By: Tara Johnson, Theatre I teacher, 9th-12th grade Through hard work, collaboration, and bravery (it’s scary to get up in front of a crowd!), the high school thespians at WCDS are ready to perform a One Act comedy entitled: “This is a Test” by Stephen Gregg! Wakefield’s Theatre class is off to a stellar start! …
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 …
By: Mrs. Molly Fairhurst, third-grade teacher There are a few highlights in our third-grade history curriculum, and the Greek gods and goddesses project is one of the favorites. Students who have previously attended Wakefield Country Day School, especially if they have older siblings, come into 3rd grade ready to study Greek Mythology and count down …
By Ms. Pheister, Fourth Grade Teacher The third, fourth, and fifth-grade teachers started the year by brainstorming some team-building projects and field trips we could go on to get a strong start for the year. We decided on two early character-building field trips: one to Shenandoah National Park for a hike to see the falls …
By: Brian Beres Ph.D. The other day in class, we were designing in CAD, and testing 3D printed force gauges. A force gauge can tell how much force it takes to move an object. A student came up to me and asked, “Dr. Beres, do you think this is what a Newton feels like?” My …
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 …
Student Government Elections 2022-2023 School Year Read More »
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?” …
WCDS Alumnus Contributes to Nobel Prize with his Scientific Team Read More »
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Upper School Studio Art Tour in Rappahannock County Read More »
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 …
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 …
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 …
Virginia Junior Classical League Convention 2021 Read More »
Many families, Alum and Faculty, and Staff ran in this year’s WCDS Turkey Trot 5k, and it was a blast! Thank you to those who came out to support a good cause, WCDS Athletics and a big thank you to Taylor Stynes and Rebekka Korte for putting this event on, as well as the pie …
Each year RappTrails hosts a t-shirt design contest for students in Rappahannock County, where the winning design is featured on the event t-shirt for the Annual Community Walk and Ride. Students are invited to create a piece of artwork that shows what they love about walking and biking in our beautiful county. This contest is …
The Scholastic Bowl A deluge of rain poured down on Monday, but it paled in comparison to the deluge of correct answers given by our Scholastic Bowl team during its inaugural scrimmage this week. The event, held at Rappahannock County High School, paired the WCDS team against Luray High School. Led by our stalwart team …
Gutentag! Hola! Ciao! XieXie! Hello! Wakefield Country Day School is known for welcoming students from several surrounding counties, including Rappahannock, Fauquier, Prince William, Culpeper and Warren. This year, WCDS also welcomes a dozen high school students from Germany, Italy, China and Spain — as well as DC and NYC! Several of these students will complete …