FunFest: A Day of Active Rest

In a nod to the challenges of the 2020-21 school year's beginnings and the hard work and cooperation of all, Wakefield's Middle and Upper School students got a welcome break from routine for both purposeful and purely-fun activity on Thursday and Friday, October 1 and 2. Seniors had special events that occurred off-campus, while other grades remained on campus for both the forward-thinking and fun of FunFest.

For the forward-thinking part, grades 8-11 had a shortened morning of classes on Thursday and then spent the afternoon with college admissions professional Peter Van Buskirk in his presentation "The Admissions Game." This interactive experience allows audience members to learn about the unseen admissions process by role-playing the work of an admissions committee, which can choose only one of four equally-qualified hypothetical applicants.

On Friday morning, 11th graders spent a second session with Van Buskirk entitled "Defining Your Purpose," followed by a virtual meeting with Barry Bradberry, Associate Dean of Admission at Elon University.

After these were completed the juniors joined grades 6-10 on the playing fields for the fun, which was already in full swing. Middle School students enjoyed a morning of Experiential Learning activities, facilitated by guides from Verdun Adventure Bound and focused on teamwork, responsibility, leadership, and resiliency, with games following in the afternoon. Grades 9-11 enjoyed a variety of "inflatable" challenges, as well as playing kickball, soccer, and even pickup football; and at lunchtime, one and all lolled on the grass in the sunshine and ate delicious boxed lunches mouthwateringly prepared right on campus by Foster's Grille.