Last week, students in French 1B traveled to the Alliance Française for Festinema, a program dedicated to promoting Francophone culture to youth through cinema. They attended a private screening of Le pharaon, le sauvage, et la princesse. Alliance library staff introduced the film with conversation about fables, their lessons, and common themes. After the screening, students participated in a discussion en français in which they shared their interpretations and observations.

The Potomac Upper School celebrated our Hispanic heritage on Wednesday with an assembly led by the members of the Hispanic Student Alliance. The assembly touched on the broad range of areas of the collective Latino experience. Alliance members Sebastian Chumpitaz '26, Alex Runde '28, David Chumpitaz '29, Emilia Tamayo '29, spoke about the importance of different dimensions of their individual heritage that mattered to them, from the World Cup and current events, to food and music, and how those dimensions captured the spirit of their cultural experience and identity. HSA leader Alejandra Villafuerte '26, shared important reflections on our names, their sounds in the voice of others, and our identity. We celebrated the wonderful language of dance, as all of the US students learned and practiced the core Bachata moves led by Spanish teacher Ms. Azul Torres Velducea. Then eight students participated in a Bachata dance contest with the senior team coming out as most impressive. The assembly concluded with personal reflections by Santi Cangahuala '27, and HSA leader Sophia Vilela '26 ¡¡Excelente!!

The Upper School celebrated the Lunar New Year with an engaging assembly infused with educational insights, cultural exploration, and inclusive commemoration. Students performed the dragon dance, sang Chinese songs, offered a tai chi demonstration, demonstrated a sword dance, read poetry, and shared the significance of Year of the Horse. A surprise guest, restaurateur Peter Chang, added to the festive atmosphere by providing us with a live cooking demonstration of kung pao chicken. We also welcomed guests from the Chinese Embassy, Yucai Li and Lidong Zhou. Later in the afternoon assembly attendees were treated to a Chinese lunch from Peter Chang in McLean. Enjoy photos.

In a vibrant display of community learning, members of the Muslim Student Alliance (MSA) recently hosted a Ramadan Fair for the Intermediate School. The event was designed to foster deep cultural awareness and highlight the shared values of empathy, charity, and discipline that underpin the holy month.

Through a series of interactive presentations, MSA students guided their peers through the essential pillars of the Ramadan experience, including:

• The Significance of Fasting and Prayer: Exploring the spiritual focus and self-reflection central to the month.
• The Qur'an: Discussing its history and its role as a guide during this sacred time.
• Suhoor and Iftar: Explaining the daily rhythm of the pre-dawn and post-sunset meals.
• Eid al-Fitr: A look at the joyous celebration that marks the conclusion of the fast.

The Ramadan Fair reinforced Potomac’s commitment to an inclusive environment where students learn from one another’s lived experiences, ultimately strengthening the bonds of our diverse community. View the gallery here.