The Potomac School - Spill the Beans Please

[Anonymous]

Where is your child currently enrolled?

[Anonymous]

When are decisions mailed? The NAIS link provides no info for The Potomac School. Is there a reception for new students/families?

[Anonymous]

Is the Potomac School your first choice? Why? Why not?

[Anonymous]

Both of our children attend Potomac and it was our first choice for many reasons. I'll try to highlight some of the them:

The school does a fabulous job of focusing on the entire child -- academics, play, music, art, athletics.

The campus is simply amazing. Every lower school classroom opens directly to the outside. My kids routinely go on hikes in the woods and explore the ponds and streams with their science teacher (a Potomac grad herself). Teachers also can take them to play in the woods for recess.

The new lower school building will be ready next year and will be just as wonderful as the new upper school.

The lower school does not give out soul-crushing amounts of homework. There is not "official" homework until second grade. (The first graders bring home books to read each night.) The school approaches homework in such a way that the kids are actually excited when they are big enough to get homework.

Our children (and our family) have found many wonderful friends at the school. Yes, there are some very wealthy people at the school, but it is not snobby.

Finally, and most important to us -- our kids love going to school every single day. They honestly don't understand when friends at other schools complain about school or count down the days until summer vacation.

[Anonymous]

My son is two and I can't wait for him to go to Potomac!

To the mom with two children enrolled, would you be so kind as to mention where your children went to preschool? Or, you can generalize and say that many kids came from x, y, z school.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like Potomac is in a league of its own...and thank God. The 'Big 3' discussions in this forum are numerous and redundant. Having applied to all four schools, I appreciate the feedback on this thread. Keep it coming...decision time is nearing!

[Anonymous]

I would also like to know when decisions are mailed, Potomac is at the top of our list. For current parents, is there any way of getting around the mandatory bus ride?

[Anonymous]

Not so fast! Potomac is not as perfect as the website appears. Please dig and get both sides of the story. As, what some would consider, a wealthy family; we were not happy with the 'haves' versus 'have-not' syndrome that plagues that school. That was not how we wanted our DC to view peers and/or the world, for that matter. Not a healthy environment.

[Anonymous]

I sense that Potomac is an exceptional school and for that reason, representation from comparable schools are lurking.

[Anonymous]

For the person asking about preschools: I believe that Country Day School is a "feeder" to Potomac.

My kids are at CDS, and several of their friends went on to Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. We're waiting to hear from CDS but we really fell in love with Village Green in Great Falls and we feel like it's the right fit, so I'm torn about where to send my son since the ultimate goal is getting into Potomac. The AD at Village Green said that her kids do go onto Potomac, Langley, etc, but I know, just for proximity's sake, CDS and Potomac are a given.

[Anonymous]

The reason for the number of CDS going to Potomac is probably due to proximity, same neighborhood, etc. I was informed from the AD that they accepted students from about 20 different preschools last year, and that no particular preschool feeds into Potomac.

[Anonymous]

Proximity alone is not the reason. The old director at least had what seemed like a terrific relationship with the AD at Potomac. While I'm sure the AD says that "no particular preschool feeds into Potomac" (and really, what else *could* she say?), it is very clear that the schools share a large number of families.

[Anonymous]

So many families from CDS apply to Potomac, it may make it tougher to get in since Potomac wants kids from many different schools. My kids went to preschool in DC.

I think that they mail the acceptance letters right before our spring break. My guess is that you'll hear on March 13th or 14th.

[Anonymous]

For those of you interested in Potomac, take a look at the article in the Washington Post's metro section last week on Potomac's state champion debate team. I know that most of you have young kids, but the article shows a lot about the school. (A kindergarten parent -- and former champion debater -- offered to start a debate team two years ago. The team has won the state championship the last two years.)