Now & Then, Spring 2025

Community

Head of School

Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25

Office of Strategic Communications

Chelsea Arceo, Digital Communications Specialist

Max Pearlstein, Director of Strategic Communications

Olivia Rodrigues P’31, Daily Content Specialist

Copy Editor Ruth Pearlstein

Contributing Photographer

James P. Jones, James Jones Studio

Design

Alex Budnitz, Sametz Blackstone Associates

Board

Alumni Board

Family

Stacy Hurley P’32

Mariama Jallow P’31

Alumni, while we’re on the topic of connecting at Wheeler, we want to connect with you!

Join us On Campus for Purple & Gold Circle Lunch, June 6

Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, Oct. 18-19

(Early bird registration ends Sept. 1!)

Join us On the Road (and By the Water!) as we introduce Head of School Mark Anderson at Wheeler by the Water: Bristol, hosted by Trustee Nick Wall ’03, July 24

Wheeler by the Water: Gloucester, hosted by Frances Brooks Taplett ’99, Aug. 5

Wheeler on the Road: DC, hosted by Dr. Whitney Haring-Smith ’03, Sept. 18

More to come in 2026!

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Visit the events page on The Wheel, or scan this QR code, to register and learn more about these events!

A Letter From the Head of School…and a Letter About the Head of School

There were many things about Wheeler I knew I would probably love before I came for my first visit in the fall of 2016, but once I set foot on campus, I sensed that what I would love most would be the people. The two thenseniors who led me around for a tour regaled me with tales of their favorite teachers and the brilliance of their fellow students, a brilliance that was reflected in intellectual achievements and in their peers’ wit, creativity, and many interests. Whether it was in the glorious art studio, in English classes, or outside on the fields at Wheeler Farm, I could tell that this place was special both for its incredible surroundings and for the community members who surrounded it — and one another.

During my tenure as head of school, which comes to a close this spring, we have been in so many ways defined by these connections. They feature in imaginative programs developed by our faculty and staff in Providence and at the farm. They are relationships built and nurtured, and this sense of community is a defining characteristic of the school we’ve built together, and continue to build every day. Some of these years have also been defined by disconnection, especially so during the height of COVID, which powerfully reminded us of all that we had to lose by being apart physically and, at times, emotionally too.

In coming together, I am so proud of the Wheeler I see surrounding me today. It is robust, dynamic, diverse, ever-striving, imaginative, and alive. I know Mary Colman Wheeler would also be proud if she could see her school today, living out her revolutionary idea and drive to make sure that we all “learn our powers and be answerable for their use.”

For all of these reasons, we wanted to bring our community together again in the magazine. You can read numerous stories in this issue about our connections at Wheeler and beyond, and you can see images throughout the magazine from our recent Community Photo Days. The stories and pictures show some of the radiant energy and joy at Wheeler. Once again, I am reminded that it’s the people who made me so glad to have been here for the last eight years.

I have loved being your head of school. Ben and I have loved raising our children and building our own community here, and I will be forever grateful for my opportunity to steward this fine institution into the future.

Warmly,

Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 Head of School

Like Allison, I had a good feeling about Wheeler before I came here, but it wasn’t until my meeting with her during the interview process, when I got to see the school through her eyes, that I knew this was where I wanted to be. During our conversation, Allison told me about her educational vision for Wheeler, but she was just as enthusiastic, if not more so, about Wheeler’s community.

One afternoon four years later, Allison and I sat down in her office for another conversation, this time to look back at her time as Wheeler’s head of school. You can read more about our discussion, and join us as we traverse her tenure, in “Letters on Leadership and Legacy: From MCW to AGP,” the article that begins on page 72. In addition to talking with Allison for the story, I also spoke with some of her colleagues, family members, and friends to hear how she impacted them personally, and the school collectively. They speak about her deep care for others, her incredible curiosity and willingness to try new things, and her tireless work ethic, but the theme that connects them all is their feelings of admiration and appreciation for her.

I share their sentiments. I was fortunate over the last four years to see how Allison’s vision and heart guided Wheeler forward, even when the path before us was clouded by unprecedented challenges like the pandemic and societal strife. Throughout it all, she kept us together and helped connect us in new and exciting ways to the world around us. She also connected us more concretely to our founding history as we ambitiously, and optimistically, move into the future.

Editor and Director of Strategic Communications

With Appreciation

We are deeply grateful to our faculty and staff of 20+ years who will be leaving Wheeler at the end of this school year. Thank you for your decades of dedication to our school and for all of the care, talent, and inspiration that you provided our students over the years.

Sarah Daughn 48 years at Wheeler

Dorothy Garfield P’02, P’04, P’06 31 years

Kelly (Foss) Mitchell P’18, P’20 31 years

Judy Poirier P’08, P’09 44 years

One Hundred Questions for One Wheeler Family

OK, we don’t actually have 100 questions in this story, but we do have one family that is celebrating its 100th cumulative year at Wheeler this school year. Longtime faculty members Bob Schmidt and Annie Funnell P’14, P’16, and their children, Eli ’14 and Zander ’16 (who is now a Wheeler faculty member himself), are well known within our community…and we wanted to know what they think of turning 100 together at school.

Eli: When I heard that our family has spent 100 cumulative years at Wheeler, my first thought was that I am immensely proud of my parents for the time and effort they have given to the school. Sixty-five years between the two of them it’s remarkable to think of how many students they’ve taught, advisees they’ve mentored, and athletes they’ve coached over that span. I’m very proud of my brother and happy that he has found a profession he truly loves. All three of them improve people’s lives on a daily basis.

Zander: Thanks, Eli, but I have to admit that my first thought was that someone must’ve made a math error. The number 100 carries such weight I never imagined we’d be part of a milestone like that. My second thought was that if we don’t all retire this year, we’ll have to wait until we get to another satisfying milestone.

Bob: Like Zander, if I hadn’t fact checked the math, I wouldn’t have believed it! On one hand it seems like a lifetime has gone by, but on the other, it seems like yesterday when I was driving the wrong way up Waterman Ave., pulling a trailer of my belongings to stay a few days at former Head of School Bill Prescott’s home until I could find an apartment. That was in late August of ’91, a week after Hurricane Bob passed through Rhode Island. And thus began the first of my 34 years of Wheeler School service.

Annie: Well, it is pretty disappointing that it took all four of us to make up as many years as [Aerie Enrichment Director] Mark Harris has devoted to Wheeler (just kidding)…but, seriously, as someone who comes from a family of many teachers, I know that it is not uncommon for teaching to “run in the family,” and we follow a fine tradition of teaching couples who have been committed to Wheeler for many years (couples like Mark and Heidi Harris, Suzie Williams and Otter Brown, Seth and Dorothy Garfield, John and Diane Green, JoAnn and Jon Donahue, Peter and Sophie Lau, Caroline and Bill Fields, Trevor and Vanessa O’Driscoll; all of whom also have had children who “went the distance”). The roundness of the number was the satisfying part when I did the math though Eli recently got engaged, and his fiancé’s four years will end up adding to the tally, as will her brother’s four (Katharine Templeton ’15 and Will Templeton ’17), as our family grows.

Now & Then (N&T): With those additional family members and their Wheeler years maybe you will eventually catch up to Mark Harris! This milestone is certainly a collaborative experience, but what does Wheeler mean to you individually?

Annie: What it means is I am wicked old! But, truly, it is a reminder of how lucky we have been to be a part of the Wheeler family for so long. When Bob and I were engaged, I was teaching in a boarding school. He interviewed there (though there was no Science position open), I interviewed here, and we both interviewed at several boarding schools that had both English and Science positions available. However, once I met Marcie Cummings, Priscilla Wolff, and Catherine Reed, I was thrilled about the opportunity to work in the same department as such brilliant women, and to experience not only the shift to a day school but to an N-12 community. Nonetheless, I was not sure it would be our “forever home” initially. But we have been fortunate to consider many Wheeler teachers and staff members over the years as extended family, especially those with kids who were Eli’s and Zander’s classmates (the Michels, Almy/Boogaerts, Spragues, Bombas, Grear/ Barkers, Belushis, Harrisons, Nickersons, St. Onges, Aleixos, Sullivans). By the time [former Head of School] Dan Miller, who had been a friend of mine at Amherst, and [Head of Upper School] Neeltje [Henneman], who had been my college roommate, became my bosses, we were deeply embedded, but their arrival cemented the sense of belonging.

Eli: Belonging is similar to the word I use to describe Wheeler: it was and is an extension of home. I grew up there. A big part of that feeling comes from school being a place I shared with my family. But even if my parents and my brother had nothing to do with Wheeler, I think I would feel the same way because the faculty

went above and beyond to make everyone comfortable and excited to come to school. There are many special things about Wheeler, but the faculty are what sets it apart as an institution. In my experience, they are amazing teachers, but, more importantly, amazing people. They work so hard for their students I’ve seen it firsthand for years. My mom often is the last one awake in the Schmidt/Funnell household grading papers. Both of my parents and so many faculty members go above and beyond to attend students’ games, concerts, plays, etc. It’s incredible dedication and support.

Bob: I definitely think of Wheeler as my second home, too, but in addition, Wheeler is my community, and all who pass through I consider my extended family. My time at Wheeler has included getting married and the birth of my two sons. It is a special place where I currently teach some students who are the children of former students of mine! It is a place that has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. It’s a place where I’ve been able to teach in three different divisions and learn from talented colleagues. My teaching, coaching, and advising have always been about the kids (a nod to Breakthrough Summer), and that’s why I think I’m able to call so many former students my friends. Having taught previously at a boarding school, I consciously bring that mindset to our day school setting school doesn’t end after classes. The more students see me outside of the classroom, the more I can do with them in the classroom (if you know, you know).

Zander: Somehow, calling Wheeler my second home doesn’t seem to do it justice. I wouldn’t be the person that I am today without this place, and I don’t just mean that in terms of my education or career. I’m more thoughtful, more curious, and I’m a kinder person today because of Wheeler. Friends, faculty, coaches, and staff all played a crucial role in helping me realize what’s really important to me.

N&T: When it comes to what’s important, what does it mean to share Wheeler this second home with the rest of your family?

Bob: I am honored, blessed, and proud of our cumulative history with Wheeler. Making the journey in the company of family cannot be underestimated riding to school together; sharing stories of classmates, teachers, and coaches; doing homework in the evening; and forever hoping for snow days!

Annie: What a gift to be able to have if not a front row seat at least a peering-through-windows opportunity to witness our children’s 15 years of learning and growing on the same campus, knowing their teachers, knowing about the transformative experiences ahead for them (moon lift-offs, Safari Days, Invention Conventions, medieval feasts, Folklore Fairs, the farm program, etc.), and knowing their classmates even during those years when our kids stopped talking to us. We know how lucky we were to be flies on the wall, but also how hard it was sometimes for our kids to have us around all the time. It was one thing when they could pretend not to know us as we crossed the courtyard, but another thing to listen without embarrassment when we made announcements or to worry that their friends who had us as teachers would hate us. Yet, they survived that

stretch of self consciousness (peaking in 7th grade) to come back around to being able to acknowledge us and, finally, to be happy to see us most of the time.

Having Zander as a colleague now brings a whole new level of joy and pride and wonder. That he is following in the family tradition is obviously heartwarming for us, but he also is really good at what he does. When he began teaching during COVID’s distancing and masking and complexities and still enjoyed his experiences, we knew he would love being in a classroom without all those obstacles to connecting with kids. Sure, I can go all day without seeing Zander or Bob, but I still feel how fortunate I am each day to know that they are somewhere close by and to know that when we are together we can share our stories about classes and kids.

Zander: Being a part of a family that loves and supports one another unconditionally is something that I don’t take for granted and there’s no question that our shared experiences at Wheeler are to thank, at least in part. The school and its community have helped to shape our values in ways that are unique to each of us, yet congruent in purpose. Our humility, empathy, and especially our senses of humor were all influenced by our time at Wheeler.

Eli: I consider myself very lucky to have had so much extra time with my parents and my brother growing up. We were all headed to the same place every morning and every evening. I feel a deeper connection with the school because my family is still there. When I come back to Rhode Island, it’s great to hear stories about what’s going on at Wheeler these days.

N&T: You’ve spoken about similar themes in your responses, but I’m curious if you have any favorite specific Wheeler experiences that you’ve shared?

Eli: It was so much fun to grow up at Wheeler with my brother. Some of my most treasured memories are of time spent with him and our friends in the Lower School After School Program waiting for mom and dad to finish up faculty meetings. I never had either of my parents as teachers, but it was an awesome experience to have my dad as a basketball coach in Middle School.

Annie: Speaking of sports, I have always loved spending afternoons out at the farm watching games. Growing up in a boarding school in the middle of nowhere, spectating (and playing) was almost the only form of entertainment, so I try to attend as many games as I can. I am thinking of a particular day when Eli was a senior and he had been tapped to be the Varsity Soccer goalie, though he had never played the position before. He was playing in his senior game on the original turf field, while Zander was playing in the JV game on the field above. I found it excruciating to watch Eli in the goal during close games, but the team had a sizeable lead, so I could actually watch, and I was able to walk back and forth between both games, catching highlights, including the moment when Eli was pulled out of the goal to take a penalty kick and scored his first ever goal. After watching years of Senior Game celebrations, to be a senior parent for the first time and realize that we were beginning a year of lasts for him and lasts for us as a family being all together on campus was a poignant moment. Another specific moment was Zander’s graduation. He was a class president and thus a Commencement speaker, which was a big and nervewracking moment and the “end of an era” as Wheeler parents for us. That ceremony, listening to him speak while sitting up on the stage and being able to hand him his diploma was another time when I felt keenly how privileged I was to be in that position to know all of his classmates and so many of their families, to remember some of them when they were three years old, to have watched all of them grow up together. I realize, though, how lucky all of us are who have had the honor of being able to witness so many graduations (with all their pomp and circumstance; and flags; and bagpipes; and so much joy, pride, and relief).

Zander: That’s the memory that immediately comes to mind my graduation ceremony but not for the reason you might think. In the days leading up to graduation, I went through who knows how many drafts of my speech. I was terrified to speak in front of everybody, and my nerves still hadn’t calmed by the time I was called on stage. Just before I got to the podium, my knees shaking, I saw my grandfather in the crowd. Ever since I was tiny, he knew I wasn’t a fan of the spotlight. He was sitting quietly with a polite smile on his face and an eager look in his eyes. In a sea of well-dressed families, students, and faculty, you might’ve missed him were it not for the two-foot-tall, pointed wizard hat on his head. I nearly burst out laughing before I had even managed to introduce myself. Suddenly, giving my speech didn’t seem all that scary anymore. (Apologies to anyone who was sitting behind him.)

Bob: There are so many favorite moments! As Annie said, each of the boys’ senior years, Senior Games, and their graduations, and Zander’s well-received speech at his graduation (despite the nervousness he just mentioned). Earlier in their time as students, I enjoyed going to Lower School celebrations like rocket ship launchings and seasonal parties. I was especially proud to appear in their Lower School classrooms to do a science lesson or two. You always knew that the boys were in good hands at the After School Program WOW because they never wanted to leave (I believe that is still a trademark of the program). I loved coaching the boys and their friends when they played Middle School basketball and going to their games when they played sports in Upper School. And as Annie mentioned, there’s the addition of Zander to our Upper School Science Department these past five years how cool is that? I’m especially proud to call Annie my colleague and so much more: She is the consummate professional having been awarded the Wheeler Endowed Chair for Excellence in Upper School Teaching and currently holds the Jason and Carly Siperstein Master Faculty Chair. She delivered the Commencement address to the Class of 2019 and has been a class dean even before there was a title for it. She is the family glue, she is my rock, and I am thankful that we both reside in our FAB offices in order to seek counsel on all things “Wheeler.”

N&T: It’s hard to top what you said, Bob, but is there anything anyone would like to add for the purposes of this story?

Bob: I would like to thank the Wheeler community past and present students, faculty, administrators, and former heads of school, for the part they’ve played in providing a quality education for our boys while creating a dynamic workplace for Annie, Zander, and me. I know it sounds cliché, but since working at Wheeler, I really can’t remember when I didn’t want to go to work. That would be like saying I really don’t want to go home!

Annie: Well, Bob mentioned the Siperstein Master Faculty Chair, and I need to say what a huge honor that was, but also to explain that when I learned about it, I was hit by a wave of imposter syndrome. At first, all I could think about were the people I had voted for who deserved the award more than I did (including Bob who has been at Wheeler longer than I have, has taught in different divisions, has taken on course overloads for years, has coached multiple sports, has been an

amazing advisor, has been dedicated to engaging students in environmental action, has led trips to Iceland, has put up with me, etc.). While I still feel the urge to apologize for not being worthy, the truth is that being voted for by my colleagues as the recipient was the greatest honor of my life, and I now think of it as an honor shared by our whole family for these 100 years of connection with and love for such a special school. It was when I was writing a letter to the Sipersteins, to thank them for their appreciation of Wheeler’s teachers, when I first did the math to total our family’s cumulative time at Wheeler.

Zander: Speaking of that math, my understanding is that Eli is only contributing 15 years out of the 100 total for the family. I’m sure he’d argue that finishing law school is a priority, but as far as I’m concerned, he needs to pump those numbers up.

A MovingTradition

Sofie (left) and Camilla (center) walk into Opening Assembly together.

Each school year begins at Wheeler with the Opening Assembly. Most of the gathered students, faculty, and staff are seated in Miller Quad, but the youngest and oldest students on our Providence campus get to experience the festivities from a special (and moving) vantage point, as they pair up — a younger student with an older schoolmate or two — for a procession. Sofie Levine ’25, a senior, walked with kindergartener Camilla Kelly ’37. “Camilla told me she was kind of nervous to walk out,” Sofie remembers. “I told her I was nervous too, but that we’d walk slowly and it would all be fine.” As Camilla found out, it was even better than fine. She says it was “fun,” in part because Sofie was with her, but also because she got a cookie at the end.

It was a sweet moment for Jasmine Durand ’25 as well, though more of the bittersweet variety. “It really signified that my last year at Wheeler had finally come, and I was reminded of my long, yet impactful, journey here,” she says. “Progressing through each grade and watching every graduating senior class walk with the youngest students on campus was a tradition I always patiently, yet eagerly, looked forward to. To then actually be there this year as one of those seniors felt very surreal, but it also made me feel grateful. As a former WOW [After School Program] counselor and a Wheeler Summer Camp counselor, I’ve created many bonds with the younger students on campus and have watched them grow in my past four years here.

“Leading up to the day, my cousin Nyla Phildor ’35 and I were filled with excitement. We planned our outfits and looked forward to walking together. This was especially meaningful to me because while this is her first year at Wheeler, it is my last. Sharing this time with her has given me nothing but joy and gratitude. I’m truly thankful for the senior traditions that Wheeler provides, making moments like these so memorable.”

Sofie adds that the experience also gave her a sense of pride. “I’ve been at Wheeler since I was in 6th grade, so I was able to step back and think about how many times I’ve been at this Opening Assembly at different stages in my life. It was really refreshing to be there this time as a senior. It made me appreciate the community here and see it through a more mature lens than I would have in past years, when I might have been more focused on other things, like thinking about classes. All the seniors wear matching clothes, a white shirt and jeans, and being able to walk out with the younger kids and to then sit on the [Nulman Lewis Student Center] steps and see everyone, that’s a really cool feeling. Being up there, you realize that it’s a privilege and a responsibility to have all of the other kids at Wheeler literally looking up to you.”

Jasmine (center) with her cousin, Nyla (right), and Naya Evans ‘35 (left)

OPENING ASSEMBLY ISN’T THE ONLY TIME WHEN YOUNGER AND OLDER STUDENTS COLLECTIVELY KICK OFF A SCHOOL EVENT: THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER AND BOYS VARSITY SOCCER COACH OSCAR ZORRILLA P’34, P’36, P’38, LOWER SCHOOLERS GET THE CHANCE TO WALK OUT ONTO THE FIELD BEFORE SPECIAL GAMES EACH SEASON ALONGSIDE TEAM MEMBERS.

“We have something different here at Wheeler in terms of our connections to one another, and with the walkouts, I want the Lower Schoolers to envision themselves as the players someday,” Coach Z explains. “Having that time before games to communicate with the older students, to talk and joke around with them, they’ll remember that stuff when they get older. During halftime, we also invite them to play in the middle of the field, which will also bring some good memories. Hopefully, they turn those memories into a playing career at Wheeler.”

If students stick with soccer and make it into the varsity game for real some day, Coach Z says they can expect a welcoming but challenging environment at Wheeler, on the pitch and off. “I played sports at Classical, so I understand what it takes to be a high school athlete at a rigorous school, and I know that the balance between the two can be very hard,” he says. “That kind of lays my foundation for the boys, so they understand that they can come to me to discuss when they may be having a tough time and could use a break, or have other needs related to school.”

Coach Z says Lower Schoolers have embraced the soccer tournament (and the tournament trophy).

By building that trust with his players, Coach Z says, it’s easier to establish high standards for sports, as well as in the classroom. “We want them to be able to compete every day and understand what is expected of them. When I’m coaching, I make sure that the kids hold themselves and each other accountable. I’m mentoring them, but that responsibility to meet our standards is ultimately on them.”

It’s a culture that continues to permeate his program even after graduation. “When alumni come back and join us during the summertime or during any practices in the fall, we always talk about giving back and being a part of our family. We have family at home and here as well. That connects us together, just as much as our success. We’ve had a few championships under my tenure, and by building on our culture, there will hopefully be more to come.”

Wheeler Soccer alumni pose for a reunion game photo.

Lower Schoolers play on the pitch during halftime of a varsity soccer game.

With his culture-building initiatives beginning in Lower School, Coach Z is able to start bringing kids into that championship environment well before they put on a varsity uniform. Consider the Middle School Basketball Tournament or the Lower School Soccer Tournament he created a few years ago to generate some of the same spirit he saw each spring at the all-school Field Day. “It’s electric on campus for Field Day, or during the Upper School Jamboree, and I thought we could expand that energy into other events, to give kids another way to participate and excel beyond the classroom.”

While there’s plenty of energy and excitement, there’s also disappointment, by design. “The tournaments are hard,” Coach Z says, “and part of it is teaching kids that sometimes things are hard. There is winning and losing. We do have a champion, and there are no consolation games. It helps them understand that there’s an expectation as you get older that things are going to get tougher, but that shouldn’t stop you from competing each year and striving for something.”

That spirit is already taking hold in Lower School, Coach Z says. “The soccer tournament doesn’t happen until March, but as early as September — basically the first day of school I heard the 5th-graders in Hamilton talking about it. They had their team name, the Hamilton Bears, already picked out, and they were excited to get out there for the games that were still a few months away. It brings me joy to see how many kids are getting involved. It becomes more competitive, but with more people playing and more people coming to the games, all of the Lower School is in the gym, supporting one another and being a part of that family environment.”

From Judi Alperin King ’79

Class

Arriving at The Mary C. Wheeler School for girls in 2nd grade in 1968, I was of course unprepared for and naive about the friendships I would eventually develop. I was oblivious to the core values that would be instilled in me throughout my tenure at Wheeler. I clearly remember trying to learn the motto: "We are Wheeler girls and Wheeler girls modulate their voices." Yet modulating was not about silencing, it was about being in control of our voices, using them effectively with purpose.

We did not know it then, but we were building foundational skills to develop the powers we held within us, the skills that Mary Wheeler wanted us to develop and the message that we could achieve with hard work regardless of our identity. We were encouraged to take ceramics with Ms. Ormsbee or drawing with Mr. Maistera, even if we lacked confidence in our artistic abilities. We may have thought we were just trying to score goals and baskets so that Mrs. Farroba would reward us with her famous brownies, but the underlying lesson was that we could contribute to a team, even if we weren't naturally gifted athletes. Academics were of course at the core of our days, but the newspaper, community service, and learning about the world were also essential to our complete education.

Through these messages of embracing challenges and cultivating curiosity, we learned to work together, play together, and respect each other's personalities and cultures. Was it perfect? No. Was it clear the message was getting through at the time? I doubt it. But did it work? Absolutely. In the end, I think the importance of community and belonging were the greatest messages we carried with us when we left Wheeler. This was a community that could be relied on, could be filled with surprises and joy, and could help us meet our fears.

Carla Armbrust [’79], Lisa Sullivan [’79], Ann Gillespie [’79], and I (as well as the rest of the class) have maintained that sense of community and carried those lessons in our hearts and minds. It is clear those same lessons are ingrained in every aspect of Wheeler life today.

We don't get to see or even talk to each other very often, yet our bond is forever. We knew each other's parents and siblings, we remember those moments when we could not stop laughing in calculus, or when we all had to learn about loss when a friend passed away in a car accident. All of these moments prepared us for the lives we have been lucky enough to lead. I am grateful for the moments we can come together and I can be with the people who believe in me, understand my intentions, and truly know how I came to be.

From Matt Coen ’88

Wheeler gave me an incredible educational foundation, a way of thinking, and leadership opportunities that serve me well to this day, but the best thing it gave me was so many incredible friendships. For me, four in particular Gwen Lohse [’88], Andrew Hirsch [’88], Amy Diamond (Brodsky) [’88], and Jeremy Duffy [’88] have been constants. We spent time visiting each other at college, we’ve been roommates, we were in each

other's wedding parties, our kids are friends, we’ve gone on vacations together, and more. We’ve been there for each other in the most difficult moments and for the very best. As empty nesting rapidly approaches, I am looking forward to more time with this crew and so many other Wheeler friends.

Connections

From Members of the Class of 1971

We started together as girls on the same narrow footpath at Wheeler, then our lives, as women, meandered in vastly different directions. The connections we made during those years turned out to be unexpectedly profound and to have endured the test of time, even after decades of little contact. When we reunited with our classmates [for our 50th Reunion], a succession of untapped memories sprung to the surface, along with great joy and a

curious bonding. How wonderful to reconnect with classmates, and it’s special to increase your friend group in your 70s! We shared a formative experience in our early lives in a place and at a time that was unique to us, and it still burns within. Some of us call each other “Keepers of The Flame.”

Looking together for evidence of animals

Collaborative Curiosity

One of the best things about being a nursery through grade 12 school are the opportunities it presents for students to connect across grades. This happens every day on both of our campuses, but the Wheeler Farm’s 120 acres of fields and forests is a literal landscape of partnership possibilities. When Fire Pond froze in January, for example, Nest students, 6th-graders, and their teachers jumped (very carefully) at the fun opportunity to safely explore the newly created grounds. The students got to play and slide on the ice some even tried to skate but the real highlight was observing the leaves and insects below the clear ice! The discovery of two different types of insects launched everyone into a nature inquiry activity as they looked for similarities and differences between the bugs, and, after a bit more research, they identified them as dobsonfly larvae and dragonfly nymphs.

In other explorations, the 6th-graders and Nest students also joined the 9th-grade Environmental Science Program on its winter experiential education trip to the farm. One class of 9th-graders took a hike through the forest with some of the Nest students, looking for evidence of animals. Along the way, the younger kids taught their older schoolmates about animal tracking and being prepared for winter weather, while another Environmental Science class had a hands-on lesson on fire starting (with steel flint fire starters) alongside the 6th-graders. In the end, the combined group of students prevailed and were rewarded with biscuits and hot dogs cooked over an open fire on a memorable winter’s day!

Throughout his career, Middle School Music Teacher Nick Toscano P’34, P’36 has played on a lot of other musicians’ albums, and over the years, those jazz friends would ask him when they’d be able to return the favor. “They’d tell me, ‘You have so much to say musically, and you should really document some of your ideas, write some tunes, and put out your own album,’” he shares. But the timing just never seemed right, as he waited for album inspiration to take hold — or in Mr. Toscano’s case, take root. “Recently, I started to get these seeds in my mind about an album made up of compositions related to places, all around the world, that have had a big impact on my life,” he explains. “And as I began to think about those places, the sketches for a bunch of tunes just came out.”

Once those compositions emerged, Mr. Toscano called up some of his favorite musicians to see if they would help record them. His potential collaborators included a Wheeler colleague and friend, Upper School Jazz Music Teacher Francisco Pais Cardoso. “He’s a brilliant musician and composer, and I love playing with him and talking music with him,” Mr. Toscano says.

When he and Mr. Cardoso started talking together about the album, they thought it would be “really cool” to widen the Wheeler circle and invite a few of their former students, who are now rising professional musicians themselves, to join the ensemble, starting with Will Evans ’16. “Will was one of Francisco’s ‘heavy cats’ he’s an incredible piano player who lives in New York, but during COVID, as gigs dried up, Will and I actually became good friends. He would come over and we would play jazz out on my back deck.”

Mr. Toscano had also played gigs with trumpet player Noah Allen ’23 and electric bass player Joe Acampora ’24, who are both currently students at Berklee. “I have relationships with Joe and Noah from having been their teacher, and I got to know their parents as well,” he says. “There’s the connection of having watched them transition into Francisco’s program in Upper School, and they were both ahead of their age in terms of musical maturity.”

All of the alums applied their musical perspectives and talents to the album, as they’re featured on three of the tracks, along with Mr. Cardoso. “They just breathed so much life into these compositions and played so beautifully that I’m just over the moon about it.”

Mr. Toscano says he was thrilled with how the album came out, but once it was finished, he turned to a few of his other Wheeler connections his family members for assistance with some key creative elements. “My family has become part of the Wheeler community, and the cover photo is a photo that my wife took in Brighton Beach in Brooklyn,” he says. “When it comes to the album’s title, I originally wanted to call it ‘Places,’ but there’s already another album by Brad Mehldau with that name. I was talking with my daughter, Anisa [’34], about it one day in the car. She heard me writing the songs and she heard recordings of the rough tracks, and so she knew the music. I was telling her that I needed a title for the album, and I can’t remember what her first suggestion was, but literally on her second try, she said, ‘How About “Where We Go?”’ It was perfect.”

When it comes to going places, Mr. Toscano says he has made wonderful memories over the years with both his family members and musical friends, but his first album takes those memories and turns them into “a physical product of my own compositions. Having all of these people be part of it creates a sense of permanence, and it gives me an even deeper feeling of having these roots in the soil of my life.”

Pedaling Together to the Past

ABOVE LEFT Melanie found a lot of cafes perfect for blog writing.

ABOVE RIGHT Lauren in the town of Dragør. About 700 Jews escaped through Dragør harbor.

As the saying goes, once you learn how to ride a bike, you never and as Lauren Malicki ’86 and Melanie Baron ’86 can tell you, the same concept holds true for a good friendship. They’ve been friends for over 50 years, since they first met in their Pawtucket kindergarten class and later transferred to Wheeler together for the start of 9th grade.

“Despite the time and the distance, Lauren and I are still one another’s first phone call when something good or terrible happens, and whether it’s been two hours or two years since our last conversation, we pick up wherever we left off,” Melanie shares on the blog, “Pedal to the Past” (pedaltothepast.com), she created to document a biking trip they took two summers ago to Denmark. She wrote those words soon after Lauren called to invite her on a journey to discover how the Danes saved nearly all the country’s Jews during the Holocaust.

“It was a trip unlike any I will ever take again,” Lauren says. “We learned by meeting many different people, and everyone was so welcoming and giving of their time. They went far out of their way to help us find what we were searching for. Having the opportunity to spend all that time with Melanie, which we haven’t had in forever, since she moved to North Carolina and I’m in Connecticut, made it even more special.”

Lauren is a middle school teacher who lives near the Mystic Seaport maritime museum, home to the Gerda III, which is one of the ships used in the rescue effort during WWII. “I had known a little bit of the story of Denmark from when I used to teach the book, ‘Number the Stars’ by Lois Lowry [about a Jewish family’s escape from Copenhagen]. I also like to bicycle, and so this idea for professional development just kind of came together. Melanie does a lot of grant writing, and I called on her to help me write the grant. When I found out that I got it, I asked if she wanted to come.”

Melanie says she was intrigued as a Jewish person who’s studied the Holocaust, yet didn’t know about Denmark’s role. But first, there was a bit of a bike barrier to overcome. “I hadn’t ridden a bike in more than 10 years and Lauren rides just for fun. I can’t even imagine people sweating on purpose like that! So I said, ‘Give me 24 hours.’ I went home, and I had this old bike in the garage that I dusted off. It had flat tires, it was falling apart, and I brought it to a bike shop. They took a giant blower and blew air on the bike, and spiders came running out.”

Once Melanie’s bike was road-ready, the old friends began planning their trip together. “Between the two of us, we made a lot of connections,” Lauren says. “I connected with someone who had written a book about the boat at Mystic Seaport, and he connected me with people in Denmark. Melanie connected with some museum people she knew, as well as a rabbi there. There was a person I contacted in one of the towns south of Copenhagen to ask for a recommendation for someone who could give us a tour around the town. They hooked me up with a local historian, who then hooked me up with the person who runs the cemetery for the resistance leaders, who in turn hooked me up with an amateur historian who basically has a museum in his basement.”

All of those connections led to personal stories you can read about on the blog. Each story, Lauren and Melanie say, brought the past to life. It happened even at breakfast one morning, when someone at their hotel heard them speaking English and began talking with them. “His grandmother was very involved in the resistance, and he told us her story,” Lauren says. “There was just so much human connection with all these individuals who had stories to tell.”

The way they organized the trip, Melanie adds, gave them freedom to take detours down new paths both physical and historical. “At one point we were talking to a historian, and he was telling us about a woman who lived nearby. She was four when she and her family escaped to Sweden. He said, ‘Let’s give her a call,’ and an hour later, we were in her living room hearing her story. It was incredible! Or Lauren mentioned the guy we met at breakfast when we were staying at this hotel in this tiny town that had been a Nazi headquarters during the war. Every building had a story, and everywhere we just got this feeling that if you knocked on a door there’d be a story inside. I just wish we had time to knock on all the doors.”

BELOW The Gerda III at Mystic Seaport, one of a handful of Danish rescue boats still in the water. This boat rescued 300 Jews. Additionally, it was used to rescue 600-700 others, including Danish Resistance fighters and downed Allied pilots. “If you’re interested in reading more about the Gerda III’s story, a great book is ‘Henny and Her Boat: Righteousness and Resistance in Nazi Occupied Denmark,’” shares Lauren.

ABOVE One of a series of plaques throughout the town of Gilleleje, marking locations related to the rescue of the Jews. Translation from Hebrew: “You must explain to your children.” About 1,200 Jews escaped through Gilleleje.

ABOVE RIGHT Lauren and Melanie, ready for the road

As they biked around the coast of Denmark in search of those stories, Melanie says she was driven by a desire to understand why, with so much death during the Holocaust, Denmark was different. The Danes saved nearly their entire Jewish population over a three-week period by smuggling over 7,000 Jews to Sweden on small fishing boats. But why did they do it, when other countries couldn’t or wouldn’t?

“I found it fascinating to learn that because of the location of Denmark’s ports, and its food supply during the war, there was an incentive for the Germans to strike a deal with Denmark,” Melanie shares. “It’s actually sort of funny, the title of a book about this could be, ‘How Bacon Saved the Jews.’ Because Denmark was treated differently, at least at the beginning, by the Nazis. Danish Jews didn’t wear stars. They weren’t moved into ghettos. They weren’t separated in businesses or schools. That lasted for two years while, across the rest of Europe, there was all of this separation and dehumanization happening. Later, when there was this turning point and the Nazis’ ‘Final Solution’ became a thing to enact in Denmark, it was too sharp of a turn. The people of Denmark hadn’t been conditioned to be ready for that. These were their neighbors, and this was a case of neighbors helping neighbors. I feel like there’s a big lesson in that.”

From Lauren’s point of view, that’s not only a big lesson about history, but something for us to remember and repeat, always. “These stories matter because they’re about individual people who did something to make a difference. As the rabbi we met told us and you can see video of him on our blog these stories are about the importance of standing up for anyone who is oppressed. My original goal was to bring what I learned back to my middle school students, but it was a lesson for all of us about what an impact one individual can make by standing up.”

And it’s a lesson Lauren and Melanie were happy to learn together on the backroads of Denmark. “It makes me hopeful,” Melanie says.

Connecting Along a Circuitous Path

There is likely no one at Wheeler who has a larger network than Aerie Enrichment Director

Mark Harris P’08, P’24. He has to, given the expansive array of opportunities that Aerie is able to offer to students across school. And if Mr. Harris doesn’t already know someone who teaches what students want to learn about, whether it’s farming or Hindi, he is determined to find them, as evidenced by his always present (and ever growing) legal pad of names and contact information.

“We hire 85 to 100 Aerie adjunct instructors, coaches, mentors, tutors, and interns each school year,” Mr. Harris says. “While a lot of that happens through word of mouth, there are many other ways we establish those connections. We advertise some positions on college websites, which allow us to get in touch with graduate students in a Computer Science department, the Engineering department, or whatever subject we need.

“Sometimes serendipity plays a role,” he adds. “I’ll give you one example: We searched for two years for a Swedish instructor. We found plenty of Swedish people, but none had a visa to allow them to work in the Aerie Program. Eventually, we found our Swedish teacher, with the help of our Hebrew teacher who knew someone in Israel who has Swedish citizenship and was interested in teaching remotely. Now we have two kids, one in Lower School and one in Middle School, who take lessons with her at 11:30am and noon our time, when it’s 7pm across the Atlantic and Mediterranean.”

“Over the decades, we’ve developed this wide network of contacts, but it’s always been our mission to connect kids to their fields of interest, and sometimes their fields of passion. It’s just that sometimes we find those connections by taking a circuitous path!”

Mr. Harris with his ever-growing list of Aerie contacts

A Facilities Family

“I describe the Facilities Department as the first impression to the Wheeler community, and we see it as our job to make sure every first impression is a good one,” says Nicole Mineo P’38, director of operations on our Providence campus. “Good relationships are important to making that happen, whether we’re working alongside teachers and division heads so that our classrooms and common spaces are providing what the students need, helping our Advancement team build relationships with alumni through campus events, or making sure every Enrollment tour is a stellar representation of how we care for the property and its buildings. Our goal is not just to maintain the campus and make it look nice, but for people to be able to see the love and care that this team puts into everything we do. As part of that, I want to listen to everyone’s needs and concerns it doesn’t mean we can fix them all, but I want our faculty and staff to feel heard and seen, and if it’s something we can fix, we’re going to fix it, and if it’s something we can’t, we’re going to brainstorm and figure out how we can address it down the road.”

That responsibility for positive relationships extends to and is shared by her own team as well. “This is the best place I’ve ever worked,” says Facilities Supervisor Mike Rodrigues, who joined Wheeler 11 years ago. “Everybody here has such a positive attitude, and it’s easy to give that positive energy back when people are so respectful of you and your work.

“The Facilities team is a great bunch of people, and Nicole’s presence is a big part of that,” he adds. “If you have an issue, she’s willing to sit and talk about it, even if it may seem insignificant. That makes you happy, and you don’t mind doing a little extra or coming in early when it’s needed.”

While Mike and his colleagues are quick to credit Nicole’s leadership, she’s just as quick to emphasize that it’s a team or in her mind, family effort. “Relationships and family are important to me, and this team was a family before I got here and welcomed me into their hearts,” she says. “They’re hardworking, talented, and kind, and I’m excited that they get to show all of that to our community and shine in their roles. The Facilities team at Wheeler is thriving, and we’re having fun while we’re doing it!”

Assembling in Appreciation of All Kinds of Learning

“Dyslexia is my superpower,” Khalil Munir told students, faculty, and staff crowded into Madden Gym in early March for an all-school assembly. As we soon learned, it was one of his many powers! We celebrated and connected in numerous ways throughout the day with Mr. Munir, an accomplished actor, dancer, educator, and storyteller, who was this year’s recipient of the Hamilton Life Achievement Award, which recognizes people who have used their learning differences to their advantage in accomplishing great things.

The award and its associated activities, as always, served as the culmination of our annual Learning Differences Awareness Weeks at Wheeler, which, as Head of the Hamilton School at Wheeler Bill McCarthy described at that evening’s Mind Your p’s and q’s Event, is a time when all of Wheeler “casted a spotlight on learning differences and further recognized the importance of being a neurodiverse affirming and inclusive school community. From classroom activities focused on learning and the brain, to assemblies in all divisions to better understand learning differences and value neurodiversity within our school community, to classroom and grade-level conversations about the challenges and opportunities that come with having a learning difference, I am appreciative and proud of all that took place to bring greater awareness to and advocacy for individuals with learning differences… We must always remain committed to appreciating all kinds of learning here at school, because each of our students has a unique mind which affords them wonderful talents and abilities, and as a result, it is the neurodiversity in each space on our campuses that makes our school truly inspirational, dynamic, and special.”

Mr. Munir was the 30th recipient of the Hamilton Life Achievement Award; you may remember our story in last spring’s magazine about the Hamilton alumni community being honored, as a group, with the award. While the three decades of recipients represent a wide range of fields and achievements, we’ve honored each of them, together.

Passing

When he came to Wheeler as a student in the early 1980’s, John E. Corrigan ’87 says the idea of creating a school radio station was always in the back of his mind, but there were a few initial barriers. “First, the little problem was I had no idea how to do it. Second, there was no money, and third, would the school even want it?” But John knew just who he could consider those challenges with: Aerie Enrichment Program Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24. “His door was always open. He always had time for any student. He said, ‘Let’s make this happen.’ And yes, the first iteration of the budget and the requirements were kind of optimistic, to say the least.”

But thanks to the willingness of then-Head of School Bill Prescott H’03, P’85, P’91, P’96 and former Director of Operations Gary Esposito P’97, P’00, they did make it happen. “Part of what makes Wheeler extraordinary, I think, is summed up in what Bill Prescott used to say: ‘At Wheeler, we believe that all things are possible,’” John remembers with appreciation.

The fledgling radio club, which would become a station airing on 88.1FM in Providence, has evolved into a thriving media program run out of the recently renovated Digital Production Studio, where student

broadcasters, faculty, staff, and friends including John gathered last spring to celebrate WELH’s 40th anniversary. Today, an ever-growing group of students work with Media Program Director David Schiano P’26 and Media Program faculty member Jesse Yip ’08 on various programs and projects as they discover the power of communication and their own voices.

“I first became involved with Wheeler Broadcasting in 6th grade, when I participated in a broadcasting elective for middle schoolers,” shares Sabrina Gonzalez ’26. “From that moment on, I was hooked! The minute I got to high school, I approached Mr. Schiano and Mr. Yip about hosting my very own radio show on WELH about one of my passions: basketball!”

During each episode of “In The Paint,” Sabrina and her co-hosts, Jack Himelfarb ’26 and Milin Jayaraman ’26, would dive into recent games and trade rumors across the basketball world, and give their takes on teams and players. This year, she has turned her attention and her microphone to another original program, “Too Torn,” where she and co-host Bren Mahoney ’26 discuss and debate popular, timely, and sometimes controversial topics, from whether electric cars are the future to who should win the Album of the Year at the Grammys.

John (left) chats with Jesse, David, and guests in the studio during the WELH 40th anniversary celebration.

the Mic

“It is a privilege that Wheeler gives students such an amazing opportunity to voice our opinions in a state-of-the-art studio,” Sabrina says. “And the fact that our shows air on the radio and online is truly incredible. Mr. Schiano and Mr. Yip have done a tremendous job of making Wheeler Broadcasting accessible to all students. They prepare and teach us how to be effective communicators and provide us with the tools to have a captivating, yet informative, podcast.”

Sabrina says she loves hosting her own shows and talking to her classmates on air. “Where else would I have an opportunity in high school to do this?” she asks. “I have gained so many valuable skills, including public speaking and quick thinking, that I would have not learned in my other endeavors. But, even more than that, I love and appreciate the people that I am surrounded by in the broadcasting studio.”

Sabrina (right) and her “Too Torn” co-host, Bren

LinkedIn (and Around)

Wheeler alumni stay connected to Wheeler in lots of ways (see the message on pages 96-97 from Director of Alumni Engagement Danielle Kachapis P’28 for more information), but the most meaningful may be serving as mentors to current students. Over Homecoming Weekend, this mentorship happens en masse during a special roundtable event where seniors get to meet with alumni who work in their fields of interest. From discussing career paths to gaining valuable advice on life beyond the campus, this year’s conversations were insightful, inspiring, and full of real-world wisdom for members of the Class of 2025. Thank you to our amazing alumni for sharing their experiences and helping to guide the next generation of soon-to-be Wheeler graduates!

Listening in Lower ListeningSchool School

Small moments of being silly and goofing around help me get to know kids and build a foundation of trust, comfort, and connection,” says Head of Lower School Kate Hewitt P’30.

“I want every student in the Lower School to feel known, loved, and safe, and to understand that my role is to support them so they can have the best possible experience in school. Sometimes that means that I support them with structure and consequences if they make a mistake or get into a conflict with a friend (the stereotypical ‘principal’ role). More often, it means that I am collaborating with teachers to make sure that every student gets what they need to thrive and refining our curriculum and programs to amplify student voices and foster a community of belonging. Community is built through these moments of joy, laughter, and connection, and also through the moments when we tackle hard things together. Whether the hard thing is a math problem, a presentation in front of a big audience, or a hurtful interaction with a peer, we come out the other side with a stronger relationship when we openly share our experiences and deeply listen to each other.”

Reconnecting on the Court

By Director of Athletics Sean Kelly ’02, P’35, P’37

While Dana Smith, Jr. ’19 had many special moments as a studentathlete at Wheeler, none marked more of a turning point in his young basketball career than his performance during the Rhode Island State Championship on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018.

With 20 points and 14 rebounds, the Warriors’ then-junior was honored as the game’s Most Outstanding Player en route to helping his team secure a 60-50 win over Tiverton High School. But it was so much more than his dominating performance on the hardwood that afternoon that symbolized the change.

I remember standing with him as we were being interviewed by reporters from “The Providence Journal.” I talked a bit about my journey to Wheeler as a player and now a coach, the positive culture of our program, and how Wheeler was a special place beyond the boundaries of the basketball court. And then when Dana was asked about that culture he replied, “We went out and won today for the seniors who lost in the finals last year. Today was about them.”

It was at that moment when I knew something special was on the horizon for Dana as a player and as a person.

Over the next 12 months, as he continued to develop his game, the accolades came pouring in. Dana, who was now the captain of the Wheeler Varsity Basketball Team, poured in a game-high 38 points against the top team in the state, which included a memorable 32 points in the second half and a note from a local sportswriter stating, “Smith’s second half might have been the best half of basketball I’ve ever seen a high school kid play.” A few weeks later, he eclipsed the 1,000-point milestone with an exhilarating 30-point performance on Senior Night. A few weeks after that, he earned an All-State selection. By this time, he was being recruited by some of the best small colleges in New England. That spring, he committed to play at Trinity College in Connecticut.

As his coach, it was incredible to watch his accomplishments unfold and impossible to not feel proud of him and his work. Yet, I couldn’t help but recall the totality of his journey at Wheeler.

Before that championship game as a junior, he had been a starter on the basketball team since midway through his freshman year. There were flashes of athletic brilliance an incredible leap to block a shot or to grab a rebound, a strong finish around the rim, or even an impressive rotation to stop an opposing player from getting to the basket. In all of those moments, however, Dana presented stoically as if playing basketball was merely a thing he did as regularly and unenthusiastically as eating his lunch, walking to class, or brushing his teeth.

The reason was that it took him some time to truly warm up to Wheeler after having been at parochial schools in Providence and Pawtucket.

“I knew Wheeler was a great place to be academically,” Dana says. “However, I didn’t feel it would be the best fit for me in the long term. Wheeler was different socially, and when I came in it seemed like the students all had known each other a long time.”

Despite the appearance of his lack of emotion in his day-to-day approach at practice and during the academic day at Wheeler, basketball provided him with a sense of self, and it slowly eased the social transition. Courtesy of the game, he got to know teammates Elijah Ramos ’18, Tim Holt ’18, and Graham Lynch ’16 before he arrived at Wheeler, and a bit later,

Sabrina A.

Codrington

The Wheeler group reconnects with Dana (far right in photo) after the Thunder game against the New York Knicks. Featured in the photo with Dana are (back row) Tim Holt ’18, Sean Kelly ’02, Justin Lema ’19, Jordan Bomba ’18, (front row) Kaela Munoz ’18, and Landon Kelly ’35.

he met Jordan Bomba ’18 and Justin Lema ’19, who also played on the basketball team. Graham was a wonderful mentor for Dana his first year. Jordan, Justin, Tim, and Dana would remain close friends after graduation.

Along the way, the friendships and confidence that came with basketball carried over into other parts of his time at Wheeler, and it created a positive overall experience for Dana. He used that foundation and momentum to hit the ground running at Trinity, on and off the court.

“I was prepared for my time at Trinity because everything I did on the court and in the classroom at Wheeler was treated with respect and purpose,” Dana says. “I learned that both were important and distinct. I would consider myself a person who focuses on their goals and pursues them relentlessly.”

To say Dana has pursued his goals relentlessly might be an understatement. While at Trinity for five years, he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree while benefiting from the additional year of eligibility granted to student-athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over his collegiate career, he captained the Bantams, garnered NESCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors, and helped Trinity to its first-ever Division III Final Four.

In watching an interview with Dana after his team won the Elite Eight regional championship, and Dana played a major role in the win, he talked about how his team and their buy-in were the reason they were having success. Not surprisingly, he shied away from taking personal credit. It reminded me a lot of his response after we won the state championship at Wheeler a few years before only now it was pretty clear that there was quite a bit of emotional depth behind that stoic demeanor.

It’s that same selfless drive and leadership, along with his education from Wheeler and Trinity, that has helped Dana remain part of the game of basketball, though now in a different capacity both in terms of his role and the team’s arena.

“Basketball was always a passion of mine from a very young age,” he says. “I always aimed to compete at the highest level I could, dreaming of the NBA. Even though I no longer compete as a player, being part of the NBA is still a dream come true.”

Dana’s new job is as a video analyst with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The job requires him to travel with the team and to be present at all games. He communicates with coaches during each quarter and prepares plays and clips for the team and coach to review during and after games. He also regularly finds himself on the court on game days, where he helps players during their pregame routines and plays pickup games afterward with players who didn’t play significant minutes to keep them in shape.

“My favorite part of working with the Thunder is the opportunity to learn so much from so many different people,” Dana says. “The Thunder organization is a place where I can grow and learn quickly. I feel the opportunity to converse with a wide array of staff is also a blessing.”

In early January, I was part of a group of Wheeler alums and family who traveled to Oklahoma City to visit Dana during a Thunder three-game home stand. When the plane landed at Will Rogers International Airport, I saw the flatlands of Oklahoma for the first time. The atmosphere seemed to simultaneously present calmness and an overabundance of potential with the expansive terrain. The following night, I watched Dana warm up NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. An hour later, as fans bustled into Paycom Arena, there was suddenly a palpable energy I couldn’t quite compare to any other place or sporting event I ever attended.

After the game, one that featured an impressive second-half comeback by Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder, our group waited to reconnect with Dana. We were excited, both about the game and the prospect of seeing our Wheeler friend. He eventually came down to the court nonchalantly. He was holding takeout food from the team room and was dressed in sweatpants. It seemed very Dana to arrive that way after such exhilaration around him.

On that Championship Sunday seven years earlier, I got the sense Dana was just getting started. Watching him in Oklahoma, despite knowing all he’s accomplished since then, I couldn’t help but feel he’s still just getting started though this time at basketball’s highest level.

Community Conversation

Everyone contributes to the sense of community at Wheeler, but there’s only one team at school — the Office of Equity, Community, and Belonging — that literally has it in their title. As the office’s director, Princess Sirleaf Bomba P’16, P’18 explains, “Community is at the core of the work we do. It’s also intentional. Our work begins with the recruitment and enrollment process, as we meet with both prospective families and prospective employees, and we establish relationships with them. We want to inform them about Wheeler and also support those for whom Wheeler or independent schools are a brand new experience. When it comes to the decisionmaking process for families after they’ve received their letter of acceptance from Wheeler, we’re also there, if needed, to help them decide whether this investment is something that will be feasible for their families. Those can be hard conversations, but they’re incredibly important.”

Lower School students connecting with their Upper School mentors

Ms. Bomba and her team members stay connected with new families and colleagues after they join Wheeler. In many ways, their commitment to welcoming new community members and assisting them in connecting with others at school never ends, extending even beyond graduation.

“We have an academic mentor program where we connect our current students with recent alums,” Ms. Bomba says. “We also invite alumni to come back to campus and serve on panels or as keynote speakers, and sometimes, depending upon their professional experience, to facilitate workshops or give a performance. All of those relationships are important. And then we also have our relationships with and among faculty and staff, and parents and guardians. Everyone has a role in this work, and so having authentic relationships with them, where we work together in partnership, makes it better for them and for our students.”

A panel of accomplished Wheeler alumni helped launch this year’s Upper School Unity & Diversity Week. They included (left to right) Nora Stolzman ’15, the manager of Community Impact Grants at Combined Jewish Philanthropies; Makeen Zachery ’18, who works for J.P. Morgan and is the founder of Blk Girl Culture; Lee O. Ahlborn ’11, who works in strategic talent partnerships with Bain & Co.; and Eddy Davis ’99, who leads the Breakthrough Providence program at Wheeler. The conversation was moderated by Ms. Bomba (center).

But what, exactly, is an “authentic relationship” at Wheeler? Accounting for different perspectives, and for the experiences that form them, are central to Ms. Bomba’s authentic approach. “It means you can be yourself as much as you feel comfortable,” she shares. “Everyone puts on a mask when they leave their homes in the morning because of their identities and whether they feel this is a place that accepts them for who they are. Do they feel like they truly belong? That’s not easy when a family may have really tough issues that they’re dealing with, and they’re embarrassed to tell me. I say to them, ‘I’ve heard every story there is, so there is no need to be embarrassed by what you’re going through, because it’s going to have an impact, usually negative, on your child’s experience.’ My team is really good with using our own identities to help others feel like we understand them, and they can be themselves. For example, I have colleagues who have children with varying learning styles, and so when families are looking at Wheeler and someone encourages them to consider Hamilton, which specializes in learning differences, someone on my team can talk with them about their own children and their own experiences. We tell them how we can support them at Wheeler, and how our community values learning differences.”

Programs and events are another way the community expresses its values. There are larger gatherings, like the annual Wheeler Community Spirit Award and SICA (Students Involved in Cultural Awareness Club) Potluck or the Multicultural Performance and Family Heritage Showcase (now 11 years old), and those that occur on a smaller but no less meaningful scale. For example, there’s a mentor program that matches younger students who want to connect with an older student who shares some sort of socially significant identity with them for guidance on navigating school. Forming a new friendship along the way is always an added bonus.

“When I’m looking outside from my office window and I happen to see a Lower School student walking with their Upper School mentor, my heart fills up,” Ms. Bomba says. “They’re walking together as if they’ve known each other forever. The program has been around long enough that some of our Upper School mentors were once mentees themselves. I asked one of them recently he’s in 10th grade why he wanted to be a mentor, and he told me how much he remembers about his own mentee experience. He told me that he wanted to give back. That’s what community is, right?”

Cultivating a Warm Welcome to Wheeler

“In the Wheeler Enrollment Office, building relationships is what we do!” says Associate Director

of Enrollment and Financial Aid Meg Kiley P’24, P’26.

“Applicants and their families are not just numbers to us. We begin building relationships with families the minute they express an interest in Wheeler, and we continue to cultivate these relationships long after families enroll. We find such joy in getting to know our applicants and their families and pride ourselves on making the process warm and personalized for each one of them. Honestly, this is who we are as a school community, and we want families to feel that from the get-go. We also have a lot of fun together as a team, and families pick up on that!”

From Editor Max Pearlstein:

As we were thinking about Wheeler connections and in particular faculty-student bonds to feature in this issue, a few colleagues mentioned that Isaiah Smith-Johnson ’23 and Upper School Science Teacher Dr. Donna Lizotte P’18, P’20, P’24 share a great story that started in an Upper School lab and continues today. True to their friendship, when I reached out to ask if they’d like to be in the magazine, they thought it would be a nice opportunity to ask one another questions and learn about their relationship through one another’s eyes.

Lab Partners

Isaiah asks Dr. Lizotte: Do you remember when we first met? What were your first impressions of me?

Dr. Lizotte: Yes, you were a student in my Biology class during your junior year. The first unit went well and then we hit the second unit Biochemistry. You started coming to my room to hang out and make flash cards in preparation for the test. At one point you said, “I’ve never worked so hard for a test in my life…my grandmother would be so proud of me.” The rest of the time we spent talking about your grandmother. You asked questions about Bio, but we talked about other things too. I was surprised to find out it was the first time you went to a teacher for extra help. Not surprisingly, you crushed that very hard test.

Dr. Lizotte asks Isaiah: You are now a Pre-Med Neuroscience and Music double major in your second year at Wheaton College, but I’m curious, was Biology a subject that you particularly liked before you took my class junior year of high school?

Isaiah: In short, no. I knew I had a particular interest in most sciences, but after underwhelming performances in the science classes I previously took at Wheeler, I thought maybe it wasn’t for me.

Isaiah asks Dr. Lizotte: Was there a time you were proud of me?

Dr. Lizotte: I distinctly remember that after that Biochemistry test, your confidence in your abilities grew and you continued to soar in Biology. It was clear you were starting to enjoy what you were learning, too. But more than anything, you were learning that if you put your mind to it, you were capable of doing well in a challenging science course.

Dr. Lizotte asks Isaiah: What was something you remember from our class that was a challenge for you, and how did you get through it?

Isaiah: That exam that you mentioned earlier. It was a challenge for more than the subject matter. I’m a person who prides myself on being self-sufficient and self-reliant, and I remember it being difficult to ask for

help and admit to what I thought would make me inferior to my peers. I got through it with hard work, and you helped me realize that recognizing I’m coming up short and asking for a little extra assistance is not a sign of weakness but a sign of dedication and commitment to improvement.

Isaiah asks Dr. Lizotte: Why did you become a teacher?

Dr. Lizotte: I was a peer tutor in college. I tutored Genetics and Chemistry, and I really enjoyed helping people understand complex material. When I was in graduate school, we were required to TA for two semesters. I was surprised at how much I loved being in the classroom or lab. It inspired me to start teaching for the Brown Summer Program so that I could get some more experience. Eventually, I developed a few different classes specifically some laboratory skills-based classes, which combined my love of being in the lab with my passion for teaching. It’s very similar to the Molecular Biology course that I currently teach at Wheeler. Teaching students about science is incredibly fun, but giving students the skills to do science is really special. I still teach for the Brown Summer Program. Because the class is focused on laboratory skills and conducting experiments, I am particular about the teaching assistants that I choose, and I am proud that this summer will be your third summer as my TA. I remember there was this moment the first summer you were a TA, when you were helping a student with a lab technique, and I could just tell how much this kid looked up to you. Watching you so confidently guide and patiently support the student was really a special moment.

Dr. Lizotte asks Isaiah: What is one thing that I taught you that you think will stay with you?

Isaiah: To believe in myself. I remember after a class, you told me to stay after because you wanted to talk to me; naturally I was nervous and reliving every life mistake I ever made, but I was pleasantly surprised by you telling me that I had received the highest grade on the recent exam. We chatted for a little while about the exam, and then you asked about my future in science. I told you that I hadn’t really thought about it. Even though I always had a dream of being a doctor, I thought it probably was not possible for me. You then slammed your hand on the desk and questioned me, wanting to know why I felt that way, and then you followed up with reasons why I could do it, and you offered words of encouragement that haven’t only meant a lot to me on my educational journey but in my life journey!

Isaiah asks Dr. Lizotte: What motivates you now?

Dr. Lizotte: I still really love my job and enjoy going to work. I know that not everyone feels that way about their job, so I am lucky. I am also really focused on continuing to build the Molecular Biology Program at Wheeler. It has grown from one student, Karina, who worked in essentially a closet that had a sink. She cloned two genes as an independent project. More students were interested, so it was offered as a one-semester elective, and that was expanded into a yearlong class. We now run two sections of Molecular Biology. I am always trying to find new experiments to introduce to the class and looking for ways to keep it current. Exposure to these techniques and skills will definitely help if they take science courses in college. More importantly, I want them to be confident and critical thinkers, like you! Laboratory work can be filled with unexpected challenges that require problem-solving and creative-thinking skills.

From Max Pearlstein:

As we learned through this conversation, laboratory work also brings people together! Thanks to Isaiah and Dr. Lizotte for sharing their story and letting us sit in on their discussion.

A Spirited Day of Service and Sport

Wheeler held its fourth annual combined Field Day and Founder’s Day in early May — though each of those events has its own history a bit longer than that. This was the 10th Founder’s Day, when students, faculty, and staff participate in community service activities across our local communities, and the 111th edition of Field Day, when students compete in a series of Purple vs. Gold athletic events at Wheeler Farm. It makes for a busy but fulfilling day.

“At the heart of Founder’s Day are the connections we make,” says Cityside Program Director Joe Baer P’08, who has helped organize the event each year. “Students, faculty, and staff are reminded of our shared heritage, thanks to Miss Wheeler. We spend most of the time in groups, mixed with kids and adults from different divisions and offices, where we reconnect with colleagues and former students. About a thousand kids and adults learn about and volunteer at 22 different sites, spanning most of every one of Providence’s 25 neighborhoods. By the end of the day, we have a stronger sense of belonging to each other and the broader community with all the optimism that it brings.”

That optimism channels into excitement and adrenaline as the groups of students, faculty, and staff spread across Providence reconvene for Field Day at Wheeler Farm. No matter their grade or graduation year, everyone is either Purple or Gold, as evidenced rather loudly by the crescendo of cheers that builds as the Apache Relay baton is passed in ascending order from the youngest competitors to the oldest.

“Field Day is a cherished tradition that unites our nursery through grade 12 communities in a spirit of joy, teamwork, and celebration,” says Physical Education Department Head Monica Aleixo P’16, P’17. “Now in partnership with Founder’s Day, it’s an even more meaningful experience a day where we come together to embrace our school’s values, enjoy our incredible 120-acre farm, and create lasting memories. The excitement on students’ and faculty members’ faces is a testament to the strength of our community and the deep truth of our school motto, ‘The Spirit Giveth Life.’”

All Around the Table

“Connections are absolutely vital to any dining experience, but especially in school dining,” says Director of Dining Services Torri Hieber. “As members of CulinArt, Wheeler’s Dining Services partner, we are here to nourish students as they learn and grow. Whether it be a breakfast sandwich to fuel their morning, a quick snack, lunch, or an afternoon pick-me-up on the way to an activity, we are always connecting with students to provide what they need. Creating genuine relationships, knowing every student’s name, and providing a safe and welcome environment is exactly why we are here. It’s our passion and it’s our mission.”

BEST — AND FASHIONABLE — FRIENDS

By Olivia Rodrigues P’31

Wheeler alumnae Faith Irving ’10 and Dakota Whitworth ’10 became friends in 2006 over their love for fashion, among many other shared interests. Faith had been attending Wheeler since pre-k, while Dakota was starting her Wheeler journey as a 9th-grader. “We became friends on the first day of school, and we’ve been inseparable ever since,” Faith says. “We both enjoyed everything related to fashion, makeup, getting dressed up, and spending time with friends, especially going to lunch on Thayer Street.”

Their shared love for fashion blossomed during their time at Wheeler, setting the stage for the creative careers they have built today. Faith is the director of buying and merchandising at Show Me Your Mumu and owns Faithy Jewels, a jewelry line that offers a unique collection of custom styles for various occasions, with everything made in Rhode Island. Dakota is the co-owner of Harper & Tucker, a boutique located on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, that offers ethically and sustainably made apparel and accessories including pieces from Faith’s jewelry line.

“Our social events allow Faith to showcase her jewelry line and connect in person with shoppers,” Dakota shares. “We also get to personalize the experience for our customers by creating complementary looks with pieces carried at Harper & Tucker. Everything comes together so effortlessly, and it really highlights the social element that Faith and I have always had in common.”

Their social and fashionable synergy, they remember, was evident back in their time at Wheeler. “Dakota and I liked shopping and pairing outfits, especially when there was a special event at Wheeler like prom,” Faith recalls. “Before a dance, we would always get ready and get our makeup done at MAC.”

Reminiscing on their most cherished memories of Wheeler, Faith says that earning the “Best Friends” title in the Senior Superlative section of their 2010 yearbook was one of her favorite moments. Dakota, who currently serves on the Wheeler Alumni Board, adds that “Faith and I even aligned our schedules to be in the same electives. Having a buddy to experience everything with at Wheeler made it a lot more special.”

After graduation, Faith and Dakota maintained their friendship despite attending different colleges Faith at the University of Georgia and Dakota at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their shared Rhode Island roots brought them back together during summer breaks, strengthening their bond as they navigated new chapters in their lives. “I remember feeling so sad when we had to part ways at the end of the summer before college,” Dakota notes.

“We made sure to visit each other often during college,” Faith says. And their bond strengthened even more after their student days were over. “What has kept us connected as friends is that we still have the same personalities and share the same core values and interests from our childhood,” Dakota says. “There was always that kind of chemistry between us, and I believe it made our friendship easy to maintain in college.

“It’s interesting to see how some of the same creative passions we had back at Wheeler come into play in the work Faith and I do now,” she continues. “There was such an appreciation for the arts at Wheeler. For us, it still comes back to our love for the aesthetic of things and the aspect of selecting and curating pieces. Obviously, now that we’re older, it’s a lot more than just selecting your own outfit or jewelry like we did when we were younger. Now we’re managing a full website and merchandising it, in Faith’s case, and in mine, managing a full clothing store and creating aesthetically pleasing displays both online and offline.”

In addition to supporting other local and women-led businesses, Dakota and Faith also care about their environmental impact and ensure their business practices reflect a commitment to ethical fashion and sustainability. With the conscious and savvy shopper in mind, Dakota’s boutique partners with brands that are meaningfully working toward sustainability and committed to high standards for working conditions. As one of the partnering brands, Faithy Jewels offers pieces crafted with care in Rhode Island.

“My mom calls it farm-to-table jewelry,” Faith says, prompting both friends to laugh together. Faith’s mom, who has been integral to her jewelry business, even travels to Newport to personally deliver pieces to Harper & Tucker when inventory runs low. “Faithy Jewels is our top-selling brand!” notes Dakota.

Faith’s mother was also part of creating the jewelry business, which Faith started in 2021 when she couldn't find the earrings she wanted for her wedding. Her mother, a retired jewelry maker, helped her design and make them. After receiving positive feedback from her bridesmaids, Faith decided to sell the earrings, which led to more original jewelry, including necklaces and bracelets. Today Faithy Jewels focuses on creating lightweight, sustainable pieces that are suitable for everyday wear. “I like to draw inspiration from nautical themes, especially during the summer season, and I name the designs after my friends and my favorite places,” Faith points out.

As they think back to friends and faculty at Wheeler, and who had the biggest influence on them at school, Dakota is quick to mention Upper School English Teacher Annie Funnell P’14, P’16. “I was in her office all the time,” she says. “She's my favorite person to visit even now. I was very passionate about English at Wheeler, and I still use my writing skills to some degree. Even though it's not necessarily an obvious part of my career now, it was a huge part of my educational foundation.”

“I was a math girl,” reveals Faith. “And buying is basically all math! It was important for me to be able to take what I learned in school and apply it to real-world scenarios.”

When it comes to professional advice they’d share with today’s Wheeler students, both Dakota and Faith emphasize the importance of pursuing your passions and staying focused on your goals. “If you know what you want, go for it and really commit to it,” says Dakota, a piece of advice she often shares with Wheeler seniors during the annual Alumni Career Roundtables. “Faith and I both knew what our passions were. We knew we wanted to be in the fashion industry, so we were determined to find buying jobs, even when we didn’t know anyone else with that experience.” Dakota adds that their career paths weren't traditional or always clear, but they were determined to chase their dreams and work their way up from entry-level jobs.

“The other advice I would offer is to value the importance of the relationships you make through all phases of your life and to not take them for granted,” says Faith. “Even if you move away, I think carrying these connections with you and nurturing them through life is key. Keeping all the bridges open with everyone I’ve met has been one of the most important things that has helped me get to where I am in my professional and personal life.”

To that point, Dakota references a pivotal moment from the early stages of her career, when she was launching her online store. “Faith and I went to this market to meet with different brands and see if they would sell to me,” she recalls. “Having an online shop was unusual at the time. The only reason I was able to get a meeting with the brand that Faith worked for was obviously because of Faith. Once I secured that brand partnership, it gave me leverage and I was able to use it to make other opportunities possible. I know Faith and I have a close friendship and this was certainly a factor, but I've had similar moments happen many times with other people I met throughout my life.”

Looking ahead, Dakota sees lots of opportunities for growth within the shop's home city of Newport as Harper & Tucker’s customer base continues to increase. “As our online and in-store sales grow, we get to find new, exciting brands to partner with. Just last year, we were able to add swimwear, fine jewelry, and more luxury apparel brands to our inventory,” she shares. Faith, who has been working on Faithy Jewels in her spare time, looks forward to transitioning from her corporate career to becoming a full-time business owner within the next five years. “Right now my focus is growing our product assortment online as well as partnering with new stores,” she says. Together, Faith and Dakota are excited to host more trunk shows this summer. They feel confident that as their businesses grow individually, there will be more opportunities for even more creative collaborations.

You can check out Faithy Jewels at faithyjewels.com and Harper & Tucker at harperandtucker.com or you may visit the shop in person at 146 Bellevue Avenue in Newport.

A Foundation of — and for — Families

We purposefully built connections and community into the Wheeler Family Association’s mission last year when we restructured. In everything we do now, we are trying to do that and make sure we are providing opportunities for families to connect with one another. We start that as soon as a family joins our community, with the mentor program where we match an incoming family with a current family that can answer questions and personally welcome them to Wheeler. Our New Family Meet and Greet is another great opportunity for the whole family to come, where both kids and parents can meet members of our existing community. In the fall, we have coffee gatherings for all parents, as well as smaller gatherings that happen at the grade level.

Those are the first opportunities to start building connections with other parents, but they continue throughout the school year. We have a volunteer program around events, where people can make connections and form friendships while giving back to the school. Our Faculty and Staff Appreciation Lunch is a good example. We have some long-standing members of our community that are very highly involved in that event, and this year many new families came and volunteered to help serve food, bake desserts, and just be in community with families, but also with faculty and staff who were so happy to see them.

And then there is our annual Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale, which I think is our biggest connection event. What I hear from parents all the time is that the sale is where they made their best friendships, crossdivisionally. We always want to connect people who have kids in the same grade, but it’s also beneficial for parents who have Lower School kids and don’t know anything about Middle School to meet somebody who has a student in that division. That way they can hear about what will be coming up in their child’s journey at school, and the clothing sale is a great opportunity to build those relationships.

I should also mention Homecoming, because that is something we are trying to expand into a school-wide effort. Over the year, we have events centered around many different things, including our All-School Art Show and theater and music events, but Homecoming brings us together in celebration of one another, in celebration of the season, and in celebration of our athletic teams. We have lots of parents, and not just parents of student-athletes, who are at the farm, cheering on the teams, and it’s great to have the younger kids come to see what sports at Wheeler could be like whether they’re older. The lower schoolers, in particular, also have a lot of fun at Fall Fest, painting pumpkins and enjoying hay rides. Homecoming just has a joyous feel, and the farm is such a special setting for most of those events. It’s an amazing community-building space.

Deana Tineo P’27, P’28, P’32 Coordinator of Family Engagement

The 2024-25 Wheeler Family Association Leadership Committee: Anne Rust P’25, P’26; Smriti Gupta P’26; Suelem Rosalino P’30; Stacy Hurley P’32; Tori Channell P’30, P’33; Catie Benzak P’30, P’30; Mariama Jallow P’31; Jennifer Sousa P’27, P’28; Lauren St. Martin P’33, P’35; Matt Radebach P’37, P’39; and Darcy Katzin P’25, P’28. Member not pictured: Elaine Pennacchio P’33.

Senior Sunrise

It may look like the sun is setting on this section of the magazine, but the truth is that new connections are always forming and strengthening at Wheeler — sometimes with your classmates who have been with you throughout your time at school. Consider this: instead of getting a few more minutes of sleep on their first late Upper School start of this school year, Wheeler seniors gathered even earlier than usual to enjoy the sunrise together. The Class of 2024 hosted a similar sunrise moment last year, and Catalina Smith ’25 and James Wert ’25, who are the co-presidents of the Class of 2025, said they were inspired to continue the tradition as a special way for everyone to begin their final year at Wheeler together. “We were fortunate

to have amazing participation with our whole grade, even if it meant getting out of bed extremely early. It showed our classmates that we all really cared about one another and would show up for each other,” says James. “I think that in the days since, we all really feel that we are in this together. Throughout all the stress of college applications, we have definitely bonded!”

The seniors decided to meet at Narragansett Beach because it would offer a clear view of the sunrise, and it made for a great backdrop for photos and by chance some amazing aerial video footage that you can see by scanning the code next to this story. “On the beach we asked a pedestrian to take our group photo, and we got lucky because he had a drone and offered to not only snap a photo but to fly the drone overhead,” James says. We instantly said ‘yes,’ knowing it would be a valuable memory to include in our senior video at the end of the year.”

James and Catalina have both been students at Wheeler since Lower School, and they say some of their earliest memories are of watching seniors becoming great friends. “We both hope to continue traditions for our class that will have just as much support and participation throughout the year as senior sunrise had,” James says. “We hope that the Class of 2025 can be the role model for classes below us to show school pride while bonding as a grade!”

Letters in Leadership From MCW to AGP

In the office of Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25, there’s a photo of Mary C. Wheeler on one of the windowsills. The picture shows Miss Wheeler as a young woman, years before she would found the school that now bears her name. Still, in looking at Miss Wheeler’s expression — she’s smiling slightly as she glances somewhere or to someone out of the frame it’s easy to see the spirit of determination that would drive her artistic and educational vision forward later in life.

I asked Ms. Gaines Pell (who also goes by Allison and AGP at school) about the photo when we talked in her office shortly before Spring Break. There were only a few months left in her time as head of school after eight years, and the photo brought back memories from shortly before she started.

“I’ve told this story many times, but I remember when Jacky Beshar [P’14], trustee and chair of the search committee, sent me the biography of Mary Wheeler in the mail shortly after I accepted the position,” said Allison. Back in 2017, when she received the biography, she and her family were getting ready to move to Wheeler and Providence from New York. She had already been the founder and founding principal of Arts & Letters, a public school in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, and just prior to coming to Wheeler, she led the Blue School in Manhattan, a pre-k through 8th-grade school that was founded in 2006. As a reminder of New York, there’s a photo of the Statue of Liberty shrouded in fog on her office windowsill, right next to the Mary C. Wheeler photo. It was a gift from Cindy Sipkin ’72, whose interest in photography started at Wheeler. She became close with Allison over the course of her headship, as Wheeler brought them together.

By Max Pearlstein

“Miss Wheeler is an interesting woman, and she had a compelling ambition to start a school for girls that would rival the best boys’ schools,” Allison told me. The fact that she and Miss Wheeler were both school founders was one of the reasons she felt a kinship with Miss Wheeler when she became the eighth head of school. “Her spirit has lived at Wheeler for a long time,” Allison said of MCW. “And I feel that she’s been on my shoulder since my first day. She has given me a lot of strength and inspired me in both the best and the hardest moments. This might sound strange, but I do tend to talk with her in the hard moments, telling her, ‘I’ve got you, Mary. I’ve got your school.’ Our school’s story is so inspirational; there is no doubt in my mind that it elevates the experience of leadership here.”

As she prepares to conclude her tenure at the end of this school year, I asked Allison and others who work with her and know her well about her own story. Like her kinship with Miss Wheeler, it’s a story that starts and will end with a strong sense of connection.

I first met Allison when she visited Wheeler as a candidate for head of school. She was my favorite of those who I saw, and what stuck out to me was how genuine she was in her enthusiasm for Wheeler. She said that what she had learned about Wheeler aligned with her philosophy of education. That gave me confidence that her decisions going forward would be in the best interest of the school. This trust deepened when I served as president of WSPA (now the Wheeler Family Association) and was on the Board of Trustees. My tenure was during the COVID years. To see behind the scenes of how to navigate such a heightened, scary, and complicated time was eye opening. It was clear to me that Allison considered all constituencies when making decisions. There were many difficult decisions to be made in real time, sometimes with very little and/or changing and conflicting information. Many impressive people work at Wheeler, and Allison has a great leadership team around her, but the buck stops with her. She was aware of that, but made the difficult decisions anyway, with Wheeler’s mission and care for the students, faculty, and staff always as her guidepost.”

Anne Wert P’23, P’25

Moving is hard, and our family’s move to Rhode Island from New York wasn’t an exception. Allison played a pivotal role in easing our transition. I distinctly remember walking through the front gates of Wheeler seven years ago with my daughters in tow and seeing Allison greeting students. She was immediately familiar (we had overlapped at Brown University), and though not good friends, we were acquaintances. Allison saw the look on my face and immediately recognized what I was going through (having herself moved from New York the year prior). She warmly welcomed me and our girls to Wheeler, and made us all feel at home. As a Wheeler family, it is hard to separate the wonderful experience our daughters have had at Wheeler from Allison. She has led the school and community through an incredibly tumultuous time with grace, kindness, resilience, and fortitude. It’s hard for us to imagine the school without her.”

Naria Halliwell P’25, P’28

A People-Centered Perspective

“At an admissions event this year, our Upper School students were asked about what they would miss most upon their graduation. Each of them said in some way: it’s the people,” Allison noted during our conversation. “They said things like, ‘The teachers care about me,’ or, ‘My classmates are so interesting and kind.’ They spoke about the electric energy. That’s how I feel. We can have the best facilities and the best educational materials at school and we do! but it’s really the people and the connections between all of us that makes Wheeler so special.”

Wheeler people are often a source of joy and inspiration, as we’ll see a bit later in this article, but they’re also a source of strength when there are challenges. “Being a connected community means that we encircle and take care of people when they are sick, or when a student is struggling, or when a family is going through a particularly tough time,” Allison said. “Responding to life’s hard moments in our community is something that Wheeler does really well. School is an academic experience, of course, but it is also about human development and connection.

“Leaders assume jobs like these knowing that we will face the unexpected, and you know in doing so that you will need to lean on your training and experiences, but the people you spend your days with, that makes all the difference,” Allison continued. “I’ve been so grateful for the people around me at Wheeler. Because of them, when the pandemic began in earnest, I knew we were prepared to meet the moment. The character of this community has been cultivated and earned over many decades, and we built on the trust and deep well of affection. Wheeler has faculty and staff who have lived their lives in classrooms next door to each other. Many have raised their children or endured hard times together. All of that gave us a lot stored in our bucket to go into an era of unprecedented disconnection.”

Allison’s tenure will be widely celebrated for her high-profile accomplishments, of course. She navigated the greatest challenge to schools I’ve seen in my career the pandemic and her leadership was constantly challenged and tested by the politicization that has affected our country and the world over the last eight years. She showed courage and tenacity. She backed the formation and growth of the Hamilton Institute, the incorporation of the “Aerie Approach” into the heart of the school’s identity, and she reworked the school’s mission into a compelling vision for the future of the farm and Providence campuses. There is the Nest, an accomplishment that in itself would guarantee her legacy. I will remember her most, however, for the less splashy changes she wrought. Allison is at heart an educator. She expanded the frontiers of what Wheeler can be for students in so many ways: bringing WELH into full membership in the school’s educational program; making Dance a full partner in Performing Arts; supporting the expansion of our Chamber Ensemble Program; creating a Design Department with Engineering, the Next Lab, and Neuroscience opportunities; supporting the extraordinary growth of the Robotics and Athletics Programs; and backing ALV, our amazing intensive writing program. In often quiet ways, Allison has changed the school’s footprint, beyond local to regional and national influence. Wheeler has become a model for what cutting-edge education is becoming: a path where young people take an active role in charting their own futures. Finally, Allison has had enormous influence upon the school through her hires. Many extraordinary people have come here because of her compelling vision. We are much better for these hires. Communications. Advancement. Enrollment. I will greatly miss Allison’s caring friendship. She is a terrific thought partner. She is as excited at the start of each day in this vibrant community as I am.”

Aerie Enrichment Director

Mark Harris P’08, P’24

Allison is a leader who showed me in big and small ways what it means to lead with your humanity. Most people don’t get to see the behind-the-scenes of being a head of school. I’ve gotten to know well the responsibility she feels for the impact of every decision made, and even more importantly, I get to see Allison be a person. She has a rare willingness to revisit a decision when the situation calls for it. It’s easy to believe in a leader like that. From our first days working together, she implicitly and explicitly let me know that she valued all of the sides of me. I can’t think of another supervisor that I’ve had where it felt normal and natural to be able to say the hardest stuff out loud and trust that even in moments of disagreement and discomfort, there was always mutual respect and honesty. She leads with a thoughtful vulnerability that makes space for it all. That kind of ease and balance in a working relationship can be hard to find, and I’m grateful.”

Chief of Staff

Candice

De Los Reyes P’31, P’34

A Powerful Impact

Some of Allison’s Notable Accomplishments During Her Tenure

Served for eight years as Wheeler’s eighth head of school

Broadened the Aerie Enrichment Program and more deeply embedded it in the curriculum, offering far more students opportunities to discover their unique talents and chase their intellectual curiosity

Leading Through Unprecedented Challenges

As we looked back together to the start of the pandemic, when so much was unknown and unprecedented, Allison remembered it as an incredibly challenging time to stay connected, even for the strong Wheeler community. “There are a lot of constituents in a school. There are students and their parents, there are faculty and staff members, and there is a larger community and context. COVID drove some of those groups, for a time, in different directions, with different groups needing and wanting different things, sometimes conflicting on the same day! Given that there was no way to meet everyone’s needs, I focused on what I think our central concern should always be, which is our students. I felt clear that children need to learn in person, and so we put a stake in the ground early that we would open in September. Learning is a social activity, and it happens in the hallways, between classes, outside in the courtyard, on the playground structure, and at the farm. Learning is what we do, and so we figured out how to do it despite all the unknowns ahead. It was a group effort, and it took everything we had.

“One of the things that was the hardest for me about COVID wasn’t the logistics the six-feet apart, the de-densification, the ventilation, the testing it was the fact that people did not feel cared for and interconnected,” she added. “It felt like all I did was think about how to take care of people, day in and day out, 24-7, for what ended up being three years. And it was not only COVID; it was a time of national conversation and reckoning with racial dynamics and history, which also needed intense focus and attention. So the truly darkest moments for me personally were those when I came face-to-face with the understanding that the well of needs was so deep that I couldn’t get to the bottom. Wheeler’s foundation is connection and care, and that was profoundly threatened.

“It was also at odds with my own self-conception as a leader, which is grounded in my relationships with people. I spent my early leadership career in smaller schools; in big schools, you have to work at connection in different ways. Sometimes creating connection means building systems and structures that support connection. For example, when we established our Faculty and Staff Belonging Task Force in the fall of 2022, it was a direct response to the realization that we’d lost something during the pandemic that we needed to rebuild. We had to slow down to do it. Many schools have since begun to introduce these new initiatives, but as I understand it, we were among the first to get a group together to acknowledge what we’d lost and to spend time thinking about what would come next. It was hard, but it has yielded some really important results for our professional community, which in turn benefits our students and their families.”

I believe that Allison wants to leave this place better than she found it, and I think she is a ‘yes’ person, meaning she doesn’t say no very often to ideas. She reminds me of me sometimes, because I can be impatient when I have an idea. I want to run with it! And sometimes I need to slow down and think about how this idea is going to be developed and implemented in order to be successful and sustainable. So saying ‘yes’ to a bunch of things has been a little tricky for Allison, but I do believe that every idea that she supported, even if it didn’t work out, had a lot of merit, positive intentions, and made some positive impact. When it comes to the community and belonging, she has indeed said ‘yes’ to me a lot, even though it hasn’t been a walk in the park all the time. She was here in 2020, when the country was dealing with racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd, and that was a time when so many school leaders were called to task, and some rose to the occasion, while others didn’t. When it comes to the work of equity, community, and belonging, I know that she’s committed. She is willing to listen, and when there is a misstep she is willing to come back and review it. She was also the person who initiated the Equity Task Force. Because of that process, we were able to establish some guidelines for our work, and for the things that we had been working toward for a long time, but without official goals or an established process. During COVID, I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to support the students and their families. Again, she always said ‘yes.’ When food insecurity and other types of challenges experienced by some of our families became more evident to me, I shared them with her and she asked, ‘What can we do?’ It wasn’t like, ‘Well, this is not our problem.’ I really appreciated that partnership. Our partnership has been strong because I think there’s been a sense of trust, or at the very least, candor. I’ve never felt that I couldn’t tell her what was on my mind, even when things were hard. That didn’t mean that she always agreed with me, or that I always agreed with her approach, but I’ve been able to be very honest with her, and that’s not always something you can take for granted with your direct supervisor. It’s because of the way she leads and her personality.”

Director of Equity, Community, and Belonging Princess Bomba P’16, P’18

Ensured that Wheeler remained open when many other schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining consistency and routine for students and finding solutions that prioritized both safety and academic excellence

Developed a purpose-driven strategic design process that set a clear and compelling course for Wheeler’s future

A

“Yes” Place and Person

One of the few bright spots that emerged from the pandemic was that it helped reinforce how much we could accomplish by thinking differently and nimbly, and imagining, “What if?” Or as Allison described it, “Wheeler is a ‘yes’ place. It was a thrill to arrive and find ideas coming from everywhere and everyone. Just like Mary Wheeler, our school and our people are ambitious. I’m proud to have been part of that tradition, and to have built structures for collaboration and innovation that have allowed us to say ‘yes’ to projects and programs that I believe Mary would approve of, maybe most especially the work we’ve done at the farm.”

As we shared in the last issue of the magazine, Wheeler Farm is certainly a central part of Miss Wheeler’s legacy. “She believed the school needed a rural counterpoint to the experience on our city campus,” Allison explained. “At the farm, students have time to immerse themselves in nature. It also allows us to bring inquiry and experiential learning more visibly into our school. To that end, in creating the Nest, our nature-based early learning center at the farm, we send a message about the connection between humanity and nature, and where we should all begin as learners.

“In that spirit, I’m very proud of the way inquiry is woven throughout our curriculum. There are more visible programs, like the AGILE Program in the 7th grade, or the Nest, or our Next Lab, or 3rd-grade science rotations at the farm, but importantly, inquiry is embedded in the everyday learning experience, like Chemistry, the 4th-grade unit on immigration, or the World Peace Games in 6th grade. That’s because our faculty are hungry for best practice; their restlessness is cultivated and practiced with our students in mind. Even during COVID, when everything was so incredibly hard, teachers were willing to try new things to get around various barriers. We performed “Into the Woods” outside; our students still sang and created art; we reinvented how we could be a school, despite those barriers. We all can be proud of that creativity and commitment.

“I am also proud of how much we’ve accomplished because we created a strategic design for our community, as a community. Because of that roadmap that laid out concrete ideas, we expanded Wheeler’s public purpose through the Hamilton Institute, infused Aerie into the heart of the school, changed our schedule to align with our students’ needs, grew the diversity and vibrancy of our community in terms of the families we serve and our amazing faculty and staff, and established a vision and a plan for the farm. It is a testament to the collective wisdom of our community that we would come up with ideas that could withstand so much change in the world.

“Ultimately, I’m proud of having sustained Wheeler’s energetic, restless engine that is our faculty and staff through the massive challenges of the pandemic and beyond. I think we are stronger for having traversed something so challenging together.

Transformed the farm into a vital extension of the Wheeler educational experience, expanding naturebased and

inquirydriven learning opportunities for all students

The thing that I will remember most about Allison’s time at Wheeler is the myriad of programs she supported to give our students the most dynamic educational experience possible. Her constant support of Aerie, Cityside, Athletics, and Performing Arts never wavered. Allison was always fully involved and actively cheered on all things Wheeler. Her school spirit was contagious, and she was forward thinking, with a constant eye on what the future of Wheeler should look like for the next 100 years. Allison always strived to amplify what makes Wheeler great and unique. One example of her vision and commitment to the student experience was her decision to give the airwaves of WELH FM back to the students. Wheeler had been leasing out the radio station’s airtime for decades, and students had little available airtime to broadcast their podcasts. Back in 2021, when our lease expired with Rhode Island Public Radio, Allison was the driving force in getting the WELH airwaves back in the hands of the Media Program at school, and as a result, Wheeler student voices can be heard throughout the listening area on a nightly basis. Allison has set the standard of what a head of school should exemplify. Her clear vision for our institution, tireless support of faculty and staff, and laser focus on the student experience is what I will remember most. She led our school with care, empathy, open communication, and grace. Allison, you will be missed, and all the best to you, Ben, Hannah, and Miles!”

Media Program Director

David Schiano P’26

I remember pretty clearly my first meeting with Allison. I was an Aerie instructor at the time, and we had this grand vision for a lab where we would give kids VR headsets, and they would create collaborative, designdriven stories in an extended reality environment. It was really ambitious, but I didn’t need to sketch out much of the vision for her to understand what it was. I don’t mean that she understood the technology part of it, but that wasn’t what mattered to her. She wanted to know if students would learn useful skills for the future, and if they were excited and passionate about it. It was easy to get her on board after we established that. I’ve seen her invest in numerous projects like that during her time here. She’s very interested in bringing innovation to places, and she’s incredibly curious and supports others’ curiosity. But that sometimes presents challenges. When you try something new, people aren’t always going to think it’s great, or even a good thing. Like, you’re going to have kids play video games in class? You’re going to work with ChatGPT rather than push it away? Some parents and teachers might like that, and others might not. So, I think she had a really hard task coming in, where part of her charge was to be innovative, and then when you give people innovation, they could be like, ‘This is new, it’s weird, and maybe even a little scary.’ But her arc has been one of being truly committed to being that person who pushes Wheeler forward in terms of everything from technology to equity, community, and belonging to having less traditional classroom time. Even in the face of some resistance and questioning, she’s continued to stand behind them, and that’s not easy.”

Next Lab Coordinator and Immersive Tech Teacher

Travis Dumais

Honor and Responsibility

The more we talked about Wheeler’s programs, the more Allison wanted to emphasize the people behind them. That led us to talk about beloved members of the faculty, staff, and administration who have made their own impact at school and in students’ lives in numerous ways. “I’m honored to have worked alongside and learned from those who have retired while I’ve been here, people like [longtime Hamilton School Director] Jon Green, [longtime Lower School Head] Dana Hahn, and [Director of Operations] Gary Esposito and many others, including some extraordinary longtime teachers and staff members who have been cherished by generations of students and families,” Allison said. “Of course, I was worried about making sure that we were just as strong on the other side of these transitions, and I feel really gratified by how many wonderful faculty, staff, and leaders we’ve brought on. People continue to want Wheeler to be their home.”

When it came to her own transition to Wheeler, it may come as a surprise, given the school’s founding story, that Allison was the first woman head here in more than six decades. A detail that we didn’t mention earlier from that founding story: Despite Miss Wheeler’s ambition to create a girls’ school that would be on par with the boys’ schools of her day, she still needed help to obtain the mortgage for the property because, as an unmarried woman, she wasn’t allowed to get a mortgage herself. Allison can get a mortgage on her own today, but the reality is that being a woman head is still hard.

“Being the first woman head at Wheeler in more than 60 years has been an honor and a responsibility; it connected me directly to Mary Wheeler and her vision,” Allison said. “I think we can acknowledge that gender bias lives in all of us in different ways, and I experienced some of that in the role to be sure, but in general, being a woman leader at this moment and at this school was deeply meaningful and empowering for me. In the end, I believe that some of the strengths that were needed for leadership during this time were those I brought precisely because I am a woman. And I hope that in some ways, the young men and women who graduate from here will be able to incorporate different visions of leadership because of my presence here.”

Allison is driven to fix problems where she sees them. She keeps everybody’s perspective in mind, and when you think that you have an obvious solution or approach, she will always think of impacts on other people that you might not have thought of. When we are discussing fundraising, she has really compelling ways of talking not only about what we want to try to do, but what impact that will have. It’s easy to focus on the features of a project, but Allison is very good at zeroing in or of going past that to understand the resulting benefits. Why are we doing this and what will it mean for students? Advancement encompasses development and fundraising, but also engagement with parents, grandparents, and alumni. One of the really cool things about Allison is that she resonated very deeply with our alumni who graduated 50 years ago. They really saw her as an authentic representation of what they knew Wheeler to be, while at the same time, they were also amazed by how outstanding the school has become since that time. I started at Wheeler just a few months before the pandemic, and after it began, Allison never stopped working. That’s how she coped with the uncertainty of the pandemic she worked every single day to try to mitigate it in all of these various ways. That was awe inspiring. I think her capacity to work harder than anybody else and yet care so much about how everybody else is doing is really remarkable. I also want to say that Allison is so funny. The leadership team that she assembled regularly shrieks with laughter when we gather. She is self-deprecating. She is very comfortable becoming part of the team as opposed to dominating it, and I have just thoroughly enjoyed my time with her.”

Head of Advancement

Rachel Spaulding P’27, P’27

Shepherded the school through critical leadership transitions, attracting a dynamic new generation of faculty, staff, and administrators while cultivating a strong and collaborative leadership team

Raised $27+ million during her tenure, which included $10 million in philanthropic gifts for Wheeler’s financial aid endowment, expanding access to a Wheeler education for talented students in the region, regardless of their economic background

On a Mission

When it comes to leading, Allison gravitated toward one particular sentence from Miss Wheeler’s biography, in which the school’s founder said her goal was for Wheeler graduates “to learn their powers and be answerable for their use.” Allison thought it would be beneficial to resurface that sentence as she met with Wheeler community members early in her tenure to create a clear and compelling strategic design. That’s how the school’s founding purpose became the school’s new mission statement.

“Our mission gives us a horizon to endlessly pursue,” Allison said. “I don’t believe in ghosts, but I do think Mary wanted me to find that quote in her biography, because once I brought it out there, it took on a life of its own. It is the spirit that giveth life! When alums or students heard those words, they responded instantly and almost physically, repeatedly telling me, ‘That’s my school.’ I was so inspired by the ways in which it resonated with community members near and far. That year, the seniors put it on their t-shirts before we’d even suggested it would be the mission!”

I feel one of the most important accomplishments of Allison’s tenure is her revitalizing our connection to MCW in the mission statement and the day-to-day workings of the school: for example, the connection to the farm is as meaningful as it’s ever been. MCW’s town and country school is both modern and rooted in history. Allison’s sage and tireless leadership during the pandemic is one of those thankless jobs heads of school had to do. She trusted expertise in various departments and understood the importance of mass mobilization of adults and kids. We were safer under her leadership. She also understood the changing demographics and attitudes of the faculty and staff. She helped the school navigate several key administrative, faculty, and staff retirements, rebuilding the leadership team. Allison also understood the changing mindsets about careers and work/life balance. She is moving the school toward better and more modern and professional faculty/staff relations. Implied in all of the above, Allison has been collaborative and trusting, whether it was calling for the Equity Task Force, focusing on the importance of in-person teaching and learning, or seeing the wisdom of returning to our roots to make us more modern.”

Head of Strategic Innovation Young Un P’12

Reconnected the school to the pioneering spirit and principles of its founder, Mary C. Wheeler, and elevated one of those original principles — “To learn our powers and be answerable for their use” — to a new mission statement that serves as Wheeler’s North Star in all we do

When I think of what I appreciate most about Allison, it is the relationship that she and I have developed over the years. For me, the best part of being board chair has been being able to collaborate with her to problem-solve, especially during more challenging moments. I have found that this is only really possible when the relationship is one of trust and respect, and I feel that Allison and I have built that space where we can speak very candidly and honestly with one another. Of course, I credit Allison with all of the innovation that she has brought to Wheeler, including programming for students and the complete revitalization of the farm. I admire Allison for her strength and determination, her ability to stay true to her vision, and, probably more than anything, as an advocate for faculty and staff. I wish all faculty could fully understand the extent to which she has championed their interests with the board.”

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Alisia St. Florian ’86

Over the past eight years, Allison has done a remarkable job leading The Wheeler School by expanding and enriching educational programs, creating new opportunities for students to innovate and extend their learning beyond the walls of this campus, and developing a thoughtful plan for Wheeler’s future. She has supported increased staffing at the Hamilton School to better meet the educational needs of our students so we can encourage them to reach their full potential and be their best selves. She also tasked the school with reimagining our commitment to having Hamilton students continue their educational journey into the Upper School, which led to the creation of our highly successful Upper School Polaris Academic Support Program. Additionally, the Hamilton Institute at Wheeler was launched during Allison’s tenure, representing our school’s commitment to extending outreach and advocacy beyond the campus in an effort to support as many families as possible who do not have access to effective and impactful instructional programs to meet the learning needs of their children. All of these extraordinary endeavors that Allison supported and helped lead directly reflect our school’s mission ‘to learn our powers and be answerable for their use,’ and they show some of the ways our school has a transformative impact.”

Head of the Hamilton School at Wheeler

Bill McCarthy

Poetic Moments

Beyond the mission statement, Allison has always loved writing, conveying purpose and emotion in particular, poetry. “I use poetry because I love language, and poetry has a way of saying a great deal so poignantly,” she told me. “I write birthday cards to every employee every year, and I choose a different poem that I think kind of characterizes or reflects the zeitgeist, the school, or the world.”

One of the other reasons Allison prizes poetry is for its ability to describe and highlight specific details or moments in our lives. And when it comes to her favorite moment at school, nothing, she said, beats the Holiday Festival.

“It’s my favorite day because I get to stand on that podium and look at the whole school in one room. It’s a unique vantage point and experience. I love seeing everyone all dressed up, and there’s so much joy, music, and, dare I say, transcendence in the room it’s overwhelming. In general in life, we don’t get to have a lot of collective, simultaneous joy, but at the Holiday Festival, we create that joy together. We become more than the sum of our parts.”

In addition to the Holiday Festival, Allison expressed her appreciation for many other small and big moments at Wheeler. “I’m grateful for the days of laughter when we didn’t take ourselves too seriously, but also for the days when we needed to take ourselves very seriously,” she reflected. “I have gratitude for the Board of Trustees for taking some risks with me, and for the Leadership Team and so many faculty and staff for trusting me. And most of all, I’m grateful for the kids for just being themselves.”

For Allison, those unique kids, and their unique energy and passions, help make Wheeler a really warm place. “Families often tell us during the admissions process that they can feel the warmth and electricity of the school when they come in the doors,” she said. “We hear that feedback again and again. That is how we want kids and our whole community to feel like this is a place that’s going to be a warm hug.”

With summer break approaching And the flowers blooming around We know many happy feelings Are starting to abound.

But there’s a sense of sadness too As we approach a hard farewell As the end of headship draws near For our dear Allison Gaines Pell.

A hire from New York City She joined in 2017

Relocating her entire family When her kids were merely tweens.

An educational visionary

Always putting the students first Her passion for schools could cause Her ambitious heart to burst.

She guided us through COVID As a leader she’s the best!

Created the Cityside program And our early childhood: Nest!

From reading with the kindergarteners To a theatrical Les Mis debut To thinking deeply about global issues, There’s truly nothing she can’t do!

Our school is stronger because of her. We’ve been lucky to be under her spell. Each program and initiative Has been improved by Allison Gaines Pell.

So if you’re on campus

And her you happen to see Be sure to give a heartfelt thank you To the incredible AGP.

Poem by Director of Enrollment

Anna Curtis P’36, P’38

A Position With Personal Joy

In addition to being Wheeler’s head over the last eight years, Allison also had the special experience of being a Wheeler parent to Miles ’23 and Hannah ’25, who arrived at school for the start of their 7th- and 5th-grade years, respectively. “Ben and I have watched our two children grow up at Wheeler,” she said. “Wheeler has given me so many professional opportunities, but I will never get over the singular impact of a Wheeler education for my kids. They have had wonderful teachers, made extraordinary friends, built confidence, and explored so many opportunities. Watching my kids be able to benefit from the people around Wheeler has been transformative for them, and for me. There has been so much personal joy in this position.”

We’ve been proud to call Wheeler and Providence our home over the past eight years. We have such a deep appreciation for the experiences we’ve had in Rhode Island, and the friends, colleagues, and community that we’ve been surrounded by here. Before arriving in Providence, Miles, Hannah, and I had long observed Allison’s devotion to education and meaningful school leadership. But Wheeler has been the first school community we four have belonged to together, and that has been an especially incredible experience for us. We are each grateful for having had the opportunity to be a part of this community in our different ways, and we will always carry the Wheeler spirit with us. Go Purple!”

Ben Pell P’23, P’25 (husband)

At first, it was difficult for me to separate the two versions of my mom that I got at school and home. But thankfully, eventually, I understood how lucky I was to see her in the very place where her passions were brought to life. Through seeing her as the leader of my community, I gained so much respect and admiration for the individual woman that she was, and not just for her role as my mom. My mom has been a fiercely loyal and devoted head of school at Wheeler for the past eight years. Just think how incredible of a figure she must be in our home if she can channel all of that energy into her job each day. While her job has afforded me so many privileges and opportunities, I am most grateful for being able to watch her impact spread and touch all of the people in the community that I call home.”

Hannah Pell ’25 (daughter)

Allison Gaines Pell is a leader, a problem solver, a seeker of growth, and a pathfinder. She is the most genuine person to those around her, leading with both heart and conviction. Her dedication to education is nothing short of extraordinary she lives to guide and uplift the next generation, helping each student become the best version of themselves. At her core, she is a caregiver. She invests deeply in every student, celebrating their individual achievements. Her pride in the Wheeler community is evident in the way she highlights their successes, not for recognition, but because she genuinely believes in their excellence. She has always been an advocate for those who are less fortunate or privileged, never content to be a bystander. Instead, she absorbs the needs of the community and ensures that every student has the same chance to succeed. Her bravery is something I have always admired. During the hardships of COVID, she acted swiftly and decisively, putting a plan in place to keep her students safe and healthy. My mother is a doer she does not shy away from challenges, nor does she complain. And on the rare occasion that she does, it is only because she cares so deeply and never wants to let her community down. I will always remember the mornings when I would see her at the front gate, greeting every student and wishing them a great day. While I, occasionally a few minutes late, would arrive just in time to give her a hug before we both started our days.”

Miles Pell ’23 (son)

Championed investment in the Hamilton School at Wheeler, leading to the creation of Polaris and the Hamilton Institute, thereby amplifying the school’s impact on students with learning differences and sharing Wheeler’s expertise with the wider educational community

Increased the diversity of faculty, staff, and students in alignment with goals established by the Equity Task Force, which she initiated

A Head’s Handoff

As we wrapped up our conversation, I asked Allison what she envisioned for the fall, when she won’t be at Wheeler, at least physically (she will join the educational search and strategy group Carney Sandoe & Associates as a senior consultant). Given her sense of Miss Wheeler’s spirit on her shoulder, did she imagine that some of her own spirit will remain at school?

Realized

a longstanding vision for a nature-based early learning center at the farm by launching the Nest

Empowered faculty to dream big and bring to life innovative programs such as the Design Shop, Cityside, and the Next Lab, expanding the scope and impact of Wheeler’s educational

“Well, I don’t intend to lurk (though I would always accept an invitation to Holiday Festival), but I think my spirit will be in the art studio,” she said. “While I don’t actually spend much time there, it is the place that captured my heart when I came here for my interview. I followed two seniors in there, and I immediately thought, ‘Yes, this is the place I want to be.’ I just love that room for its sense of history, possibility, and creativity, and for the many generations of students who have painted, laughed, and created there together. That’s our essence, so it captures my heart.”

model

In the end, Allison added, she hopes Miss Wheeler will feel she did right by her. “I hope she would say that I harvested her vision from the founding of the school and gave it a new life in a current context. I also hope she will see that Wheeler has benefitted from her key insight, that the school is bigger than any one leader. She certainly knew that. She chose Mary Helena Dey as the second head of school, and then handed her her school. Being a good founder means you know that it cannot always be yours; you cannot be a good founder if you believe that you have all the answers and you’ll have them forever. I like to think she chose Mary Helena Dey because she knew that Dey would bring something that Mary Wheeler could not. Wheeler has been really fortunate to have the right leaders for different eras. I think I was right for this time, and I know that Mark Anderson, who will come after me [see the ‘Looking A(head)’ story on the next page], shares this sense that we are here to steward something that’s bigger than any of us.

“As I help Mark prepare to join Wheeler, I want him to know that this is such an extraordinary place to lead, and that he will be surrounded by brilliant, ambitious people and really interesting, curious, and kind kids and their families. As an experienced head, there will be days that will be hard and there will be days that will be extraordinary, and he will join good company in Wheeler heads of school who have loved this place and who have been loved back by it. And I think he will love it and be loved back as well.”

When it came to love, joy, and accomplishments, despite unprecedented challenges, I asked Allison finally, what mattered most during her time as Wheeler’s eighth head of school? “There is a lot in education that you cannot see, that is largely esoteric and that we educators love to nerd out about,” she replied. “But the best of all of it is watching a student grow up, through the ups and downs.

“My first year, there was a nursery student who came with a yellow duck that went with her everywhere, and she barely spoke during the entire year. Now that student is a leader. When I see her come in in the morning, I greet her and say, ‘Have a great day,’ and she looks at me with a smile and says with confidence, ‘I will.’ Whether it is that student, or one who I met in 5th grade who will walk the Commencement stage this year, you can see the impact you have on lives in a real way. I feel so honored and humbled by the fact that I’ve been able to do that at Wheeler.”

Looking A(head)

When Allison Gaines Pell concludes her tenure at the end of this school year, our ninth head of school, Mark Anderson, will begin his. As we shared in last fall’s announcement about his selection, Mr. Anderson is an accomplished school leader with 21 years of independent school headship, most recently at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. He and his family will join Wheeler on July 1, but he’s been preparing for the transition throughout the winter and spring. This is a photo from one of his campus visits, which included spending some valuable time with AGP, as he continued to learn more about us and the work ahead. We look forward to seeing more of Mr. Anderson at school and in future issues of the magazine! For now, you can learn more about him by scanning this QR code.

IN MEMORIAM WE REMEMBER THE WHEELER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY SINCE OUR LAST ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE, AND WE CELEBRATE THEIR LIVES, IMPACT, AND WHEELER SPIRIT.

Alumni

Patricia Jollie Agronick ’51

Louise Breed Allen ’44

April Horrell Cartmel ’45

M’liss Crotty Chapman ’63

Benjamin Clancy ’09

Lucy Patterson Cox ’76

Constance Payan Danforth ’50

Sarah Bullock Desjardins ’59

Sallie Chase Diller ’48

Caroline Ballou Eden ’48

Dale Smith Eggers ’71

Condé Glasgow Feddeman ’41

Constance Kuhl Francis ’47

Joan Craig Frank ’52

Marie Rockwell Galbraith ’48

Yasuko Taya Hudson ’56

Benjamin V. Hutchinson ’21

Julia Igoe ’21

Melissa Woodring Jager ’53

Frances Ross Kipp ’65

Margaret Elliot Knopf de Esteban ’55

Anne Merriman Krout ’49

Margaret Brown Larkin ’43

Eleanor Letts Lewis ’43

Elinor Lottinville ’55

Alys Farnsworth MacLeod ’47

Freda Wallace MacLeod ’58

Ann Snell Mecherle ’60

Shahrzad Ghoreishi Naso ’04

Brenda Neubauer Straus ’57

Ellen Grimes Noble ’49

Kensey Potter ’04

Audrey Mason Schmitt ’67

Tracey Green Whitney ’70

Marcia McCabe Wilbur ’63

Pamela Glidden Zapata ’59

Former Faculty and Staff

Michael Blecharczyk

Donna Holmes

Former Trustees

Joseph Chazan

Rhoda Flaxman

Charles Mandell

Bruce Selya

The Alumni Engagement Office works to build connections with Wheeler alumni and strengthen their connections with one another! As one alum recently told us, “What I love about Wheeler is that it truly is a lifelong community that shows up for one another and the school.”

Wheeler alumni are not only an incredibly curious and passionate community with experiences and contributions across a wide range of fields, but they are also generous with their time and talents. They come back to advise students at career roundtables, speak at assemblies, and share their stories (and this issue includes examples of all of them!). They sign up on The Wheel to serve as mentors to one another; they host gatherings; they reach out as class ambassadors; and they volunteer to serve on the Alumni Board, Wheeler Leadership Council, and Board of Trustees. Many stay connected to teachers and advisors, participating in classroom discussions, performance workshops, or academic mentorship support programs for students.

Our office is here to be that bridge for the alumni community at any stage of life. Whether an alum is starting out in a new city or career, wants to stay in touch with friends and faculty, or would like to make an impact through service or financial support, we can help facilitate those opportunities. Having active alumni who show up, share their voices, and care about one another’s futures makes Wheeler stronger for everyone! I am really proud to be a part of Wheeler and to see Mary C. Wheeler’s mission to “learn our powers and be answerable for their use” played out every day by our alumni. To all of our alums, I’d love to hear from you about the ways you want to get involved!

In particular, this spring and summer we are looking for volunteers to participate in the Alumni Career Roundtables on Friday, Oct. 17, and to reach out as a Reunion class ambassador. Could that be you? Scan the QR code below, or visit alumni.wheelerschool.org/pages/get-involved to learn more.

Danielle Kachapis P’28 Director of Alumni Engagement