By Brian Trompeter
Two McLean private schools – one catering to high-school girls, the other to boys and girls in kindergarten through 12th grade – are finalizing preparations for fall classes to begin.
New Classes, Cellphone Rules Coming to Madeira School: The Madeira School will welcome just more than 340 high-school girls back to its 376-acre campus Aug. 23. The students will be overseen by 43 teaching faculty members, 91 percent of whom hold advanced degrees.
Madeira’s students will kick off the fall semester with the first of seven five-week-long learning modules. Madeira began using the module system in 2013, but is adjusting some campus guidelines for the new school year.
“We are taking a multi-pronged approach to address our students’ well-being and safety,” said Christina Kyong, who is starting her second year as Madeira’s head of school. “We will be banning the use of cellphones during the school day.”
Madeira also will build in student-wellness programming such as “Mental Health First Aid,” healthy technology use, boundary-setting and drug-and-alcohol-awareness programming, she said.
“We know that our students need more skills and tools to navigate this world right now, and we will dedicate the time and space to be able to equip them with these,” Kyong said.
New courses and extracurricular activities this fall will include an Introduction to Machine Learning, Introduction to Web Development, Psychology in Sports, Space Exploration and a robotics team. Madeira’s state-of-the-art STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Education Center, which opened last fall, will host many of those curriculum additions.
Building upon the STEAM Education Center’s impacts on Madeira’s program, the school soon will begin construction on a new riding facility that incorporates modern best practices in equine care and safety.
“Beyond the benefits to our renowned riding program, the new facility enables innovative expanded curriculum with experiential learning for all students, not only riders, in ways that have never before been possible,” Kyong said. “For example, the building will be a laboratory for experiential learning in soft skills, such as emotional awareness and leadership.”
Kyong also hopes the upcoming presidential election will offer plenty of teachable moments.
“As educators, it is our job to make sure that our students here at Madeira learn and understand the importance of living in a democratic society rooted in civic engagement and civil discourse,” she said. “Healthy dialogue, rooted in curiosity and critical thinking, are keys to protecting our country.”
Renovated Auditorium, New Key Personnel in Place for Fall at Potomac School: Potomac School in McLean will kick off its fall classes Sept. 4 with about 1,070 enrolled students and 185 faculty members.
The school’s Engelhard Performing Arts Center underwent summer renovations to reconfigure seating in the Langstaff Auditorium, which will expand its capacity to 576 seats. That expansion, along with a sound-system update, will enhance the audience’s experience during performances and presentations, a school spokesman said.
In personnel updates, Ross Davis has become Potomac School’s new chief operating officer. Davis is a financial executive who had a 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force, culminating in three tenures as chief financial officer across the U.S. Department of Defense.
Former Head of Upper School Doug McLane, who joined the school in 2017, now will lead the admissions team as director of enrollment management and financial aid.
Head of School John Kowalik urged Potomac School’s community to let the recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris serve as a reminder of what it means to be part of something bigger than oneself.
“We have a wonderful school community at Potomac, marked by a dedicated and incredibly talented faculty and staff and an outstanding student body,” he said. “I am grateful to lead this school, where we are united by our core values; our appreciation for excellent teaching; and our belief that alongside academics, a thorough education must also emphasize character, generosity of spirit, and life skills.”
Kowalik said he looked forward to the start of school and seeing Potomac’s students and teachers again, saying their presence and energy would enliven the campus.
“I am filled with optimism for the year ahead, a year in which we will intentionally focus on what we have in common at Potomac,” he said. “By highlighting the things that unite us, we can continue to foster a connected community and strengthen that which is bigger than any one of us.”
