| Potomac School | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Labor Omnia Vincet "Labor Conquers All" |
| Established | 1904 |
| Type | Independent school |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Headmaster | Geoffrey Jones |
| Students | 980 |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Location | McLean, VA, USA |
| Colors | Blue and white; orange (for athletic events) |
| Mascot | Panthers |
| Newspaper | The Current and Common Sense |
| Website | http://www.potomacschool.org |
The Potomac School is an independent K–12 coeducational college preparatory school in McLean, Virginia, USA located on one 90-acre (360,000 m2) campus, three miles (5 km) from Washington, D.C. Founded in 1904,[1] the School emphasizes academic, athletic and artistic excellence together with character development and service. The Potomac School has four divisions: Lower School (K–3), Middle School (4–6), Intermediate School (7–8) and Upper School (9–12).[2]
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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, it has been situated on a 90-acre (360,000 m2) campus in McLean, Virginia.
In October 2004, the school celebrated its centennial. The newly expanded and renovated Upper School was completed in September 2006. This was part of Potomac's Master Plan, which has included a new Performing Arts Center. Potomac's new Lower School was completed in August 2009.
Highlights of SAT scores, National Merit Awards and AP scores:
The 90-acre (360,000 m2) campus includes nature trails, two ponds, multiple outdoor classrooms, athletic fields, tennis courts, two gyms, a wrestling room, four squash courts, a fitness center, two playgrounds, the Engelhard Performing Arts Center and the Langstaff Auditorium (named after John Langstaff), a black box theater, eight music rooms, five art studios, a photography lab, a lecture hall, three libraries, eleven science labs, and six dedicated computer labs.
Potomac has an extensive 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 neighborhood and support the school's environmental initiatives.
Students are required to participate in visual arts from K through 8. Upon reaching high school, students have the choice of several disciplines, including (but not limited to) drawing, photography, ceramics, and sculpture.
In Lower School (K–3), students participate in class performances and productions for weekly assemblies, and each class in the Middle School (4–6) performs a play. In Grades 7–12, theatrical and musical productions are highly anticipated events in Potomac's yearly schedule. 7th and 8th graders have the possibility of performing in the winter musical. Upper School students can participate in any of the three annual productions - the fall and spring plays, and the winter musical.
General music classes are a part of the schedule for K–6 students. Besides the general music classes during the 5th and 6th grades, these students also become involved with their chosen instrumental class. Their choices include band, hand bells, and strings. Students may then stay with their chosen musical discipline through the 7th and 8th grade years, unless they choose to participate in chorus. Although students have the choice of how to complete their arts requirement upon reaching Upper School, most stay committed to their chosen music class (now including Madrigals, a smaller division of the chorus). Beyond the music curriculum, Upper School students also have the option of auditioning for one of five student-formed and student-led a cappella groups or participating in Jazz Band or Chamber Ensembles. The a cappella groups include two mixed-gender groups (Mixed Company, also known as "Mixed Co.", and The Notables), two all-female groups (the five-member Quintessence, also known as "Quints", and Rhapsody), and one all-male group (the seven-member Magnificent Seven, also known as "Mag 7").
Potomac fields 61 teams in 21 sports beginning in 7th grade. Between 1990 and 2009, the Panthers won 78 championship titles in the Mid-Atlantic Conference (boys) and Independent Schools League (girls) and 8 state championships. More than 140 Potomac athletes have gone on to play varsity college sports. Potomac has produced 31 All-American athletes.
Students begin physical education in kindergarten and continue through sixth grade. In Grades 7–12, students compete in interscholastic sports, including soccer, football, field hockey, cross country running, basketball, wrestling, squash, winter track, swimming, track, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and softball. The Potomac School's main competitors include Sidwell Friends School, the National Cathedral School, Flint Hill School, and St. Stephen's & St. Agnes. Athletics are required for all students. In high school, they are required to participate in at least five out of the six seasons (three of the five must be athletic) between freshman and sophomore year; between junior and senior year, only four seasons are required, but the requirement of three athletic seasons is maintained.
In addition, the School offers non-competitive sports each season, including P.E., weights and conditioning, outdoor education, and lifetime sports.
Recently, the Potomac Girls Cross Country team won the Virginia State Championship, while the boys team placed third.
The Potomac Girls Varsity Lacrosse team won the Division II Virginia State Championship in 2006 and 2008.
The Boys Basketball team won the Division II Virginia State Championship in the 2003–2004 and 2007–2008 seasons.
The Boys Tennis team has also had success, winning 14 out of the last 17 MAC Championships and the 2011 Division I Virginia State Title. They also won the prestigious New England Mid Atlantic Invitational hosted by McDonogh School in Baltimore as well as the consolation bracket at the All American Tournament in Newport Beach, California.
In 2009 the Boys Varsity Squash team won the Mid-Atlantic Conference title and finished 14th in the national high school championships.
The Boys Varsity Football team won the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Conference title, and went to the 2010 VISFA Division II Virginia State Championship.
Students in the Intermediate and Upper Schools participate in clubs and activities within their divisions, ranging from Model Congress to debate, robotics, and animal welfare society. A Potomac School debater won the 2008 and 2009 Virginia State debate championships. The robotics team placed second in international competition in 2008, competing against 800 teams from around the world. The Upper School produces four student-run and faculty-advised publications: The Current (news, sports, entertainment & editorial newspaper), Common Sense (editorial/opinion newspaper), Paragon (yearbook),and Phoebus, literary publication.
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