Potomac Stories

Innovation comes alive in the EFEB concentration's Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. The course is project-driven, with twelve student teams across three sections working to develop and prototype an innovative product ready for market launch. The semester peaks in a crucial, half-hour "Shark Tank" event, where project teams face scrutiny from our panel of "Sharks" on every aspect of their business plan, from product and marketing to finance. Sean Moran, Harry Strong, and Ryan Levesque co-teach the classes. Pictured are Mateo Nichols '27, Lawson Watt '27, and Dasha Minsky '26 working on their sauce recipes for their company Drip House.

YouToo Tennis hosted its last session on Sunday, culminating a month-long fall program in partnership with the Autism Society of Northern Virginia (ASNV). A special thanks to seniors Maria Lerner and Charlotte Ross for their leadership, helping ensure that all US volunteers learned about the specific needs of participants with developmental disabilities. Through relationships forged, Potomac students prioritized making personal connections over teaching the game of tennis. Thank you to the many US student volunteers and faculty chaperones for your dedication throughout the year to help this 13-year service program continue to thrive. We will be back on the courts in the spring! 

On November 3, Upper School Chinese teacher Carol Jia took Chinese 4 and Honor Chinese 4 classes on a field trip to Lake Anne House Retirement Center in Reston, VA, to celebrate the power of connection and cultural exchange. Students engaged with Chinese-American residents who are part of the Silver Light Seniors Association. The residents prepared activities for the students to enjoy, including Tai Chi demonstrations, calligraphy lessons, and opportunities to create Chinese arts and crafts. The group also performed authentic music and dance for the students. In return, the students prepared traditional Chinese poetry and songs to perform for their hosts. They also had meaningful conversations about traditions, food, and life experiences, bridging generational and cultural gaps. 

The South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) held an assembly on November 4 to showcase the diversity of South Asian culture through song, personal stories, and rituals. The event promoted inclusion and pride by highlighting how South Asian culture and tradition affect individual and societal experiences. The assembly reminded us of the importance of embracing and understanding the various traditions that unite our community. Following the assembly, SASA held a lunchtime conversation.  

In a wonderful example of cross-divisional collaboration and cultural exchange, students from Carol Jia’s US Chinese classes recently visited Mr. Nadel’s MS music classes to help fifth graders practice Chinese pronunciation and tones while they are practicing a Chinese song. Through fun activities and interactive speaking exercises, the younger students learned how to pronounce key words accurately and recognize different tones in Mandarin. The Upper Schoolers served as language mentors, demonstrating proper pronunciation and encouraging confident speaking. 

Last Wednesday, our ninth graders participated in their Community Action Day as part of their year of Service Learning. Students engaged in volunteer opportunities with 14 local community partner organizations for a morning of service in the broader community. In the afternoon, they continued their day of service back on campus, engaging in several projects including sorting uniforms in our MS Panther Post, organizing costumes and sheet music, and playing with Lower and Middle School students. Many thanks to our community partners for hosting our students and teaching about community needs.