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January 12, 2023

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Announcements

Supporting Your Family’s Well-being

PCW Panel on Mental Health: The Parents Council of Washington will host a panel discussion with psychologists and counselors from its member schools on Wednesday, January 25, 7:00-8:30 pm, at The Field School in Washington, DC. Potomac Upper School counselor and director of student support Josie Woods will join her fellow panelists in a conversation for parents around mental health and student well-being in independent schools.

Practical Strategies to Help Our Children with Anxiety: Dr. Jonathan Dalton, the founder of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change, will lead a free parent webinar on February 9, 9:00 am, titled "Practical Strategies to Help Our Children with Anxiety." Dr. Dalton will address how to determine what is "typical" anxiety and when your child may need more help, and offer specific skills and strategies for parents to help their child(ren) confront anxiety productively.

Pawz Corner

Four-Day Weekend for StudentsPotomac will be closed on Monday, January 16, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tuesday, January 17, will be a professional day for faculty, with no classes for students.

Week Ahead

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2023-24 Calendar

The 2023-24 core calendar is now available.

Potomac Social

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    Lower School News

    Lower School

    Information on Sharing Assemblies

    There will be no Sharing Assembly tomorrow, Friday, January 13, due to our K-12 MLK Assembly at 2:00 pm in Spangler. Our first Sharing Assembly of 2023 will be on Friday, January 20, 11:00 am, in Ramsey Assembly. It will feature Ms. Webster's second grade class and Ms. Passano's and Ms. Smalley's third grade classes.

    Kindergarten paleontologists
    On a Dig With Kindergarten Paleontologists

    Our kindergarten paleontologists finished studying dinosaurs with a fossil dig in the big sandbox. They had tremendous success finding deer antlers, cow jaws, and scapulas. They really dug it! See them in action.

    Lower School Family Science Event RSVP

    Join us for the Lower School Family Science Event on Thursday, February 2, 6:00-7:30 pm, in Ramsey Assembly. This event will be led by the Children's Science Center Lab. Activities include Stacking Currency: Financial Literacy, Magnets at Work: Everyday Uses, and It’s All Relative: Exploring Gravity in Space, among others. LS families will participate in hands-on experiments, specially designed to provoke interest in STEM subjects. For our planning purposes, please fill out this required RSVP form by Monday, January 30, if you plan to attend.

    LS/MS Kids Heart Challenge Assembly Coming Soon!

    The LS/MS Kids Heart Challenge Assembly will be on Friday, January 27, 9:30-10:30 am, in the Spangler Culp Main Court. Parents are invited to attend. There will be no LS Sharing Assembly that day.

    Lower School Dates

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    Middle School News

    Middle School

    JH4 Play is Tomorrow

    Tomorrow, January 13, 9:30 am, in the Langstaff Auditorium, Ms. Harter's fourth grade class will present A Collection of Multicultural Myths and Folktales for the Middle School. Parents are welcome to attend this second play of 2023 and may also watch via livestream.

    Lunar New Year Parade and MS Sharing Assembly

    The MS will host a Sharing Assembly on Friday, January 20, 9:30 am, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Students will perform songs, skits, dances, and more, both individually and in various groupings. Homeroom teachers will notify their class parents to let them know which students are participating.

    Additionally, as part of their ancient Chinese civilization studies, the fifth graders will celebrate the Year of the Water Rabbit with our annual Lunar New Year dragon parade. The clanging, jangling, luck-bringing parade will travel through the LS and MS on Friday morning, just before our Sharing Assembly.

    Guest Author And Illustrator to Visit

    Author Steve Sheinkin and illustrator Nick Bertozzi will speak with students in grades 5 and 6, as well as those in the Intermediate School, on Tuesday, January 24, 1:00-2:00 pm, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Mr. Sheinkin is one of the foremost children's authors specializing in non-fiction narrative. His captivating books about American History have been recognized with numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor for Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Learn more about his books here. Mr. Sheinkin and Mr. Bertozzi recently finished collaborating on a graphic novel version of Bomb. See more about that project here. Books for autographing can be ordered here.

    Delayed Opening = Casual Dress

    Just a little reminder that on days when we have a delayed start, Middle School students may come to school in casual clothing. 

    MS Robotics Recap
    MS Robotics Recap

    The grades 4-6 teams 10227 G, H, V, W, X, and Y competed in the ES/MS Division of VEX IQ at Potomac’s tournament over the weekend. They had some tough competition as they battled against seventh and eighth graders from other teams. The tournament had several components including interviews with judges, design notebook evaluations, teamwork challenges, and individual skills (both driving and autonomous). For some of our younger teams, this was their second tournament and their experience proved to give them an edge over other schools. Team 10227G finished in fourth for skills which ranked highest amongst all of the Potomac teams. Team 10227X finished as part of the second place alliance. Congratulations on a job well done. View photos from the tournament. Teams and results:

    10227 V - Liam Marwell, Sophia Saltiel, Savannah Harnden (’31) Tournament finalists in Teamwork Challenge- Rank #5
    10227 W - Ben Levin, Drew Gudenberg, Will Cilizza, Wells Black, Sina Mirali (Class of 2030), Kayan Gajendragadkar (’31)
    10227 X - Erik Eggers, Veer Mathur, Diya Iyer (’30) Tournament finalists in Teamwork Challenge - Rank #2
    10227 Y - Gates Marwell, Henry Lettow, Arman Aggarwal (’31)
    10227G - CJ Lee, Jayden Yoo (’29) Tournament finalists in Skills Scores - Rank #4
    10227H - Kaia Davis, Claire Widdifield, Maya Peery, Josslyn Godbee (’29)

    Upcoming MS Field Trips

    Our students will take several field trips during the month of January:

    January 18 

    • Mr. Mogle's and Ms. White's fourth grade classes head to the National Geographic Museum

    January 19 

    • Ms. Armstrong's and Ms. Harter's fourth grade classes head to the National Geographic Museum

    • Ms. Westermann's and Ms. McClain's fifth grade classes head to Higher Horizons (service learning trip) 

    • Grade 6 heads to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Students on the lunch plan will be provided a bagged lunch for this trip. All students should bring a filled, labeled water bottle that they will carry with them throughout the day.)

    January 24

    • Ms. Harter's and Mr. Mogle's fourth grade classes head to Martha's Table (service learning trip) 

    January 31

    • Ms. Armstrong's and Ms. White's fourth grade classes head to Martha's Table (service learning trip)

    Guest Author And Illustrator to Visit

    Author Steve Sheinkin and illustrator Nick Bertozzi will speak with students in grades 5 and 6, as well as those in the Intermediate School, on Tuesday, January 24, 1:00-2:00, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Mr. Sheinkin is one of the foremost children's authors specializing in non-fiction narrative. His captivating books about American History have been recognized with numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor for Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Learn more about his books here. Mr. Sheinkin and Mr. Bertozzi recently finished collaborating on a graphic novel version of Bomb. See more about that project here. Books for autographing can be ordered here.

    Middle School Dates

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    Intermediate School News

    Intermediate School

    Correction - IS Athletics Parent Coffee Is January 20  

    On Friday, January 20, 8:30 am, the Athletics Department will host a coffee for IS parents, featuring representatives of the Positive Coaching Alliance, who will run a workshop in the Spangler Team Meeting Room. The workshop will focus on supporting our parents in finding the teachable moments in sports. See more information on this workshop here.

    Sexual Health and Wellness Program Resources on CampusNET

    If you missed last week’s parent presentation focused on sexual health and wellness, please visit the IS section of CampusNET for a recording of the program and other useful resources.

    IS Dance in Two Weeks

    The annual IS dance is on Friday, January 27, from 7:00-9:00 pm, in the Intermediate School. A DJ will spin tracks in the IS Commons. The Student Council selected the theme “Starry Night.” Suggested themed attire can be found below. Students have been asked to RSVP by Tuesday, January 24, via a Google Form in the IS Student Scoop.

    Students are not expected to buy new clothes for this event, and all are welcome to attend in any clothing that complies with the guidelines listed below. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. Students have been encouraged to use this social event as an opportunity to build connections with all their classmates. Asking specific peers to accompany them to the dance is not expected or common in the IS. Students interested in bringing a non-Potomac seventh or eighth grade student as a guest need to fill out and submit this permission slip. Students may bring cell phones for a photo booth and to communicate with parents after the dance; however, students will be required to refrain from using them on the dance floor.

    Dress guidelines:

    • Nice khakis or denim jeans (not ripped)
    • Appropriate dress for a winter Intermediate School dance
    • “Nice” shirt - e.g. polo, button-down dress shirt, etc. (no t-shirts)
    • “Nice” shoes - heels (suggest not over one inch), loafers, “nice” sneakers (e.g. Vans are ok)
    IS Birds of Art
    IS Birds of Art

    In eighth grade Art - A Block, students responded to Scott Clark’s beautiful photographs of the “Birds of Potomac.” Each student created a painting of one of the birds commonly found around Potomac’s campus. The Great Blue Heron image that is featured, was painted by Mary Parker Stump. All the paintings are on display in the IS Hallway.

    IS Robotics Recap
    IS Robotics Recap

    Grade 7 teams 10227 A, B, C, D, and E competed in the ES/MS Division of Vex IQ over the weekend at the Potomac tournament. This was their first tournament of the season and they faced some tough opponents from Virginia. In the skills portion of the tournament, where they show off their driving and programming expertise, two of the five teams finished in the top 10. 10227 B had an exemplary design notebook and interviews with the judges which earned them the Design Award. Two of the teams (10227 A and B) made it to the finals after a challenging day of seven qualification matches.

    Our eighth grade teams competed in their first tournament since November. The teams are brand new to VRC, learning all of the ins and outs of working with metal robots. The students worked through many issues, with all making the elimination rounds. 13A finished with a record of 5-2, ranking eighth overall in the tournament. Both 13A and 13C reached the semifinals, with 13A making the finals in a thrilling competition. Congratulations on a job well done. View the tournament photos. Teams and results:

    Grade 7     

    10227A - Jacob Cordero, Hugh Holtman, Connor Bodi, Griffin Westland (Tournament finalists - Rank #3)
    10227B - Woodley Bohannon, Ronnie Bandi, Matthew Bodi, Marissa McEwen (Tournament finalists - Rank #5; Tournament finalists in Skills Scores - Rank #8; Design Award)
    10227C - Esther Choi, Jasper Majeed-Hall, Alex Runde, Imani Nzekwe (Tournament finalists in Skills Scores - Rank #7)
    10227D - Raine McKeown, Susie Taylor, Helena Backus
    10227E - Robert Murtagh, Matthew Seeber, Sawyer Pearce, Michael McIntire 

    Grade 8

    13A - Sam Kim, Luke Steindler, Lance Weimer, Isabella Song (Tournament finalists)
    13B - Sophia Sultan, Nikhil Kothari, Jacob Jackson, Advay Sharma 
    13C - Julian Mankovsky, Kate Myslewicz, Shlok Kuchangi (Fourth place in Skills Scores)

    IS Students Accepted to VBODA District 12 Honor Orchestras
    IS Students Accepted to VBODA District 12 Honor Orchestras

    Congratulations to Esther Choi ’28 and Iris Zhou ’27 for being two of the five Potomac students accepted to the 2023 VBODA District 12 Junior and Senior Honor Orchestras after highly competitive auditions in November. The other three students are from the Upper School. The orchestras, each made up of 80 of the best student string players in northern Virginia, will be led by Foster Beyers, director of orchestras at JMU, and Todd Parrish, a well-known string educator and composer. Each group will rehearse extensively before sharing the results of their hard work in a concert for friends, teachers, and families at 3:00 pm on Saturday, January 14, at Langley High School. All music enthusiasts are invited to attend!

    Portrait Choice Project
    Portrait Choice Project

    Building on what they previously learned about observation, proportion of the human head, and facial features, grade 8 art students were asked to choose a person as a subject. That person could be themselves, someone who was an important influence on them, or a public figure. 

    The students also had another choice to make – what media, materials, or technique did they want to use: collage, tapestry weaving, colored pencil, paint, embroidery, or printmaking. Examples of their work will soon grace the walls of the IS hallway! 

    Guest Author and Illustrator to Visit IS

    Author Steve Sheinkin and illustrator Nick Bertozzi will speak with IS students, as well as those in grades 5 and 6, on Tuesday, January 24, 1:00-2:00 pm, in the Langstaff Auditorium. Mr. Sheinkin is one of the foremost children's authors specializing in non-fiction narrative. His captivating books about American History have been recognized with numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor for Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Learn more about his books here. Mr. Sheinkin and Mr. Bertozzi recently finished collaborating on a graphic novel version of Bomb. See more about that project here. Books for autographing can be ordered here.

    Eighth Grade Science - Newton’s Laws
    Eighth Grade Science - Newton’s Laws

    Eighth grade students recently conducted a short lab as an introduction to Newton’s Laws of Motion. Using "smart carts," which are able to measure their own acceleration, the students observed the changes in the acceleration of a cart as they shifted the mass. As it turns out, Newton was right: force = mass x acceleration!

    Intermediate School Dates

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    Upper School News

    Upper School

    Planning Events – Senior Year is Tonight

    Each winter at the start of the course selection process, we offer a series of Planning the Next Year events for parents of rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Each of these events will take place at 6:30 pm in the Upper School Crossroads. Planning the Senior Year, for parents of juniors, will be held tonight, Thursday, January 12; Planning the Junior Year, for parents of sophomores, will be on Thursday, January 19; and Planning the Sophomore Year, for parents of freshmen, will be on Thursday, January 26. 

    These evenings will provide an overview of the academic and co-curricular opportunities available in the year ahead. They will include presentations by the Upper School head, the Upper School director of curriculum and academics, the grade-level dean, and representatives from the College Counseling Office. Parents will hear about the course trajectories in each department and learn more about the course application and appeal processes.

    During the academic day, students will receive an abbreviated version of the same presentation in a class meeting. Following each evening session, the slides and handouts from the presentation will be posted on CampusNET. If you have any questions about these programs, please reach out to Tory Virchow.

    Read More about Planning Events – Senior Year is Tonight
    "Shark Tank" Comes to the Upper School
    "Shark Tank" Comes to the Upper School

    Each fall, budding Potomac entrepreneurs spend a semester experiencing the realities of the business world, where creativity and practical skills combine to develop innovative ideas that work. This week, students in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, an Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, and Business Concentration (EFEB) course, culminated their semester experience with Shark Tank-style presentations in front of a team of volunteer sharks made up of Potomac faculty and staff, alumni, and Assistant Head of School Tim Jaeger.

    Thirty-three students pitched a variety of products that included versatile and customizable sports/leisure bags (Buildable Bags), a contraption that disinfects and deodorizes sports equipment (Locker Room Hero), a baby swing that mimics a mother’s embrace (Huggy Hammock), and an eco-friendly confetti launcher for celebrations (Conservation Confetti). The panel of sharks asked probing questions about finances, marketing plans, future growth, logo selection, and more. They also offered their experience and guidance, which was well-received by all of the students.

    Thanks go to alumni Abby Sullivan ’97, Reed Landry ’99, and Andrew Serafin ’92 for spending time with our students. Sean Moran and Harry Strong teach the class. Read more in Discovering an Entrepreneurial Spirit. 

    Read More about "Shark Tank" Comes to the Upper School
    US Students Visit Planet Word Museum

    Last week, Becca Brooks' Guided Inquiry - Research Seminar class took a trip to Planet Word, a Washington, DC, museum about word and language appreciation. The group spent all semester focusing on learning the research process through individualized topics, including one about the influence of conquerors on the English language. The students enjoyed seeing linguistic diversity in an interactive setting, including the opportunity to speak and hear different languages. The exhibits covered topics from media literacy to music lyrics to portmanteau words like spork and brunch. The visit reinforced an idea emphasized in one student's work: Languages are ever-evolving to fit the needs of their speakers.

    Read More about US Students Visit Planet Word Museum
    Upper School Robotics Results
    Upper School Robotics Results

    Our Upper School teams competed in one of the toughest tournaments in Virginia. We had great performances across the board with 12H and 12B finishing with second and third rankings during qualifications. It was a true Potomac turnout with nine of the 10 Potomac teams playing in the elimination rounds. After an amazing elimination round, including a tough contested semi-finals matchup between 12H and the alliance of 12G and 12B, 12H would continue to the finals, unfortunately, suffering a tough loss in the end. 12H also was the recipient of the Design Award for the best engineering design process.

    Our other teams also showed great perseverance and persistence in overcoming adversity and posted impressive skills scores. Enjoy photos from the tournament. Teams and results:

    Team 12

    12A - Max Zeldes, Alex Mathews, Karl Syriani, Jeffrey Wiley (’24)
    12B - Arav Bhargava, Ben Runde, Daniel Overdeck, David Gardner, Devin Gaines (’24) (Fifth place in Skills Scores)
    12D - Tami Aje, Lauren Lovallo, Sydney Irwin,Charlotte Gabriel, Anthony Cipriani, Adar Weinman (’25)
    12E - Nik Bhargava, Tony Diller, Matthew Gardner, Charlie Holtman, Quentin Toner, Sam Rubin (’26)
    12G - Andrew Lay, Bram Halpert, Patrick Wolff, Jack Wigmore (’23)
    12H - Ben Bartlett, Claire Coker, Rohan Iyer (2023), Elaina Sona (’25) (Tournament finalists, Design Award)
    12S - Devon Cleaver, Grace Lee (2023), Natalia Vilela (2024), Leela Iyer (’25)
    12X - Ben Muhlendorf, Ava Moazzez, Ben Levy, Ritvik Bandi, Andrew Mu, Erim Ozcan, Michael Giuliano (’25)
    12Y - Adam Bhatti, Luke Brittin, Patrick Ritter (’25)
    12Z - Katie Lee, Sophia Vilela, Maddy Sadler, Avery Miller, Tara Bansal (’26)

    Read More about Upper School Robotics Results
    Snakes in Anatomy and Physiology Class
    Snakes in Anatomy and Physiology Class

    Anatomy and Physiology students are completing final projects of their own design on topics ranging from opioid addiction to altitude sickness. Seniors Marcel Gaskins and Nicholas Webster are studying reproduction in snakes, and while dissecting their water snake specimen earlier in the week, they discovered a baby snake inside! The entire class – along with Upper School Head Doug McLane who had just stopped in for a visit – was excited to see the baby snake. Marcel and Nicholas gave us a mini-lesson on snake anatomy and the reasons for viviparity (live birth) in certain groups of snakes.

    Read More about Snakes in Anatomy and Physiology Class
    Three US Students Accepted to Honor Orchestras
    Three US Students Accepted to Honor Orchestras

    Congratulations to Charlotte Gabriel ’25, Miqy Khapra ’26, and Sasha Leifer ’26 for being three of the five Potomac students accepted to the 2023 VBODA District 12 Junior and Senior Honor Orchestras after highly competitive auditions in November. The other two students are from the IS. The orchestras, each made up of 80 of the best student string players in northern Virginia, will be led by Foster Beyers, director of orchestras at JMU, and Todd Parrish, a well-known string educator and composer. Each group will rehearse extensively before sharing the results of their hard work in a concert for friends, teachers, and families at 3:00 pm on Saturday, January 14, at Langley High School. All music enthusiasts are invited to attend!

    Read More about Three US Students Accepted to Honor Orchestras

    Upper School Dates

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    US T208 Tiered Classroom

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    Athletics

    Athletics

    "Play On!" College Night for Scholar-Athletes Next Week
    "Play On!" College Night for Scholar-Athletes Next Week

    Join us on Wednesday, January 18, 6:30 pm, in the US Tiered Classroom for a recruiting, admissions, and playing sports in college panel discussion featuring: Kelyn Freedman (Georgetown associate head women's lacrosse coach), Shedrick Elliott III (Johns Hopkins assistant track and field coach), Mike Gutelius (Catholic University head football coach), Jeremy Lowe (American University director of undergraduate admissions), and Marisa Brisbane (University of Maryland assistant director of compliance). All US students who are interested in pursuing athletics in college and their parents are encouraged to attend. Food will be provided for students who stay on campus after school in order to take part in this event. Please fill out this form if you plan to attend.

    Swim Sweeps Flint Hill and SSSA

    On Thursday night, January 5, the boys and girls swim teams took on Flint Hill and St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School. The Panthers swept all four dual meets. The boys beat Flint Hill (100-52) and SSSA (107-38), while the girls won against Flint Hill (104-41) and SSSA (98-53).

    The boys won numerous events: 200 medley relay (Will Walters ‘24, Brock Schedler ‘23, Arav Bhargava ‘24, and Ale Wick ‘25), Walters ‘24 in the 200 IM, Schedler ‘23 in the 50 free, Bhargava ‘24 in the 100 fly, 200 free relay (Sasha Minsky ‘24, Greg Zubler ‘23, Bhargava ‘24, and Schedler ‘23), Walters ‘24 in the 100 back, Bhargava ‘24 in the 100 breaststroke, and the 400 free relay (Schedler ‘23, Wick ‘25, Minsky ‘24, and Walters ‘24). 

    The girls also had an outstanding day winning events in the 200 medley relay (Sabine Barbee ‘26, Madeleine Steves ‘26, Maren Schwarz ‘25, and Kate Douglas ‘26), Leila Bodner ’24 in the 200 IM, Douglas ‘26 in the 100 free, Steves ‘26 in the Co-Ed 500 free, 200 free relay (Kate Reynolds ‘26, Schwarz ‘25, Sam Taylormoore ‘23, and Douglas ‘26), Steves ‘26 in the 100 breaststroke, and the 400 free relay (Sabine Barbee ‘26, Maren Schwarz ‘25, Madeleine Steves ‘26, and Kate Douglas ‘26). 

    Some highlight swims were Steves '26 and Schwarz '25 finishing 1-2 in the 100 breaststroke, Amory Imperatore '25 making the State Bonus Cut in the 50 free, and Erim Ozcan '25 for executing a perfect race strategy for the 500 free.

    Junior Sasha Minsky Establishes Swim Academy in South Africa

    Excerpt from the Sun Gazette

    “For Sasha Minsky, no service project to help others is too big or small to undertake. Whether working in community gardens, volunteering at soup kitchens, collecting baseball equipment to send to players in South Africa or completing other independent projects, since a young age the Potomac School junior multi-sport high-school athlete developed a passion, then a mission, for such work.

    This month, Minsky is taking on his biggest service project yet, and on the international stage. On Sunday, January 22, he will launch a youth swim academy in impoverished Alexandra, South Africa, for youth ages 7 to 16, in hopes of preventing drownings that occur regularly in the township.” Read more

    Athletics Dates