The Potomac School
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| Location: | McLean, Virginia |
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| School type: | Independent private school |
| Established: | 1904 |
| Headmaster: | Geoffrey Jones |
| Enrollment: | approximately 800 |
| School motto: | Labor Omnia Vincet |
| School Mascot: | Panthers |
| Colors: | Blue, white, and orange |
| Homepage: | [1] |
The Potomac School is a private school in McLean, Virginia, USA that serves grades K-12.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1904 at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The Potomac School was located for many years on California Street, N.W. Since 1951, Potomac has been situated in McLean, Virginia. The Potomac School has had a high school since 1987, and several of its graduates have gone on to prominence. In October 2004, the school celebrated its centennial. The newly renovated high school was completed in September 2006 after a year of construction; this was one of the first renovations in the school's extensive plan for the re-development of most of its existing facilities.
Potomac is renowned as one of the finest private schools in the country. Worth Magazine's ranking of the best high schools in America, which includes both private and public schools, ranks Potomac as the best school in Virginia and the twenty-eighth best school in the United States.
[edit] Size
- Lower School (Grades K-3): 3 sections per grade, free dress
- Middle School (Grades 4-6): 4 sections per grade, uniform
- Intermediate School (Grades 7-8): average class size 16 students, uniform
- Upper School (Grades 9-12): average class size 14 students, dress code
[edit] Facilities
The Potomac School's campus covers 90 acres, including nature trails, a pond, athletic fields, tennis courts, two gyms, squash courts, a wrestling room, the Engelhard Performing Arts Center, a black box theatre, a lecture hall, three libraries, five art studios, a photography lab, eleven science labs, six dedicated computer labs, a fitness center, eight music rooms, and three playgrounds.
Potomac is one of the few private schools in the D.C. metropolitan area to have a school bus system. In addition to the standard morning and afternoon buses, the school operates "late bus" routes and a local shuttle system, designed to reduce traffic through the Evermay neighborhood.
[edit] Athletics
Even though academics come first at Potomac, athletics play an important role in the student's lives. The students start physical education in kindergarten, and continue until sixth grade. In grades 7-12 the students can compete in interscholastic sports, including soccer, football, field hockey, cross country running, basketball, wrestling, squash, winter track, swimming, track, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and softball.
In addition, Potomac offers non-competitive sports each season, including P.E., weights and conditioning, outdoor education, and lifetime sports. Potomac boys teams compete in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC), while the girls participate in the ISL. Potomac has succeeded in these conferences, winning many titles, and Potomac has produced several All Americans. Recently, the Potomac Girls Cross Country team won the Virginia State Championship, while the boys team placed third, and the Potomac Girls Varsity Lacrosse team won the Division II Virginia State Championship in 2006.
[edit] Arts
Potomac is especially well known for its excellent music and theater programs, which are among the best in the country. Students from K-12 take music and art. There are art classes for each grade, and music classes for K-2. There is 3rd grade chorus, a middle school concert band, a middle school string orchestra, an intermediate school concert band, and an intermediate school chorus. In high school, the art options proliferate. Students have a choice of several disciplines, including drawing, photography, ceramics, sculpture, concert band, chorus, strings, and theatre. In addition to curricular music, there are five student-formed and student-led a capella groups in the Upper School, and one in the Intermediate School. One current Potomac student is a member of the local band, Blue Union Trio, whose eponymous debut appears on iTunes. Potomac Upper School has three theatrical productions each year: two plays and one musical. The Intermediate School performs one musical and one Shakespeare play, and eighth graders take part in a rendition of Saint George and the Dragon. Potomac has produced several professional actors, as well has having many current students extremely interested in pursuing a career in the acting field, and sends numerous graduates to Northwestern University to pursue a career in the Arts. As well as theatre and music, writing is an important part of Potomac's arts. A collection of students' poetry, creative writing, and photography, known as Phoebus, is produced yearly.
