On Monday, April 28, WCDS students in grades three and four presented their Earth Day Celebration. Preschool, prekindergarten, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students rotated through Earth Day stations, watching student-made videos, playing recycling games, and painting rocks. Wednesday’s assembly continued the Earth Day festivities. Grade three presented a series of scenes portraying the negative effects of the use of Styrofoam, advocating elimination of its products from the school. Then the fourth grade shared two visual presentations: Joseph Dowell and Nikolas Patton showed their video on recycling, with scenes from the center in Rappahannock County, and Brier Clough and Alyssa Hamilton had a power-point presentation on the positive environmental effects of donations to the Salvation Army.

Wakefield’s Spring Auction Raises Funds for Scholarship Program

WCDS’s annual spring auction held on April 26th had as its theme, An Evening in Monte Carlo, and by all accounts it was a great success. Over 200 people attended this “sold-out” affair, and the proceeds generated will help underwrite the school’s scholarship program for 2008-2009. As noted by Head of School Kathleen Grove, “From the silent auction, full of bargains large and small, to the dinner and highly entertaining live auction presided over by Doc Mitchell, the night contained something for everyone.” Wakefield’s Sean O’Connor (grade 11) greeted guests as they arrived with his beautiful violin music, WCDS parent Tom McGunigal provided entertainment with his band, GrooveJet, multiple raffles kept everyone’s attention, and the Marriott provided excellent service and cuisine. Many thanks to co-chairs Jennifer Phillippe and Alison Seaborn, along with their talented volunteer committee, who together made the auction not only highly successful but also fun.

Tuesday, April 22nd, Wakefield sent seven of its prep school students to Warrenton to represent the school and the Culpeper district in the Region II Virginia Envirothon competition. The group placed third overall and won a berth at this year’s state competition, to be held later in the month at James Madison University. This national program is sponsored in our state by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and 46 local soil and water conservation districts sponsor local programs. Wakefield’s team, which consisted of Emma Clark, Taylor Hammelman, Neil McClung, Derek Perry, Audrey Speer and alternates Christine Pankow and Katherine Russo, were tested on their knowledge of wildlife, aquatics, soils, forestry, and specific environmental issues. Throughout the day, the students visited five "in-the-field" test stations, where both written and hands-on problem solving skills were required, and the team also gave an oral presentation formulating a strategy for addressing an environmental issues problem. WCDS came in second place in the Aquatics division, second in the Special Topics division, and third in the Wildlife division. Among the stated goals of the Envirothon program is, “to have participants gain a deeper knowledge of the effect individual actions have on environmental problems; the interactions and inter-dependencies of our environment; current environmental issues; the agencies available to assist in resource protection concerns; the need to become environmentally aware, action-oriented adults.”

Students Revel in Medieval Celebrations

On April 11th, students in grades three through eight immersed themselves in the fascinating time of knights and ladies. Staff, faculty, many parents and siblings accompanied the students in their travel to the past. Students enjoyed jousting, quarterstaff duels, fortune-telling, quintains, the ladies’ bower with jewelry–making and embroidery, and many other activities in the gymnasium, which had been transformed into a fairground, complete with pavilions. In the auditorium, guests enjoyed a banquet from platters of meats, pastries, cheeses, fruits, sweetmeats, and breads, set at each of the 20 tables. The Court was introduced, and spectators observed a crime and the subsequent trial involving the lords and ladies. Students received awards for best heraldry, headdress, costume (store-bought and homemade), and armor.

Assembly Features Presidents, First Ladies, and Tongue Twisters

During the April 16th Wednesday Assembly, grade four students took the stage to give a preview of their Wax Museum of Presidents and First Ladies. In costume, each student went to the microphone and recited a famous and representative quote of his/her president or first lady. Students in the audience then had the opportunity to guess the identity. One of the grade one classes then came to the stage to perform a phonics tongue twister, Betty Botter. After the first graders recited the challenging rhyme (projected on a screen), students volunteered to give it a try. A lower school student, middle school student, upper school student, senior, faculty member, and the head of school all tried to read the bitter, butter, better, batter, and Botter verses without error, much to the enjoyment of the audience.

For the 2008-2009 school year, Wakefield Country Day School is offering the opportunity for an incoming Prep-School student to apply to the Leonard M. Cowherd Memorial Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship named in honor of former WCDS student Leonard M. Cowherd and Westpoint graduate, who died on May 16, 2004, while serving his country in Iraq. The Cowherd scholarship would cover the tuition costs, excluding books and fees, for one boy or girl to attend the prep school. A recipient of this award must maintain a second honors average throughout the academic year and perform a minimum of 20 hours of community service. The deadline for the application is May 1, 2008.

At the WCDS Wednesday Assembly, the ninth grade students celebrated April as National Poetry Month with a poetry reading. Five students were selected to give recitations, based on their classmates’ review. Christine Pankow read “Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright” by William Blake, Hunter Kapp read “I reckon—when I count at all” by Emily Dickinson, Brittany Spence read “Spring Night” by Sara Teasdale, Sarah Wells read “Freedom is Not Free” by Kelly Strong, and Cynthia Rodriguez read “The Letter” by Amy Lowell. The words for each poem were projected on a screen to facilitate the understanding of the younger children. The rich language and complex syntax of each poem engaged all in attendance.

The audience also viewed a brief video of the WCDS trip to England that was created by eighth grader Will Mullany. During spring break, a group of 18 seventh and eighth graders toured England for nine days, following a special itinerary designed by British History teacher (and WCDS graduate) Welby Griffin. Mr. Mullany edited many hours of video, winnowing it down to a snappy eleven-minute presentation, with musical accompaniment from the Beatles and other vocal artists. Spectators listened to “Penny Lane” while watching students wander down a narrow English street, and “Born in the U.S.A.” as the plane landed back in the States. This trip will be offered again in 2010, and then every other year, so that all grade seven and eight students will have an opportunity to experience the sites that they have studied, from Stonehenge to the Tower of London and Windsor Castle.

At the end of the assembly, eleven middle school students from Mexico City’s Westhill School wrapped up a week-long visit to WCDS by describing to the students their most memorable experiences. The visitors expressed their appreciation for the hospitality they had experienced and talked about the cleanliness of our Rappahannock County air. The students singled out for special praise their visit to the National Geographic Building in Washington, D.C., where they learned firsthand about the creation of the magazine’s July edition from the lead photographer, and editor Chris Johns.

Congratulations to John Morgan Christoph who, after winning the National Geographic Bee at WCDS, went on to qualify for the State competition and made it to the group of ten finalists, finishing seventh among the 100 students who competed at the state level.