Winter 2024
The Llama Notes alumni e-newsletter is filled with stories, news, information,
and resources to support our community. Our goals are to keep alumni informed and
foster a meaningful lifelong connection between alumni and The Potomac School.
If you have an idea or comments, please contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
and resources to support our community. Our goals are to keep alumni informed and
foster a meaningful lifelong connection between alumni and The Potomac School.
If you have an idea or comments, please contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
Alumna Brings Her Talents to The Voice
by Cathryn Larsen
The Potomac School helps young learners become disciplined, passionate, and innovative adults – many of whom take their talents to the world stage. Claudia Swope ’17 is one such alum; with passion and persistence, she is making her dream of life as a performer come true. This year, as a contestant on season 24 of the hit television show The Voice, Claudia was featured on one of the biggest stages of all.
On the show, vocalists “blind audition” for an all-star panel; this season’s judges were John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire. Contestants give their all to be selected for musical mentorship on one of the judges’ teams. Claudia, known as “Claudia B.” on stage, advanced to the fourth round this season – the final step before The Voice live shows where the remaining contestants compete.
New Year, New You!
by James Hawthorn ‘03
James Hawthorn '03 is a National Academy of Sports Medicine multi-certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist, with more than 15 years’ experience helping clients between the ages of 15 and 84 achieve a variety of goals. He is also an IRONMAN triathlete and 19-time marathon runner.
With the arrival of a new year, it’s common to resolve to lose weight or simply improve our diet. Though it’s only February, many of us may already have failed to keep these resolutions due to choosing an overly restrictive diet or one that is ineffective for our body type. I'd like to set the record straight and give you five simple rules that, if followed, will lead to fat loss and healthy weight management, regardless of your body type or activity level.
Many clients ask me about the latest diet trends, such as ketosis or intermittent fasting, but when I dig a little deeper, I find that they're putting the cart before the horse: They're not following the fundamental principles below, which are EASIER to follow than whatever current trend or fad they're hoping will provide a quick, dramatic fix. So let's cut the fads (and the fat) and focus on building foundational habits that will keep us healthy for a lifetime.
Read more
Filmmaking, Creative Collaboration, and Telling Stories That Matter
by Rita Deurdulian
The last time we checked in – at least editorially – with film director and screenwriter Zal Batmanglij ’98, he had just wrapped up shooting his second feature film, The East, and given the Potomac community a private screening. Fast forward a decade, two seasons of Netflix’s sci-fi hit The OA, and the successful FX miniseries A Murder at the End of the World, which Time called “a high-tech whodunit.” Our latest discussion highlights Zal’s admiration for his creative partner of two decades Brit Marling, his experience in the film industry, and the challenges he faced while working on the FX project in Iceland during the pandemic. While his work tends to focus on the mystique and the blind spots of a suffering society, Zal stresses the importance of telling stories that resonate with audiences.
Darby, the lead character for Murder at the End of the World, is really interesting. How did you develop her?
Brit wrote an op-ed in The New York Times ("I Don’t Want to Be the Strong Female Lead") about how pop culture tends to objectify and dispose of women. She wanted to portray women with agency without having to assume traditionally “masculine” traits to achieve that.
A Daughter Reflects on Her Father’s Life of Service
by Shelley Dutton
It’s no surprise that Kristin Carlucci Weed '98 chose to work with Disruption Books, an independent publisher whose catalog focuses on nonfiction, to get her first book into print. After all, Disruption’s website expresses the company’s purpose this way: “Our books present big ideas that start conversations, shift perspectives, and influence outcomes.” That’s exactly what Kristin had in mind when she wrote Get Me Carlucci, which hit bookstores nationwide this January.
Kristin’s book chronicles the career of her late father, Frank C. Carlucci III, whose work in government spanned more than three decades under seven presidents. It’s a story of patriotism, courage, and an unfailing commitment to public service. It’s also a story of much that has been lost – or at least severely diminished – in government today, and Kristin hopes that her book will inspire conversation about the qualities that can empower individuals to work together effectively in service of the nation. She says, “In our modern era of bitter bipartisanship, the way my father lived and the manner in which he moved through Washington, working under leaders from both parties, offer lessons we can all learn from.”
Reunion 2024 - October 18-19
See You Here!
If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please contact
Director of Alumni Relations Laura Miller.
Director of Alumni Relations Laura Miller.
The AGC Needs You!
SEEKING NOMINATIONS
The mission of the Alumni Association is to foster a sense of community among Potomac School alumni and cultivate relationships with other members of the community, including current students, current and past teachers and administrators, and current and past parents. These efforts are led by the members of The Alumni Governing Council (AGC). The AGC’s Nominations Committee is now seeking candidates to serve as council members for the upcoming term.
We welcome the recommendations of the Potomac community as we seek to fill these important leadership positions. Please contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations, if you are interested or would like to recommend a fellow alum.
Check out upcoming alumni events, on campus and in cities from coast to coast! To make sure you get information on events in your area, please update your contact info today.
Service Learning Sandwich Day
Lower School Lobby
Wednesday, February 14
7:45 am
Scholarship Auction
The Spangler Center
Saturday, March 2
6:00 pm
Alumni Governing Council Meeting
Upper School Library
Wednesday, March 6
7:00 pm
Kristin Carlucci Weed ‘98 - Get Me Carlucci Book Party
Arundel Family Library
Tuesday, March 26
6:30 pm
Chicago Alumni Reception
Invitation with details coming soon!
Tuesday, April 10
6:30 pm
Denver Alumni Reception
Invitation with details coming soon!
Wednesday, April 11
6:30 pm
Alumni Governing Council Meeting
Upper School Library
Wednesday, April 17
7:00 pm
Boston Alumni Reception
Invitation with details coming soon!
Thursday, April 18
6:30 pm
New York City Alumni Reception
The Soho Grand
Thursday, April 25
7:00 pm
Washington, DC, Alumni and Past Parent Reception
Invitation with details coming soon!
Thursday, May 2
6:30 pm
PREunion Class of 2024 Induction into the Alumni Community
Ramsey Assembly
Monday, June 3
12:00 pm
Commencement
The Potomac School
Friday, June 7
10:00 - 11:30 am
Reunion 2024
The Potomac School
Friday and Saturday, October 18-19
Click for schedule and details.
Fall Frolics
The Potomac School
Saturday, October 19
11:00 am-2:00 pm
Homecoming Football Game
Turf Field
Saturday, October 19
12:00 pm kick-off
If you are interested in hosting an event, contact Laura Miller, director of alumni relations.
Potomac wants to stay in touch
with you AND help you stay
connected to your classmates.
Help us out by making sure your information is up to date.
Class Notes are due
Monday, February 26, 2024.
The Term Magazine
The Term is Potomac's biannual alumni magazine. Packed with alumni profiles, campus news, and class notes, The Term keeps Potomac's community of 10,000+ connected and informed. Have a story idea? Pitch it to Laura Miller.
Fall 2023 issue features:
-
As president and CEO of Leading Harvest, Kenny Fahey ’04 focuses on harnessing the power of the business sector to drive positive environmental and social outcomes in agriculture..
-
For Grant Hoechst Jackson ’14, flexibility is key. Whether he’s composing and playing music or leading game-design teams at Naughty Dog, Grant maintains an open and agile perspective – empowering himself and others to do their creative best.
-
Author and illustrator Jamie Potter ’01 creates stories that spark the imagination of young readers and remind them that they have the ability to adapt and thrive in the face of challenges.
Alumni, do you have news to share about upcoming books, podcasts, film projects, albums, art exhibits, live performances, or other creative endeavors?
Email alumni@potomacschool.org
and tell us the details!
Keep up with your classmates by logging in to the Alumni Center, where you can find info about fellow Potomac alums, update your directory information, and sign up for networking activities. These members-only resources are available solely to Potomac alumni.
Legacy Unveiled:
A Cherished Bond with
Mrs. Wendy Paulson in Lower School
by Anne Metcalf ‘79
This article is excerpted from a conversation between Potomac alumna Anne Metcalf ‘79 and her second grade teacher, Wendy Paulson. A graduate of Wellesley College, Mrs. Paulson taught at Potomac in the early 1970s. She went on to teach in Illinois and New York public schools and hold leadership positions with nonprofits in the conservation sector, serving as chair of the Illinois and New York chapters of The Nature Conservancy, vice chair of the Conservancy’s international Board of Governors, chair emerita of Rare, and educational associate of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. In addition, Mrs. Paulson is a current or past member of the National Council of the Student Conservation Association, the National Forum on Children & Nature, the American Bird Conservancy advisory council, BirdLife International, the Audubon US Stewardship Council, Openlands, and the Field Museum of Natural History. She has presided over two community conservation organizations, authored a nature activity series for children, edited a conservation newsletter for 10 years, and been a long-time participant in prairie and savanna restoration. In 1986, Wendy Paulson and her husband Hank co-founded the Bobolink Foundation, whose grantmaking focuses on the conservation of landscapes and wildlife, especially in grasslands and coastal areas throughout the Americas.
Anne Metcalf is the founder and principal of Metcalf Federal Relations, which focuses on obtaining federal funding and issues advocacy for organizations that serve and enrich their communities. The Field Museum of Natural History, where she and Mrs. Paulson reconnected, has been a client since 1998.
Get Involved!
The Potomac community is thriving, thanks to the support of alumni volunteers. Whether raising funds for your alma mater, helping to plan Reunion, or organizing social and educational events for your classmates and friends, our alumni are creative, connected, and committed. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Laura Miller.
