Student Life
Building community and social and emotional skills.
STUDENT LIFE
The halls of Potomac are filled with energy, excitement, focus, and community. While each day might feel unique, the people that connect our community, bring a sense of comfort to each day.
ASSEMBLIES BUILD COMMUNITY
Students and teachers regularly enjoy community-strengthening programming, like assemblies. During the informative Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month assembly, students shared their personal histories and learned about various traditions, stereotypes, and the contributions of Asian American/Pacific Islander citizens to our country’s spirit and prosperity. Assembly presenters highlighted this group’s impact on American history.
CAROLINE FURNACE
Each September, the entire seventh grade class takes a four-day trip to Caroline Furnace Camp in Fort Valley, VA. During this exciting excursion, the seventh grade engages in a host of outdoor education activities while forging connections as a class.
FALL FROLICS
The annual Fall Frolics Carnival is one of Potomac’s most beloved and anticipated traditions. The event, held on a Saturday in October, is in part managed by our Intermediate School students, who play an integral role in supervising many of the carnival booths.
WINTER MUSICAL
Every winter, a group of Intermediate School actors presents the junior version of a well-known musical in our Langstaff Auditorium. Recent productions have included Seussical, Jr., Wizard of Oz, and The Pirates of Penzance. Students perform the show once for their classmates and then for a weekend run: two evening performances and one matinee.
CAPSTONE PROJECTS
Near the end of their Intermediate School career, eighth graders choose a topic of interest and develop a project in one of six forms: service learning, design/construction, persuasive speech, original data collection, a “how-to” lesson, or original artistic performance. Then, students decide upon a presentation modality and showcase their learning for their fellow students, their parents, and faculty.
RED/BLUE DAY
Red Blue is a long-established Potomac tradition. Beginning in the Lower School, all students are assigned a team color: red or blue. As students progress through their years at Potomac, their team color grows in significance. In the Middle School, students dress for P.E. in their team color. In the upper grades, additional competitive activities are organized between the two teams. Family members are assigned the same color.
COMMUNITY ACTION DAYS
Each year, grades 7 and 8 engage in Community Action Days during the fall and spring. Advisories volunteer with community partners to address a range of community needs from food insecurity, to literacy, the environment, or social justice. No matter what the needs are, students are always eager to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
Support and Commitment
ADVISORY
Each student is assigned an advisor who actively supports their social and emotional development. The advisor also functions as the primary liaison between school and home, helping to ensure clear communication and a shared commitment to the student’s success and well-being.
The Intermediate School is a wonderful place to learn and grow. Our students' two-year experience is characterized by the freedoms they enjoy, the academic challenges they face, and the special events and traditions that they love.
SANDWICH DAY COMEBACK!
Students participate in a range of service learning experiences intended to broaden their understanding of the lives of others within their community. Sandwich Day is a longtime Potomac tradition and a cornerstone of our service learning program. Students in all divisions make sandwiches on the first Wednesday of each month, to be delivered to Martha’s Table, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance for individuals and families in need in Washington, DC.
LEADERSHIP
Students in seventh and eighth grade crave opportunities to be leaders within their community, and the Intermediate School offers several ways in which they can get involved. Students collaborate with a faculty advisor to produce an IS-specific newspaper, they can run for and be elected to the IS Student Council, they can join the IS Robotics team, participate in and lead Community Action Days, and more. Significant recent changes to the dress code were the direct result of a Student Council presentation to faculty. And in Robotics, students spend time developing both tasks for their robots to perform, as well as presenting on topics of importance to an outside jury.
Potomac Assemblies
The assembly has always been at the heart of Potomac. We gather together weekly in divisional assemblies and periodically as an entire school to share, perform, listen, learn, and celebrate. Assemblies offer an incomparable opportunity for children to speak and perform in front of a supportive audience, beginning at a very young age. Over time the group experience becomes an integral part of each students education. Students gain confidence as valued and contributing members of the Potomac community. They learn to appreciate diverse viewpoints and to interact amongst each other with our trademark generosity of spirit.
COMMUNITY TIME CONNECTION
Recognizing the importance that shared experiences have on connecting our community, the IS is using some of their Community Time to develop a better sense of belonging and connection among students and faculty. While some of these times engage the community in longer activities, like Bonding Days or the campus “Amazing Race”, most are developed as engaging brief touchpoints on Tuesday or Friday afternoons.
Students and faculty are given opportunities to present to the community, and Friday’s are focused on fun. Some activities include a dice game to learn about choices, Mr. Scharf’s scary stories, divisional season pep rallies, and inter homeroom competitions and games.
Service Learning
Students participate in a range of service learning experiences intended to broaden their understanding of the lives of others within their community. Sandwich Day is a longtime Potomac tradition and a cornerstone of our service learning program. Students in all divisions make sandwiches on the first Wednesday of each month, to be delivered to Martha’s Table, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance for individuals and families in need in Washington, DC.
STUDENT-RUN CLUBS
A sampling of student-run clubs: Anime, Art and Textile, Chess, Classic Movies, Crochet and Conversation, Current Events, Drama, Dungeons and Dragons, Let’s Get Outside!, Pickleball, Potomac Wild, Service Learning Committee, Student Council, Sunshine Club, and Vending Machine Club.
I love coming to Potomac each day because of the people. The students and teachers are grateful to be at Potomac, supportive of one another, and committed to making our community as strong as possible. Ryan Woods, Head of Intermediate School
INTERSCHOLASTIC COMPETITION
The athletic programs in the Intermediate School offer students a full range of opportunities and experiences. Students participate in sports four days a week during each season, and they benefit from their introduction to the many educational merits of interscholastic competition. A full range of sports are offered, including non-competitive options for each of the three seasons during the year.