In addition to attending the K-12 Opening Assembly tomorrow morning, Middle School students engaged in two other assemblies this week. On Wednesday, all students got a chance to meet and/or get a preview of their specials classes. Today, students gathered in the Langstaff Auditorium to hear from Head of Middle School Mr. Mathews about navigating the changes the new schedule will bring us this year and imparting other important information.

Please mark your calendars for our annual Welcome and Friendship Assembly, which will be held in the Langstaff Auditorium on Friday, September 22, from 9:05 to 9:50 am. Middle School parents are invited to attend. This MS tradition, which includes class performances, presentations, and songs, will kick off our year with a tone of friendship and caring. A livestream link will be available in next week's Paw Prints for anyone unable to attend in person.

Please mark your calendars for this year's MS Back to School Night, which will take place on Thursday, September 28. The event will begin at 6:30 pm with parents visiting our special subject teachers in their classrooms.  At 7:15, parents will move to the Langstaff Auditorium to hear remarks from Mr. Mathews. Visits to homerooms will follow at approximately 7:45, with presentations by the teachers. The evening will conclude at approximately 8:30.

All parents are required to use the SchoolPass app to change their child's attendance - absence, late arrival, and early dismissal. Please be as detailed as possible and note all pertinent information in the "Notes" section. As stated in the Transportation Office's recent letter to parents, students are expected to ride Potomac buses to and from school. Off-campus after-school activities and appointments should be arranged for a time that allows students to ride one of our many shuttle buses and be picked up from the shuttle stop.

Grade-level parent information sessions are opportunities for parents to learn about our instructional plans for their children from our head of middle school and several resource specialists. Please mark your calendar for, and plan to participate in, this recommended but optional offering at 8:30 am in the Fisher Family Dining Room on the following dates:  

Grade 4: September 13
Grade 5: September 21
Grade 6: September 26

The girls varsity soccer team (PGVS) traveled to St. John's HS on Thursday to take on the number one seed in the DMV. Last year, PGVS handed St. John's their only loss during their 19-0-1 season, and this year seemed to be no different. Though the Panthers outplayed the Cadets for most of the game, it ended in a 1-1 draw.  Charlotte Parry ’27, playing in her first game for PGVS, scored a second half goal on a great feed from Alden Marin ’26. The Cadets squeezed in a late goal to earn a draw, yet our girls battled for 80 minutes against a talented team and left the field with their heads held high. PGVS has plenty of starters returning this season as they look to defend their ISL AA tournament championship from last year! 

Eight girls' cross country team members started their season over the weekend at the Trials of Miles meet in Leesburg, Virginia. Ninth graders Helena Zhai and Mary Parker Stump competed in their first cross country races for the Panthers. Additionally, senior Audrey Rentzepis and junior Arielle Kouyoumdjian ran smart tactical races to earn 5th and 6th place in the varsity race. The Panthers are excited to run the full team this Saturday, September 9, at the Monroe Parker Invitational. 

The Potomac boys cross country team also had a great start to the season at the inaugural Trials of Miles meet. Ninth graders Lakan Singson and Sawyer Storm completed their first XC races in the freshman 2-mile event. Potomac also had runners in the JV and varsity races, ending the night with several top 25 performances. Highlights of the meet were top 10 finishes by both the JV (7th place) and varsity (5th place) squads. Senior co-captain Sasha Minsky led the way with an overall runner-up finish in the varsity race. Avi Agrawal ‘26 was Potomac’s top JV finisher in 12th. Juniors Noah Altschuler and Finn Nagoski also finished in the top 25 in the JV race. Trip Moser ’26 showcased the hard work he put into his summer training by racing to a stunning 43 second personal record to run second for the varsity team. Senior co-captains Max Zeldes and Alex Mathews finished in the third and fourth scoring positions for Potomac, with fellow senior Matt Brow rounding out the Potomac scorers for the varsity race.

In a fantastic season start, the JV and varsity volleyball teams had impressive wins against Holy Child and Trinity Christian. The JV team won both matches in just two sets, thanks to the great teamwork of sophomore setter Gianna Bognet and junior Karrington Hayes. Sophomore Michele Horton and freshman Olivia Youmans stood out with unreturnable hits.

The Panthers varsity team had a tough match against Trinity Christian but came out on top. Freshman Sophia Grimm and juniors Skylar Giuliani, Zora Burrell, and Adalena Rodgers consistently attacked the ball well. On defense, junior Alexis Vaughan and freshman Lara Senyuz made important digs to help the team win. These strong performances are a promising start to the season.