Resources for New Families

Freshman and New Families to Wakefield

Welcome! We are happy you are part of our community. The most important thing to know is that part of being comfortable in a new place is to build relationships. At Wakefield High School, we recognize the diverse interests, experiences and talents of our students, and staff work to help students identify and build on their strengths. Staff members strive to involve students in school activities, and the PTSA serves as a resource to parents and guardians at Wakefield.

We encourage every family to become a member of the Wakefield PTSA. We are all about building strong family-school partnerships through a variety of events and activities that support student achievement and staff satisfaction at our school. Whatever you do, please sign up to receive regular information on the PTSA-Booster Listserv.

In school, students have a number of clubs and activities hat they are able to join. They may meet during lunch, Warriors period (a 27 minute study time in the middle of the day) or after school. The available clubs change every year, since students often create new clubs. The current list is located on the Clubs and Activities page.

Arts, Music, Chorus, Band, Orchestra and Theater (Performing Arts) are fun, creative ways to engage. Students don’t have to be front and center to participate – there are plenty of backstage technical support roles available to students, and are often the must comfortable ways for new students to get involved and make friends. Students should contact the staff member in charge of the performing arts area in which they are interested to ask about opportunities.

Sports are another great way to get involved. Nate Hailey, our Student Activities Director, maintains a sports website to help the community stay up to date on team performance, practices, interest meetings and information on playing beyond high school. Wakefield offers several school-based sports teams; visit the Fall, Winter and Spring sports pages to learn about the school teams and view tryout dates. Students interested in playing a sport should have a Physical Form on file. We also have a Rifle Club at Wakefield and Ultimate Frisbee is a fairly new sport, which is played as an intramural sport. Arlington County runs a late night basketball league for high school students, and the Arlington Soccer Association has opportunities for high school students. Visit the Arlington page for teens to locate additional recreational sports opportunities.

Last, encourage your teen to get involved in the larger Arlington community. It is a great way to build strong relationships and leadership skills. If your teen loves books, TAB is a terrific group run through the library system. The Teen Network Board is an Arlington-wide leadership opportunity for high school students and is run by the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. Up to eight students may also represent each high school on the Student Advisory Board, a body that advises the School Board and Arlington Public Schools. To inquire about openings, the student should contact their counselor. Parents are also encouraged to lend their expertise and time to advise APS and the School Board on a number of School Advisory Committees.

If you have any questions or are having difficulty, please contact the PTSA for assistance: wakefieldwarriorsPTSA@gmail.com