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Potomac Stories

Independent Schools Choral Festival
Independent Schools Choral Festival

Last night, the Upper School Madrigal Singers participated in the 34th Washington Independent Schools Choral Festival at Washington National Cathedral. Nine independent schools presented individual and mass pieces. The concert’s finale was Mozart’s Kyrie, K 125; 300 singers and a chamber orchestra under the direction of Mr. Jerry Rich featured Potomac soloists Lin Baker ‘24 and Alex Martin ‘25, as well as Potomac instrumentalists Noah Altschuler ‘25, Charlotte Gabriel ‘25, and Hugh Kanner-Bitetti ‘25.

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Seniors in Service to Others on their Final CAD
Seniors in Service to Others on their Final CAD

On Tuesday, the Class of 2025 engaged in their final Community Action Day at Potomac, supporting 15 community partners across the DC metro area, including Cameron's Chocolates, Food & Friends, Culpepper Garden, and Higher Horizons. In the afternoon, the students served many different departments on campus, including helping with a video for Admission, helping set up for an event with Building and Grounds, and reading, writing, and playing with Lower School students. It was a meaningful day of service to others. Check out photos from the day. 

Celebration South Asian Student Alliance
Celebration South Asian Student Alliance

South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) hosted an assembly that highlighted the richness of South Asian culture through music and dance performances, personal stories, and cultural traditions. The event fostered inclusivity and pride, showcasing how culture and heritage shape personal and collective experiences. The assembly reminded us of the strength of embracing and understanding the diverse traditions that bring our community together. Following the assembly, SASA hosted a lunchtime conversation.

EFEB Welcomes First Guest Speaker
EFEB Welcomes First Guest Speaker
The Upper School hosted its first Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, & Business Concentration (EFEB) speaker of the 2024-25 school year. Kim Kuryea, CFO at General Dynamics, visited students and shared “A Bird’s Eye View of General Dynamics and the Aerospace and Defense Industry.” Ms. Kuryea discussed the role of the CFO in a public company. General Dynamics is comprised of 10 different business units that operate like separate companies in aerospace, combat systems, marine systems, and technologies. She indicated that their decentralized model allows them to optimize agility, increase competitiveness, and balance risk and opportunities. Ms. Kuryea emphasized that the students can still find this entrepreneurial spirit even within well-established companies. She described the complexities of having 80% of its business serve the U.S. government and non-U.S. government allies. She also focused on the GD Ethos - honesty, transparency, alignment, and trust - the core values by which the company operates.
 
Ms. Kuryea has sponsored EFEB internships at General Dynamics for the past two years and is slated to generously host two students again in the summer of 2025.
US Architecture Classes Make Real-World Connections
US Architecture Classes Make Real-World Connections
In Architecture I classes, students spent a recent lunch hour learning from John Skillern '94, an architect at the firm of Tod Williams Billie Tsien. John shared ideas about his academic journey at Potomac and Cornell, his beginnings in the profession, and his current design projects, which include a stunning Music Hall in Detroit.
 
Meanwhile, Advanced Architecture students visited a commercial site in North Arlington to gather information and community impressions for a hypothetical redevelopment project. Their design will include improvements to the streetscape, a commercial leasing tenant, and four upper levels of apartments.
Entrepreneurship Class Prepares for the Sharks
Entrepreneurship Class Prepares for the Sharks

Twelve student projects are coming together in the three sections of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation class, which is part of the EFEB (Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship and Business) concentration. The class is project-based, as students spend most of the semester working on an innovative product prototype that could be brought to market. The big class moment is when each project team faces the scrutiny of the "Sharks" in a half-hour presentation covering the product, marketing, financing, and overall business plan. Sean Moran, Harry Strong, and Ryan Levesque co-teach the classes. Pictured are Gianna Bognet '26 and sustainability project manager Sean Conroy working on a Lawn Game project.

Election Day Assembly Brings Civil Discourse to the Fore

After weeks of planning, members of several student clubs—including the Conservative Conversations Club, Young Democrats of Potomac, World Events Club, Law Club, and Model UN—led a powerful assembly on Election Day itself. The assembly included guidance on how students can engage in civil conversations with each other on political issues, focusing on the importance of listening, checking multiple news sources, and maintaining a sense of respect for others. The highlight of the assembly was a Four Corners discussion, where student leaders and other volunteers engaged in a live discussion of current hot-button political issues: the students did an excellent job of modeling our core values and our school guidelines for civil discourse, all in front of their peers and their teachers. Four Corners discussions and further programming from all these clubs will continue throughout the year.