On Friday, May 2nd, The Potomac School celebrated its annual rendition of May Day, a festival that marks the arrival of spring, with music, dancing, and other festivities. Students from kindergarten through twelfth grade took part in cherished traditions, such as clapping along to the “Rattlin’ Bog” and singing “Wild Mountain Thyme.” The Middle School’s performance of the Padstow May song– also known as “Unite and Unite” – featured Zora Burrell ’25 and Patrick Ritter ’25, who played the roles of the Obby Oss horse and its guide, respectively. As they galloped around Spangler, Middle and Intermediate schoolers raced to get high-fives.
Each year, the celebration also crowns a May Day king or queen, honoring a beloved faculty member in his or her final year at Potomac. This year’s honoree was Ms. Hilary Steel, who has taught in Potomac’s art department since 1999. Despite her initial apprehensions about accepting the role, she commented, “Some of my seventh graders asked me if I was going to be the May Queen. They got so animated about it, and they were telling me: you have to be the May Queen! You have to be the May Queen! So I thought, okay, okay, I’ll play with them.” She noted, “I think most moving were a few of the a cappella pieces sung by high schoolers because I have taught so many kids here and to see people growing up.”
Ms. Steel specializes in textile weaving, inspired by her travels throughout Côte d’Ivoire, Peru, Chile, and Mexico, and she has shared her passion and expertise with students for the past 26 years. Reflecting on her final year at Potomac, she said, “This is a terrific community, and I will miss everybody, and I hope to keep my little toe in the community.” Ms. Steel looks forward to spending more time with family and getting back to her personal studio work, while still keeping her hand in teaching from time to time.
All in all, this year’s May Day celebration was such a meaningful way for the entire Potomac community to come together, to rejoice for the upcoming spring season, to honor Ms. Steel, and last—but certainly not least—to send off the seniors on their last day of classes with graduation coming up on June 6th. Go well, Class of 2025 and Ms. Steel!
