Dear Middle School Parents,

Now that spring is officially here, we gladly turn our attention to May Day 2023, which will take place on Friday, April 28. We are so excited to be able to offer this program, a Potomac tradition for more than 100 years.

At the end of this month, the Middle School will lead the entire Potomac community in song and dance as we say a final “goodbye” to the cold and dreariness of winter and a cheerful “hello” to the warmth and vibrancy of spring. In addition to performing our traditional May Day songs from the British Isles, we are excited that Middle Schoolers will be joined by performing groups and presenters from all other school divisions as well!

May Day Lunch

To add to the specialness of the day, ALL students, even those who normally bring lunch from home, will be provided a special lunch at 11:15. Students are voting on their favorite lunch, side dish, and dessert, and the top vote-getter in each category will be served by our food service provider Meriwether Godsey! Students who would prefer to bring lunch from home may still do so. We will announce the menu in Paw Prints. Please contact Kim Mackay with any dietary concerns so she can work with Meriwether Godsey to accommodate menu additions/changes.

You Are Invited

The formal May Day festivities will begin at 1:45 on the US Quad, and all MS parents are cordially invited to join us to watch the performances. We recommend that you arrive on campus around 1:00 in order to find parking, as well as a good viewing spot on the US Quad. Potomac staff will be on hand to direct you to a parking location. Shuttles to the US Quad will also be available.

Clothing for May Day

Children should come to school dressed for May Day.

Spring/summer dress or skirt and blouse appropriate for a festive day full of dancing. No halter dresses, spaghetti straps, or excessively tight clothing. Since they will be dancing on the grass, students in dresses or skirts should wear simple flats with a back or white sneakers – please, no heels, backless sandals, or open-toed shoes.

Regular, long uniform slacks with a belt – please, no shorts on May Day. Uniform shoes. Short- or long-sleeved, collared or polo shirts – light clight-coloredte, patterned or striped. No dark colors or T-shirts.

Sixth grade students participating as Morris Dancers, Teasers, or Hobby-Horses may have additional clothing requirements. The specifics will be emailed separately to those involved.

Bring Flowers

Each child is asked to bring a simple spray of flowers, which they will place at the base of the Maypole. There will be buckets of water outside the classrooms to keep the flowers fresh all morning.

Inclement Weather Plan

This is a day that we as a community revere and enjoy, and we look forward to sharing with our parents. We hope the sun shines all afternoon! However, if the skies do open, our festivities will move indoors to the Spangler Center for Athletics and Community.

May Day Dismissal

Our May Day activities will end at 2:45. Most children leave school with their parents after the event, and those that do should be picked up from their classrooms. If you plan to take your child home after the celebration, please remember to submit a change via SchoolPass a few days in advance; with 200 children leaving school, we want to be sure we know where everyone is going and with whom. Children who stay on campus until the end of the day will ride their normal afternoon buses.

In preparation for this event, we encourage you to help your child memorize our May Day songs, recordings and lyrics can be found on their Google Classroom Music web pages or on Mr. Nadel’s website: tinyurl.com/nadelmusic.

I look forward to seeing all of you as we celebrate the arrival of spring together!

Warm regards,

John Mathews

Head of Middle School