Faculty and Staff Profiles
Individuals of talent, achievement, and passion comprise the Potomac School faculty, a group intensely committed to educating young people. Potomac teachers are life-long learners and continue to set individual goals to improve their learning and teaching. Distinctive to our school are the deep, enduring bonds that develop between students and their teachers and coaches—bonds that often last decades beyond graduation. Read below about some of our great faculty and staff.
Dr. Janet Grose, Chair of English Department and English Teacher
I have always loved reading, and thus naturally became an English major in college. After graduating from Furman University and working briefly in the banking industry, I returned to graduate school, earning a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. I wrote my dissertation on six Victorian novels, focusing on gender issues in “sensation fiction”—a form of mystery novel popular in the 1860s.
I would describe myself as low risk and somewhat conventional, but there is something very alluring about detection and mysteries. I like the puzzle along the way and the resolution at the end. It’s my roller coaster ride.
After teaching English and Women Studies at the college level, I decided to relocate near family on the East Coast and try a new educational arena. Since then I’ve taught 9th -and 12th-grade English at The Potomac School, as well as coached JV and varsity cross country.
My newest challenge this year is chairing the English and Language Arts Department. The university and independent school environments differ tremendously, but I am thrilled to be where I am now, interacting with and challenging Potomac Upper School students. Working with them is never predictable, always exciting, and immensely rewarding.
Meghan Emilio, Upper School Computer Science and Math
I grew up north of Boston and graduated from Trinity College (CT) with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Mathematics, achieving honors in both general scholarship and computer science. During my time at Trinity I was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as well as the Honorary National Mathematics Society Pi Mu Epsilon.
With a background in gymnastics, I found my niche as a diver on the Trinity swim team. In my spare time I still enjoy diving and coaching gymnastics.
After graduating I took a job as a software developer in the DC area. Not too long after I decided that the corporate world was not right for me and began to pursue a career in teaching. At Potomac I have been given an amazing opportunity to share my enthusiasm for both math and computer science, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. Currently, I am also attending American University working towards a Masters in Math.
Cort Morgan, Upper School Art Teacher & Director of Outdoor Education
I spent one half of my childhood in Philadelphia, and the other half in my imagination. I was the product of benign neglect by my parents, who trustingly let me explore, climb trees, crawl into caves, carve, draw, design, read, write, and just fool around as I saw fit.
In addition to two tolerant parents, I had a number of remarkable teachers who understood me better than I did myself. All were fascinating examples of curiosity in action, each following intense personal interests, while masterfully guiding students. The great teachers never ordered students around; instead they made subtle suggestions and allowed us to grow at our own pace.
Miss Crawford gave us an art studio to experiment in, and explained Jungian archetypes. Mr. Walker took us leaf-collecting in the autumn and inspired us to memorize poetry. Mr. Boyhan served us strong tea, taught us portraiture, and talked about medieval frescoes. Professor Hay led us through the quiet storm of Chinese ink painting. Professor Sekler made us at home in the palace of Knossos. While I cannot claim to equal the insight and sensitivity of my teachers, they continue to whisper advice to my inner ear.
I attended Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia for 10 years, St, Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, for three years, and Harvard University for four years. My studies were varied, but they always included studio arts and art history. Uncles, aunts, two siblings, and a variety of friends serve as examples and mentors. I began teaching at Potomac in 1984.
I now live half in Arlington and half in my imagination. Over the last 25 years, I have traveled on five continents to see for myself what beautiful things we have inherited from our ancestors. When I am not teaching, and sometimes when I am, I climb trees, crawl into caves, trek through mountains, learn languages, carve, draw, design, read, and write as I see fit.
Sarah Coste, Fourth Grade Teacher
My fourth-grade students often inspire me as they learn to become self-aware, caring and connected to others, and responsible decision-makers. I’ve found it immensely rewarding to assist in this growth and to work together with the children to create a place where everyone feels a sense of belonging – a place where all students can thrive in a true community of learning.
I love sharing with my students my enthusiasm for the study of cultures, particularly ancient Egypt. As part of a professional development grant I had the good fortune to travel to Egypt in summer 2005; a real highlight of that experience was bringing my adventures and photos back to the classroom.
This is my fourth year teaching at Potomac. I grew up in Philadelphia, went to boarding school in New England, Washington College in Maryland, and received a Masters in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. I enjoy sharing my passion for tennis, lacrosse, and squash with Middle School students during lunchtime clubs.
Tina Krause, Lower School Librarian
I remember the excitement of receiving my very first public library card at the age of five, and visiting our small town library each Saturday with my father. I still feel that excitement today whenever I am surrounded by books. I have always loved libraries, and have been fortunate to have had wonderful librarians who have guided my choices and passed their passion for reading on to me.
It didn’t occur to me, at first, to allow this passion to determine my career path. I earned an undergraduate degree in Art History, and then a Masters in American Art and Architecture, before volunteering in my daughters’ school libraries. The light dawned, and I made plans to pursue a Masters in Library Science.
I think I have found the best of all worlds. Each school day I am able to share my love of art and my love of books with our Lower Schoolers. My hope is that our students will always love to read, whether losing themselves in a fiction title, or learning something new in a nonfiction book-- and I will use any means available to make that happen, including a magic wand and a flying pig.
James Kessler, Upper School Teacher
I arrived at the Potomac School in fall 2005, and now teach both years of the Global Studies sequence in the Upper School. I will also be offering a senior elective on the modern Middle East (Islamic history is my specialty).
I could not have found a better professional fit for myself than being a world history teacher. At heart I’m a global nomad, despite having grown up in rural Indiana. I calculated at one point that I spent nearly a third of my twenties living and studying abroad, largely in the Middle East (Jordan, Egypt, and Turkey) – though I also spent long stints in places like Spain.
My interests in what the world has to offer are broad, so I’m always seeking a new adventure – indeed, I recently fulfilled my childhood dream of visiting Easter Island and soon I’ll be checking off another, a trek in Mongolia. It is a privilege to bring those experiences back to the classroom, and hopefully spark my students’ interest in places that might not be on their radar screen!
I earned a BA summa cum laude in Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University and a MA in History (Islamic/Middle Eastern) at the University of Chicago. I fled my Ph.D. to hang out in Istanbul for a year or so before returning to the real world.
Outside of history, my passion is writing fiction. I’ve completed a novel that will likely never see the light of day and have published a few short stories in a journal no-one reads.
Joshua Taylor, Kindergarten Teacher
Is there anything truly more delightful than a five-year old? I personally don’t think so—which is why I love teaching kindergarten at the Potomac School. My family background is steeped in education, so the fit is a natural one. And witnessing the subtle yet substantial transformation of a child over the course of nine months fascinates me
I graduated from St. John’s University in Jamaica, N.Y. with an undergraduate degree in Communication Arts, and—after a stint in the 9-to-5 corporate world—a masters in Early Childhood Education. In 2005 I returned to the state of my youth, Virginia, to work at Potomac, where I help shape the development of youngsters. It’s easy here; the faculty, staff and parents are truly wonderful. And I get my sports fix too, as an assistant coach to the junior varsity baseball team.
When not high-fiving lower school children, I can usually be found at the gym, on a basketball court, or watching any one of Washington, D.C.’s local pro sports teams, especially my famed Washington Redskins.
Cindy Cheadle, Grade 2 Teacher
Funny. When students are asked to describe me, it’s the word I hear most often. That means a great deal to me. It lets me know that my kids are happy and enjoying themselves, and a happy child is a teachable child, no matter the strengths and challenges they possess. Putting a smile on a little one’s face is one of the best parts of my job!
Children come with such openness, wonder, and capacity for learning. There is so much for them to experience and explore in second grade, both academically and personally. It is a privilege to be with them at such a pivotal time in their lives. The Potomac School community as a whole, and the Lower School in particular, provides me the opportunity to learn and explore along with the children and with the most incredibly gifted and dedicated educators around. Working with them makes me a stronger teacher.
This year marks my 20th year in education and my 7th year at Potomac. My teaching career started in Denver, Colorado, where I spent most of my life. A break from teaching and a job opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a burgeoning non-profit brought me to Washington, D.C., and after working at College Summit for three years I had the good fortune to discover Potomac. With the exception of the one year I taught in California, I have been here ever since. I am blessed that Potomac welcomed me back with open arms!
Faye Kronisch, English Teacher
I often say that I have the almost-perfect job. What could be better than spending one’s day in a room full of optimistic, enthusiastic teenagers and introducing them to and discussing with them some of the world’s best literature? To me, very little can compare.
The prospect of a new school year each September fills me with enthusiasm: new students; new books; creative, thoughtful, and engaging discussions. I’ve taught English for 34 years now (save for a few years at home with my children after their births) and loved nearly every minute of it.
This is my ninth year at The Potomac School, all spent as an Upper School English teacher. During this time I’ve also been English Department chair and have spent some time teaching Intermediate School English. Each position has challenged and fulfilled me.
My background is steeped in English. My B.A. is from the University of Bridgeport (cum laude) and my Master’s in English Language and Literature is from the University of Maryland. And in the course of my 34 years teaching English I’ve pursued, through coursework and study, the best teaching practices with which to instill in my students a love of reading and a proficiency in writing.
Mark Kronisch, retired Commerce Department employee, handyman, entrepreneur, and consultant, is my husband of 34 years. We have two grown children and one very beloved grandchild, and have lived in the same house in Potomac, Maryland for 21 years.
Nancy Powell, Reading/Language Arts Specialist
A second grade student once said to me, “Books are much better than videos because you can read the best parts over as many times as you like.” This, of course, was music to my ears, because I happen to think that reading is magical. My heart and true passion lies in working with emerging and beginning readers, helping them discover the wonder of books and reading. For the past ten years, my Potomac first and second graders have allowed me to share in their reading adventures, as well as their discoveries as mathematicians, writers, scientists, historians, and friends. And after spending twenty years as a classroom teacher (grades K, one, two, and five), I am shifting roles this year. I’ve joined the kindergarten and first grade teams as a reading and language arts specialist, where I get to devote my days to the teaching of reading. I am excited to be a part of this dynamic group of teachers and learners.
A graduate of Virginia Tech, I have had the opportunity to teach in both public and private settings. Potomac has been my second home since 1998, and I can honestly say that teaching here has been my most fulfilling professional experience. Not only have I been surrounded by an incredible array of children, parents, and colleagues, but Potomac has afforded me endless opportunities to grow in my profession. I’ve attended “Schools Attuned” with Dr. Mel Levine at the University of North Carolina, three summers at Columbia’s Reading and Writing Project with Lucy Calkins, and numerous workshops, seminars, and trainings. For the past three years, I’ve been pursuing a Master’s Degree in Reading from the University of Virginia and will complete my studies this spring.
My husband Glenn and I live in Vienna and have three children. Our daughter Lauren is an aircraft engineer in Cincinnati, our son Austin just completed his freshman year at the College of William and Mary, and our son Taylor joins the teaching profession this fall as a math teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools.
Bill Cook, Dean of Studies K-12 and Upper School History Teacher
I am celebrating my 30th year as a teacher and administrator—and my 19th year at The Potomac School. I currently serve as the Dean of Studies K-12. I have had the good fortune of wearing many different hats over the years: counselor; Dean of Students; and teacher of Greek, Latin, U.S. History, Global Studies, Ethics, and Comparative Religion.
In my younger days, I coached soccer, basketball, and lacrosse, positions from which I learned invaluable lessons about motivation and learning. The fact that Mrs. Cook has also been a faculty member since 1987 and that our three children are “lifers” has given me a unique opportunity to see Potomac through many different lenses, for which I am deeply grateful. Outside of school, my hobbies include kayaking, reading, meditation, playing the guitar, and listening to music—jazz, classical, and sacred.
Lis Fogt, Intermediate School English Teacher
I enjoy facilitating the development of students' language and thinking skills during their seventh and eighth grade years. I learn along with them as we explore a variety of literary texts and written forms. Through reading, writing, and talking with each other, we learn more about ourselves and our world.
I graduated from Haverford College with a degree in Comparative Literature in 1996. Prior to coming to Potomac in 2000, I taught at Colegio Roosevelt in Lima, Peru and The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
My interests outside of teaching include running, yoga, hiking, cooking, reading, and knitting. I spend summers in Middlebury, Vermont, where I’m working towards a master’s degree in English at the Bread Loaf School of English.
Darcy Swope, Lower School Art Teacher
The Potomac School has been my second home, providing me a family for twenty-five wonderful years, with no end in sight! Both honored and delighted, I tell people “I have 200 children” (my students) and upwards of 50 brothers and sisters (Lower School faculty and staff).
I came to Potomac at the urging of my “real” brother, Perry Swope, who began working at Potomac in 1981. He raved about the school’s superior faculty and staff, idyllic surroundings and family feel. But as I was happily employed as an art teacher/art therapist at a residential treatment facility in DC for children who were severely emotionally disturbed, I simply filed away Perry’s enthusiastic comments about Potomac. This was my first job after graduating from George Washington University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Fine Arts. My next job, teaching at The Episcopal Center for Children, allowed enough time to attend the University of Maryland and earn a Master’s degree in Art Education, while deepening my skills as an artist. Finally, Perry’s unrelenting persistence led me to interview at Potomac, and thus began my new career.
Educated in independent schools as a child, I appreciated Potomac’s philosophy and mission. Of great interest to me was the opportunity to create, invent, explore, expand and refine my own curriculum, teaching ideas and art projects. In the Lower School, I was given the support and space to grow and develop as a person, a teacher and an artist.
I take great pleasure in meeting the children where they are at different stages of development during their years in Lower School. I am always looking for ways to meet their needs and expand their personal, artistic and cultural awareness, while also addressing character education. Creating new and different ways to draw out the artist inherent in each child is both my goal and passion.
Professional Development
An exemplary school must engage the larger world, learning across the broad array of professional fields and challenging ourselves by learning to think and act more globally. At Potomac we promote that engagement by offering our faculty meaningful professional growth and development opportunities. Such opportunities nurture the intellectual life of the school, encourage leadership, and inspire energetic teaching.
Included here are some of the highlights of the last two summers of activities that faculty initiated and brought back to their classrooms.
Upper School English Teacher Dawn Jefferson Savors Reading, Writing, and Discussion
Surrounded by too-green trees and warm mountain breezes, I spent my summer experiencing literature and collegial delight while attending a graduate program at the Bread Loaf School of English near Middlebury, Vermont. The extreme generosity of the Byrnes Grant afforded me the opportunity to spend six weeks in the summer reading classics, studying essays and writing papers. I took two courses with nationally renowned professors, and I was able to take one class, Epic Homecomings, with my colleague from our Intermediate School, Lis Fogt. In this class we studied The Odyssey, which I teach in the 9 th grade, Spenser’s Fairee Queene and Milton’s Paradise Lost. This class demonstrated the usefulness of canonical literature and incorporating drama into classroom instruction. We were able to appreciate the poesy of epic form beyond its bulk. Additionally, I studied literature specifically related to and written about the city of Chicago in Urban American Literature. This course gave us a refresher on themes in American discourse and initiated discussion about the correlation between landscape, immigration and race in the formation of culture in such works as Sister Carrie, The Jungle, Native Son and Raisin in the Sun.
While either situated in Adirondack chairs on grassy hills or seated at intimate tables in the dining hall over organic meals, I engaged in witty banter and scholarly exchanges with other passionate educators from around the nation and world. Bread Loaf is both a teacher camp for committed professionals and a think tank for the appreciation of diverse literature and thought. As students, we were given privileges at Middlebury College; I spent many hours reading in its beautiful library. As lovers of the written word, we were able to revere the likes of Robert Frost and walk along nature trails. Most evenings, there were teachers listening to readings or chatting about how best to inspire their own students to enjoy the books they love. During my time this summer, I was able to read intensely for pleasure, (outside of lesson planning), and spend time writing poetry. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with my literary loves, and I look forward to returning again for the program this summer.
NAIS Challenge 20/20 Institute for Student Leadership—Ashu Saxena
Summer 2007 will be one I will remember always as both meaningful and spectacular. One special highlight was the NAIS Challenge 20/20 Institute for Student Leadership (ISL) Conference in London that I attended with Potomac students through the support of a Byrnes Family Grant.
The NAIS Challenge 20/20 program evolved from J.F. Rischard’s book about 20 global problems and a 20-year timetable for solving them. With an interest in exploring ways to connect with international students and teachers, I started a Challenge 20/20 group at Potomac School in October 2006. Through NAIS, we paired with Frankfurt International School (FIS) to study the global issue of Child Labor, involving 240 million children around the world. We focused on four regions— India, South America, China, and Africa, learning about the definition, causes, and consequences of Child Labor. About 10 very dedicated Potomac students researched and explored the subject in depth with the FIS students from Germany.
Our team spread awareness through school assemblies, raised funds for Free the Children, and hosted a speaker from the U.S. Department of Labor to speak with us about what our government is doing regarding this global issue. Ultimately, we were invited to attend the ISL conference in London in June 2007, with students and faculty from around the world.
Jenny Essig, Robin Nichols, Amanda Shi, and I represented Potomac School. We were amazed by all we learned, the experiences we had, and the people we met from various parts of the world. Highlights of our session topics included: leadership exploration, ethics versus morals, conflict resolution, communication successes and failures, decision-making, common ground, and the power of what one individual can do to impact the world. The experience was rich with intellect, curiosity, information, and humor; everyone wished that the seven-day experience could have been even longer.
As a result of connections made through the Challenge 20/20 Program, we hosted two groups of students from India at Potomac this past fall. The global exchange was enriching, educational, and enjoyable. This year, we are paired with St. Michael’s University School in Canada, and together we are studying Poverty, a complex and widespread issue. We hope to continue to connect students and faculty from around the world, spread awareness of global problems, and help to develop young leaders equipped to solve global issues.
Rob Abbot and Intermediate School Colleagues Enhance Curriculum Through Summer Grant Work
The pleasure of teaching both English and social studies often provides an opportunity to consider curriculum from a multi-disciplinary perspective in summer grant work. In past years, Intermediate School faculty members have crossed subject boundaries to create the Land Use Project, consider writing across the curriculum, and explore critical thinking issues.
This year a group of us participated in an on-line class through George Mason University which was mentored by our own Jenni Ashley, a doctoral candidate at the GMU School of Education. The course was designed to promote information literacy and the integration of technology into our curriculum. Faculty members designed simple Web pages and created WebQuests -- a form of guided research useful in helping students make sense of the vast sea of information that is the World Wide Web. My own final project involved handicapping the upcoming elections for United States Senate.
In another summer project, my two seventh grade humanities colleagues and I put the finishing touches on the revamped social studies curriculum that was introduced last year. Specifically, we reviewed and revised essential questions for each of eight units, formalized a moot court activity on the U.S. Constitution that had been piloted in 2006-06, and made plans for a Civil War battlefield field trip to Manassas.
Finally, I was able to write a proposed course guide for teaching grammar fundamentals that follows on a previous summer grant in which seventh and eighth grade teachers researched the literature regarding grammar instruction. I hope this proposal will provide a basis for ongoing discussions about how to make grammar a more engaging and integrated component of our study of language in the I.S. – Rob Abbot, 7 th and 8 th grade Humanities teacher.
K-12 Approaches for Strengthening the Foundations of Learning
Quantum Learning Works to Create Optimal Learning Environment
Quantum Learning is a body of knowledge, methods, and principles that focuses on teacher presentation skills and a maximization of childhood-learning through multi-sensory, multi-intelligences, and brain-based learning strategies. This approach is based on neuroscience, recent developments in educational theory, and 20 years of research into best teaching practices.
It is clearly a tool the Potomac School seeks to employ. 25 Potomac faculty members have participated in Quantum Learning workshops organized by Upper School Academic Dean Bill Cook over the last two summers with tremendous teacher response. “Quantum Learning creates a paradigmatic shift in how kids and teachers experience the act of learning. It may be uniquely valuable in a K-12 setting,” says Bill.
Travis Larrabee, Upper School Dean of Students, participated in a week-long Quantum Learning workshop during the summer of 2005 and comments, “It was invaluable to me. I like the high energy, and focus on learning life-skills through the eight keys of excellence, including integrity, ownership and failure leading to success.”
Learning to Teach Writing Strategies that Authors Use
Together with a number of Lower School Teachers, Kindergarten teacher Michelle O’Hara attended a teaching of writing seminar at Columbia Teachers’ College last summer. The Reading and Writing Project, led by Lucy Caulkins, encourages teachers to teach strategies that “real” authors use. “For example, we do lessons about how to get an idea, how to make your story better, and how to use punctuation to make it easier for readers to understand, says Michelle. “I have implemented the writing program in my classroom this year and it is making a world of difference for my students. The students think of themselves, kindergartners, mind you, as writers. And they are! Each child has stories that are important to him or her to tell and it has been exciting to help them harness the power of a pen.”
More Potomac Teachers Trained in Responsive Classroom Techniques
The Responsive Classroom, developed by classroom teachers, is a practical approach to teaching and learning that creates challenging and joyful learning environments by integrating academic and social learning through the school day and year. It succeeds in helping students understand connections among the cognitive, affective, and communal aspects of learning.
Second year teaching intern Jordan Rucker attended a Responsive Classroom workshop sponsored by Fairfax County. “Using techniques such as the morning meeting to greet students and ensure that every child feels included works to inculcate cooperation, respect and responsibility,” said Jordan. A majority of Lower School and Middle School teachers are now trained in Responsive Classroom techniques.
Assessing the English/Language Arts Curriculum
As one of the few K-12 schools located on one campus, Potomac is committed to building a truly integrated curriculum. We are interested in learning and sharing the best ideas to foster this concept. Faye Kronisch, Upper School English Department Chair, led a team that examined specific components of the Potomac Language Arts Curriculum, including literary content, the writing process, reading instruction, and multi-leveled assessments.
The purpose was to determine the best pedagogical methods, developmentally effective stages of learning, and most appropriate content for instilling a love of reading while also fostering excellence throughout the curriculum. “We want our curriculum to be comprehensive, to be complete, and to serve our population in the best way,” said Faye. As a result of this initial effort, plans are underway to perform the same exercise for the Intermediate and Upper School English/Language Arts curriculum, and, in the future, to expand to process to other disciplines.
Improving the Effectiveness of the Advisory Program
The Advisory Program, which begins at Potomac in the Intermediate School, is a logical outgrowth of the Responsive Classroom. Bothsystems are essential vehicles for effectively carrying out the school mission. Themes articulated in the Lower School through Responsive Classroom, such as responsibility, respect, and life-long learning, continue to be emphasized through the Advisory Program 7-12, reinforcing the K-12 character so special to Potomac.
Intermediate School teachers Patty Scott and Kerry Kirk, along with Tiffany Bridgewater, Director of Diversity Development and Community Outreach, and Travis Larabee, Upper School Dean of Students, joined 30 educators and administrators from across the country to examine the advisory role and process.
Travel Opportunities Enrich Experience and Inspire Teaching
Engineering an Empire—Jonathan Lindsay, Upper School Science Teacher
Pondering the genius of the Roman arch, the vault, and the dome, not to mention the remarkable engineering of the aqueducts, were a few of the highlights of my travels to Rome, Pompeii, and Florence last summer. Students in my Engineering Design course almost share my passion for the building techniques and structural innovations of the Roman master builders and appreciate the evolution of key engineering ideas as exemplified by the Romans and Greeks.
In Rome I toured the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the great Forum, Trajan's Market, the Cloaca Maxima, the Baths of Caracalla, and the aqueducts among a multitude of other fantastic sites. Rome proved to be a magnificent palimpsest consisting of millennia of culture and history that nearly sent me into sensory overload. The Pantheon, especially, became the highlight of my Rome experience. A brilliant example of dome architecture, this site is the single best preserved interior space of the ancient world and about as close as one can come to time traveling. In Pompeii, hailed by many as the greatest archaeological site ever discovered, I studied the direct effects of a city-wide catastrophe, comparing it to the disaster prevention engineering that goes on today. While I was there to chiefly study the engineering of the ancients, I also found myself enamored with the great works of the Renaissance.
My students explore many of these themes in our unit on Ancient Engineering, and we see the same themes again in upcoming units on modern structural and civil engineering.
Besides providing me with a new vice, an absolute love affair with gelato, this trip opened my eyes to the wonders of the ancient world and provided a historical engineering perspective that colors every aspect of my teaching.
Math Department Chair Stephen Miller Investigates London’s 1854 Cholera Epidemic
Traveling on a Byrnes grant to London, Stephen Miller studied the 1854 cholera epidemic and the work of John Snow, who identified the source of the disease. Snow analyzed maps showing the distribution of fatalities and was able to link the disease to a specific water pump. Snow’s work marked the beginning of the modern fields of epidemiology and medical geography.
Mr. Miller’s statistics class includes a unit on epidemiology, which is the study of patterns that exist in the occurrence of different diseases. By understanding these patterns, an epidemiologist can determine the cause of a sudden outbreak of a known disease or to investigate the cause of an outbreak of an unknown disease by comparing it with known diseases that have similar characteristics.
“In London I studied primary source documents and maps, as well as the water and sewage infrastructure of the London of the 1850s. This approach can be used to model other epidemics, such as AIDS, SARS, bird flu, and mad cow disease, which I am incorporating into my statistics classes.”
Living with Indigenous People in the Andean Highlands -Jennifer Walkwitz
After recently rewriting the First Grade social studies curriculum to include a unit on the Andean Highlands, I wanted to dive head first into the content and learn as much as I could about the region. The purpose of my Byrnes Grant was to learn more about the Andean people and their land through experiential learning. I wanted to watch elders weave, see how local people prepare a family dinner, and talk with them about the joys and struggles they encounter in their daily lives.
My project entailed a 21-day cultural trek lead by a group called “Crooked Trails.” This organization’s mission is to “travel with purpose.” La Gran Ruta Inca was designed to take me deep into the Andean Highlands where I would be introduced to the indigenous populations. My trek took me from the capital city of Lima to the small mountain town of Huarez.Once acclimated to the high altitude, I stayed with local families in their villages where I had the opportunity to observe traditional festivals and talk with people young and old. I also worked with the Mountain Institute, brainstorming ideas for projects to help indigenous people continue to thrive in their native environments in an ever-changing globalizing world.
My trip was extended to include a three week home-stay with Miguel and Silvia, friends of a Potomac family in Cuzco. They organized other opportunities for me to live with families in mountain villages. This part of the trip was the most difficult, but also the most authentic and rewarding. The games and instruments I brought back from my travels provide hands-on learning experiences for my students. I also shared a slide show of my trip with the entire Lower School.
Investigating Environmental Problems in the U.S. Virgin Islands - Matt Fagan, US Biology Teacher
My research project last summer to the Virgin Islands changed the way I understand and look at environmental problems. I had worked on the island of St. Croix three years ago at Estate Little Princess Nature Preserve designing an experiment in forest restoration. The island’s forests are degraded or gone due to sugar cane farming. Native trees are rare. Our challenge was to find the best way to restore indigenous trees in relatively harsh conditions. Although the project has had limited success, I was pleased to see that some of the 550 trees I had planted had grown six feet a year! Trees planted in larger open spaces had done extremely well.
But these islands face a host of serious environmental problems, including: inappropriate development, waste disposal, lack of regulations and difficulty enforcing existing regulations, and the proliferation of invasive species. Global warming has heavily damaged the island’s coral reefs. I interviewed federal and local conservation officials, non-profit groups, and local resource users to learn more about these problems and how people are trying to solve them. I have shared with my students the realities of environmental problem-solving and have developed several activities to discuss pollution and endangered species. Next summer I will edit my video footage into a short documentary for my students.
The trip was an invaluable experience—a year’s worth of education in just three weeks. I am extraordinarily grateful to The Potomac School and to the Byrnes family for the opportunity.
US History Teacher Ken Okoth Gains Perspectives in Zanzibar
Exotic spices and spectacular beaches, a tropical paradise tucked away in the Indian Ocean… that is the Zanzibar many people imagine, and which I have often thought about too. However, there is more to Zanzibar than the beaches and the spices. So this summer, with the help of a Byrnes Family faculty enrichment grant, I set out to deepen my understanding of Zanzibar's rich history, to sample some of its fascinating culture, and to interact with the local people.
In the past, the riches of Zanzibar came through the production of spices such as cloves, peppers, vanilla, cardamom, and curry. Along with its beautiful location and wonderful climate came the opportunities for trade, intermarriage, cultural exchange, slavery, proselytization, and colonial conquest. Today, tourism has become the mainstay of Zanzibar's economy. Many Zanzibaris lead their lives in fishing villages along the shores, in inland rural agricultural communities, or within and around the historical Stone Town that is the only urban center on the islands.
Through some readings and during my travel, I discovered a lot of new information about the history of Zanzibar as a critical hub in the development of the Indian Ocean international trade in slaves, spices, ivory, gold, and other precious commodities from East Africa. As the major intellectual and cultural center linking India, Persia, Arabia, and East Africa for nearly seven centuries, Zanzibar contributed immensely to the flourishing of the Swahili language, music, and poetry. The island's architecture, cuisine, religious landscape, and society are all a cosmopolitan mosaic of Arabic, Persian, African, Indian, and European influences. As a teacher of Global Studies and African history, my visit to Zanzibar will be really helpful and relevant to my teaching of current affairs.
Exploring Two Countries Caught between the Past and Present
Upper School history teacher Linda Anderson traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia as part of the 2005 International Colloquium on Religion and Culture. A focus on world history and global studies is essential for students to develop intelligent historical perspectives on contemporary world affairs. “I felt like I was caught between Karl Marx, Adam Smith and Rockefeller. I had one foot in history and one in the contemporary world,” said Linda. She notes that her students are particularly interested in the Vietnam War era and she is excited about sharing her first-hand insights.
Exploring the Nile
Sarah Coste, grade 4 teacher, traveled to Egypt this summer exploring its rich history. Highlights included navigating long tunnels inside the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Pharaoh’s burial chamber, touring the colossal temples of Karnak and Luxor, marveling at the exquisite tomb paintings at the Valley of the Kings, and traversing Mt. Sinai to its summit (7800 ft.), via a three hour ride aboard an ornery camel in the middle of the night.
Egyptologists met Sarah in each city and shared their expertise about both past and present-day Egypt. Ancient Egypt is the focus of study in the latter part of a Potomac child’s fourth grade experience.
Understanding Historical Art and Architecture in Mexico
Middle School art teacher Hillary Steel was impressed by the value placed on art and artists in the small villages of Mexico. “I loved being in a place where art is a part of life, not separate.” Hillary saw works of ancient and contemporary artists in Mexico City and was particularly taken by the work of muralists.
She also traveled to Oaxaca and visited the traditional artisan villages of the Zapotec people. “I was particularly interested in the cochineal farms that produce dyestuff, important both artistically and economically.” In Middle School, students create wonderful textile products, experimenting with textures and colors, and Hillary brought back some of the cochineal dyestuff to share with her classes. She also made a contact with a weaver in Teotitlan de Valle, a weaving village that harkens back to the Aztecs, and hopes one day to return with a group of students.
Sharing Conversation and Debate with Chinese Students
With two years’ study of Mandarin under his belt, Upper School Art and Outdoor Education teacher Cort Morgan led a summer trip to China with six 2004 Potomac graduates. The three-week trip included visits to Beijing, Xi’an, Chendgu, Suzhou, and Shanghai, as well as time in the countryside and three days’ travel on the Yangtze River. But perhaps the most memorable event was a visit to Tsinghua University in Beijing, China’s “MIT.”
The Potomac students were guests of the faculty and students of the Department of Environmental Sciences and participated in a day-long discussion and tour of the campus. Discussion centered around the question, “What will the world be like in 25 years?” This open-ended question elicited congenial debate among the Chinese and American students.
There was also plenty of casual conversation about music, movies, and college life. While the travelers explored many historical and cultural sites, it was equally important to meet people in a wide variety of settings—to listen, to talk, and to simply exchange ideas. The trip generated further contacts for future visits and exchanges.
The above offer just a sample of the summer learning experiences of our faculty. The breadth, variety, and sheer number of those who participated speak to a profound commitment to professional growth, a commitment that culminated in the All-School Retreat, August 31 and September 1.
New Faculty Highlights
Lower School
Ross McEwen has rejoined the Lower School faculty as a second grade teacher and coach. Ross began his teaching career as an intern in our Marymount University program. Upon completion of his Masters degree in Education, Ross accepted a teaching position at Flint Hill, but enthusiastically returned to Potomac at his first opportunity. In addition to joining our strong second grade team, Ross is coaching Varsity Girls Soccer this fall. Ross received his undergraduate degree from Colby College. He spent two of his last three summers doing advanced coursework at Columbia Teachers' College where he focused on the teaching of reading and writing in Early Childhood.
Meredith Murphy also made her return to Potomac School. Meredith, a former lifer is now assisting with kindergarten duties in Jane Norton's classroom. After graduating from Trinity College with a degree in Educational Studies, Meredith spent time in the LEAD Forward program working with "untouchable" children in India. Meredith is continuing her love of sports by coaching at both the IS and Varsity levels.
Jacqueline Cuba joined the Lower School faculty as an intern in the Marymount University Masters Degree program. Jacqueline is on target to complete this program in one year. Jacqueline's background is in photography and art education (from Pratt Institute.) Prior to joining us, she spent a semester accompanying biologists to the Amazon where they studied and photographed the natural world for medicinal purposes. She also taught English in Bolivia.
Middle School
Anne Bennett joins our fourth grade team. She has moved to the Washington area after serving for many years in California as teacher, administrator, and founder of Coaching for Creative Minds. Prior to working in California, Anne taught at an independent school in Maryland and served as Vice President of Academic Affairs for the Association of Independent Maryland Schools. A graduate of Wheelock College, Anne went on to earn her Masters of Arts in Educational Administration at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has presented many workshops on differentiation and gifted/talented education and is currently working on a manuscript on curricular reform.
Also coming to us from California, Stuart Cone becomes the fourth member of our fourth grade team. Stuart served as a fifth grade classroom teacher for five years in a California charter school. A world traveler, he taught for twelve years in international schools in Kuala Lumpur, Turkey, and Peru before moving to California. Prior to this experience, Stuart worked as a teacher in the Saint Paul Public Schools and the Minneapolis Children’s Theater Company and School. Stuart graduated with a B.S. in Elementary Education from Minnesota State University in Mankato and has pursued graduate coursework at several universities. A man of many talents, Stuart has worked extensively on student newspapers, drama productions, and outdoor adventures.
Sarah McTurk will begin work on her M.Ed. at Marymount University while serving as an intern in the Middle School this year. Sarah has moved from Tampa, Florida, where she worked as a receptionist and art teacher at Tampa Preparatory School. She graduated from the University of Tampa with a degree in studio arts. A talented athlete, Sarah has coached soccer for several years and has participated in both soccer and track and field events.
Erfan Mojaddam joins the technology department at Potomac as our Middle School Technology Integration Specialist. With a background in engineering and education, Erfan has worked as an engineer with the Aerospace Corporation, a Peace Corps teacher in Namibia, and an educational software designer for Tom Snyder Productions. With a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California in Los Angeles and a M.Ed. in Technology, Innovation, and Education from Harvard University, he brings passion and creativity to our technology program.
This year you will also see several familiar faces returning in new roles. After teaching fourth grade at Potomac for the past four years, Sarah Coste will move to the fifth grade team. We also welcome back Rob Bloom, former sixth grade teacher, and Weezie Parry, former fifth grade teacher, to a shared position as Middle School Math Resource. Rob will work with the fifth and sixth grade classes, in addition to teaching two IS math sections, and Weezie will work with fourth grade classes.
Intermediate School
Gena Batchelder, IS Learning Specialist, previously taught 5th and 6th grade special education while working on her Master's in Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After receiving her master's degree she taught fourth grade in Broward County Florida. During her spare time she enjoys playing sports, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
Heidi Lamont, IS Academic Technology Coordinator, has been teaching and providing educational technology support for 13 years. Mrs. Lamont received her Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology and Distance Education. She came to Potomac from Flint Hill School in Oakton where she was the Middle School Technology Coordinator and Student Council Advisor, serving grades 5-8. Mrs. Lamont has taught a wide variety of technology skills to children pre-k through adult.
Ed Miller, 7th grade Spanish and 8th grade History, recently returned from a year of traveling in India and Southeast Asia. Previously, he taught high school history and coached tennis at Flint Hill School for two years. Ed is a great lover of Latin American culture and alpinism, and he was able to develop his mastery of both during a five-year stint of history teaching at Colegio Menor San Francisco de Quito, in Ecuador. Born and raised in the District of Columbia, Ed earned his B.A. in History from Reed College ('94) and his M.A.T. from Lewis & Clark College ('96), both in Portland, OR. While in India, Ed became a certified yoga instructor at the Sivananda Ashram in Kerala. He is running the IS Yoga Club and coaching boys and girls tennis.
Cristina Salamone, Spanish, began her educational career teaching high school and middle school Spanish for Greenwich Connecticut Public Schools. She taught in Greenwich for two and a half years and then went on to earn her Master’s degree from Middlebury College in Madrid, Spain. In 2005 Cristina came back to the States to teach high school Spanish in the Fairfax County Public School system. She is looking forward to sharing her passion and enthusiasm for the Spanish language and culture with the 7th and 8th grade students.
Upper School
Ms. Chris Clardy will join the English department. Ms. Clardy earned her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and her Master of Arts in American literature from the University of South Carolina. She taught and served as English department chair at the Colorado Springs School and also taught and served as a master tutor at National Cathedral School for Girls. More recently, she has served as an adjunct professor in the English department at Marymount University.
Ms. Katherine Hannon will join the science department. A cum laude graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in chemistry, Ms. Hannon earned a Master of Science degree in biology at California Institute of Technology and a Master of Theological Studies degree at Harvard Divinity School. For the past seven years, she has taught chemistry, biology, and bioethics and served as science department head at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Ms. Sarah Mason joins the math department. Ms. Mason earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in mathematics, summa cum laude, at University of North Carolina-Greensboro and earned a Master of Arts in mathematics at Wake Forest University. She has taught at a number of independent schools and comes to us from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas, where she taught courses ranging from Algebra II, AP Statistics, AP Calculus BC, and Advanced Calculus with Discrete Mathematics. For the past eight years, she has also worked as a College Board endorsed consultant, presenting and leading at many Advanced Placement conferences and institutes.
Ms. Rebecca Mahoney will join the history department. A cum laude graduate of University of Pennsylvania with a degree in history and communications, Ms. Mahoney earned her Master of Science in Education with a specialty in secondary social studies education from Penn as well. She has taught history at both Hopkins School in New Haven, Connecticut and Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, California.
Mr. Troy Prinkey will join the language department. Mr. Prinkey earned dual bachelor degrees at University of Pennsylvania before earning his doctorate in Spanish literature from University of Virginia. He has taught at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia and most recently at Sewanee – The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
Mr. Robert von Glahn will join the history department. A cum laude graduate of Carleton College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, he earned a Master of Arts in social studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. He has taught at Columbia Prepatory and Grammar School in New York and most recently at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Mr. von Glahn will also coach football.
Ms. Yumiko Yoshida will join the language department. Ms. Yoshida holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Fine Art from American University. She has taught Japanese in a variety of programs and currently teaches at St. Alban’s School.
Mr. Scott Young has joined us this summer as Dean of Students. He has recently completed his Ed.M. in School Leadership at Harvard University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience at Brown University. Prior to pursuing his graduate studies, he taught Physics and Biology at Rocky Hill School in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where he also served as science department chair, admissions associate, and summer programs director. In addition to his work in the Dean of Students office, Mr. Young will teach Biology.
