Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are so excited to welcome in a new year, 2026! A new year brings a time for reflection, goal setting, and a renewed commitment to our academic and community engagement goals. I would first like to touch on the exciting events that closed out the last few months of 2025. Our chorus program brought holiday cheer by performing at two local retirement homes, sharing music and joy with our community. Our music students also did an excellent job showcasing their talents at our Winter Music Concerts.

We were honored when PWCS featured our Career and Technical Education cross-curricular project, highlighting the amazing collaboration between our teachers and students. Adding a sweet twist to learning, our Cupcake Wars event brought out culinary creativity and friendly competition.

I also want to highlight the induction of our largest group of scholars into the National Junior Honor Society, celebrating academic excellence and leadership among our students.

To wrap up the year, our PBIS team led a fun-filled pie competition, and we celebrated our 7th grade students for winning the Attendance Hero Challenge. Their outstanding attendance earned them a movie at lunch, and a special frozen treat—a reminder of how important it is to be present every day.

As we shift into 2026, our focus turns to academic growth and preparation. January brings the start of WIDA ACCESS test preparation. The ACCESS test measures English language proficiency for our multilingual learners. This assessment is critical for ensuring students receive the support they need to thrive, and we will create a schoolwide testing environment to help students join the All ACCESS Level Up Club.

We will also administer VALLSS testing schoolwide to gauge student progress related to reading development, followed by Momentum Math testing to monitor progress in mathematics. Looking further ahead, spring will bring the SOL assessments, and we are committed to preparing every student for success.

Our Saturday School program is up and running and will resume this month, providing additional support for students who want to strengthen their skills.

As we move forward, we cannot stress enough the importance of coming to school every day. Consistent attendance is key to academic success, and we will continue to celebrate and reward students who make it a priority.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we will make the second half of the year even more impactful. Here’s to a year of learning, growth, and achievement!

Happy New Year from all of us at Potomac Middle School.

To view the newsletter in it's entirety, CLICK HERE.

Dr. Rachel Preston

Principal