Reply to Seeking first-person experience in Wakefield

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.[/quote]

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

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.[/quote]

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![/quote]

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.[/quote]

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? [/quote]

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