The Upper School Music Department invites you to join us for our annual Fall Concert tonight, November 17, at 7:00 pm, in EPAC. The evening will feature performances by our string orchestra, concert band, concert and honors handbell ensembles, madrigal singers, and jazz band. The concert will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person.

The Global Perspectives and Citizenship (GPAC) concentration program is a space for student-driven research. Seniors Arya Kumar and Ali O’Brien, like many of their peers, were eager for an opportunity to investigate a global problem and design a project that reflected the complexities of political systems, economic exchange, and national identity. Ali and Arya thrived in the self-directed process, meeting frequently with faculty to discuss their findings and begin to formulate arguments. Ali’s research is titled, "The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue: The West's Response to China in the Indo-Pacific" and Arya’s research is titled, “Democracy or Autocracy: Singapore’s Increasing Rejection of Democratic Values.” 

Over the course of the writing process, they each amassed incredibly impressive bibliographies that indicated that they had worked with over one-hundred and twenty-five sources each in designing their arguments. It is because of their commitment to the process and their relentless pursuit of a true understanding of their topics, that Ali and Arya were able to craft thoughtful and insightful research papers that will now enter formal academic discussions once they are published in Journal of Student Research. The GPAC program is incredibly proud of their accomplishments. They are well-deserved and serve as models for future GPAC students!

Arya reflects, “It feels good to know that all of the hard work I put in over the summer, and throughout my time in GPAC, was being recognized. It’s inspiring to know that Ali and I – and everyone in GPAC – were able to engage in a college level research process as high schoolers and all produce really interesting papers about complex topics.”

Ali shares, “GPAC has changed my worldview simply by emphasizing how to think critically about the nuance of international issues. All of the research conducted in GPAC underlined the necessity of understanding the historical context of a situation to discuss it accurately in the present."

Learn more about GPAC research from the 2021-22 school year.

Last Wednesday, the Indian Alliance hosted a belated Diwali lunchtime conversation and celebration. Members engaged in conversation with students, provided colorful henna tattoos, and shared some traditional Indian treats. 

Upper School architecture students recently made two local site visits to gather first-hand information for design projects. Architecture 1 students explored the neighborhood around the historic Friendship Baptist Church as they reflected on the history of Southwest DC. This extra context will help them to imagine a respectful new use for the deconsecrated church.

Advanced architecture students visited historic Lockhouse #25 to learn about the Canal's 200-year history and seven renovated lock-keeper's houses. This is part of a collaborative design challenge in partnership with the local non-profit organization, The Canal Trust, to imagine and model 21^st-century overnight lodgings for travelers along the 185-mile C&O Canal towpath.

This year, the Alumni Office and the Upper School’s Career and Professional Skills Committee (CAPSC) are hosting a series of Career Labs for juniors and seniors. These interactive, student-led panel discussions will take place throughout the school year and focus on a variety of professions and industries, from finance to engineering, computer science, medicine, journalism, the arts, and more.

Last week, Potomac's second Career Lab featured panelists working in the fields of communications, marketing, and sales. Hana Ford '14, Derrick Plummer '99, and Kevin Bender '05 shared their experience and insights on starting out, navigating through client work, and sharing stories about overcoming obstacles through creative means. Seniors Erika Castellano and Alex Hekmat moderated the event. Both are members of CAPSC, along with seniors Arya Bansal, Alex Christ, Genevieve Harris, Arya Kumar, Grace Lee, Caelan McCormack, Alden Smallwood, and Shelby Willcox. The Alumni Office and CAPSC plan to host four more Career Labs this year. Read more about the Career Lab program here and read the bios of our recent panelists.

Seniors in the Spanish elective course Food, Culture, and Society in Latin America recently finished studying the history of corn in the Americas. From its indigenous roots in the mesoamerican diet, to the role it plays today in the gastronomy of many central and northern Latin American countries, the class focused on the Mexican tortilla, the Colombian and Venezuelan arepa, and the Salvadoran pupusa. Earlier this week students made pupusas by mixing the masa by hand, forming the dough, and cooking them over the fire at the Morton Fire Deck. ¡Estaban deliciosas!

On Sunday, YouToo Tennis completed their final session hosting youth from the Autism Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV) on Potomac's tennis courts. More than 20 US students volunteered this fall to engage with our ASNV guests to provide tennis lessons, spreading the joy of sports to children in our community. Thank you to senior YouToo leader Maia Phillips, and grade 10 team leaders Anaahita Kaashyap, Sonali Sachdeva, and Cooper Schirmeier, for coordinating this meaningful service experience and to all US volunteers for their generosity of spirit this fall. We look forward to another YouToo season in the spring!