High school offers a variety of different classes and clubs that make it a unique time for students. At Wakefield High School (WHS), this spans anywhere from joining yearbook to participating in pride club.

“Art, theatre and yearbook give students exposure to different aspects of life,” Nora Furches, a Spanish teacher at WHS said. “They also give students exposure to different kinds of skills.”

One particular class in high school that gives students a one-of-a-kind experience is yearbook. Ava Johnson is a sophomore at WHS who elaborated on the different kinds of things she and her peers get to do in that class. 

“We make the yearbook,” Johnson said. “We also have to ask [students in the school] things about them, and have them send pictures, so it’s a lot of just being together and trying to get everyone to [unite].” 

Moreover, yearbook allows students to partake in activities such as going to various places and renting out ad space. Through these activities, participants get a chance to make new friends. 

“We have to go sell ads [with people in yearbook],” said Johnson. “It’s a lot of fun because we are doing work [while also] driving around different places.”

The theatre program is another place where students get to come together and work as one. Xanixus Moysenko is a senior here at WHS who conveyed that notable opportunities present themselves at times for people in the theatre. 

“We were doing Merlin my sophomore year and in Merlin, there is stage combat,” Moysenko said. “Mr. Orsett actually brought someone in to teach us stage combat and we got certified in it. That is one of the biggest things I’ll point out that we got the opportunity to do [in theatre].”

Moments such as getting the chance to learn stage combat, along with many others, form into memories for students. Moysenko describes one of her favorite memories from theatre.

“If I were to pick any [memory], it would be closing nights on shows with everyone,” Moysenko said. “That’s because we just did this whole thing together, getting it done and it was awesome.” 

Another one of the clubs that offer students a unique experience is pride club. This club is centered around the LGBTQ+ community, in which students get to listen to others’ feelings while also getting the time to express their own thoughts. Joshua Cyr is a World History teacher and the adviser for pride club at WHS. 

“Students get to talk about how they feel,” said Cyr. “We get to talk about how we can improve the atmosphere of our school towards LGBTQ+ students, and really just create a welcoming environment for people who might traditionally not feel that in other classes and other clubs.” 

Pride club also provides students with a learning experience, this includes giving lessons to the club about their own areas of interests.

“We do a lot of perspective building,” Cyr said. “We do student-led lessons where if something interests them, they can teach the club about it.” 

 Not only do certain classes and clubs make high school distinct from elementary and middle school, but the higher expectations placed on students to get their assignments done on their own and on time do as well. Most students’ personalities also change and develop during high school. 

“Everyone is more mature [in high school],” Johnson said. “You are doing a lot of things that are independent, and all of your teachers depend on you to get your work done.” 

As a result of gaining more knowledge and educational experiences through these classes and clubs, students are able to assimilate valuable lessons about life. 

“Failing is a part of the process of life,” Cyr said. “If you learn how to fail in front of a theater class, if you learn how to fail in front of a band class, it teaches you how to keep moving and how to keep going.”