Welcome to the inaugural issue of Mosaic, Potomac's CommUNITY Newsletter! Here, you will find news, information, and resources related to our school's goals of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and fostering an engaged, connected community. Mosaic will be published three times a year, in the fall, winter, and spring. We hope that you enjoy reading it, and we invite you to submit comments, questions, and story ideas to mosaicnewsletter@potomacschool.org. To learn more about The Potomac School's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. please read our DEI Statement.
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| | Welcoming Dr. Donnette Echols, Head of Lower School |
We celebrate Dr. Donnette Echols, our new head of Lower School, for being the first Black division head in Potomac’s history and also for bringing her whole self and many talents. Please keep an eye out for the Potomac Term magazine, which will arrive in your mailbox later this fall; it includes a profile of Dr. Echols in which she reflects on her educational philosophy and why she was so happy to join Potomac. |
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Grand Opening! Center for Community, Equity, and Racial Justice |
When Daija Yisrael ‘19 was a student leader at Potomac, she brought forward an idea for a multicultural center at the school – a designated space where students could gather to discuss issues, share ideas, create coalitions, and find helpful resources on a variety of topics. Daija’s idea gained traction the following year with the help of Bliss Davis ‘20 and Malachy Dwyer ‘20. With the support of administrators, plans were eventually put in place for the center’s establishment within the Upper School. This fall, Potomac’s highly anticipated Center for Community, Equity, and Racial Justice has opened. It is located in a refurbished space that formerly housed the school store on the main level of the Upper School’s Tundra Building. Twenty-six student affinity and alliance group leaders, representing 10 different groups, have been instrumental in shaping the look and purpose of the space, which is now known by the acronym CCERJ (pronounced like “surge.”) Read more
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Diwali, observed primarily by Hindus, but also by Jainists, Buddhists, and Sikhs, is a significant holiday in Indian culture that celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, or good over evil. Popularly known as the Festival of Lights, the holiday lasts for five days in November and is celebrated with prayers, music and dancing, good food, and – of course – lights, in the form of special lamps and candles, as well as fireworks. Potomac families who observe Diwali have many ways of celebrating it: Arya Bansal ’23 enjoys the prayers and the lighting of the colorful oil lamps called diyas, while Meera Desai ’25 looks forward to creating unique Rangoli designs. Read more
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Committed to an Inclusive Culture and Climate |
At the most recent Parent Association Spotlight program on October 5, 2021, Dr. Sandra Heard, interim director of equity and community initiatives; Juna McDaid, assistant head of school for academics; David Grant, director of student diversity recruitment and retention; and Tim Jaeger, associate head of school shared Potomac’s Commitments for an Inclusive Culture and Climate and spoke about work that is being done to advance these commitments.
Increasing diversity within the Potomac community and promoting equitable and inclusive practices that foster a sense of belonging for everyone are strategic priorities for the school. These efforts tie in closely with another Potomac priority: providing a culture and climate that support mental health and wellness. We will be sharing more about these strategic priorities through various communications as this school year progresses. |
Admissions Through a DEI Lens |
The Admission team has been busy this fall, and it has been wonderful being able to welcome prospective families to campus for tours and events after a year of no in-person visits. David Grant, director of student diversity recruitment and retention, is starting his second year as a member of the Admission team, having brought his decades of experience as a Potomac DEI practitioner to this new role. From first contact with students and families to graduates’ entrée into our alumni community, David brings an equity lens to the work of supporting students and their families and making the process as accessible as possible. Read more
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A New Honor: The Potomac School Award for Exemplary Service |
This year, Potomac will introduce a new honor, The Potomac School Award for Exemplary Service, designed to recognize individuals in the wider community whose efforts align with our school’s values and commitment to generosity of spirit. Recipients of this honor will be persons who, through exemplary service and leadership, are making a positive difference in the lives of others and serve as an inspiration to the Potomac School community. We anticipate awarding this honor for the first time at a Martin Luther King Day Assembly in January; in future years, the award may be presented at Potomac's annual Thanksgiving Assembly. It is our hope that the award recipient will share brief reflections on the importance of service and “giving back.” |
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| Dr. Sandra Heard: A Leader for Positive Change |
“Intentional.” “Effective.” “Strategic.” When Upper School history teacher Dr. Sandra Heard talks about her new position as Potomac’s interim director of equity and community initiatives, these words come up again and again. As a member of the senior administrative team this year, Sandra will be positioned to help keep the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals at the forefront. Read more
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Students Display Creativity, Thoughtfulness in InLight |
InLight, Potomac’s student-led diversity magazine, has empowered students to grow as writers, artists, and reflective citizens since 2017. Since its inception, InLight has examined contemporary issues through the lens of personal experience and identity. The publication's editors this year say that they hope to “generate empathy, shock complacency, and foster conversations.” Read more
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| LGBTQ+ Alums Form Affinity Group |
In an effort to further strengthen bonds within the alumni community, a group of LGBTQ+ Potomac alumni have formed an affinity group: The Panther Pride Alumni Network (PPA Network). Its mission is to foster connections within the LGBTQ+ alumni community and cultivate a space for an inclusive, safe, and supportive social and professional network. Read more
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Additional Spotlight stories can be found here. |
This page will be updated regularly between issues of Mosaic. Come back for more stories! |
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Parent Cultural Competence Committee (PCCC) |
The PCCC works to ensure that Potomac parents are active partners in fulfilling the school's goals as they relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The committee helps foster an inclusive environment for all at Potomac by arranging discussions, readings, and dialogues among faculty, students, families, and alums. The committee also supports initiatives associated with welcoming new and prospective families to Potomac. If you have questions or would like to be added to the PCCC listserv, reach out to co-chairs Shauné Hayes and Esther Lee.
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Interpretation Services Now Available |
In recognition of the many languages spoken in our community, Potomac is now working with a third-party provider to offer interpretation services for families who request an interpreter for parent-teacher conferences or other meetings with school personnel. Our focus on increasing equitable access for Potomac community members has generated a collaborative effort among the Admission Office, Communications Office, and divisional administrative teams to introduce a system that will make language differences less of a barrier for families as they partner with us in support of their children’s education. To request an interpreter, a family member (including the student) may contact the administrative assistant in the appropriate division.
To translate written text, including Potomac’s newsletters, we recommend using Google Translate. We respect the importance of the cultural significances of language that cannot be captured by this translator, but after doing much research, we believe that, while not perfect, the following solutions will help all of our families receive timely communications.
Para traducir texto escrito, incluidos los boletines de Potomac, recomendamos utilizar Google Translate. Instrucciones
포토맥의 뉴스레터를 비롯한 서면 텍스트를 번역하려면 Google 번역을 사용하는 것이 좋습니다. 지침
要翻譯書面文本，包括 Potomac 的時事通訊，我們建議使用谷歌翻譯。指示 |
Family networks are groups within the Potomac School parent community that bring together parents who have an identifier in common (affinity space) or who have a common commitment to an identifier (alliance space). Family networks might come together around race, religion, gender identity, family composition, etc. If you are interested in starting a family network, follow this process for proposing one. You can also read about our current family networks, FAPS (the Fathers Association of The Potomac School alliance group) and PBS (the Parents of Black Students affinity group).
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Thank you for helping us name this newsletter: parents Malvika Paddock, Bella Patnaik, and Ameeta Jordan and faculty member Julie Wong!
Thank you to the Mosaic newsletter committee members, Noha Abdalla, current parent and trustee; Won Kim, former parent and trustee; Patricia Potts, former parent; Juna McDaid, assistant head of school for academics; and Shelley Dutton, director of communications, for planning and launching this publication. Special thanks to Loretta Sevier, director of web services, for newsletter design and production support, and to Martha Madrid for the masthead design.
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