonderland tomorrow, January 12, beginning at 9:05 am, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Here is the livestream link for anyone unable to attend.

    Grade 6 Field Trip - January 16

    Grade 6 will travel to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Tuesday, January 16, to further enhance their recent astronomy unit.  The buses will depart from the US bus loop at 8:30 am. The students will see the IMAX movie Journey to Space and complete a photo safari treasure hunt through exhibits at the museum. Students will return to campus at 11:30 am in time for lunch.   

    Ms. Sardar Returns Next Week

    We are very excited to welcome Shefali Sardar back next week. Ms. Sardar will resume her role as the Middle School Dean and sixth grade language arts specialist beginning on January 16. We cannot wait to have her back on the MS team. We are eternally grateful to Cassie Jackson, who ably filled Ms. Sardar's language arts duties during this leave.

    ADM5 Class Play - January 19

    Mr. McNeil's fifth graders tried their hand at writing their own play. They are excited to share their debut of Recess Ruckus on Friday, January 19, beginning at 9:05 am, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Here is the livestream link for anyone unable to attend.  

    Middle School Dates

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    Intermediate School News

    Intermediate School

    End of First Semester is Next Week

    The first semester of the 2023-24 academic year ends Friday, January 19. Students are encouraged to ensure that their Google Classroom pages are up to date and all assignments have been submitted. On January 22, our eighth graders will transition from art to seminar, and our seventh graders will move from seminar to art.  

    IS Commons Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary

    On Wednesday, January 10, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the IS Commons. The Student Council and Community and Spirit Committee planned a birthday party for the Commons during their morning break. Students stopped by to grab a cookie and make a toast! Here’s what was said about the space in the Spring 2014 issue of The Term, “Best of all, the kids found that for the first time, they had a place to call their own—the two-story Commons at the building’s entrance. Kids gather there as the sun streams in from the floor-to-ceiling curtain glass walls. Classes meet there, tapping the intimate feel created by exposed wood walls and ceiling beams.”

    English 8 Depict Social Environments In Creative Ways
    English 8 Depict Social Environments In Creative Ways

    Before the Winter Break, the eighth graders read Of Mice and Men and explored the hierarchies in the text’s social environment. The students demonstrated their understanding of the text through visual hierarchies that listed the characters in their “order.” They also incorporated visual design elements and creative features to further reveal the complexity behind the social environment. 

    Intermediate School Dates

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    Upper School News

    Upper School

    Planning the Next Year

    Each winter, at the start of the course selection process, we offer a series of Planning the Next Year events for parents of rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Each event will occur at 6:30 pm in the Upper School Crossroads. 

    • Planning the Senior Year, for parents of juniors, will be held tonight, January 11
    • Planning the Junior Year, for parents of sophomores, will be on Thursday, January 18
    • Planning the Sophomore Year, for parents of freshmen, will be on Thursday, January 25 

    These evenings will provide an overview of the academic and co-curricular opportunities available in the year ahead. They will include presentations by the Upper School head, the Upper School director of curriculum and academics, the grade-level dean, and representatives from the College Counseling Office. Parents will hear about the course trajectories in each department and learn more about the course application and appeal processes.

    Students will receive an abbreviated version of the same presentation during the academic day in a class meeting. Following each evening session, the slides and handouts from the presentation will be posted on CampusNET. If you have any questions about these programs, please reach out to Tory Virchow.  

    Read More about Planning the Next Year
    Potomac Theatre Performs (and Wins!) at Capital One Hall 
    Potomac Theatre Performs (and Wins!) at Capital One Hall 

    Over the weekend, Potomac’s Upper School theatre arts students competed at the Virginia Thespian Festival, the state's largest and most prestigious high school theatre gathering. The event was held at the Capital One Hall.

    Potomac was the only competing independent school out of the 60 Virginia schools. More than 1,000 students attended, with 24 schools competing in the One Act Play festival. Of the 12 awards given, our students walked away with four awards, the most given to a single school.

    Award recipients:

    • All-Star Cast in the State of Virginia, Virginia Thespians - Karina Satoskar ’25
    • Best Featured Performer in the State of Virginia, Virginia Thespian - Morgan Hubbard ’25
    • Outstanding Performer in the State of Virginia, Virginia Thespians - Rachel Nelson ‘24
    • Best Music in the State of Virginia, Virginia Thespians - Jack Morgan ‘24  and Kate Diller ‘27

    The cast performed for the Upper School during Panther Time today and is offering an encore tomorrow, January 12, at 6:30 pm, in the Black Box Theatre. Tickets may be reserved here. Read Satoskar’s reflections on this experience in her recent article from The Current.

    Read More about Potomac Theatre Performs (and Wins!) at Capital One Hall 
    Community Moment in US

    The Upper School gathered on Tuesday to welcome everyone back to school. During this community moment, students were reminded of recommitting to our dress code – an expression of our shared readiness for learning and growth while at school. As a refresher for families, here is our dress code.  Also at the gathering, we discussed the importance of lifting each other up through the cold winter months.  

    Read More about Community Moment in US
    EFEB Speaker Shares Valuable Lessons
    EFEB Speaker Shares Valuable Lessons

    The Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business (EFEB) Concentration hosted its second speaker of the school year with a visit by Potomac parent Anu Saxena. Ms. Saxena is the President of Hilton Supply Management (HSM). In her talk entitled "What Does It Take to Run 20,000 Hotels? A Lesson in Global Supply Chain Management," Ms. Saxena spoke about Hilton's "capital-light" business model driven by franchising and hotel management. As the largest global hospitality supply chain organization, with $12 billion of purchasing power across 16,000 properties worldwide, HSM is able to deliver hospitality and competitive pricing, both to Hilton and competing hotel brands. With Hilton's global footprint, Ms. Saxena described Hilton's commitment to the communities they serve and their approach to ESG. Ms. Saxena closed with a few anecdotes she has learned from her professional journey, including that there are no wrong choices if you are learning. 

    Read More about EFEB Speaker Shares Valuable Lessons
    Spanish Class Field Trip
    Spanish Class Field Trip

    Prior to Winter Break, the seniors in Mr. McLane's contemporary topics in Latin America elective courses visited the Museum of American History to see ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States, the exhibit of the future Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino. Students took a tour of the exhibit space and were able to see and make connections between the topics we've studied this year and the incredible artifacts and displays in the museum!  

    Read More about Spanish Class Field Trip

    Upper School Dates

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    Athletics

    Wrestling Updates
    Wrestling Updates

    Over the break, the varsity wrestling team competed in the two-day Battle at the Bridge Wrestling Tournament at Woodbridge High School. Jeremy DeLaVille '24 wrestled well and went 4-2. Next up, the team travels to Paul VI Catholic High School, on Saturday, January 13. 

    Swimming Snapshot
    Swimming Snapshot

    It has been a busy start to the season and the year for Potomac varsity swimmers with our athletes racing teams from Madeira, St. Albans School, Seton, Woodberry Forest and National Cathedral School. The team has faced tough competition and unfortunately, our boys team fell to St. Albans (134 to 36), Woodberry Forest (109 to 52), and Seton Swimming (113 to 60). The girls put forward great swims, but ultimately fell to Seton (94.5 to 87.5), National Cathedral (94 to 82) and Madeira (99.5 to 69.5).

    Special shoutout to our girls 200 yard IM relay led by Sabine Barbee '26, Maren Schwarz '25, Aliyah Majeed-Hall '26, and Kate Douglas '26 who finished first. Additionally, we want to highlight strong individual swims from Will Walters '24 who won the 100 fly and Douglas '26 who won the 50 free. Finally, we had solid swims from Sahil Sardar '25 in the boys 100 back and Cecelia Russell '27 in the girls 200 IM. Great effort Potomac!

    In the meet against Maret and Landon our boys team lost to Landon (75 to 42), they were able to secure the win versus Maret (54 to 34)!

    On the girls side, strong swims yielded an 88 to 67 victory against Maret highlighted by our winning 200 medley relay team of all freshmen: Ella Gray, Taylor Shen, Kaida Mizzo, and Chiara Mizzo.  Special shoutout to Amory Imperatore '25 who swam her heart out on her birthday and dropped time in the 100 freestyle! Another congratulations to Russell and Paige Schedler '25 for placing first and second in the 100 fly! The boys team had strong swims against both Maret and Landon, including a spectacular 200 freestyle relay led by Arav Bhargava '24, Clay Turner '24, Shlok Kuchangi '27, and Aden Travers '27. Huge congratulations to Bhargava who also swam the lengthy 500 freestyle on his birthday and won the race!

    Girls Basketball Winter Update
    Girls Basketball Winter Update

    Our girls varsity basketball team kicked off conference play with an impressive 53-46 victory against St. Andrews. On Friday, January 5, they faced off against the nationally ranked and top-seeded Sidwell Friends team in an intense matchup. The game was tightly contested, with the score tied with only three minutes remaining, showcasing the team's competitiveness and ability to stay in the game against strong opposition. Despite the close battle, the game ended with a loss by 9 points indicating a hard-fought effort against a formidable opponent. Overall, the team showcased resilience and competitiveness during the holiday break games!  

    First page of the PDF file: ThrowbackFlyer
    Boys Basketball Updates

    Over Winter Break the boys varsity basketball team participated in the 2024 Baltimore Hoops Festival at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, MD and earned a tough 73-69 team win over a very athletic and skilled Rock Creek Christian Academy. The Potomac community is invited out to our "Throwback Night @ Chester Gym" for our game against H.D. Woodson High School this Friday, January 12, at 5:45 pm. Please come early to catch some JV action against Woodson starting at 4:15 pm.

    Update on our Athletic Director Search

    Since November, Potomac has been working with consultants from The Finney Group to identify Potomac's next Director of Athletics. We have reviewed more than 80 resumes and conducted over 20 initial screening calls. During the next few weeks in January, finalist candidates will be on campus for full-day interviews, which will include time with coaches, students, and administrators. Our goal is to complete the search prior to Spring Break.  

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    Athletics

    After-School Activities

    Last Chance for Winter ETC!

    Winter ETC classes begin next week! There are a few spots left in some of our popular winter offerings. Log in now and register for:

    • Video Games Unplugged using LEGO® (Grades K-3) on Mondays
    • Cooks with Books (Grade 4-6) on Mondays
    • Grade 6 Speech on Thursdays
    Extending School Day Fun

    Drop-in Extended Day is available for students from K-8. Learn more about the program and register here.

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    After School Activities