Seeking first-person experience in Wakefield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

One of the 1V girls is a person of color. A few of of the 1V boys are people of color, the Post just didn't use that photo. The team as a whole is tremendously diverse- if you'd been at the Occoquan on Saturday and seen the freshman and novice athletes (newer, younger students who are benefiting from the outreach and inclusive approach and will be the athletes in the top boats in a year or two) you would have seen the whole picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

The team is more than the photo. I know multiple non-white students doing Wakefield Crew.
Besides, this about building the program at the school - not just increasing minority participation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

Hopefully the Wakefield success will spur the county to action on the delayed Arlington Boathouse. It's crazy how W-L rows out of the Potomac Boat Club, Yorktown is at Thompsons, and Wakefield rows out of the Anacostia.

It’s about the schools too. When you lower fees, have more kids, and watch the budget, you don’t have to cater to the wealthiest parents. So some other schools need to ask themselves if excluding kids is more important than performing well. Most of course will say yes because it reduces the competition their kids face for a seat. That just opens the door for Wakefield.

Same thing happens with the academics.

I know at W-L crew is no cut. Everyone interested can join.

Does Yorktown have cuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

Hopefully the Wakefield success will spur the county to action on the delayed Arlington Boathouse. It's crazy how W-L rows out of the Potomac Boat Club, Yorktown is at Thompsons, and Wakefield rows out of the Anacostia.

It’s about the schools too. When you lower fees, have more kids, and watch the budget, you don’t have to cater to the wealthiest parents. So some other schools need to ask themselves if excluding kids is more important than performing well. Most of course will say yes because it reduces the competition their kids face for a seat. That just opens the door for Wakefield.

Same thing happens with the academics.

I know at W-L crew is no cut. Everyone interested can join.

Does Yorktown have cuts?

Here to answer a few questions at once:
All APC HS crew programs have a fee for athletes. APS provides a bit of support but not nearly enough to cover the costs of running the program. (For comparison, most area non-APS public school rowing programs don't get any county support - it is all covered through dues and fundraising.)
Most (and possibly all) of the programs offer some form of scholarship.
Traditionally none of the APS HS programs have had cuts; however, Yorktown had to have cuts this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

One of the 1V girls is a person of color. A few of of the 1V boys are people of color, the Post just didn't use that photo. The team as a whole is tremendously diverse- if you'd been at the Occoquan on Saturday and seen the freshman and novice athletes (newer, younger students who are benefiting from the outreach and inclusive approach and will be the athletes in the top boats in a year or two) you would have seen the whole picture.

good to know. thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

One of the 1V girls is a person of color. A few of of the 1V boys are people of color, the Post just didn't use that photo. The team as a whole is tremendously diverse- if you'd been at the Occoquan on Saturday and seen the freshman and novice athletes (newer, younger students who are benefiting from the outreach and inclusive approach and will be the athletes in the top boats in a year or two) you would have seen the whole picture.

Wakefield is a non white majority school. I do know they tried a bit harder this year to recruit more widely. I think at Wakefield we need to be more honest and provide more education on sports. We have to accept that not all parents and students have grown up in the US and in fact some may have arrived to the US in the past month. I don't think it would hurt to explain what sports are on the website and when sending announcements. Think about it - would someone just arriving to the US who might not have had sports at their own school growing up instantly know that Crew means rowing a boat on the water?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here with two students at Wakefield currently (both in immersion program but it is also our neighborhood HS). I could have written the following from PP:

"If you want a more pressure-cooker atmosphere for your child, WL is your best bet. If you're not so uptight about your kid taking 5 AP classes at once and being on the most competitive teams and accept that a less-pressure, less-competitive, still-among-the-top-2% of high schools in the country is perfectly fine and won't ruin your child's entire future, Wakefield is absolutely fine.

Parents not talking and boasting about their kids' extraordinary brilliance and academic achievement doesn't mean they do not emphasize academics or believe them to be important. Personally, I'm grateful not to be surrounded by competitive parents living vicariously through their children, stressing their kids out, and insisting anything less than the best and an ivy league degree is failure. I can't speak to the level of anxiety or pressure at Yorktown; but even though WL is an excellent school, I find the Wakefield environment pleasantly less stressful for us as parents and for our kid v. our kid and others we know at WL.
We have not heard of any problems with "disruptive" kids in any of our kid's classes of any level. I'm not aware of policies at any of the schools precluding students from taking an AP class - all students register for classes through their counselor and teachers make recommendations; but you can always discuss those recommendations with the teachers if you disagree. Generally, though, if a student is a good student and performing well, they will be recommended for the appropriate level courses."

DC 1 is a Junior and too AP World History as a Freshman (5 on AP exam), two APs as a Sophomore, 5 as a Junior and planning 5 as a Senior. For non-AP core classes has had intensified throughout. Has found the writing instruction rigorous. DC 2 is a Freshman and given the weakness of MS instruction during Covid chose not to take AP World (and grateful as one core class has provided plenty of challenge) but all intensified. Will have 3 APs next year.

It is a very "you do you" welcoming community. Kids tend to be involved in whatever sports/activities work for them. Most (if not all) of the "cut" sports are easier to make than at W-L and Yorktown.

Counselors have only been minimally helpful but they are all overwhelmed and, frankly, we can provide the additional support our kids need for college search, etc. so we really don't stress over it.

Our kids have been very happy there and have both commented how glad they are to be there.

This poster seems to be getting a lot of hate but I found this post to be very helpful. Just because my kids are Type A and want to push themselves doesn't mean I want them in a pressure cooker environment. thanks PP

+1
Anyone posting positively about Wakefield - especially Wakefield academics - is greeted with something negative.

That's because there is a lot of negative. You just can't or won't see it. You are one of those white parents who are obsessed with anything that let's you be a do gooder and you can contribute to or do a drive for but could care less about academics because your own kids are excelling and are racking up AP classes. You can't see the forest for the tress. As long as your kid is excelling, who cares about anything else that is going on. The school has real issues. Pretending otherwise just hurts those kids that you do those drives for. But then again, you don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart and put at risk your child's precious AP classes and perfect GPA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here with two students at Wakefield currently (both in immersion program but it is also our neighborhood HS). I could have written the following from PP:

"If you want a more pressure-cooker atmosphere for your child, WL is your best bet. If you're not so uptight about your kid taking 5 AP classes at once and being on the most competitive teams and accept that a less-pressure, less-competitive, still-among-the-top-2% of high schools in the country is perfectly fine and won't ruin your child's entire future, Wakefield is absolutely fine.

Parents not talking and boasting about their kids' extraordinary brilliance and academic achievement doesn't mean they do not emphasize academics or believe them to be important. Personally, I'm grateful not to be surrounded by competitive parents living vicariously through their children, stressing their kids out, and insisting anything less than the best and an ivy league degree is failure. I can't speak to the level of anxiety or pressure at Yorktown; but even though WL is an excellent school, I find the Wakefield environment pleasantly less stressful for us as parents and for our kid v. our kid and others we know at WL.
We have not heard of any problems with "disruptive" kids in any of our kid's classes of any level. I'm not aware of policies at any of the schools precluding students from taking an AP class - all students register for classes through their counselor and teachers make recommendations; but you can always discuss those recommendations with the teachers if you disagree. Generally, though, if a student is a good student and performing well, they will be recommended for the appropriate level courses."

DC 1 is a Junior and too AP World History as a Freshman (5 on AP exam), two APs as a Sophomore, 5 as a Junior and planning 5 as a Senior. For non-AP core classes has had intensified throughout. Has found the writing instruction rigorous. DC 2 is a Freshman and given the weakness of MS instruction during Covid chose not to take AP World (and grateful as one core class has provided plenty of challenge) but all intensified. Will have 3 APs next year.

It is a very "you do you" welcoming community. Kids tend to be involved in whatever sports/activities work for them. Most (if not all) of the "cut" sports are easier to make than at W-L and Yorktown.

Counselors have only been minimally helpful but they are all overwhelmed and, frankly, we can provide the additional support our kids need for college search, etc. so we really don't stress over it.

Our kids have been very happy there and have both commented how glad they are to be there.

This poster seems to be getting a lot of hate but I found this post to be very helpful. Just because my kids are Type A and want to push themselves doesn't mean I want them in a pressure cooker environment. thanks PP

+1
Anyone posting positively about Wakefield - especially Wakefield academics - is greeted with something negative.

That's because there is a lot of negative. You just can't or won't see it. You are one of those white parents who are obsessed with anything that let's you be a do gooder and you can contribute to or do a drive for but could care less about academics because your own kids are excelling and are racking up AP classes. You can't see the forest for the tress. As long as your kid is excelling, who cares about anything else that is going on. The school has real issues. Pretending otherwise just hurts those kids that you do those drives for. But then again, you don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart and put at risk your child's precious AP classes and perfect GPA.

Ok. . .show me a high school that doesn't have this going on? I would dare to say that the difference between the "haves & have-nots" at Wakefield is significantly narrower than at other area schools. . .prove me wrong!

[Anonymous]

We are an Arlington family with lots of experience with / connections to Yorktown, H-B, and Wakefield, although not W-L. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but you can get an outstanding education at any one of them without much difficulty. Beyond that, Wakefield's diversity offers something that few other schools in the region can match: real world preparation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here with two students at Wakefield currently (both in immersion program but it is also our neighborhood HS). I could have written the following from PP:

"If you want a more pressure-cooker atmosphere for your child, WL is your best bet. If you're not so uptight about your kid taking 5 AP classes at once and being on the most competitive teams and accept that a less-pressure, less-competitive, still-among-the-top-2% of high schools in the country is perfectly fine and won't ruin your child's entire future, Wakefield is absolutely fine.

Parents not talking and boasting about their kids' extraordinary brilliance and academic achievement doesn't mean they do not emphasize academics or believe them to be important. Personally, I'm grateful not to be surrounded by competitive parents living vicariously through their children, stressing their kids out, and insisting anything less than the best and an ivy league degree is failure. I can't speak to the level of anxiety or pressure at Yorktown; but even though WL is an excellent school, I find the Wakefield environment pleasantly less stressful for us as parents and for our kid v. our kid and others we know at WL.
We have not heard of any problems with "disruptive" kids in any of our kid's classes of any level. I'm not aware of policies at any of the schools precluding students from taking an AP class - all students register for classes through their counselor and teachers make recommendations; but you can always discuss those recommendations with the teachers if you disagree. Generally, though, if a student is a good student and performing well, they will be recommended for the appropriate level courses."

DC 1 is a Junior and too AP World History as a Freshman (5 on AP exam), two APs as a Sophomore, 5 as a Junior and planning 5 as a Senior. For non-AP core classes has had intensified throughout. Has found the writing instruction rigorous. DC 2 is a Freshman and given the weakness of MS instruction during Covid chose not to take AP World (and grateful as one core class has provided plenty of challenge) but all intensified. Will have 3 APs next year.

It is a very "you do you" welcoming community. Kids tend to be involved in whatever sports/activities work for them. Most (if not all) of the "cut" sports are easier to make than at W-L and Yorktown.

Counselors have only been minimally helpful but they are all overwhelmed and, frankly, we can provide the additional support our kids need for college search, etc. so we really don't stress over it.

Our kids have been very happy there and have both commented how glad they are to be there.

This poster seems to be getting a lot of hate but I found this post to be very helpful. Just because my kids are Type A and want to push themselves doesn't mean I want them in a pressure cooker environment. thanks PP

+1
Anyone posting positively about Wakefield - especially Wakefield academics - is greeted with something negative.

That's because there is a lot of negative. You just can't or won't see it. You are one of those white parents who are obsessed with anything that let's you be a do gooder and you can contribute to or do a drive for but could care less about academics because your own kids are excelling and are racking up AP classes. You can't see the forest for the tress. As long as your kid is excelling, who cares about anything else that is going on. The school has real issues. Pretending otherwise just hurts those kids that you do those drives for. But then again, you don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart and put at risk your child's precious AP classes and perfect GPA.

You are so far off base on your assessments.
My kids have been through majority-poverty/minority schools through elementary, middle, and high school. I am very, very aware of the stark differences between my kids' schools and those in the far white north.

I don't do drives or other feel-good activities.

My kids are not clones of each other; their individual academic course loads and success vary significantly from "less than average" to "very-good-but-still-not-straight-A's-and-all-highest-level-challenge." Oldest is a junior - one AP class earned. Is that what you consider "racking up"? They're not ivy-league bound. One may not even be 4-year college bound and is particularly far from "excelling," struggling since middle school. Still, being white (you got one thing right), the attention isn't on that one. I know that. I acknowledge that as one of Wakefield's shortcomings. Still, that child would be worse off at a "pressure cooker" school like WL or YHS. Last thing that kid needs is more anxiety and pressure to excel more, and falling way short.

I have no idea what you're talking about about upsetting the apple cart and risking my kids' academics.

I'm outraged about APS' mediocre - and decreasing - standards and the homework and grading policies they are looking to adopt -- on behalf of ALL the students, ESPECIALLY students who are already disadvantaged/at-risk.

But none of that makes the teaching or the courses offered at Wakefield sub-par relative to any other Arlington school.

If there are so many negatives about Wakefield, then all the more reason to acknowledge a positive without diminishing it or taking away from the kids who earned it.

You clearly see nothing positive or good about Wakefield; so just get the eff out and let others who find it satisfactory share their experiences without you tearing it all down? It's like you have a specific mission to ensure Wakefield doesn't develop at positive reputation. Are you actually at Wakefield, or are your kids elsewhere and you're just afraid Wakefield's rise in respect and reputation will take away from your child's precious academic stats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

One of the 1V girls is a person of color. A few of of the 1V boys are people of color, the Post just didn't use that photo. The team as a whole is tremendously diverse- if you'd been at the Occoquan on Saturday and seen the freshman and novice athletes (newer, younger students who are benefiting from the outreach and inclusive approach and will be the athletes in the top boats in a year or two) you would have seen the whole picture.

Wakefield is a non white majority school. I do know they tried a bit harder this year to recruit more widely. I think at Wakefield we need to be more honest and provide more education on sports. We have to accept that not all parents and students have grown up in the US and in fact some may have arrived to the US in the past month. I don't think it would hurt to explain what sports are on the website and when sending announcements. Think about it - would someone just arriving to the US who might not have had sports at their own school growing up instantly know that Crew means rowing a boat on the water?

They do send announcements and publicize extracurricular activities all the time.
But explaining what the various clubs and activities are on the website would be helpful for all students, as would maintaining the website with only the current/active opportunities instead of burrowing them away in a Canvas course page that not all students sign-up for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are an Arlington family with lots of experience with / connections to Yorktown, H-B, and Wakefield, although not W-L. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, but you can get an outstanding education at any one of them without much difficulty. Beyond that, Wakefield's diversity offers something that few other schools in the region can match: real world preparation.

+1
More important than ever with all the crap going on in this country today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here with two students at Wakefield currently (both in immersion program but it is also our neighborhood HS). I could have written the following from PP:

"If you want a more pressure-cooker atmosphere for your child, WL is your best bet. If you're not so uptight about your kid taking 5 AP classes at once and being on the most competitive teams and accept that a less-pressure, less-competitive, still-among-the-top-2% of high schools in the country is perfectly fine and won't ruin your child's entire future, Wakefield is absolutely fine.

Parents not talking and boasting about their kids' extraordinary brilliance and academic achievement doesn't mean they do not emphasize academics or believe them to be important. Personally, I'm grateful not to be surrounded by competitive parents living vicariously through their children, stressing their kids out, and insisting anything less than the best and an ivy league degree is failure. I can't speak to the level of anxiety or pressure at Yorktown; but even though WL is an excellent school, I find the Wakefield environment pleasantly less stressful for us as parents and for our kid v. our kid and others we know at WL.
We have not heard of any problems with "disruptive" kids in any of our kid's classes of any level. I'm not aware of policies at any of the schools precluding students from taking an AP class - all students register for classes through their counselor and teachers make recommendations; but you can always discuss those recommendations with the teachers if you disagree. Generally, though, if a student is a good student and performing well, they will be recommended for the appropriate level courses."

DC 1 is a Junior and too AP World History as a Freshman (5 on AP exam), two APs as a Sophomore, 5 as a Junior and planning 5 as a Senior. For non-AP core classes has had intensified throughout. Has found the writing instruction rigorous. DC 2 is a Freshman and given the weakness of MS instruction during Covid chose not to take AP World (and grateful as one core class has provided plenty of challenge) but all intensified. Will have 3 APs next year.

It is a very "you do you" welcoming community. Kids tend to be involved in whatever sports/activities work for them. Most (if not all) of the "cut" sports are easier to make than at W-L and Yorktown.

Counselors have only been minimally helpful but they are all overwhelmed and, frankly, we can provide the additional support our kids need for college search, etc. so we really don't stress over it.

Our kids have been very happy there and have both commented how glad they are to be there.

This poster seems to be getting a lot of hate but I found this post to be very helpful. Just because my kids are Type A and want to push themselves doesn't mean I want them in a pressure cooker environment. thanks PP

+1
Anyone posting positively about Wakefield - especially Wakefield academics - is greeted with something negative.

That's because there is a lot of negative. You just can't or won't see it. You are one of those white parents who are obsessed with anything that let's you be a do gooder and you can contribute to or do a drive for but could care less about academics because your own kids are excelling and are racking up AP classes. You can't see the forest for the tress. As long as your kid is excelling, who cares about anything else that is going on. The school has real issues. Pretending otherwise just hurts those kids that you do those drives for. But then again, you don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart and put at risk your child's precious AP classes and perfect GPA.

Ok. . .show me a high school that doesn't have this going on? I would dare to say that the difference between the "haves & have-nots" at Wakefield is significantly narrower than at other area schools. . .prove me wrong!

DP. And I would say a school like Yorktown is much guiltier of the "feel good" efforts, since there are so few beneficiaries at the school and all efforts are for faceless, anonymous "those people" wherever they may be. At Wakefield, we see who we're helping and advocating for...and more importantly, so do our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here with two students at Wakefield currently (both in immersion program but it is also our neighborhood HS). I could have written the following from PP:

"If you want a more pressure-cooker atmosphere for your child, WL is your best bet. If you're not so uptight about your kid taking 5 AP classes at once and being on the most competitive teams and accept that a less-pressure, less-competitive, still-among-the-top-2% of high schools in the country is perfectly fine and won't ruin your child's entire future, Wakefield is absolutely fine.

Parents not talking and boasting about their kids' extraordinary brilliance and academic achievement doesn't mean they do not emphasize academics or believe them to be important. Personally, I'm grateful not to be surrounded by competitive parents living vicariously through their children, stressing their kids out, and insisting anything less than the best and an ivy league degree is failure. I can't speak to the level of anxiety or pressure at Yorktown; but even though WL is an excellent school, I find the Wakefield environment pleasantly less stressful for us as parents and for our kid v. our kid and others we know at WL.
We have not heard of any problems with "disruptive" kids in any of our kid's classes of any level. I'm not aware of policies at any of the schools precluding students from taking an AP class - all students register for classes through their counselor and teachers make recommendations; but you can always discuss those recommendations with the teachers if you disagree. Generally, though, if a student is a good student and performing well, they will be recommended for the appropriate level courses."

DC 1 is a Junior and too AP World History as a Freshman (5 on AP exam), two APs as a Sophomore, 5 as a Junior and planning 5 as a Senior. For non-AP core classes has had intensified throughout. Has found the writing instruction rigorous. DC 2 is a Freshman and given the weakness of MS instruction during Covid chose not to take AP World (and grateful as one core class has provided plenty of challenge) but all intensified. Will have 3 APs next year.

It is a very "you do you" welcoming community. Kids tend to be involved in whatever sports/activities work for them. Most (if not all) of the "cut" sports are easier to make than at W-L and Yorktown.

Counselors have only been minimally helpful but they are all overwhelmed and, frankly, we can provide the additional support our kids need for college search, etc. so we really don't stress over it.

Our kids have been very happy there and have both commented how glad they are to be there.

This poster seems to be getting a lot of hate but I found this post to be very helpful. Just because my kids are Type A and want to push themselves doesn't mean I want them in a pressure cooker environment. thanks PP

+1
Anyone posting positively about Wakefield - especially Wakefield academics - is greeted with something negative.

That's because there is a lot of negative. You just can't or won't see it. You are one of those white parents who are obsessed with anything that let's you be a do gooder and you can contribute to or do a drive for but could care less about academics because your own kids are excelling and are racking up AP classes. You can't see the forest for the tress. As long as your kid is excelling, who cares about anything else that is going on. The school has real issues. Pretending otherwise just hurts those kids that you do those drives for. But then again, you don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart and put at risk your child's precious AP classes and perfect GPA.

Ok. . .show me a high school that doesn't have this going on? I would dare to say that the difference between the "haves & have-nots" at Wakefield is significantly narrower than at other area schools. . .prove me wrong!

DP. And I would say a school like Yorktown is much guiltier of the "feel good" efforts, since there are so few beneficiaries at the school and all efforts are for faceless, anonymous "those people" wherever they may be. At Wakefield, we see who we're helping and advocating for...and more importantly, so do our kids.

Yes I know you love that but please, please try for just one minute to considering what it must feel like to be the kid on the receiving end. Do you really think they constantly want to be the brunt of these moments that give you a feel good moment boost? Can you not really appreciate how that would suck?

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Anonymous wrote:There’s a good article in the Post on Wakefield’s crew team that just won the premier Varsity 8 races at the State Championship over schools with much larger programs with more funding. Many of the athletes are on scholarship, and that has opened up the sport to the kids who are less financially well off.

WAY TO GO, WAKEFIELD!!! I'm so proud of, and for, them; and I don't have any connection to crew. Good for them!
Maybe some athletic success will make people think more highly of Wakefield or give it a little respect, since any academic success is always dismissed or discredited.

Here's the article.

Wakefield sweeping the first varsity 8+s really makes these other schools look bad. I'm sure you'll hear Yorktown people say "well we won the states in 4+", but that's not the same. They know this. You drop to 4's when you haven't coached up 8 rowers well enough to compete.

By letting more kids onto the team, they can charge a lower fee per rower. That means each "scholarship" requires fewer dollars. They get a good deal at the Anacostia boathouse, and they don't blow money on extras the way you see with some of the other programs. So the dollars go to hiring coaches, and to expanding the pool of rowers. With a bigger pool, you can fill an 8+ with strong rowers.

everyone in the picture of the story is white though. good intentions but still a long way to go.

One of the 1V girls is a person of color. A few of of the 1V boys are people of color, the Post just didn't use that photo. The team as a whole is tremendously diverse- if you'd been at the Occoquan on Saturday and seen the freshman and novice athletes (newer, younger students who are benefiting from the outreach and inclusive approach and will be the athletes in the top boats in a year or two) you would have seen the whole picture.

Wakefield is a non white majority school. I do know they tried a bit harder this year to recruit more widely. I think at Wakefield we need to be more honest and provide more education on sports. We have to accept that not all parents and students have grown up in the US and in fact some may have arrived to the US in the past month. I don't think it would hurt to explain what sports are on the website and when sending announcements. Think about it - would someone just arriving to the US who might not have had sports at their own school growing up instantly know that Crew means rowing a boat on the water?

They do send announcements and publicize extracurricular activities all the time.
But explaining what the various clubs and activities are on the website would be helpful for all students, as would maintaining the website with only the current/active opportunities instead of burrowing them away in a Canvas course page that not all students sign-up for.

The crew team set up ergs in Town Hall during all lunches before winter training to recruit. They also offer free "green days" in the fall and inexpensive (with scholarship options) learn to row camps in the summer. They also have started going in to the middle school gym classes with ergs to get info to kids even before they start HS. If you have any other constructive ideas on how to get the word out please share!