Advancing the Upper School Curriculum

IN 2018, Potomac announced that its Upper School would begin a five-year curriculum development process with the goal of moving beyond Advanced Placement (AP) courses. US Head Doug McLane explains, “In general, AP courses are designed to prepare students to do well on the corresponding AP examinations. Teachers and students need to adhere to the prescribed syllabus, pushing forward without much time for deeper exploration of particular topics or concepts. One of the things we wanted to do, in developing our own advanced courses at Potomac, was to offer our students and faculty opportunities to delve deeply into interesting and important subjects.”

In addition to balancing breadth of information with depth of understanding, many of the new advanced courses in Potomac’s Upper School offer interdisciplinary perspectives and give students opportunities to do independent research and projects that bring their learning to life.

Doug notes, “This fall, we hit the five-year mark and realized our goal: All advanced courses now offered at Potomac were developed by our own faculty. While some of these courses are similar to their AP counterparts, many are entirely new and unique to Potomac, designed to address our students’ needs and interests.” Examples as diverse as Advanced Humanities and Advanced Mechatronics come immediately to mind.

Introduced in 2019, Potomac’s Advanced Humanities course is an interdisciplinary class that focuses on a specific period in American history, looking at the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shaped that time. In its first three years, the course focused on the tumultuous 1960s; this year, the class is considering the period immediately before and after World War I, with a focus on the emergence of modernism, inspired by the 100 th anniversary of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land

English teacher Franz Ritt, who is co-teaching the class with history teacher Nick MacDonald, says, “We want to help the students see how modernism emerged in the wake of a technological and social cataclysm, and how the legacy of that time is still visible today.”

Advanced Mechatronics, also first offered in 2019, is an interdisciplinary, project-based course that challenges students to explore the fields of mechanical, electrical, and software engineering. Students in the class use design thinking and off-the-shelf components to conceptualize, build, and program robotic mechanisms that address real-world challenges. The students master increasingly complex concepts and skills as they move forward, developing their solutions through an iterative process that demands both critical and creative thinking.

In 2021, another exciting offering, Advanced Organic Chemistry, was added to the Upper School curriculum. Science teacher Laura Petro – who taught organic chemistry at the college level for five years before joining Potomac –developed the course. She explains, “In this class, students learn to name and draw organic molecules, understand the reactions they undergo, and use trends and patterns to predict the products of chemical synthesis.”

Laura notes, “Unlike many traditional organic chemistry classes, our course is not lecture based; we use a problem-solving approach. The students do college-level lab work that challenges them to build their knowledge and skills.” She adds, “There is no AP course in organic chemistry; this is because it’s generally taught at the sophomore level in college. Every college student pursuing a pre-med or science major eventually encounters organic chemistry, which is sometimes regarded as a ‘weed-out’ course because the material is so challenging. I’m excited that we can offer Potomac students this advanced class that provides strong preparation for future study and helps them build confidence in their ability to tackle tough material successfully.”

In all, Potomac’s Upper School curriculum now includes 35 courses with the advanced designation. Doug McLane notes, “These rigorous academic experiences empower our students to think deeply about important topics, consider multiple perspectives, do independent research, and work on meaningful projects with real-world applications.” Though the advanced courses are about so much more than preparing for a test, Doug adds, “Potomac continues to serve as an AP testing center, so any of our students who want to take AP exams still have the opportunity to do so.”

Doug concludes, “This curricular shift has been an incredibly exciting process. I am proud of our faculty’s commitment and creativity and our students’ eagerness to learn and grow. We are confident that Potomac’s advanced courses provide strong preparation for success in college and beyond.”

With pandemc restrictions eased, Potomac revived a number of well-loved communiy initiatives in spring 2022 – and introduced some new ones. One new event that proved very popular, with nearly 800 members of the school community in attendance, was the Hawaiian-themed Springfest: Grill and Games, held on April 22. The fun began with a wiffle ball game for Lower School students, followed by opportunities to cheer for the Potomac Panthers, as the varsity teams took on rival schools in girls lacrosse and boys tennis and the JV teams took the field in softball and girls lacrossse. Percussionists from Potomac’s Pep Band marched across campus providing spirited rhythms, and everyone enjoyed food hot off the grills, topped off by delicious ice cream. It was a great time for all and a reminder of the joy that comes from being part of the connected, engaged Potomac School community.

In the spring, Potomac and the Safe Community Coalition co-hosted a program featuring New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims, entitled “Throw Out the Checklisted Childhood: Tips and Strategies for Raising Successful Kids.” Held on campus and simultaneously livestreamed, the program drew more than 500 attendees. The next day, Ms. Lythcott-Haims returned to campus to speak at an Upper School assembly.

A former Stanford University dean, Julie Lythcott-Haimes is the author of How to Raise an Adult; Your Turn: How to Be an Adult; and her memoir, Real American. She has also given several popular TED talks and is an in-demand speaker nationwide.

This spring, the campus community once again gathered around the May Pole to share in a time-honored Potomac tradition. With a full in-person program and guests permitted, the 2022 May Day celebration featured music, dance, and poetry, with students and faculty from all divisions sharing their talents. All the old familiar songs were sung, students in bright colors wove ribbons ’round the May Pole, and Morris dancers brought the sounds of clacking sticks and jingling bells to the US Quad. It’s always a good time to celebrate when the Potomac community realizes that the cold, grey days of winter are past and sumer is icumen in!

After the program, the members of the Grade 6 Students for Environmental and Service Learning Action Committee gathered the flowers that had been laid at the foot of the May Pole and made arrangements, using vases donated by the Parent Association Service Learning Committee. The colorful, fragrant bouquets were then delivered to older adults living at Chesterbrook Residences in Falls Church.

A sense of purpose filled the air in the Spangler Center this May, as members of the Potomac community worked together on a meal-packing initiative to support Ukrainians in need Attended by more than 100 people, the event was spearheaded by the Parent Association Service Learning Committee, in partnership with Upper School students in the Global Perspectives and Citizenship program, who have been studying food insecurity around the world. With the war in Ukraine top of mind, the parents and students organized this meaningful service initiative in partnership with The Outreach Program, a nonprofit organization. Convoy of Hope, an international relief agency, picked up the more than 21,000 meals assembled at the event and delivered them to displaced Ukrainian families.

Beautiful memories were made last spring as Potomac once again welcomed special people in its students’ lives for a visit to campus. Despite the rainy weather, the return of the school’s annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day saw record attendance, with more than 400 guests taking part. The event began with remarks of welcome from Head of School John Kowalik, followed by reflections from faculty speaker Cort Morgan (see page 24). The guests then visited classrooms, where the students showed them around, introduced them to their teachers and friends, and shared some of the things they have been working on at school.

Potomac’s robotics teams finished the 2021-22 school year strong. Intermediate School Team 10227D traveled to Dallas to compete in the VEX IQ MS Division World Championship. The team of four seventh graders participated in 10 teamwork challenges, collaborating with participants from all over the country and around the world. Potomac’s team competed in the engineering division, which included 77 of the competition’s total 750 teams. The scores showed improvement over the team’s previous competition, and all were pleased with the students’ performance, especially given that this was the first time a Potomac team traveled to a competition since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, three Upper School robotics teams competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship, also held in Dallas. Potomac’s teams were competing among the best of the best from 820 high schools, and it was the school’s first in-person World Championship since 2019. The US teams fought and played hard, learned a lot, and met adversity with perseverance. They look forward to cotinuing to improve their skills and competing again this year.

Early June brought a state-ly occasion to Potomac, as the third grade class participated in their final assembly as Lower Schoolers. The traditional Fifty Nifty assembly is an opportunity for the rising fourth graders to share their research on America’s 50 states and proudly show off their creative state hats, while singing the famous “Fifty Nifty” song. Hats off to these talented, creative students!

Congratulations to Upper School science teacher Laura Petro on being named the 2022 Greater Washington DC Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS) Teacher of the Year. Ms. Petro, who was nominated by a former student, earned the recognition for her “exceptional contributions to promoting student research.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense, the JSHS promotes original research and experimentation at the high school level; teacher and mentor recognition is a key component of the program.

There was quite a bit of clowning around at last spring’s Kindergarten Circus. Bodybuilders, wild animals, and acrobats were among the performers that took the stage to entertain Lower School students and their guests. From the opening parade to the grand finale, the show was received with enthusiastic applause. A special guest was honored as “Head of Clowns,” and a great time was had by all!

Ben Choi ’22 was among 161 students from across the U.S., and one of just five from Virginia, to be named a 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholar. The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects students annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, and school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals. Congratulations to Ben on this honor!

This summer, Potomac Director of K-12 Public Speaking and Head Speech and Debate Coach Harry Strong received a 2022 Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago. Mr. Strong was nominated by a former student, now enrolled at the University of Chicago, in recognition of going “beyond everyday teaching and making a difference” in their life.

In late spring, a group of eighth graders spent three days working as “watermen” with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation on Port Isobel Island. The students helped set crab pots, scraped healthy grass beds, progged a Tangier Island beach, and made a close study of a marsh (and its mud!) They identified more than 50 species of creatures in their short but very rewarding visit.

Potomac’s debate program opened the 2022-23 season with not one, but two, preseason All-Americans. Out of the 150,000 student members of the National Speech & Debate Association, seniors Natalie RootsNowakowski and Olivia Eads were ranked in the top 25 for their performances last spring. The top 25 at the end of each season are named High School All-American speech and debate students.

The new school year got off to a spirited start with the annual Opening Assembly on September 9. The celebration began with the traditional procession of the school’s oldest and youngest students, as the members of the Class of 2023 escorted the kindergartners into their first Potomac assembly. Inspiring remarks followed, with Head of School John Kowalik reflecting on the meaning and importance of generosity of spirit, and Student Government Association President Yabby Maelaf ’23 urging her fellow students to follow their passions and persevere as they work toward their goals.

A highlight of the assembly was the presentation of the 2022 Bill Cook Excellent Teaching Award to two outstanding faculty members, Middle School Dean Shefali Sardar and handbells teacher Nick Hanson. Presentation of this award at the Opening Assembly underscores the central role that excellent teaching plays in defining the Potomac School experience.

This fall, seventh grade science classes have been learning about ways to identify the quality of a water source through biological and chemical indicators. On campus, the students waded right into their study of Pimmit Run, using nets and identification keys to identify various macroinvertebrates and testing the water’s pH, nitrate, and phosphate levels. Then, during the seventh grade class trip to Caroline Furnace, the students performed many of the same tests at a stream there, bringing their observations and data home to compare.

The Potomac School sent its first student delegation to the Congressional Black Caucus’s Annual Legislative Conference this fall. The conference offered the juniors and seniors an opportunity to attend workshops and interact with Black leaders and stakeholders representing such fields as politics, journalism, entertainment, and social activism. The students developed their networking skills while gaining insights into how the federal government operates and how individuals and organizations can advocate on issues affecting the Black community. Upon returning to campus, the conference participants shared what they learned with their Upper School peers.

Congratulations to the nine Potomac seniors who have qualified as semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program! (Front row, l to r) Jack Wigmore, Tea Picconatto, Grace Lee, Michelle Ahn, Yabby Maelaf, and Arya Bansal and (back row, l to r) Olee Banerjee, Patrick Wolff, and Benjamin Joel are among just 16,000 high school seniors nationwide to receive this recognition. Semifinalists can continue in the competition for approximately 7,250 National Merit Scholarships, worth nearly $28 million in total, which will be awarded in spring 2023.