About WCDS
Wakefield Country Day School (WCDS) is a Preschool through 12th-grade independent school located in serene Huntly, Virginia. We pride ourselves on providing not just a rigorous college-preparatory education with a 100% college acceptance rate, but an education that builds character and prepares students with a toolkit for life.
Our curriculum is rooted both in the classical tradition and the cutting-edge, focusing on the 21st-century educational values of writing, public speaking, critical thinking, STEM, and foreign language fluency. All WCDS scholars participate in athletics, fine and performing arts, and their education culminates in a year-long senior thesis project. Additionally, teachers place a strong emphasis on ethical responsibility, inclusivity, honorable conduct, and leadership within our community and beyond.
We are accredited by the Virginia Independent School Association and ranked #12 in the entire State of Virginia by Niche for Best Private Schools (K-12). We are consistently ranked as one of the top private schools in the state by Virginia Living Magazine.
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Latest News
Student Government Elections 2022-2023 School Year
Elections for Student Government took place last week, with students from grades 4-12 running for class representatives and office. Students learn to develop leadership skills, organize and carry out school activities and commit to serving their fellow students to make the WCDS experience the best possible by supporting one another. Congratulations to all candidates. Class …
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WCDS Alumnus Contributes to Nobel Prize with his Scientific Team
Meet Dr. Sanjeev Ranade: WCDS Alumnus, Class of 1999 and a member of a team that recently received a Nobel Prize. While earning his Ph.D. at The Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, Sanjeev was a graduate student with neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian, who studied scientific data that answered the question: “How do we sense touch?” …
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50th Anniversary Campaign
Dear Friends of WCDS: Wakefield is turning a half-century old. In Fall 2021 we launched our 50th Anniversary Campaign to fund the future of our beloved school for the next 50 years! Without the generosity of our donors, we wouldn’t be able to provide the excellent education at the incredible value that we do. That …
ASL and Theatre Electives Now Offered at WCDS
Mrs. Tara E. Johnson studied English, Communications, Acting, and Dance at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, Cheltenham University in England, and American Sign Language at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., for two years. Gallaudet is the only all-Deaf college in the world, first signed into being by President Lincoln in 1864. Mrs. Johnson has appeared in …
Shared Experiences: Then & Now
When the Lynns broke ground in 1972 to establish their dream school, they envisioned a school with students of all ages but began with students in elementary school. Grades were added subsequently year by year as students advanced in age and learning, with the first graduating senior receiving a diploma in 1978. Hundreds more were …
Semester of Finance for all WCDS Seniors
As part of the curriculum expansion for the 2022-2023 school year, Head of School Paul Larner and Katie Hill, Finance, are teaming up to prepare students for life with a new, required elective: Finance. Beginning Fall 2022, all seniors will complete this semester-long course for graduation. We sat with Mr. Larner and Ms. Hill and …
DiDomenico in a New Role
When it comes to the ins and outs of all things Wakefield Country Day School, it’s safe to say Margaret DiDomenico knows a thing or two. Mrs. DiDomenico(or Mrs. D as many fondly call her) began her teaching career at WCDS after graduating from George Mason University, and 16 years later, she is thrilled to …
Harry Potter Bakesale
At a young age, students learn the importance of giving back and how to be impactful within our local and greater community at large through service projects. Teachers weave community service projects into the daily curriculum, such as the recent Harry Potter Bakesale conducted in Mrs. McCormick’s second-grade class. Each quarter, the second-grade service club …
Upper School Studio Art Tour in Rappahannock County
The WCDS Upper School Student Art class went on their very own Rappahannock Art Tour, led by local artist and WCDS art teacher Kerrie Mullany. The adventure began at acclaimed local artist Nol Putnam’s studio, who lives 5 miles north of WCDS. Nol is a blacksmith who many years ago did the decorative iron doors …
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A Gem in Our Midst
A Gem in Our Midst In countless ways, the pandemic has impacted the lives of everyone – students perhaps most of all. A little more than a year ago, parents never imagined most children would be thrust into attending school either partially or full-time on a computer. This learning model continued for much of the …
It’s for the cats!
The holidays are a favorite time of year for our students to get involved in the community and give back. For a community service project, first graders did chores to earn money and bought items for RappCats, a cat shelter in Flint Hill. They gathered many supplies such as dry food, canned food, toys, and …
Virginia Junior Classical League Convention 2021
On November 14th, 33 students attended the Virginia Junior Classical League Convention in Richmond VA. The hybrid event brought together nearly 1,000 Latin students who competed on a variety of contests, including academic tests as well as oral events such as storytelling and recitation. As usual, WCDS students shone, second only to Thomas Jefferson High …
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