Life at potomac
A Community of Panthers
Whether during class, sports, co-curricular activities, or free time - Potomac students aspire to exhibit pride of character through teamwork, collaboration, and community.
The Potomac Experience
At Potomac, students might be wading in one of the campus creeks in the morning then recording a podcast after, donning a costume for a dress rehearsal after lunch, and speaking French at The Phillips Collection in the afternoon. With 90 acres of outdoor space, state of the art facilities, proximity to Washington, DC, and clubs, athletics, and co-curriculars galore – the Potomac experience is as distinct as our offerings.
Growth and Challenge
Applying a growth mindset to learning; embracing new endeavors; seeking out people who can help; and persevering through uncertainty and challenge are habits that we believe, foster success. At Potomac, we wish for our students to build these habits each year.
The student experience matters here.
Potomac has shaped me through close connections with faculty and students. I learned very early in my career at Potomac that the community around me is incredible. I'm grateful to have had so many amazing teachers and friends come and go throughout my experience at school. Each person has further emphasized the importance of the Potomac community, and the special support system at a K-12 school. No other place has that same family surrounding you, committed to watching you grow as a student and a person. It is truly a unique aspect of being a Potomac student, and especially a 'lifer.'
Ella Adamec, Class of 2023
Cherished
Moments
Life at Potomac is lively, meaningful, and special. From the ride to school to the afternoon activities and everything in between, the school days leaves an impact on each member of the community.
Take a look at what life at Potomac looks and sounds like!
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ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Congratulations to 11 of our students for being named Academic All-Americans by the National Speech and Debate Association – a new school record. These students were recognized by the large crowd at the annual debate banquet in May. Additionally, five seniors won the award as second-semester juniors last year.
For Potomac to have so many Speech and Debate Academic All-Americans is an impressive achievement: only about 1.5% of the 150,000 student members of the National Speech and Debate Association are named Academic All-Americans during their high school careers.
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RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
Teacher and student - one of the most important first relationships and connections kids will ever have. Potomac teachers engage with their students to build confidence, foster autonomy, challenge them, and earn their trust.
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SUSTAINABILITY AND STEM
Students in honors biology culminated their year with the Sustainable Potomac Project. To generate ideas for their proposals about improving Potomac's carbon footprint, they joined biology students to monitor the water quality at Pimmit Run using Virginia Save Our Streams protocol. Then, they were visited by either Marvin Muhat, director of facilities; CJ Remmo, deputy COO; or Dyana Conroy, CFO and COO, to learn about Potomac's sustainable practices – such as our central plant that efficiently transports cooling and heating throughout the campus. Students were given the opportunity to tour the central plant and learn how the system works.
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GETTING ROBOTIC
All four of our fourth and fifth grade robotics teams turned in impressive performances during the State Championships. Three teams had top performances in the Skills Challenges, with Team W finishing fifth, Team X finishing eighth, and Team V finishing tenth. Team Y had an impressive run throughout the day, reaching the finals in the Teamwork Challenge. Team X also brought home the Think Award, which recognizes excellence in developing, documenting, and implementing effective code for the Autonomous Skills Challenge. Congratulations Panthers!
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ASSEMBLIES BUILD COMMUNITY
IS celebrates AAPI Heritage Month by having an assembly at the beginning of the month, where students from the AAPI affinity group share their AAPI backgrounds and present about the cultures of those countries. Later in the month, AAPI students worked in Conference blocks to prepare for an AAPI Culture Expo, providing an opportunity for students to further explore and learn about different aspects of AAPI history.
SUPERHERO FUN WITH TECHNOLOGY
Superheroes and Star Wars figures filled the hallways and classrooms of the Middle School in celebration of the second annual "Super Hero/Star Wars Day"! Activities in tech classes were superhero-related, and students were able to have their photos taken in front of a green screen, which made it seem as though they were flying through the air, traipsing around Tatooine, or saving the Earth from evil forces.