Potomack Intermediate
Sunday, September 6, 2026
In This Message:
- Upcoming Important Dates
- Upcoming Lunch Menu.
- World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser
- Updated Afternoon Student Pick up Route
- New Visitor Management System
- Potomack’s Bullying Prevention Week - 9/14-9/18
- Cancer Awareness Month - Wear Gold for Layla
- PTO Update
- Student Spotlight Form
- Interested in Subbing at Potomack
- 26-27 School Year Calendar Snapshot for Families
Upcoming Important Dates
9/7 - Labor Day - No school for staff or students
9/8 - PTO meeting at 4:00 in the cafeteria
9/16 - 2.5 hour early dismissal for students
9/16 - Cancer Awareness Day - Wear Gold for Layla
9/21 - Book Buddies fundraiser kick off
10/7 - 2.5 hour early dismissal for students
10/13 - End of the First 9 weeks
10/14 - Professional Learning Day - No school for students
Upcoming Lunch Menu
New: In order to ensure ADA compliance of our community update, we can no longer post screenshots of the lunch menu. Instead, the lunch menu is linked below. An additional feature of the website is the breakfast menu is only a click away, as well. Thank you!
World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser
After the massive success of the chocolate fundraiser last year, it's back again! There are some changes, though, and I want to make sure everyone is aware of them.
- I asked the company to keep prices $1 like last year, but they changed the price to $2 and made the candy bar bigger.
- If you would like your student to participate, please send the signed form back with $80 (40 bars x $2) and the box will be sent home.
Since the price is now $2, I ordered half the number of boxes as last year. Thank you for your participation with this fundraiser. We were able to get three pieces of playground equipment last year and have some plans to do some awesome things for the school if we're as successful as we were last year.
Thank you for your support!
Dr. Arch
Updated Afternoon Student Pick up Route
Starting on Monday, Spring Mills High School Resource Officer Deputy Cox will be at the intersection of Campus Drive and out drop off lane to direct parents picking up their students into a new route to alleviate traffic on Campus Drive. There have been some close calls (and an accident) at this intersection since the road was built so a big thank you to the BCSD for providing a way for Deputy Cox to be there to keep everyone safe.
New Visitor Management System
Berkeley County Schools is pleased to announce that we will be piloting the Raptor Visitor Management System in some of our schools to strengthen our program of campus safety for students and faculty. Part of keeping students and faculty safe is knowing who is in our buildings at all times, and the Raptor system will allow us to do that. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers in our schools and provide us with a safer environment for our students and staff.
Effective May 1, 2026, upon entering our school, visitors will be asked to present an ID such as a Driver’s License, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian for any reason does not have a US government-issued ID, the school staff member can use any form of identification and manually enter the person’s name into the Raptor system. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not entering our school campuses without our knowledge. The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the ID is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item in the office or pick up paperwork.
The safety of our students is our highest priority and the Raptor visitor management system allows us to quickly identify those that may present a danger to our students. Thank you in advance for your understanding and your support in enhancing the school safety protocols in our district.
Potomack’s Bullying Prevention Week - 9/14-9/18
Dress-Up Day Schedule
Monday 9/14/26 – “You’ve Got a Friend in Me!”
Theme: Toy Story/Western
Wear Toy Story-themed clothes or Western gear!
Tuesday 9/15/26 – “Let’s Keep the Peace”
Theme: Peace, Love & Kindness
Wear tie-dye attire!
Wednesday 9/16/26 – “It’s OK to Be Unique!”
Theme: Mismatched/Wacky
Wear mismatched/wacky clothes!
Thursday 9/17/26 – “Team Up Against Bullying”
Theme: Team Jerseys/Sports
Wear team jerseys/sports gear!
Friday 9/18/26 – “Rest Easy Knowing Kindness Always Wins!”
Theme: Pajamas
Wear pajamas (no slippers!)
SPREAD KINDNESS! STOP BULLYING!
Together We Can Make a Difference!
The BCS Community-Wide Kick-off event is at War Memorial Park on Thursday, September 17th from 5-7.
Cancer Awareness Month - Wear Gold for Layla
September is Cancer Awareness Month so we're asking students and staff to wear yellow or gold on September 16. This act is in support of one of our own third graders battling cancer, Layla Dempsey. In addition to wearing gold, students will be completing a heart activity we plan to hang in the hallways or cafeteria so when Layla comes to see them, she'll know just how many people are in her corner!
PTO Update
Have you joined our PTO? For a donation of $5, you can join and help your child's classroom win a Pizza Party if they have the highest membership percentage in the school.
Right now, Mrs Steshoski's 3rd grade class is in the lead. Join by 9/30/26 and see whose class wins!
Our kickoff PTO meeting is Tuesday, Sept 8 at 4pm in the cafeteria. These meetings will occur the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
Student Spotlight Form
Please click the spotlight picture to submit your student spotlight
At Potomack, we love recognizing academic achievements, but we also know our students are accomplishing incredible things outside of school! 🌟
If your student has a notable achievement in sports, the arts, or any other area this year, please fill out the form below. If you’re unable to access the link, you can also email Mrs. O'Donnell with a brief description of the achievement and a photo at amanda.odonnell@k12.wv.us.
We’re excited to spotlight these amazing accomplishments on our social media page and newsletter throughout the year! 🎉
Interested in Subbing at Potomack?
Potomack Intermediate has a fantastic stable of reliable, professional substitutes, but being the largest intermediate school in West Virginia means we are always looking to develop additional subs. The best place to do that is the school where your child attends! If you're interested in subbing at Potomack as either a teacher or member of our service staff, please reach out to Dr. Arch at carch@k12.wv.us.
26-27 School Year Calendar Snapshot for Families
Students
August 20, 2026: First Day of School
May 28, 2027: Last Day of School
PL/CD Days ( No School)
October 14, 2026: Professional Learning Day
March 17, 2027: Curriculum Development Day
2.5 Hour Early Dismissal
September 16, 2026: Teacher Prep Time
October 7, 2026: Faculty Senate Meetings
December 18, 2026: Faculty Senate Meetings
January 19, 2027: Teacher Prep Time
February 3, 2027: Faculty Senate Meetings
February 24, 2027: Teacher Prep Time
April 14, 2027: Faculty Senate Meetings
Holidays (Schools & Offices Closed)
September 7, 2026: Labor Day
November 3, 2026: Election Day
November 11, 2026: Veterans Day
November 26, 2026: Thanksgiving Day
December 25, 2026: Christmas Day
January 1, 2027: New Year's Day
January 18, 2027: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Breaks
November 23-27, 2026: Thanksgiving Break
December 21, 2026 - January 4, 2027: Winter Break
March 29-April 2, 2027: Spring Break
Graduation
May 24, 2027: Spring Mills High School
Potomack Intermediate School, Dr. Craig Arch, Principal
"SOARing to New Heights": Safe, Organized, Accountable, Respectful
Email: carch@k12.wv.us
Website: https://www.berkeleycountyschools.org/potomack
Location: 5308 Williamsport Pike, Martinsburg, WV, USA
Staff Contact Information
School Phone Number: (304) 274-6592. Normal office hours are from 8:00am to 4:00pm with limited telephone contact outside of those times.
- Dr. Arch, Principal: carch@k12.wv.us
- Mrs. O'Brien, Assistant Principal: m.obrien@k12.wv.us
- Mr. Omerzo, Assistant Principal: aomerzo@k12.wv.us
- Mrs. McFadden, School Nurse: lisa.mcfadden@k12.wv.us
- Mrs Hess, Attendance Secretary: phyllis.hess@k12.wv.us
- Mrs. Opp, Registrar: liesbeth.opp@k12.wv.us
- Mrs. Smith, Financial Secretary: erica.l.smith@k12.wv.us
- Ms. Griffin, Social Worker: ashley.griffin@k12.wv.us
- Mrs. Hott, School Counselor: alexandrea.hott@k12.wv.us
- Mr. Malcolm, School Counselor: chad.malcolm@k12.wv.us
Potomack's staff directory can be found by clicking the link below:
Greensburg Bed and Biscuit
Potomack thanks its Business Partners for their support!
Please take a moment and check out our amazing business partners by clicking their logo!
Dr. Arch, Principal
carch@k12.wv.us
304-274-6592