Other Activities

Wakefield offers many other activities for students to have fun, provide enrichment, and "get involved."

Field Day
Wakefield Country Day School has as its dictum, mens sana in corpore sano (a sound mind in a sound body), and at the end of every year, WCDS students, young and old, take a break from final exams to physically challenge themselves and learn teamwork, while having a great time in the process. On Friday, May 27th, WCDS upheld this longstanding tradition, and students in grades one through twelve spent the better part of the day competing against each other in various sporting events, the object of which was to accumulate the most points and “win the crown” as was done by the ancient Greek athletes. The students were divided into two teams of varied ages — the Athenians and the Spartans, and they competed in numerous events that included running relays and passing water down the line from one bucket to another. The students were also grouped by grade levels (1/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, 9-12) and competed in “Capture the Flag,” soccer, basketball, volleyball, four-square, and other physically challenging games. At the end of the day, Head of School Kathleen Grove congratulated the students for the great sportsmanship demonstrated throughout the competition. The points were then totaled, and the Athenians emerged as the winners and were crowned with laurels.

Spring Trip Abroad
This spring, Head of School Kathleen Grove initiated an exchange program with Westhill Institute, a private American school in Mexico City that serves American families affiliated with the U.S. Embassy and American corporations based in Mexico, as well as Mexican students and those of other nationalities interested in pursuing an American education. First, a group of our WCDS middle school students traveled south of the border with two parent chaperones. They spent the week of April 9 to 17 experiencing first-hand the hospitality of Mexico and learning more about its customs and culture. Students were paired with host families, visiting the school and many interesting and historic sights around Mexico. Westhill then sent its own delegation to Rappahannock County in early May, and we had the chance to reciprocate and play host and tour guide to their students. Wonderful friendships were formed during these two brief exchanges, much was learned on both ends, and it is certain to become a new tradition at WCDS.

Medieval Banquet
On March 10th, WCDS once again hosted the annual Medieval Banquet in the school’s Great Hall. The event was a reenactment of a medieval festival, complete with period costumes, food appropriate for the period eaten off “trencher boards,” and games popular during medieval times, including Jousting and Quarter Staff (Little John on the Bridge). Students in third through seventh grades, along with their parents and teachers, transformed themselves into pages, damsels, squires and ladies for a rousing good time. The “King and Queen of the Court,” titles given this year to the girl and boy in the 7th grade who have maintained the highest grade point average in British History. A challenging quest or “treasure hunt” was presented to the 7th graders by the 11th graders, testing their knowledge of every corner of the Manor, and the clues that were presented incorporated the literature and vocabulary learned during the first and second quarters of the academic year. The afternoon fun ended with the traditional “pancake race.”

Junior Classical League
Certamen is the Junior Classical League equivalent of the television program, It’s Academic. Using an electronic buzzer system, three teams at a time compete to answer questions on Latin, Roman history and culture, and Greek and Roman Mythology. Adult moderators ask the questions, and scorekeepers keep track of the points. After the preliminary rounds, the top teams at each level advance to the finals, where they compete for medals or trophies. In the Amateur Division, WCDS’s Level II team succeeded in capturing first place!

Art Show
The WCDS Spring Art Show, held in conjunction with the Music Program, was a wonderful variety of subject and media from students in pre-school through twelfth grade. Each student chose one piece from his/her school year’s art portfolio for display at the show. Upper school students in the Studio Art program displayed work based on techniques studied from the masters and works from life. Suzanne Zylonis, the WCDS Art teacher for the lower school, employs the acclaimed Monart Method of art education in the lower school classes, while Pamela Lynn-Tucker teaches Art History and the upper school Studio Art class. This year’s show included pieces from a variety of media, including acrylics, graphite, tempera, water color, colored pencil, markers, 3-D and pottery. The works were matted, framed and hung in the school’s upper and lower lobbies, where they remained on display through the end of the school year.