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Anonymous
| My child is about to enter Wakefield. They is a wonderful independent, quirky kid, but I’m nervous about being an outsider. Homeschooled until recently. Thoughts on if this is a safe place. We can’t afford private. |
Anonymous
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I'm tempted to hit report - is this a racist question, OP? What do you mean by safe? Physically safe? Find his people as a quirky formerly-homeschooled teenager? Mentally or emotionally safe?
Wakefield is a large public high school with kids from a range of backgrounds. It is not a battlefield and there's no reason your homeschooled child wouldn't be safe. It can get a bad rap on DCUM because it isn't white and wealthy like Yorktown but that's a far far far cry from questions of safety. Come back and explain what you mean. |
Anonymous
| I did mean emotionally safe. Just wondering about social cliques and if she will be happy. Also looking for any info on the art program. |
Anonymous
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Ok I have no idea what the PP's problem is but as a parent of a student there, don't worry too much. I have to say that most of the teasing/bullying issues happens between friends vs. kids just randomly getting picked on. There aren't enough rich, rich kids to really make money an issue too much either so that eliminates another layer.
I see plenty of kids I would say are quirky and do their own thing so your kid will find some friends and if they don't no one is going to care to the extent they are going to randomly start targeting them. |
Anonymous
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Whoa whoa WHOA to the second poster. Chip on your shoulder about something?
My kids went to WL but I would send my kid to Wakefield over Yorktown. I know plenty of kids who did really well at Wakefield. Likely to be more accepted at Wakefield vs Yorktown, tbh. |
Anonymous
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The thing to keep in mind that various middle schools are going to be sending kids to the various high schools. Most of the kids at W-L and Wakefield haven’t been together. Yorktown for the most part only draws from Williamsburg.
Would highly suggest your kid getting involved with clubs or sports at the school to meet people. |
Anonymous
There are cliques everywhere. Wakefield is extremely welcoming and tolerant of everyone from whatever background, though not particularly keen on any conservative viewpoints. Democrat club is active; Republican club is not. I'm aware of some harassment/bullying behavior FROM a few LGBQT+ toward non-LGBQT+ kids; and I'm sure there are other instances of such behavior from other students as you can find just about anywhere. Fortunately, our family has not been directly involved in such from either end (that I'm aware of!); and I don't get the impression it is the general or abundant problem that it may be other places. I don't know much about the art program overall; but Wakefield students frequently win awards, particularly in photography. They offer several ceramics classes and an interior design class that tends to be offered once every other year. If you're including music in your definition of art: the advanced level symphony earned a superior rating at state assessment last year; there is a sizable beginning guitar and guitar 2 class; jazz lab is open to everyone during Warriors period; jazz ensemble is by audition and took "best saxophone section" at a GMU event last year; the marching band has grown significantly over the past few years and is currently the largest of the Arlington bands with about 100 kids - the color guard had 5 members at the end of last season and is over a dozen this year; I don't know anything about the choral groups, unfortunately. Wakefield also has a dance team, but I also don't know anything about its activities. I echo a previous poster about getting involved in extracurriculars where students find other students with common interests and goals. Freshmen are divided into "houses" so there's some sense of a "smaller school" and offers some level of transition-ease, but overall not a tremendous game-changer. Freshmen also enter the building on the first day by themselves, with upperclassmen reporting two hours later. That frees them from an overwhelming crowd when arriving their first day and a chance to settle in, and find where they're supposed to go (without seniors intentionally sending naive freshmen to the opposite corner of the building for the classroom they're looking for - ha!). TBH, the many of the clubs are geared toward minority students; but there's bound to be SOMEthing your child would like to try. Crew is also a very welcoming, bonding, team activity and Wakefield crew has been growing - girls in particular have been very successful, making it to nationals last year. Welcome to Wakefield. Hope your family enjoys it. First football game tonight - go Warriors! |
Anonymous
| Thanks, all!, |
Anonymous
This is not true. It draws from Swanson and Hamm as well. |
Anonymous
| NP - Most of YHS does come from Williamsburg. Your kid definitely notices it if they are from Swanson or Hamm. |
Anonymous
Kenmore and a little of TJ also send students to Yorktown. But all of Williamsburg goes to Yorktown exclusively, except for any transfers to other high school programs. |
Anonymous
| This is a silly thing to debate. The Yorktown class sizes are anywhere from 500-600. The Williamsburg classes are 250-275. So maybe half (and most years not even half) the kids are from Williamsburg. Its true it's the only school where all of them go to the same high school together and none get split off to another high school. |
Anonymous
| Pretty sure this string has NOTHING to do with Yorktown. So enough. |
Anonymous
Except with a group of people who represent 48% of the United States. Very tolerant. 
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Anonymous
Moderate/conservative viewpoints do not constitute anywhere near 48% of the Wakefield community. "Tolerance" is different from "keen on." |