By NEIL ZOLOT
WAKEFIELD — One hundred percent of parents of over 180 students who attended Wakefield Academy summer programs indicated the program reflected the school system’s core values of a love of learning, respect and caring in a survey taken at summer’s end. None indicated they weren’t sure or answered no.
“The satisfaction rate was extraordinary,” Wakefield Academy Director Estelle Burdick said during a video-conference School Committee meeting Thursday, September 25. “Families know their child is supported through the day.”
Fifty-five percent answered they were very satisfied with the academic program, which adds academic enrichment to recreational activities for K-6 students. The remaining 45 percent answered satisfied. None answered they weren’t sure, dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
Among K-4 parents 84 percent indicated the programs reflected the core values of a love of learning, respect and caring with 8 percent indicating some but not all aspects did and another 8 percent indicating they weren’t sure. None answered no.
About 80 percent of parents rated the friendliness of the staff as excellent, with the remainder answering good. About one-third rated the professionalism of the staff as excellent with the remainder answering good. None answered fair or poor to either question.
“To see 100 percent of people being satisfied or mostly satisfied says so much,” member Kevin Piskadlo reacted. “It’s hard to get 100 percent of anything.”
It wasn’t easy, given the weather. “You can imagine how hard it is to bring students into a school in a hot summer, but teachers brought fun into the classroom,” Burdick said about the program run at Galvin Middle School. “To see the kids smiling was great,” a reference to photographs in her presentation.
Most of the staff are Wakefield teachers, reflecting an overlap with the Extended School Year. Other employees are college and high school aged students, who, Burdick reported, the younger kids love. “We love having the older students there,” she said. ”Often it’s their first job.”
She reported the kids also loved a visit from the Fire Department and the chance to run under water hoses. “They couldn’t get enough of the water,” she added while showing other photographs.
The camp and enrichment programs included activity based clubs. “There was a little bit of something for everyone,” Burdick said. ”Students got to interact with peers they might not otherwise have gotten to know. It was an opportunity to find new friends with common interests.”
Clubs included the Kidcasso art club, sports clubs and the Kids Test Kitchen, which prompted comments from various School Committee members about their own kids’ participation in the past and their current cooking ability.
“I’m happy Wakefield Academy offered so many choices when kids start to come together based on their interests, not who they live near,” School Committee member Stephen Ingalls interjected. “They can find their niche.”
“You’re hitting so many things kids are interested in,” School Committee Chairman Kevin Fontanella added.
For the 2025-26 school year, the Wakefield Academy staff of 182 will consist of 17 Site Coordinators or Assistant Site Coordinators, 89 Program Assistants, 7 High Needs teachers, 23 College Assistants and 46 High School Assistants at the Dolbeare, Doyle, Galvin, Greenwood, Walton and Woodville Schools, with Galvin having an afterschool only program.
There will be 784 student contracts with 537 Pre-K to 8th grade students handled every day, including 5 to 9 high needs students across three schools, and 250 in early release programs. Burdick explained the number of contracts doesn’t necessarily reflect the number of students attending programs since some don’t go every day.
Fall clubs will include ones related to art, crochet, cross country running, Dungeons and Dragons and homework. Burdick has high hopes for the homework club. “I think we’ll have a lot of students prepared to do their homework this year,” she said.
“We’re grateful to everybody who works at the Wakefield Academy,” Superintendent Doug Lyons said as discussion wound down. “It’s grown beautifully.”