Welcome to the winter 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. To learn more about The Potomac School's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion please read our DEI Statement. We invite you to submit comments, questions, and story ideas to mosaicnewsletter@potomacschool.org.
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In This Issue Celebrating Black History Month
Happy Lunar New Year! - A.S.I.A. Affinity Group Hosts US Assembly
- Student Diversity Leadership Conference
Save the Date! Around the World Family Event: April 8 -
The Distributed Leadership Model for DEI
Recruiting for a More Diverse Faculty and Staff The Potomac School Diversity Hiring Fair - Reporting Systems for Instances of Bias and Discrimination
- The Importance of Affinity Groups
- Q&A with the Leaders of the Parent Cultural Competence Committee
- Finding Passion and Purpose: Hamilton Brooks '18
- Virtual PCCC Family Event: "The National Mall in Color" with John W. McCaskill
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Throughout February, Potomac will host a number of special events and assemblies to honor the contributions of Black Americans. We will continue to share the many ways all four divisions are celebrating the stories, culture, history, and impact of Black individuals in our nation and around the world. |
Potomac celebrated the Lunar New Year with lots of noise and a delicious dim sum lunch. Whether on campus or with family, members of our community have been joyfully welcoming in the Year of the Tiger. Lower School students read books and met with guests via Zoom to learn about Lunar New Year. Middle School students greeted the holiday with their traditional dragon parade, and Mr. McNeil’s fifth grade students were assigned the task of cleaning their rooms to make way for good luck! IS students enjoyed a lion dance performed by the Tai Yim Kung Fu School and learned so much about this tradition. Read More
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A.S.I.A. Affinity Group Hosts Upper School Assembly |
On February 8, The Asian Students in America (A.S.I.A.) affinity group led an Upper School Assembly. Topics included the dangers of the model minority myth, the importance of mental health awareness, the varying experiences of being Asian American and biracial, and a personal story of merging Chinese and Korean cuisines. In addition to sharing their stories, Audrey Lee '22 and Annabel Lee '22 performed Arirang, a culturally significant Korean folk song. Precious Singson, a teacher in Potomac's History Department, shared a brief oral history from her mother, an immigrant from the Philippines. We thank them and our other student speakers, Ellie Yoon '22, Michelle Ahn '23, Ella Lu '25, and Christian Lam '25. Read excerpts from the presenters' remarks
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Student Diversity Leadership Conference |
During the first week of December, Potomac juniors Olee Banerjee, Sophia Ghafouri, Bethel Girma, Kate Motley, Manuela Prieto, and Pippa Westland participated in the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) along with their faculty leader, Julie Wong. This annual two-day conference brings together 1,800 high-school students from independent schools across the country and around the world to discuss issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice. Read More
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Save the Date! Around the World Family Event: April 8 |
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Around the World is a Potomac tradition that not only celebrates our diverse community but also encourages you to partake in cultural experiences that showcase what it means to be a Panther. We are a thriving community enriched by diverse backgrounds, cultures, languages, and heritages, and this event is one of the many ways we share our stories. Read More
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The Distributed Leadership Model for DEI |
In collaboration with the Board of Trustees, school leaders have been identifying institutional initiatives that are also DEI initiatives and leading the teams doing the work. While many independent schools are just now adding their first DEI practitioner to their roster – more than doubling the number of DEI positions nationally in the past two years – Potomac has had at least one DEI role since 2010. Recognizing that this work is unsustainable for one person, Potomac has been building DEI leadership teams to move initiatives forward. We have made many commitments for an inclusive culture and climate that are all attainable with a team of qualified DEI practitioners.
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Recruiting for a More Diverse Faculty and Staff |
As part of our intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in hiring, Potomac has updated its recruiting procedures and trained administrators and other hiring managers on these strategies. The overarching goal is to hire excellent teachers who enrich our community in many ways. Retention begins with a strong first impression and an inclusive interview process. Read More
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The Potomac School Diversity Hiring Fair |
In collaboration with the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW) and East Ed, Potomac leads a Diversity Hiring Fair each February, typically on our campus. This year’s event, which was virtual due to COVID concerns, drew 34 independent schools and more than 100 job candidates. It was a great opportunity for candidates with diverse backgrounds and identities to learn about the culture and educational philosophy of independent schools and explore opportunities for employment at these institutions. Read More
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The Importance of Affinity Groups |
Have you ever been a part of a group where you knew that everyone had a shared identity? Perhaps you belong to a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque. Perhaps you belong to a group that speaks a language other than English. Perhaps you are part of an alumni network or belong to a civic organization. If you can think of at least one group to which you belong that fits this profile, then you know the joy of being part of a group that shares at least one social and/or cultural identity. Sparking this kind of joy and connection is the purpose of affinity groups, and these feelings of connection are why affinity groups are blossoming in Potomac’s Intermediate and Upper Schools. Read More
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Q&A with the Leaders of the Parent Cultural Competence Committee |
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| The Parent Cultural Competence Committee has hit its stride. Over the past two years, the PCCC’s "Potomac Stories" series has been a silver lining, connecting us through shared experiences and offering opportunities to learn about new ones. Moving the meetings to virtual has increased access to panelists from far and wide, and more parents, |
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alumni from out of town, and faculty and staff have been able to participate. Thank you to Shauné Hayes and Esther Lee, this year’s co-chairs, and Janice Lam, last year’s co-chair with Shauné. Read More for a Q&A with our co-chairs |
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Finding Passion and Purpose: Hamilton Brooks '18 |
When Hamilton Brooks '18 reads about history and the remarkable strides people have made, it brings him a degree of hope; with so much uncertainty in life, Hamilton wants to spread that hope to others. The Potomac alum puts his intentions into action and encourages others to do the same. Read More
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PCCC Family Event: "The National Mall in Color" with John W. McCaskill |
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| “History is best when we tell the entire story.” - John W. McCaskill
On Sunday, February 20, the Parent Cultural Competence Committee hosted a virtual event with John W. McCaskill, president of History Alive! Mr. McCaskill began with an inspirational speech about the power of believing in our youth, saying, “For any student who is not making it now, it is possible for them to turn it around." Like many before him, Mr. McCaskill believes in the power of education to raise people up. For the next hour, Mr. McCaskill took his audience on a virtual tour of the National Mall and shared historical facts often left unsaid or unseen. Read More
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Additional community stories can be found here. |
This page will be updated regularly between issues of Mosaic. Come back for more stories! |
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