prepares students for post-secondary education and the workforce with a focus on their intended field. In May 2013, the Virginia Department of Education awarded West Potomac Academy with the designation of Governor's Health Science Academy. Music In recent years, West Potomac has been a recipient of the Virginia Honor Band award from the Virginia Band and Orchestra Director's Association for superior ratings in concert band and marching band. Also the West Potomac Symphonic Winds attended the Bands of America event in Indianapolis in March 2010, accompanied by the West Potomac Percussion Ensemble. Theatre Beyond the Page Theatre Company is the name of West Potomac's theatre department. Its declared mission is "to bring the very best of high school theatre to the West Potomac community." Since its formation its productions have both been nominated and have received numerous awards as part of the Cappies program. Typically, the Beyond the Page Theatre Company performs three mainstage shows each year, a small musical in the fall, a play in the winter, and a big musical in the spring. In addition to presenting three mainstage productions, the company also holds a non-competitive One-Acts festival every year to showcase the theatre classes. All mainstage productions are directed by the company's director, Phillip Lee Clark, and the one acts are mostly student directed. The Beyond the Page Theatre Company typically participates in the annual Virginia High School League's One-Act Festival (or VHSL) and the Virginia Theatre Association Conference (commonly known as VTAs). In the summer of 2013, the company participated in the Capital Fringe Festival and performed an original, student written piece, "Urban Legends." In 2013, the company took its production of "Avenue Q" to VTA's and received an Honorable Mention and an award for Best Ensemble. The company performed their interpretation of "The Tempest" in the annual High School Folger Festival In 2014, The company was nominated to participate in the American High School Theatre Festival as part of the highly acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In addition to presenting One Acts Festivals and mainstage productions, they hold monthly improv competitions and have their own team called "The Great Whales." In the 2013–2014 season, the team was undefeated. In 2015, the school became only the second in the country to stage Green Day's "American Idiot." Student publications West Potomac's student publications include the school's news magazine, The Wire, and its online news website thewpwire.org, the award-winning