We extend a warm welcome to the new faculty and staff members who have joined Potomac for the 2022-23 school year and beyond. These team members come from a wide variety of backgrounds, disciplines, and places. Be sure to say hello when you see them!

Last week’s Sandwich Day Gathering had a twofold purpose: A group of Potomac community members worked together to make sandwich donations for Martha’s Table, and they also had the opportunity to learn about the 33-year history of Potomac's Sandwich Day. US history teacher Jen Hellman had researched the topic and shared a very interesting presentation. The participants also dug in to the why behind Potomac's commitment to service learning, through facilitated discussions. It was particularly meaningful for this group of K-12 student leaders, faculty, staff, and parents to strengthen their understanding of, and identify ways to improve, our school's Sandwich Day tradition, which will resume as a community-wide initiative in October.

In less than a week, the Lower School hallways will again bustle with excitement as we welcome new and returning students. Soon, your family will receive a letter from your child's teacher welcoming you to your new classroom community. This note will give your child a "sneak peek" of what to expect on that first day of school. Class lists will be available on CampusNET on Saturday, September 3 by 12:00 noon. Please remember that these lists are final, and no changes will be made. We can't wait to see everyone next week!

We look forward to greeting new Lower School students and their families on Tuesday, September 6, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm, on the LS Science Deck. This event will provide opportunities for our new families to meet their parent reps and classroom teachers. Neon green carpool hang tags will be available for our kindergarten families, and light refreshments will be provided. This event will conclude promptly at 1:00 pm, so our teachers can continue to prepare for the first day of school.

Remember to use the SchoolPass app and email Joanna Huang and your homeroom teacher to make changes to your child's attendance – absence, late arrival, and early dismissal. Please be as detailed as possible and note all pertinent information in the "notes" section.

Keeping the body adequately hydrated is essential to maximizing brain function. Consistent with Potomac's focus on environmental stewardship, we ask that all students bring a prefilled reusable water bottle to school daily. Please be sure your child's water bottle is clearly labeled with their name.

Middle School class lists will be posted on Saturday, September 3, by 12:00 noon. Parents can log on to CampusNET and go to the Middle School page to find the link with this information. Additionally, each homeroom teacher will mail letters to the students in their class on Thursday, September 1.

Please remember to use the SchoolPass app to make changes to your child's attendance – absence, late arrival, and early dismissal. Please be as detailed as possible and note all pertinent information in the "notes" section.

Consistent with Potomac's focus on environmental stewardship, we ask that all students bring a reusable water bottle to school every day. Please be sure that your child's water bottle is clearly labeled with their name.

On Tuesday, September 6, 1:00 pm, we invite new MS students and their parents to an orientation. Students may come to this event dressed casually (no uniforms required). We will gather in the Flag Circle Building, where John Mathews and Shefali Sardar will share a few remarks before taking the students on a tour. On this tour, students will be able to visit their homerooms and meet their teachers. Parents are welcome to talk with one another in the Flag Circle Building, visit the Panther Post, or take a walk around the campus while the students are having their tour. We look forward to seeing you next week!

We hope that you enjoyed some quiet moments this summer and are ready to jump into this new academic year with us. The MS team is eager to hear the morning bells chime on September 7, signaling the start of the first day and another school year.

When students arrive on campus, they will gather in the MS Square and can head to their homerooms at 8:00, once they hear the MS bell. There will be plenty of adults available to help everyone find their way to their homeroom on the first day. Classroom instruction begins at 8:15 am. Please review your child's afternoon transportation plan so that they will feel confident about how to go home on the first day.

We understand that some Lands' End uniform items are back ordered. MS teachers have been made aware of this fact, and we will begin the school year with flexibility with respect to uniforms until the supply issues are resolved. Now is the best time to write your child's name in each uniform item, so that when an item is left outside at recess or PE (and it will happen!) it can be returned to the proper owner.

Students should wear the full Intermediate School uniform on the first day of classes, which is Wednesday, September 7. Upon arrival, students will go directly to their advisories/homerooms. Faculty members will be in the hallways to help students find their way. Students should bring some basic school supplies and a water bottle; their teachers will let them know about anything else that's needed. All students will receive a snack for the first day of school. Read about our uniform policy here.

If your child hasn’t finished their summer work, there are still a few days left. IS students are expected to read five books and participate in the postcard program. All the details about the required summer reading can be found here: Grade 7 and Grade 8.

Eighth grade parents are invited to attend a parent meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 8:30 am, in the IS Choral Room. The Grade 7 parent meeting will take place on Friday, September 16, also at 8:30 am in the IS Choral Room.

During the week of August 22, more than 50 IS students were on campus for August Academics. Through engaging lessons, the students worked collaboratively and made new friends while brushing up on their writing and math skills and practicing the IS Habits of Learning.  

The Potomac debate program opens the 2022-23 season with not one, but two, pre-season All-Americans. Out of the 150,000 student members of the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA), seniors Natalie Roots-Nowakowski and Olivia Eads are ranked in the top 25. The top 25 at the end of each season are named High School All-American speech and debate students. Congratulations!

We are eagerly anticipating Opening Day for the 2022-23 school year on Wednesday, September 7. Students will start the day at 8:15 am with an advisory meeting. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors will receive their schedules from their advisors. We will then have an all-US Opening Meeting, followed by a modified schedule where all classes will meet.

Freshmen will receive their schedules during their orientation on Tuesday, September 6. We look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Orientation for all students new to the Upper School (all ninth graders, new tenth and eleventh graders) will take place on Tuesday, September 6, from 12:30 to 3:00 pm. Our ninth graders will come together to officially start their journey in the Upper School. They will have a chance to meet with their advisors, as well as their senior buddies, who will lead them through a campus tour so that they are prepared for the first day of school. New tenth and eleventh graders will also meet their advisors, walk through their schedules, and spend time with their grade deans. Please reach out to Jake Westermann if you have any questions or if your child is unable to attend.

All Upper School students will have their photos taken during the day on September 12 or 13. More information on what to wear and how to order photos can be found here.

Throughout August, students in grades 11 and 12 were invited to participate in a leadership seminar facilitated by US Director of Student Life Jake Westermann. The group took part in two virtual sessions, where they sought to understand their own leadership strengths and areas for growth, discuss the characteristics that define effective leaders, and analyze the successes and failures of corporate executives using business school case studies. For the third and final session, students came to campus and used Stanford Design School’s model for problem solving (“Design Thinking”) to tackle a list of challenges they wanted to address and potentially implement at Potomac. This group will have an opportunity during the school year to present their ideas to members of the Upper School leadership team.

Please remember to use the SchoolPass app to make changes to your child's attendance – absence, late arrival, and early dismissal. Please be as detailed as possible and note all pertinent information in the "notes" section.