Join us this Saturday, October 22, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, for Potomac’s Fall Frolics carnival. The forecast calls for sunny weather, so come out and support this fun-filled event that benefits student scholarships and faculty professional development. Parking will be available on campus.

A big thank you to the many parents and students who have volunteered for shifts. Information about shifts will be emailed to volunteers and posted on the CampusNET homepage tomorrow. If you are available to volunteer and have not yet signed up, please stop by the volunteer check-in table on Saturday. We are still in need of 80 volunteers, especially for the afternoon shifts.

Finally, don't forget to stop by the Fall Frolics Nearly New sale (located in the Chester Gym squash courts) for some great deals on gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories.

This month, 10 members of the Potomac School community were certified as Virginia Save Our Streams (VA SOS) stream monitors. The extensive certification process taught the volunteers how to properly collect and identify a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates. The Pimmit Run stream on Potomac's campus is a rich teaching tool for all grades. Our certified stream monitors will track Pimmit Run's water quality, report their data to VA SOS, and help provide remediation as needed. In Virginia, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) relies on VA SOS volunteers to provide an accurate picture of stream health. In fact, VA SOS volunteers supply 12% of the data for DEQ’s water quality reports to Congress. 

Please note that due to our Halloween Assembly practice, there will be no LS Sharing Assembly tomorrow, Friday, October 21.

Next Thursday, October 27, at 11:00 am, the Langstaff Auditorium will be transformed, as LS students present spooky songs at our annual Halloween Assembly. Check your child’s Bloomz page for special instructions about clothing for that day. For those who are unable to join us in person, here is the livestream link.

Save the date! The Kindergarten Halloween Parade will begin in the K-1 hallway at 8:30 am on Monday, October 31. Head of School John Kowalik and LS Head Donnette Echols will lead the procession of superheroes, princesses, and more through the halls. The best photo opportunities will be on the LS playground and at the front of the US Tundra Building.

Kindergartners should come to school dressed in their costumes; parents, please try to have your children wear their costumes over their regular school clothes. After the parade, our costumed kids will transform back into kindergartners and resume their day. Note that only kindergarten students will be allowed to dress in costume on October 31.

Our teachers look forward to sharing your child's progress and goals for the year. The Lower School will hold its parent-teacher conferences in the afternoon on Thursday, November 10, and throughout the day on Friday, November 11. Please note that LS students will have a full day of school on Thursday, November 10, with buses and Extended Day running as usual. There is no school on Friday, November 11, due to parent-teacher conferences.

Parents can sign up for their conferences in the Parent  Portal section of CampusNET beginning on Tuesday, November 1, at 12:00 noon. If you have questions about accessing the Parent Portal, you may email Loretta Sevier. Note that conferences will be in person. If you would prefer a Zoom conference, please contact your child's homeroom teacher and copy Joanna Huang. LS teachers may offer additional dates and times outside of the given conference days, as necessary.

On November 11, drop-in, short-term childcare will be available for Potomac students, free of charge, while parents are attending their conferences. Please remember to sign your child in and out.  

On Tuesday, November 1, Freed Photography will take individual photos of LS students who were absent on our scheduled picture day or who would like their photo retaken. If you want a retake for your child, please email both your homeroom teacher and Joanna Huang in the Lower School office.

The George Washington University Speech and Hearing Center will be on campus on Tuesday, November 8, to conduct hearing screenings with our kindergartners, first graders, third graders, and new-to-Potomac second graders.

Parents will be able to sign up for a conference time with their child's homeroom teacher on the Parent Portal section of CampusNET beginning on Tuesday, November 1, at 12:00 noon. Sign ups will run through Tuesday, November 8, at 12:00 noon. The conferences will take place over the course of two days – during the afternoon on Thursday, November 10, and throughout the day on Friday, November 11. MS teachers may offer additional dates and times outside of the given conference days, as necessary. 

Please note that MS students will have a full day of school on Thursday, November 10, with buses and Extended Day running as usual. There is no school on Friday, November 11, due to parent-teacher conferences.

On November 11, drop-in, short-term childcare will be available for Potomac students, free of charge, while parents are attending their conferences. Please remember to sign your child in and out.  

On Tuesday, October 25, the fifth grade will travel to the Maryland Corn Maze in Gambrills for a day of fall fun. The students will experience a corn maze, hayride, and more. Those on the hot lunch plan will be provided a bagged lunch. Students may bring a small amount of money if they would like to purchase items from the site's general store. 

On November 1, Freed Photography will take individual photos of MS students who were absent on our scheduled picture day or who would like their photo retaken. If you want a retake for your child, please email Kim Mackay in the MS office.

On Tuesday, November 1, grade 4 will visit the Hall of Human Origins at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to kick off their social studies unit on early humans. The students will complete a scavenger hunt to find information about what it means to be human, how artifacts help us learn about the past, and the use of tools by early humans; they will even come face-to-face with lifelike replicas of early humans! The students are sure to come back to school energized and ready to begin their research projects. Students on the hot lunch program will be provided a bagged lunch for this field trip. 

Parents will be our "special ghosts" at the Middle School's annual Mid-Autumn/Halloween Assembly on Thursday, October 27, starting at 1:45 pm, in the Langstaff Auditorium. The program will include poetry readings, a performance by MacBeth's witches, and grade-level songs and skits. The sixth grade chorus, handbells, strings, and band will also perform. This spooktacular event will be live streamed for anyone who is unable to attend.

Students will come to school in their regular uniform for the day and should bring with them the following items to change into for the performance: 

• Top: plain long-sleeved shirt, all black or dark navy; please, no logos, text, or other decoration
• Bottom: solid black or navy long pants (uniform navy pants are fine), leggings, or skirt with solid dark tights; no shorts
• Footwear: dark socks (uniform navy socks are fine) or dark tights

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Grade 8 Parent Reception on Thursday, November 3, at 6:30 pm, in the Intermediate School Commons. We ask that you RSVP so that we can finalize our catering details. 

Intermediate School students and teachers traversed the campus last Wednesday during Advisory in the first annual IS Amazing Race. The "official" goal was to build community within the division through collaboration and problem-solving. The actual goal was for our seventh and eighth graders to have fun and earn points for their teams in the IS Cup – a yearlong activity that involves accumulating points from various events, much like a house cup. This particular event started with each team receiving a clue in poetic verse that sent them on a scavenger hunt around campus to find the coordinating location. Can you guess the answer? 

Break on the days in the mid of the week,
Is where you should go for the clue that you seek. 
A place where the shade is likely to be, 
And seniors gather in June for their degree. 

Enjoy these pictures from the race. 

Don't forget to have your student bring in your contributions for the IS Bake Sale tomorrow, Friday,  October 21. Whether you bake or shop, all goodies (except donuts) must be wrapped or bagged for sale (e.g., three cookies or two brownies). Write clearly on the wrapper if an item is nut- or gluten-free. No cupcakes, please! Parent volunteers will be on hand to take the treats from the students as they arrive tomorrow morning.

On Wednesday, eighth grade students participated in their fall Community Action Day, volunteering with partner organizations that address food insecurity across the DC metro area, including Common Good City Farm, Arlington Food Assistance Center, and Capital Area Food Bank. Advisory groups worked on a sustainable farm, organized food donations, and restocked food pantry shelves to support community members in need. In the afternoon, all eighth graders participated in the first IS Sandwich Day of the year to benefit Martha's Table. See photos from the day.

Thirteen IS students competed in the first interscholastic math meet of the season, hosted by the Independent Schools Mathematics Association of Washington. All were happy to be able to meet mathletes from other schools, make new friends, and explore solving non-routine problems. While having fun with math was the primary objective, it was gratifying for Potomac’s team to tie St. Albans for the top score of the meet! Esther Choi '28 and Leyton Mayrhofer '27 earned perfect scores. The team also included Luka Beslic '27, Jacob Jackson '27, Marya Khan '28, Jasper Majeed-Hall '28, Tristan Mankovsky '27, William Shanmugam '27, Isabella Song '27, Sophia Sultan '27, Finley Stokes '27, Maddie Woo '28, and Iris Zhou '27. Congratulations to all of the mathletes on their efforts and achievements!

On October 25, students in grade 9 will participate in their first Community Action Day, supporting community partners throughout the DMV and completing changemaker projects on campus. Students in grades 10 and 11 will complete the PSAT on campus. Classes will not meet for grade 12 students, and they are not required to be on campus. 

The Upper School took time last week to reflect on both Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day during an informative and effectively delivered assembly led by two of our resident historians, Precious Singson and Robert von Glahn. Modeling the sort of historical thinking skills we aim to teach, Ms. Singson and Mr. von Glahn discussed Columbus as a historical figure, the implications of his voyages on the development of the modern world, and some of the different perspectives on his legacy. Additionally, Ms. Singson offered a powerful indigenous land acknowledgment. 

To mark the end of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Upper School's Hispanic Student Alliance hosted a lunchtime conversation featuring Silvia Thornton Freeman, director of education and arts engagement at DC's GALA Hispanic Theatre. In a conversation facilitated by club leader Tea Picconatto '22, Ms. Thornton Freeman spoke about the history of GALA and her role there. A Bolivian-American arts manager who has worked in the nonprofit arts sector for 15 years. Ms. Thornton Freeman came to GALA in 2009 as an intern and was later hired to facilitate student matinees. In this role, she solidified GALA’s Education Department by creating winning marketing strategies, building strong relationships with schools, and more. Mr. McLane treated the luncheon attendees to sopapillas, a sweet treat, at the conclusion of the conversation. 

This week, Upper School classes began signing the US Honor Pledge, an aspirational statement that reflects the division’s commitment to Potomac’s core values. Every year, students publicly commit to uphold the pledge by signing their name in the Pledge Book in front of their peers. We are pleased to share the Upper School Honor Pledge with you: 

I believe in the power of my intellect and the value of my hard work. I recognize that demonstrating integrity in all my interactions with the school community is more important than any outcome. I acknowledge the efforts of my teachers and classmates, and understand that my actions can have positive and negative impacts. Therefore, I pledge to engage honestly with my work, not giving or receiving inappropriate assistance, and I pledge to maintain my integrity with respect to others.

The Upper School Chorus will participate in the 24th Annual Vocal Ensemble Night, held at Sidwell Friends School on Wednesday, October 26, 7:30 pm. 130 singers from nine independent school choirs will perform 19 pieces. Admission is free.

Friday afternoon ended with a strut down the catwalk by members of the Senior Athletic Committee. Introducing the Upper School to their Spirit Week themes, several seniors donned their finest duos/twins looks, showcased how to carry your belongings in "anything but a backpack," and modeled surfer and biker attire. Emceed by senior Blaze Jones, the SAC Fashion Show provided plenty of creative ideas for our students to ponder as they planned their Spirit Week outfits. 

The College Counseling Office hosted its second college mini-fair of the season. More than 100 US students dropped by the Engelhard Library to learn about the participating institutions and chat with admission representatives. It was an informative and energetic event. The following colleges and universities were represented:

American University
Duquesne University
Franklin and Marshall College
Furman University
High Point University
Merrimack College
Reed College
Union College (NY)
University of Maryland
University of South Carolina
Villanova University
William and Mary
Xavier University

Conversations That Count is an Upper School parent and student program designed to foster open discussion on a variety of topics. Our program for ninth grade parents will take place on Wednesday, October 26, 7:00-8:15 pm, in the Langstaff Auditorium. The program will focus on understanding alcohol and drug use among young people and how to be an approachable adult. Our presenter will be Madeleine Moore, who comes from an academic background in public health and has experience leading health and wellness education programs in both secondary and higher education settings.

In addition to working with the WE CARE Collaborative, Ms. Moore currently serves as the alcohol and other drugs program coordinator at the University of Maryland Health Center. She will provide tips on how parents can keep honest and empathetic lines of communication open with their teens, as well as how to identify warning signs of alcohol and drug abuse. Ms. Moore will also be the presenter for our student program, which will take place during Panther Time earlier that day.