Now & Then - Fall 2022

Pictures of Process

A letter from Head of School Allison Gaines Pell (AGP) P’23, P’25

The Adventures Expand Looking back at the growth of Aerie and imagining the program’s future with Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24

The Wheeler Q&A With Head of Strategic Innovation Young Un P’12

Dance Steps Alumni Profiles: Erin Muccino ’04

Leading Through a Library Alumni Profiles: Sarah Champa ’93

A Legacy of Bricks, a Bit of Magic, and a Lot of Love Honoring 2022 Hamilton Life Achievement Award Recipient Jon Green P’03, P’06, P’11

Wheeler Athletics: Now, Then, and Ahead A letter from Director of Athletics Sean Kelly ’02 P’35

A Nature-Based Beginning at the Nest A letter from Director Michelle Dolan

Creating No Place to Call Home Wheeler’s AS220 art exhibit examines issues of homelessness and housing insecurity

Going Underground with the Latest Fox Family Speaker Alumni Profiles: Will Hunt ’03

Wheeler is an environment where learning and growth happens. That’s typical of most schools, of course, but what’s special—in so many ways—is how it happens at Wheeler. That is the theme of this issue of Now & Then. In the stories that follow, you’ll read about the process of approaching our goals at school—whatever they are and wherever they lead. As Aerie Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24 tells us in our cover story, the paths a process may take are seemingly limitless, but they are always an adventure. These are personal journeys where students get to explore their interests and curiousity in collaboration with partners on and off campus, and they often begin with questions. The search for answers both challenges and guides. With that in mind, many of this issue’s stories start with questions that will lead you into a range of Wheeler experiences. It’s time to set forth.

Director of

Max Pearlstein

Pictures of Process

This summer, we had the chance to see the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope that humbled us with the incomprehensible expansiveness and astonishing beauty of our universe. The images, and the fact that we have only scratched the surface of what the telescope makes possible, are awe-inspiring to say the least. The many years of process behind it are similarly impressive.

The truly awesome pictures we’ve received from the telescope distract from the two decades of planning and implementation, complete with setbacks and many budget increases, that were required to make it a reality. The James Webb was bigger and much more complex than its predecessor, the Hubble telescope, requiring a new level of ingenuity and planning. To meet the goals of its mission, Webb would need a 21-foot mirror (almost thrice the size of the Hubble’s mirror) and a tennis court-sized sun shield to keep heat away, and both would have to be stored inside a rocket before automatically unfolding into precise position once it was safely 1 million miles away from Earth’s atmosphere (and heat). The launch, from the equator, would have to be perfect, and then there were 344 “single-point failures” that had to go just right in order for Webb to succeed. The testing and many hands required, not to mention the various plans that were no doubt presented and put aside, required quadruple the budget and added 15 years to the timeline.

While we cannot quite claim NASA-level complexity in our daily explorations at school, in the pages of this magazine, we hope to show you where this kind of curiosity begins. The accomplishments and announcements in this issue chronicle what you have come to expect from Wheeler, but we also want you to experience the journey of how we get there together. Our students, staff, and faculty–like our alumni–are curious, hungry, and ambitious. In their learning, our students reveal the immense promise of future generations. Yet, like the adults around them, they are also human and living through a time of rapid

transformation and deeply concerning challenges to our world. We have achieved great successes in recent years, and yet here, we want to celebrate and share with you what usually remains just out of sight: the many minutes of practice, quiet study, challenging conversations, and course-corrections which are so often the engine of the great things we can make possible for young people at Wheeler. This issue presents you with Wheeler’s own sense of process. It takes a village–quite a large one–to ensure that our students graduate with empathy, deep understanding, and knowledge, as well as the self-confidence to take on their world. We work together every day–in teams of colleagues, in partnership with families, and with our students–to set, approach, and accomplish our goals. We have learned a great deal about this during the pandemic. Hopefully, this issue will give you a sense of how the Wheeler magic is sustained and nurtured over the years and through any challenges. Thank you for being part of that process and our journey, wherever it leads–even to the stars.

Allison Gaines Pell (AGP) P’23, P’25

Head of School

P.S. Check out Griffin Haisman ’25’s award-winning space photography a bit later in the magazine. This is where it begins!

The Wheeler Q&A

These are just a few of the topics we cover in this wide-ranging conversation with Wheeler’s Head of Strategic Innovation Young Un P’12.

Q: You often talk about Wheeler’s “academic promise.” What is our academic promise, and what does that mean in practice across all grades at Wheeler?

A: When I refer to Wheeler’s academic promise, I focus on beliefs that are distilled from Wheeler’s Strategic Design, which in turn is based on the Mission Statement, “to learn our powers and be answerable for their use.” These beliefs speak to accomplishments and aspirations, so as a motivational piece for our faculty and staff, they are a balance of things we have done well for a long time and things we need to develop. There are clear themes, like the curiosity and agency of the student, that run throughout all of the beliefs. Another theme is that we teach our students that they exist in and benefit from community, be it on campus or in the world.

Q: Wheeler works to provide a personalized, rigorous, and joyful education for every student. How do we do that, and what are some examples?

A: The best examples of personalized learning are Aerie and Cityside. In both programs, the curiosity

and questions of learners are central. In Aerie (which you can read more about in this issue’s “The Adventures Expand” feature story) , a student wonders about brain science. After an inevitable “yes” from Aerie Director Mark Harris, that student is engaged in a course on neuroscience taught by someone with an equal or greater curiosity. In Cityside (which you can read more about in this issue’s “Creating No Place to Call Home” feature story), two students who are curious about global climate change learn that flooding in poorer neighborhoods isn’t as well-managed as in more affluent communities. They design a stormwater runoff system guided by a city government official and the skills they have acquired from all of their teachers. The two students develop so much expertise they give a lecture on flooding in underresourced communities to a Wheeler environmental science class.

Rigorous isn’t a word I use to describe Wheeler’s academics. When I think of rigor, I think of stiff, cold, and inflexible. Wheeler academics are dynamic, relational, and require students to engage in productive struggle, which implies the

What is the academic experience like at Wheeler today, be it in the studios and classrooms of our Providence campus, or the natural learning environment at Wheeler Farm? What will that experience look like in the future?

importance of and learning from failure in that process. If you were to walk around the Middle School during the middle of the day, you would see this kind of vibrant education at every turn, not just in the classroom but in common spaces. In history classes, teachers ask synapse-firing questions. In Wheeler Hall, students improvise scenes according to a set of age-tested rules. In math class, “skill and drill” gives way to complex problem-solving. If we were to see the fMRI of the brains of Wheeler students in just a single day, we would see large parts of their brains lit up. Imagine the impact of a week, year, or career on our fortunate students. Joy is everywhere at Wheeler and not just in joyful periods like recess, PE, and lunch. Joy is a key operational mode at the farm, where 3rd-graders build a two-story structure lashing large branches together. Such ambitious building involves communication and collaboration, an evolving knowledge of physics, and teachers who know when to step back and when to step in. The students experience all of this as joy. Joy is also a feature on the city campus. In an Upper School Spanish class, students in Providence talk to Spanish speakers around the world via video link. Real fluency is gained by experience, interaction, courage, and fun. Again, the Upper Schoolers experience this deep learning as joy, rather than as a pedagogy.

Q: As you just mentioned, Wheeler is one school with two campuses–in the city and on the farm. What are the benefits of having access to both, and how do we incorporate them together into our academic life?

A: I like to think of Wheeler as having three learning centers–the city campus, the farm, and WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), the home of the Cityside program. I also like to think of the farm and WFAC as both professional development labs for faculty and

staff and as places where students can experience real-world (natural and built) learning and apply the incredible education they get in the city campus. Constructing water rockets in the 6th-Grade Farm Program is more rewarding because of the education students have gotten in all their previous classes that emphasize process and experimentation. Cityside students writing a podcast on minorityowned small businesses benefit from all their writing classes, especially the ones on persuasive writing and audience. Without programs like Cityside and all of the farm programs, the academics on the city campus run the risk of learning in a vacuum (i.e. learning our powers but not being answerable for their use) Without the city campus experience, the learning at WFAC and in Seekonk (where Wheeler Farm is located) run the risk of experience without substance (i.e. not learning our true powers). Having all three learning centers enables us to be aligned with our mission.

Q: How does the Aerie enrichment program connect with our core academic experience, and what sort of freedom do students have in choosing their academic path at Wheeler?

A: My view of this connection is a big picture one. Because of Aerie and programs like it, student curiosity and motivation are validated. I don’t know of a single faculty member who doesn’t want these two attributes in their students. Learner agency and positive energy are the fuel that runs most classrooms. Wheeler teachers know how to use this energy source to make incredible things happen.

At a more granular level, students can enrich their already challenging course through Aerie. Wheeler students can experience the best “bothand” experience–both the best education a student can get and an individualized, sometimes non-conventional strand (e.g. deep experiences in

radio and video production or in VR technology). It’s the best of both educational worlds. Inspired by their teachers of writing, students have advocated and gotten writing tutorials ranging from novel to poetry writing. In turn, these Aerie writing tutorials enrich the writing experience in conventional classrooms. It’s the best kind of positive feedback loop.

Q: How does our academic approach prepare students for the future, whether that means moving up from Middle to Upper School, or preparing for college or a career?

A: Our educational approach is “both-and,” not “either-or.” I have a fundamental belief in the importance of the basics, like, but not limited to, reading, writing, and math. I think a well-delivered lecture is still relevant and necessary. This emphasis on fundamentals, however, isn’t enough and in fact, has never been enough. We need to provide students with meaningful real-world opportunities to practice and apply skills. We need to present our students with challenging, complex problems to apply these skills. We need to give students real opportunities to choose how and what they want to learn so they gain confidence and competence. I believe that our graduates possess an excellent foundation in the basic skills, a belief and confidence that they know how to apply these skills widely, and a sense of engagement with the world around them. I believe the society and economy our early childhood students will enter after their graduation from high school will require excellent basic skills, the ability to collaborate and communicate, a deep respect and embrace of diversity, and the willingness to solve complex, systems-based problems such as structural inequality and climate change. I think our evolving approach will prepare the students well for their future.

Young Un

Q: Wheeler recently launched the Whole Life Seminar, or WheeLS. What is it, why did we create it, and what does it mean for our students?

A: The WLS recognizes that in this world issues of health and wellness, diversity, community engagement, and technology are increasingly becoming intertwined in the lives of students today. If you were to interview any Upper Schooler about their worries about the world, you would most likely hear students worry about things like anxiety, global climate change, and the economy. The WLS integrated approach encourages students to talk to one another about these and other complex, systemic problems; it fosters as much personal development as it encourages community-based thinking and action.

Q: Now for a few questions about you. How long have you been working at Wheeler, what has that experience been like, and what are your duties as Head of Strategic Innovation?

A: I started at Wheeler in 1990, and my experience here mirrors my thoughts on what makes a Wheeler education incredible for our students. It’s been joyful. I have been able to ask questions, act on my curiosity, challenge myself, and work with the smartest, most capable people around. The school community is dynamic and fun. I’m a much better person because of my Wheeler experience. There are also a lot of dog fanatics and left handers.

In terms of my duties, at a general level, I get to look into the future and prepare the school for that future. I’m involved in a lot of things: collaborating with a wide range of colleagues to set the professional development plans for the school, helping to develop and evaluate our signature programs, facilitating hiring and crafting hiring practices, and growing the capacity of the faculty and staff. I also enjoy teaching in the Cityside program. I also do a variety of other things that Allison, our Head of School, asks me to do.

Our educational approach is ‘both-and,’ not ‘either-or.’”

Q: There has always been and always will be emerging technology that can be applied to the learning experience. What has been Wheeler’s approach to identifying, evaluating, and integrating new tools and processes into our academic vision?

A: In my opinion, we should not treat technology, be it a laptop, phone, or 3-D printer, as an end unto itself. We should view these and other technologies as tools or as means to improve the learning experience of our students and the teaching experience of faculty. Phone use is and has been hotly debated in the school. Students and adults for that matter are, at times, distracted and numbed by their phones. We have seen, however, creative uses for the phone. As the camera and video functions of phones have improved, their use has increased by students who want to tell a visual and complex story. All this said, I’m torn about a school-wide system for identifying, evaluating, and integrating new technologies. We have been successful in having a vanguard approach to teaching innovation where a group of faculty has pioneered and problem-solved the use of an innovation and then promoted its use to the group watching the vanguard. I can be convinced, however, of a different, more systematic way.

Q: You’ve said that as Head of Strategic Innovation, you’re someone who is always looking ahead. What do you think is in store for the future of academics at Wheeler?

A: I think the future of Wheeler academics will bend towards the future of society in general but hopefully without losing sight of its core mission. Creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, interdisciplinary and systems thinking, emotional intelligence, cultural competence or humility, and the desire and ability to reinvent oneself are what many future-oriented thinkers are labeling 21st-century skills that all schools should teach. The 21st-century pedagogy centers on developing skills and competencies and deemphasizes knowledge acquisition. I agree with the importance of teaching these and other 21st-century skills and also think teachers imparting knowledge to their students still has a vital place. In 8th-grade history, we used to teach the basics of Periclean Athens. Almost all of the facts and concepts students learned are relevant today, especially in our politically fractured, polemical world. When co-teacher Joe Baer and I created units connecting Periclean Athens to current events, students melded their knowledge and 21st-century skills in powerful learning about democracy. They reinvented a nearby neighborhood park based on input from community members and developed plans Pericles would have endorsed. In short, I think the future of academics at Wheeler is a constructive blend of tradition and change, of Wheelerizing innovation, and of staying true to our mission.

Learner agency and positive energy are the fuel that runs most classrooms.”

This is a story that begins in a long, rectangular room on the top floor of Hope Building. The space is lined with windows providing a bird’s eye view of the surrounding Providence streets, but what’s really drawing our attention is the activity–so much activity–happening inside. Upon entering this room on any given school day, you may hear numerous languages–from German to Hindi to Turkish–as students and instructors practice speaking them in close proximity, while other small groups gather around tables and various writing surfaces (including a few walls) to examine mathematical problems, consider historical or public health topics, or discuss phylogenetic biology together. This is the Aerie Room, which serves as the hub for Wheeler’s expansive enrichment program. Yet, as much as there is to see, hear, and experience in this space, there are even more academic journeys happening throughout Wheeler, both in person and online, that radiate out from this magical point high above campus.

“Wheeler’s Aerie Program is here to help students chart new heights of personalized learning,” describes an Aerie 101 document, “and examples of Aerie’s impact are everywhere. There is the lower schooler who spends some recess taking conversational Portuguese. A senior studying artificial intelligence in a full-credit class. A 7th-grader in a Russian class with his remote instructor. A burgeoning neuroscience program

that in part was spearheaded by a 6th-grader who began the work in Lower School. The list goes on. Offering approximately 30 for-credit classes, 70-plus Enrichment Electives, and a few dozen one-on-one and small group tutorials, Aerie is an essential presence across all divisions of Wheeler.”

Within this essential, school-wide presence is another essential presence, the person who has been leading the program from the beginning: Aerie Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24. His office, which is crammed with notes, plans, a few props, and lots of ideas that are just waiting to launch, is located at the midpoint of the rectangular room. Mr. Harris, both literally and figuratively, is at the center of Aeire’s constellation of curiosity–though he has a different term for it.

“This place for me has been a field of dreams,” he says one late spring afternoon inside the Aerie Room, “and there’s never been a September that didn’t seem as though it were a brand new adventure. There is always this notion that we are an institution that exists for the greater good. We’re trying to build something, and in this case, it’s the best school we can possibly be. We want to create the best environment for a kid, and for lots of different kids.”

Mr. Harris has enjoyed decades of Septembers at Wheeler. He reflected on them in a speech to fellow faculty and staff at the start of the last school year–his 50th. “What becomes clear to us

Expand The Adventures 11 WHEELERSCHOOL.ORG

An Expansive Aerie Experience: Some high-level numbers from the 2021-22 school year

LOWER SCHOOL

The Aerie team complements the work of homeroom teachers by teaching in every k-5 Hamilton and Wheeler classroom twice per rotation. In addition to serving each Lower School student in this way, Aerie is responsible for a variety of classes outside this typical homeroom/Aerie partnership.

This includes:

CLASSES AND TUTORIALS: 34 offerings serving 55 students (kindergarten through 5th grade)

ELECTIVES: 15 offerings serving 79 students (all 4th- and 5th-graders in Wheeler and Hamilton)

MIDDLE SCHOOL

CLASSES: 15 offerings serving 46 students

TUTORIALS: 18 offerings serving 18 students

ELECTIVES: 60 Aerie offerings during the year filling more than 425 seats each semester across the eight-day cycle

UPPER SCHOOL

CLASSES: 32 offerings serving 90 students

TUTORIALS: 30 offerings serving 35 students

ELECTIVES: 123 Aerie offerings during the year filling more than 515 seats each semester, Monday through Friday

PERSONNEL

87 Aerie instructors (not including permanent Aerie staff)

when we arrive every September, for the first time or the 30th, is that we are each year renewed. And in very short order, we all have the chance to create lasting impact—every day. We are professional difference-makers.”

One of those fellow difference-makers is Liz MacMillan, who has worked with Mr. Harris in the Aerie Program for the past 15 years. She describes him as a connector who is continually seeking new learning opportunities. “He always says ‘yes’ to an idea, ‘yes’ to a chance to inspire.” The program’s success, she explains, “is built around a collective vision that celebrates, supports, and fans each student’s curiosity and joy for learning.”

That vision began in the 1970s when a group of Wheeler parents “wanted something a bit more for their quirky, highly-talented kids,” Mr. Harris remembers. “One of the trends in education led us to host a conference about gifted and talented programs, and after that, the parents and teachers got together for a few meetings. I had a boss, Hugh Madden, who said, ‘Why don’t you do this part time?’ We started by working with some 4th, 5th, and 6th-graders, and some of my fondest alumni relationships today are with that first group.” The nascent Aerie experience expanded the next year, when Mr. Harris began working with 3rd-graders and Middle Schoolers. “I was also a dorm parent at that time, so I was involved with the Upper School. We wanted to create a math extracurricular program, too, and there were some really sharp kids with ideas about computers that you could put into schools for students to play around with.” It was soon clear that Aerie was no longer just a piece of his Wheeler portfolio, and then-Head of School, Bill Prescott, made it Mr. Harris’ full-time job in 1980.

“Every month it seemed there were new opportunities and a new kid who wanted to invest in those opportunities,” he continues. “Semesterby-semester and year-by-year it was the kids who built this program. And Wheeler was a school that was responsible to the passions and interests of those kids. If we didn’t have a debate program, we started one. We were on the ground floor of the Academic Decathlon, and Mock Trial, and all of these sorts of programs that are institutionalized state-wide now. But our kids created this fertile environment where they got used to chasing

dreams and it became part of what brought you to Wheeler–to chase your dreams.”

Today, it can be wondrous, and a bit chaotic, trying to keep up with Mr. Harris and a growing community of instructors (nearly 90 last academic year) as they help Wheeler students follow their dreams. “Mark has the energy of 10 men, and his personality is reflected in the Aerie program which serves hundreds of students across all divisions,” says Aerie Program Coordinator Trevor O’Driscoll P’27, P’29.

Mark Harris

The program’s seemingly limitless work begins in Wheeler and Hamilton Lower School, where the Aerie team partners with homeroom teachers to complement the curriculum. As the Aerie 101 document describes, “they bring a hands-on approach to student learning that leads to outcomes like 5th-graders who constructed a handmade globe during their geography studies or the kindergartners who strained leaves and learned about chlorophyll as they studied photosynthesis. A recent walking field trip to Prospect Terrace and

We all have the chance to create lasting impact—every day. We are professional difference-makers.”

Roger Williams’ grave site was an Aerie-led outing that took Lower Schoolers beyond the four walls of their traditional classroom. These Aerie studies often culminate in major events such as the 2nd grade’s trip to the Serengeti (aka The Wheeler Farm) or the 3rd grade’s Medieval Faire replete with a knighting ceremony in a castle (aka the old Victorian house across the street).”

From there, the Aerie possibilities truly take a personal path, as students across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools can choose from a wide range of enrichment electives, and students in Middle and Upper School can also work with the Aerie team to design both non-credit tutorials that allow them to dip into subjects they are curious about or for-credit classes if they want to dive into more time-intensive learning experiences.

“It’s a dynamic, sometimes frenetic (in the best way) experience,” Mr. O’Driscoll says. “The Aerie program runs like a nimble start-up. Because Aerie does such a quick and responsive job meeting the needs and wishes of the students we serve, we can quickly scout and hire from local university communities and beyond to match talented instructors with students’ personalized needs. The conveyor belt of requests never stops, so our ability to act quickly and with success is key.”

One of the things that Mr. O’Driscoll has come to appreciate most is seeing the relationships between Aerie instructors and students blossom. “Something that starts off as a somewhat random request for a playwriting class can develop into a powerful mentor/mentee partnership that lasts several years,” he says. “There’s no substitute for the relationship that a teacher and student can build over time working on and refining a student’s skills in a specialized area. In this case a request for a class on playwriting can churn out an actual playwright.”

While the Aerie successes are plentiful, some of the “noble failures,” as Mr. Harris describes them, are just as memorable. “We had an electron microscopy program that included three 1,500pound electron microscopes that could magnify to 100,000 power, but the revolution in microscopes made our program obsolete. Watching the crane pull those heavy microscopes out of Angell Building felt like a setback,” he says. “And after we built a greenhouse that was filled with fish tanks on the roof of the Fresh Air Building, one day water started

Creative Chemistry, with Mr. Harris in a Leading Role!

In June, our then-10th-graders enjoyed (truly!) an imaginative Chemistry assessment. The year’s final lab challenge was inspired by Mr. Harris’ 50 years at Wheeler, and it was revealed with a pretty fantastic video that you can watch by scanning the QR code to the left of this story. The students needed to produce a secret ingredient that would allow them to recreate Mary C. Wheeler’s ink!

“Working in small groups, they completed a series of tasks using skills and knowledge they acquired throughout the year and reviewed in preparation for the assessment,” said Chemistry faculty members Sarah Berthiaume Leduc P’32, Christine Perkins P’20, and Zander Schmidt ’16. “They demonstrated competence as lab chemists in this performance-based assessment, working both as individuals and teams applying their knowledge and skills. As teachers, it is exciting to craft rigorous and challenging alternative final assess ments that are so fun and engaging for the students.”

The students knew they were successful when their ink mixture glowed. After completing the challenge, a group that included Sophia Olivares ’24, Sadie Martiesian ’24, Pepper Travers ‘24, and Mia Lee ’24 agreed that the key was working well together and trusting one another throughout the process. “It was really fun working as a team, and this is probably the closest we’ve all worked together this year,” Mia said. Sadie expected that the group members would need to rely on their notes more, but they were soon immersed in the experience. “Each clue was satisfying to get to,” she said. “It was exciting to realize that what we were doing was right.” Pepper said the teachers’ creative approach helped, “because you don’t have to feel stressed. We’re still showing our knowledge.” And in this case, it showed up bright blue!

Watch Mr. Harris’ speech to fellow faculty and staff at the start of the last school year–his 50th.

dripping onto the exam folders of kids who were taking their English finals in the room below. But for every disappointment, or every program that was superseded by just the times changing, there have been new adventures.

“Who gets to participate in one of only a couple of high schools in the country that has a molecular biology program?” he asks. “How many kids get to participate in creating–and not just using–a virtual reality lab that is on the cutting edge of technology? The adventures expand. And the disappointments, they pile up dust in the corner. But the vast majority of the experiences here have been terrific. The challenge, of course, is how to pay for the implementation of some of these students’ dreams. But I have never felt as though there has been a barrier to a new idea or a lack of people to work with on a project.”

Another of those longtime collaborators is Upper School English Teacher Michael Himelfarb P’26, P’28, P’31, who was the former Aerie Program Coordinator. Last school year, he hosted a surprise game of “Jeopaerie” for students, faculty, and staff that featured a wide range of Mr. Harris-inspired trivia questions in celebration of the Aerie Director’s five decades at Wheeler. Mr. Himelfarb closed the humorous and heartwarming event by referencing Mr. Harris’ “renewal” speech from the start of the year. “Mark, it is you who renews us, who makes a lasting impact on all whose lives you touch,” he said. “Your light shines brightest when igniting the lights of those around you.”

Soon after that game of Jeopaerie, as we talk with Mr. Harris inside the room at the top of Hope Building, he considers one more Aerie-related question: What excites him about the future of the program? “I’m now to the point where I teach the children of some of the children of some of the people that I’ve taught,” he answers. “There is this elaborate set of connections, and one of the great thrills for me is knowing that this spirit of adventure is so embedded into the fabric of Wheeler that whenever I leave or whenever anyone leaves great things are going to continue to happen.”

One of the great thrills for me is knowing that this spirit of adventure is so embedded into the fabric of Wheeler that whenever I leave or whenever anyone leaves great things are going to continue to happen.”

Mark Harris

Dance Steps

For Erin Muccino, heading up Wheeler’s Dance Program has been more than a success — it’s a passion. An alumna of both the Hamilton School (‘00) and Wheeler (‘04), she has guided its growth from a single Aerie enrichment course to become a pillar of Wheeler’s performing arts.

While a student at Wheeler, Ms. Muccino enjoyed opportunities to dance through elective periods, but there was no formal dance program in place during that time. After graduating, she went on to earn a degree in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University and later danced with Festival Ballet before she opted to return to Wheeler to begin a program of her own. She fondly remembers one of her science teachers who introduced her to modern dancing in the same space that would eventually become her official dance studio years later.

“She was a modern dancer in a previous career, and she would hold a modern warmup in the studio when I was in the 10th grade,” Ms. Muccino says. “That really was the first time I saw the potential in that space.”

The new program began in 2012 with an Upper School dance class and soon expanded into electives and classes in Lower and Middle School.

“The following year was the first time that we did a Spring Dance Showcase, and I think we had maybe around 20 kids between the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School,” Ms. Muccino reflects.

She credits many colleagues at Wheeler for their ongoing support, particularly Aerie Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24, who offered instrumental support and guidance during the early days of the program. She is also appreciative of the influence that numerous teachers and mentors had on her own growth, first as a student and later as a dance teacher herself.

“I think, in general, the way I teach is 100% reflective of the way teachers worked with me from 5th grade in Hamilton through 8th grade and on through high school,” Ms. Muccino says. “Having dyslexia and learning challenges never made me feel like a burden to my teachers. They would sit with me for as long as it took for me to understand something because they knew I had it. Having those experiences as a student is invaluable if you want to become a teacher.”

How Did Erin Muccino ’04 create a welcoming Wheeler Dance Program for all students–even those who don’t think of themselves as dancers?

We’ve added so much to the program in terms of encouraging students to find happiness and a greater sense of selfexpression through their movement.”

As the Wheeler Dance Program continued to expand, she added a range of opportunities, such as Dance Club–now an established favorite among Lower School students—that meets during lunch recess and the Winter Dance Showcase, which last year featured over 60 dancers from throughout Wheeler.

Ms. Muccino has been proud to see the scope and sequence of the program evolve over the years from a fairly limited, electivebased experience to more of a diverse, curricular-focused program. Enrichment courses are now available for Upper School students, including West African dance, intermediate and advanced ballet, musical theater, student choreography, and barre fit, an exercise class that Ms. Muccino says is even used by Wheeler athletes as a form of cross-training.

Across all of these classes, Ms. Muccino has created a welcoming and accepting atmosphere that has become a guiding philosophy behind the Wheeler Dance Program and its success. She embraces the fundamental idea of presenting students with something they might not have known they would have an interest in, while offering various engagement opportunities for students who don’t necessarily identify as a dancer.

“We’ve added so much to the program in terms of encouraging students to find happiness and a greater sense of self-expression through their movement,” she says. “It can be an important part of how students make those connections with their own emotions and work through their own stress or anxiety.”

Beyond those experiences in the studio, Ms. Muccino is also proud to see more students recognized for their talents at major school events like the Holiday Festival. She is also grateful for the partnerships with her fellow faculty.

“It is an amazing feeling to be accepted in a Performing Arts Department with so many amazing teachers, and being part of that is pretty cool,” she says. “I feel lucky to work at Wheeler, and to be able to share in the openness and excitement in reaching students through dance is great.

Activities, Accomplishments, and

There are many ways, big and small, that Wheeler faculty, students, and staff learn their powers and are answerable for their use. Here are just some of the ways we aspired to our mission during the 2021-22 school year! You can see and read more about these stories by scanning this QR code:

Accolades

Wheeler’s robotics team, the Electric Quahogs, took home the title at the FIRST Tech Challenge State Championship Tournament in March! The team went undefeated at the event, going 6-0 in tournament play and 4-0 in their finals play as part of a group they captained along with two squads from Shea High School. “We’re so proud of our students, and I’m so appreciative of the support from my assistant coaches and the mentors in our Wheeler community,” said team Coach and Director of the Hirsch/Alperin Design-Innovate-Build (DIB) Lab Dylan Ryder. “The team worked tirelessly for months to get to this place, and the students certainly rose to the challenge!”

After becoming the top team in Rhode Island, the Electric Quahogs went on to compete at the FIRST World Championship in Houston in April. “We had an incredible time learning from and connecting with teams from all over the world,” said Mayte Segura ’24. Teammate William Kopans ’22 added: “With each successive match, our team refined our point-scoring abilities, communication, and collaboration skills. And, in our final match, we worked with a team from Delaware to achieve our personal best score of 306, one of the top 10% of all scores for the event.”

From the poetry of apples to personal narratives, Wheeler 7th-Graders learned directly from 10 professional writers last February during the first Middle of the Middle Writing Symposium. Poets, journalists, and screenplay writers, among others, joined English classes in-person and through Zoom to offer insight into their individual writing processes and careers. “Every writer was connected to Wheeler either as an alum, a parent, or a friend,” said Director of Middle School Vanessa O’Driscoll P’27, P’29. “Every writer was eager to help because they have forged their path with words and love sharing their art with young writers.”

photography by Henry Germano ’22

Wheeler 5th-graders presented plenty of classroom solutions at the Design Challenge Showcase last April. They were responding to real challenges that faculty had submitted to the DIB Lab earlier in the year, with projects ranging from a special bulletin board with mini-shelves, to a custom doorstop, a specialized pull cord for projector screens, and a protective cover for chalk. The students enjoyed the freedom to design, create, and test their inventions, while–perhaps most importantly–learning from their mistakes.

“Enlightening,” “insightful,” and “inspiring” were just some of the words that 19 Upper School students used to describe their experiences at the Wheeler Student Diversity Leadership Conference held in Cambridge, Massachusetts last December. During the three-day event, the students explored issues of identity, diversity, equity, and leadership with one another and various guest speakers like Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqi and Providence City Councilman (and Wheeler Teacher) John Goncalves ‘09, who led a workshop focused on political activism and engagement.

Director of Unity & Diversity Princess Sirleaf Bomba P’16, P’18, Student Support Coordinator Rose Phildor P’28, and former Upper School Unity & Diversity Coordinator Marc Harrison P’16, P’21 organized the in-person conference as a way to fill the void after the National Association of Independent School’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference went virtual due to the pandemic. “It was amazing, and I’m glad we took the chance on it,” Ms. Bomba said. “We’re so lucky that 19 amazing kids also expressed an interest and trusted us to come and be a part of something special.”

World-renowned

The program started a decade ago when Upper School Jazz Teacher Francisco Cardoso invited his friend and Grammy Award-winner Esperanza Spalding to campus. “It has always been my goal to bring in game-changers that can offer wisdom to our student community,” said Mr. Cardoso, who has come to know many of the artists as a professional musician himself.

Wheeler student and electric bass player Joseph Acampora ’24 described it as “a really surreal experience…When you’re playing jazz, there is a certain amount of communication that is involved, and when people around my age are learning it together, sometimes it’s like we’re all learning a language, so it’s not perfect. But when you’re speaking with someone who speaks that language fluently, you can learn so much, and it pushes you out of your comfort zone.”

jazz musicians Myron Walden (saxophone, flute, and bass clarinet), Ferenc Nemeth (drums), and Adam Cote (bass) were the latest guest artists to visit Wheeler as part of The Contemporary Improvisation Series in October.

Cape Hayes ’32 has a scoop…well, it’s really more of a cookie. “I liked the ‘Wookiee Cookie,’” Cape said of one of his favorite articles from Lower School News, which he created last year. “It’s a newspaper for Lower School so little kids can get to hear about their teachers and fun activities.” A new issue of the newspaper came out each Wednesday, and Cape, who was then a Hamilton 2nd-grader, hand delivered them around school and on the playground. Producing the paper was a powerful statement, both about Cape and The Hamilton School. “It has been a delight to watch Cape’s confidence with written language grow and the excitement he has for creating the paper each week,” said his mom, Selby. At the time this story was written, Cape was considering a different media approach for this school year. “In 3rd-grade I’m probably going to change from paper news to recording my voice,” he explained. We can’t wait to hear the podcast!

Last December, Wheeler 6th-graders made some new international friends through a Mystery Skype that allowed them to connect with another class in a different country-all while honing their critical thinking skills. The students in Teacher Dana Tatlock P’20, P’24’s class asked their Skype partners questions related to geography, culture, and other topics to figure out where the mystery class was located. Ms. Tatlock’s students discovered they were speaking with a class from the Hans Christian Andersen School in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The students in Argentina also posed similar questions to help them discover they were interacting with students from Rhode Island.

Wheeler’s radio station, WELH 88.1 FM, recently made some big programming changes for its listeners. When WELH and Rhode Island Public Radio formed a lease agreement in 2011 to broadcast National Public Radio content throughout the week, there was only a small window for Wheeler-produced student programming on Sunday evenings. However, that agreement ended last October, meaning all of the programming is now developed by The Wheeler School. As part of the transition, WELH launched a “Cutting Edge Classic” music format featuring alternative rock from the 80s and 90s, and students have the opportunity to create shows and podcasts which run every weeknight. Featured programs include sports shows, music shows, and even a car review show. WELH also represents the foundation of Wheeler’s Media Program. Middle School students can take Aerie enrichment classes where they are on the air, and Upper School Students can join the WELH Radio Club and visit the Digital Production Studio to create their own weekly broadcasts.

A group of seven 10th-graders created a new theater group last year, called the Ensemble 10, to create original one-act plays and inspire each other as much as their audiences. The pieces focused on subjects ranging from a student judicial council, to the aftermath of a romantic relationship, and even a murder mystery in a high school theater group. “One very important job of theater in education is to allow students to find their own creative voice and then use the tools and skills we learn to help them articulate clearly and theatrically what they want to say,” said Theater Teacher Joel Sugerman. “This class developed into the perfect playground for just that kind of learning.” Beatrice Schroeder ‘24 said it was amazing to see what her Ensemble 10 peers could create together. “I love being able to bring all their hard work to life,” she said shortly before the performances. “This has been such a fun and fulfilling experience. I’m so excited to perform these!”

In January, Marion Cook ‘26, Robin Linden ’26, and Sadie Harrison ‘26 were named finalists in The New York Times’ 3rd Annual Personal Narrative Essay Contest for Students. More than 11,000 students from around the world submitted essays, and the judges selected just over 200 finalists — of that group, Sadie was a round 4 finalist, Robin was a runner-up, and Marion was one of eight winners to have their piece published by the Times. “My favorite thing about having students submit their original work to the NYT contest was that they were writing for an audience beyond our classroom walls,” said 8th-Grade English Teacher Clare Kim. “In the time of COVID, it felt necessary to give my 8th-graders the opportunity to share a small portion of their lives in a meaningful way.”

There were more winning words in April, when Jacquelyn Song ’24 was named a Gold Medalist in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards in the Personal Essay and Memoir category. “My memoir, ‘Fishing for False Memories,’ was inspired by my father’s hometown in rural China,” Jacquelyn said. “I owe Mr. Koppel, my writing teacher, for altering my assumption that a ‘good memoir’ needs a life-changing message and encouraging me to aim instead for artistry and honesty. Due to his advice, I was able to craft a memoir that captured my relationship with my roots–a lighthearted adventure, exploring the conflicts in identity of a first-generation American and the youngest in my immediate family. Receiving a Gold Medal was a huge surprise! Recognition made me realize that I was being heard, which encouraged me to pursue writing with more passion and dedicate love and attention to the creativity of others around me.”

As you can see in these photos, several Wheeler 7th-graders developed and applied their camera skills during the Middle School’s All Grade Interdisciplinary Learning Experience (AGILE) mini-term. Through the AGILE sessions, which were held last November and March, students spent four afternoons at Wheeler Farm exploring various disciplines. They could choose from various workshops, ranging from a role playing game lab, to envisioning a design-thinking approach to public art, to creating a play experience for Nest students. Participants in the photography workshop became photojournalists, documenting the activities of other AGILE groups and taking nature-based photos.

In achieving a perfect score on the Mathematical Olympiads last year, Daniel Shea ’28 accomplished something that has only happened three times at Wheeler in the last four decades. The Olympiads are a series of five tests of increasing difficulty that participating students take over the course of several months. “The Olympiads contests give our 5th- and 6th-grade students the chance to really wrestle with challenging multi-step problems–to put their skills to good use,” explained Aerie Program Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24. “Kids measure themselves against 15,000 or so mathletes in their age groups from around the country. The most valuable lessons come from reviewing solutions afterward and comparing different strategies for attacking problems. Daniel learned of his Olympiads feat at a Middle School Community Meeting in May, when Mr. Harris presented him with the George Lenchner Award for a perfect score. The Lenchner Award and the perfect score it recognizes, Daniel said, follow years of work with and support from Wheeler teachers like Mr. Harris. “Since I started school at Wheeler in 3rd grade, Mr. Harris set me and some of my classmates up with great Aerie math instructors, like our teacher this year, Ms. Davis. Right now, we are doing 8th-grade math. I am lucky to go to a school that encourages kids to do well in the things they like.”

photography by Parker Goldman ’27 (L); Gus Despines ’27 (R)

Griffin Haisman ’25 is shooting for the stars–literally! The images he’s captured with his camera have, in turn, captured a great deal of attention. As part of a project in his 8th-grade English class at Wheeler, Griffin submitted his astrophotography to The New York Times Learning Network’s “Coming of Age in 2020” Contest, which was compiling art pieces to tell the story of how young people dealt with the emerging COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying lockdown. While he didn’t hear back from the Times at first, over the next several months, his work started to be noticed in other ways. In March 2021, he was featured in an episode of the Space Junk podcast, highlighting the next generation of amateur astronomers. Then, in November, he received word that his submission to the Times would be included in a “Coming of Age” book. “I was both shocked and ecstatic when I read the email informing me about its selection,” he said. His parents were equally delighted to hear the news, and Griffin said many of the other people who now know about his photography have also been very supportive. His social media presence has steadily grown, with more than 6,000 people following his astrophotography through his Instagram account (@arcturusastro) at the time this story was written. Griffin said he enjoys answering their questions about his incredible images.

Students don’t typically receive praise for making noise in class, but that’s exactly what Wheeler 4th-graders experienced during their Waves of Sound unit last December when they learned how the brain processes sound. Aerie Teacher Travis Dumais teamed up with Lower School Science and Math Teacher Julie Abodeely P’32 to help teach concepts like hertz, decibels, and other sound fundamentals, and the students used a synthesizer to create unique sounds and viewed the resulting waves through an oscilloscope.

photography by Griffin Haisman ’25

There are many fantastic words people use to describe former Hamilton School Director Jon Green P’03, P’06, P’11. A few of them–which are repeated in a tribute video that you can view by scanning the QR code to the right–are “an exceptional leader,” “a gift,” and “a little bit of magic.” Now, we can add “Hamilton Life Achievement Award recipient” to the list.

In a series of events on March 4, Mr. Green was honored as the 2022 recipient–and the 27th overall–of the Hamilton Life Achievement Award, which recognizes people who have used their learning differences to their advantage in accomplishing great things.

The festivities began that morning when Mr. Green joined Lower School students for a surprise round of Jon Green bingo. A bit later, he spoke to Hamilton students, faculty, staff, and alumni in Isenberg Auditorium about some of his experiences growing up with attentional variation and how much it meant to him to be part of the Hamilton community and guide the school’s tremendous growth and impact over the previous three decades. He also answered a few questions. When one student asked him if he was happy when he joined Hamilton 30 years ago, Mr. Green said he was very happy. “The school was much smaller, and it was exciting to think about what was going to make it a great program,” he said. In response to another student’s question about why he wanted to be a teacher, Mr. Green said, “I think teaching kids is the single best way to change the world and make the world a better place.”

During the 2021-22 school year–which was his last as Hamilton Director–Green led the effort to raise more than $6.9 million to strengthen and broaden Hamilton’s reach into the future

In 2019, even as the first notions of his retirement were beginning to take shape, Hamilton School Director Jon Green P’03, P’06, P’11 was deep in collaboration with Wheeler’s Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25, Director of the Hamilton Institute Jeanette Epstein P’03, P’08, and a small cohort of colleague-leaders to pilot a new Hamilton-grown program–one that would have a larger impact on the academic trajectories of students with learning differences at Wheeler than any innovation since the opening of Hamilton Middle School in the late 1990s.

Until that time, Hamilton had served students only up to 8th grade. Those who matriculated into Wheeler Upper School were eligible for some additional support through the Hamilton Alumni Support Program (HASP), a supplemental advisory resource led by Upper School Teacher David Ahlborn P’11, P’15, but this was most often available to students for just one year. Thus, some students who might have thrived in Wheeler Upper School with ongoing comprehensive support tailored to their learning styles instead had to be counseled to attend other schools. Mr. Green was convinced, however, that Wheeler’s Upper School could successfully serve (and benefit from) Hamilton graduates and other students with similar types of learning differences, who frequently excel in the sciences, arts, and humanities even while needing support in other areas.

The new program, named “Polaris,” launched in the 202021 school year. Built upon the expertise of the Hamilton faculty as well as input from Hamilton families, the four-year Polaris model is an intentional extension of the Hamilton approach within Wheeler Upper School, providing a comprehensive “wraparound” academic support framework for students with diagnosed learning differences. Jeanette Epstein serves as the Director of Polaris, with Mr. Ahlborn taking on an expanded role as its Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

During the program’s pilot year, Wheeler was invited to apply for a prestigious grant from The Edward E. Ford Foundation, one of the country’s premier philanthropic foundations supporting excellence and innovation in independent schools. Following a comprehensive review process, the foundation awarded Wheeler a matching grant that, when combined with gifts raised from the community, would generate a total of $300,000 for an upfront investment in additional staffing and teacher training, thus enabling Polaris to reach its full potential much more rapidly and ensuring a fully supported experience for all students.

For James and Katie Adelstein P’18, P’19, P’22, P’25, whose four sons all attended Hamilton, this robust expansion into the Upper School was something they had long hoped to see, as they had watched many of their sons’ Hamilton

classmates depart Wheeler after 8th grade or struggle with insufficient support in the Upper School. “I’d advocated for this kind of program for years,” says Katie, who serves as a member of the Hamilton Committee of The Wheeler School Board of Trustees. “I was so excited to see it finally become reality and wanted to see it thrive. When James and I learned about the matching grant, we knew it was a huge opportunity for the Hamilton community.” The couple decided they would step forward with a lead gift to the initiative.

Like many Hamilton families, the Adelsteins’ experience with learning differences is multigenerational. “My father was a brilliant and successful man who was also without a doubt an undiagnosed dyslexic,” James shares. “He recalls being made to wear a dunce cap in school and being labeled as stupid; he never completed high school. He is fortunate to have overcome that stigma–his dyslexic brain helped him go on to run multiple successful companies during his lifetime–but so many kids like him never get a chance, and their talents are squandered.” Katie adds, “James and I are grateful that our sons’ education at Hamilton couldn’t have been in greater contrast to their grandfather’s. It means so much to us as a family to be able to play a part in expanding Hamilton’s brand of life-changing education just a little further.”

The Adelsteins, along with roughly two dozen other generous donors, earned the full E. E. Ford Foundation matching grant well before the deadline. And the program in which they invested is already changing lives: Of the students in last spring’s graduating Hamilton 8th grade, all of them matriculated in Wheeler Upper School this fall–a first in Hamilton’s history, and a fitting capstone on Jon Green’s groundbreaking legacy.

You can learn more about Polaris by visiting wheelerschool.org/POLARIS or by scanning this QR code.

The Adelstein family at Wheeler Commencement.

Mr. Green made the world a better place over the course of his career. He taught students with learning differences, counseled and advised parents, consulted with schools, and administered school programs. At Wheeler, he helped expand the Hamilton program into the Middle and High School years and established a 1st grade at the school. He and longtime colleague Jeanette Epstein P’03, P’08 also created the Hamilton Institute, which conducts regular reading screenings for children in the community, trains teachers in the summer, and hosts an annual conference. In addition, Mr. Green was Co-Founder of the National Independent LD School Network, and he served as a Trustee for a number of organizations including the International Dyslexia Association, the Rhode Island Branch of IDA, St. Andrew’s School, and The Wolf School.

Mr. Green had the opportunity to reflect on those meaningful experiences as the Hamilton Life Achievement Award events continued. In the afternoon, he participated in a Q&A session with the Upper School’s Learning Differences Awareness Club, and in the evening, the Wheeler and Hamilton community came together for the annual “Mind Your p’s and q’s” celebration.

In their welcoming address, Co-chairs Laina Crowthers P’26, P’28 and Krista Sturtevant P’29 invited everyone to share their adjectives of Mr. Green. Descriptors such as “steady” and “dedicated” quickly surfaced from the crowd.

In addition to being a celebration of Mr. Green’s accomplishments and impact, “p’s and q’s” was also an opportunity to wish Mr. Green well: after 30 years of his steady and dedicated presence at Hamilton, he was preparing to retire at the end of the school year. Before presenting him with the Hamilton Life Achievement Award, Wheeler’s Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 spoke of the legacy of love that Mr. Green was going to leave

Jon Green

behind. “Jon has many achievements that will be lauded for years to come, and these easily make him a worthy recipient of the Life Achievement Award,” she said. “His dedication to children, to strengths-based education for students with the specialized cognitive abilities of our Hamilton students, is second to none. But I know–and all of us here tonight know–that the most essential aspect of Jon’s legacy will be the relationships he has built. He is a kindred spirit–and I don’t just mean to me, as a fellow educator inspired by the many types of minds around us, but a kindred spirit to every student, every colleague, every family he encounters. I think that sums up Jon’s life work and life achievement.”

I think teaching kids is the single best way to change the world and make the world a better place.”

Representing one of those families, Jacky Beshar P’14, whose daughter Scout attended Hamilton, described Mr. Green as a brick. “Our start at Hamilton was, shall we say, ‘rocky,’” she told the audience. “But through it all, Jon Green and his team hung on to Scout and on to us and kept us moving forward. The support we got from Jon in those early years was so significant that one day I stopped at the Providence Art Club where the sidewalk was being renovated and picked up a loose brick. I wrapped it in a ribbon and delivered it to Jon with a note saying ‘Thanks for being one.’ That brick is still on Jon’s bookcase. It is one of his favorite presents and has come to symbolize what Jon has been to scores of families and students through his career at Hamilton.

“When Jon told me this summer that he wanted to spend his last year at Hamilton helping to strengthen and broaden Hamilton’s reach for the future, I was not the least bit surprised.”

Ms. Beshar then announced the impact of that effort, with an incredible $6.9 million having been raised by that point in the school year. The funds are supporting the growth of the Polaris program, which provides guidance and academic support for students with learning differences in Wheeler’s Upper School (and which you can read about more in the sidebar to this story); amplifying the outreach of the Hamilton Institute; and increasing financial aid for Hamilton students by 50% over the current funding.

“Your gifts show what we can do when we join together to rally around something we care deeply about,” Ms. Beshar said. “A school like Hamilton simply doesn’t happen without the dedication of a community that wants to see it thrive.”

When accepting the Hamilton Life Achievement Award, Mr. Green described that community as a “kingdom,” and he expressed how grateful he was to have had the keys to “the kingdom of these children and adults in our society that think differently” for such a long time. “(They are) a loving group of people to be sure,” he continued. “Yes, I think I understand what many of these kids went through, and truth be told, I saw myself in these children all these years. Kid problems don’t freak us out. We roll up our sleeves and with a band of like-minded teachers, we got to make a huge difference in these young lives. Thank you all for giving my life such purpose and impact. How lucky I am, how lucky we are.”

Leading Through a Library

Sarah Champa ’93 is Empowering Qatari Communities, One Book at a Time

ALUMNI PROFILES

“There was limited access to books at the time and the national library had not opened yet,” she says. “They were looking to have greater access to books in both Arabic and English.”

While Maktaba, which shares its name with the Arabic word for “library,” may seem like a lending library on the surface, Champa says its mission encompasses much more. It offers a range of hands-on activities, focused on areas from crafts to science, that encourage youngsters to become active readers, enthusiastic learners, and regular library visitors. Maktaba also collaborates with outside authors and other organizations on events and projects. One of these partner organizations is the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, a Qatari governmental entity that is planning and delivering the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

As Champa explains, “We started working with them in 2017 and worked with local authors and illustrators to create bilingual books around healthy lifestyles. All of them use football as the heart of the stories to encourage children to learn about different themes.” The effort goes hand-in-hand with another program, Generation Amazing, which also utilizes football (or soccer) as a tool for social development. Children learn important life lessons on and off the pitch, as they hone their communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.

“On that side of our work, we’ll often carry out the educational component, such as stories and activities with the kids,” Champa says.

She describes the story of Maktaba as one of partnerships working to help communities in need, and that same theme is very much a part of her own professional story, which has taken her around the world. After graduating from Wheeler, she studied in Paris and later advocated for arts education in the Washington D.C. area on behalf of Crayola. She went on to receive a master’s degree in Culture and Society from the London School of Economics and Political Science before moving with her spouse to Doha in Qatar in the 2000s. After identifying the

My focus on community building and volunteerism was something that I obviously developed very young, and that’s definitely thanks to Wheeler.”

Sarah Champa ’93

need for books there, Maktaba ultimately took shape after Champa spent nearly four years on community work, fundraising, and finding sponsors.

“My focus on community building and volunteerism was something that I obviously developed very young, and that’s definitely thanks to Wheeler,” she says. Her time spent in Prescott Library during her Upper School years showed her the potential for libraries as community centers and served as a major influence as she gravitated toward the idea of founding Maktaba. In addition, her experience playing soccer at Wheeler helped shape her collaborations with groups and programs like Generation Amazing.

Maktaba’s approach faced perhaps its greatest test in 2021, after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan and the country’s government soon fell to the Taliban. Over 100,000 people were evacuated through Qatar, and between 10,000 and 20,000 of them did not have the necessary paperwork to move on to their next destinations. The Qatari government requisitioned two residential compounds and housed evacuees until they could complete their paperwork and continue on to places like Europe, the United States and Canada, Champa says. One of these compounds was under the management of Generation Amazing.

While the prospect of providing enrichment activities for the children who would temporarily live in the compound presented various challenges, such as sweltering heat outdoors during the day, Champa and Maktaba developed a solution. They created a

mini-library that offered both a community space for children and adults to congregate and an educational space for activities and games.

“The most intense period for this was from the end of August until December,” Champa says. “We were running programs until about 8:30pm, and, the later it would get, the more sporting activities would happen. The effort itself was massive–we did amazing and innovative stuff, like holding story time, science activities, Zumba classes, meditation for adults, English classes, and activities with other organizations that contributed.”

As Champa looks back at that recent, intense experience, she also reflects on her volunteer work while at Wheeler. She recalls spending time at the Providence Animal Rescue League and the positive impact that young people can make in supporting communities. These days, she’s happy seeing students in Qatar visiting Maktaba to complete their own volunteer service.

“I love seeing that all come full circle,” she says.

Wheeler Athletics: Now, Then, and Ahead

MIRANDA YE

This past season was a year full of team success. The Boys Swim Team raised a championship banner for the fourth time since 2016. Our Girls Cross Country Team made its fourth appearance at the State Meet in the last five years, the Golf Team made a third consecutive trip to the State Championship, and our Boys Basketball Team reached the Final Four for the 11th time in the last 12 years.

The 2021-22 school year also featured incredible individual highlights, with Wheeler student-athletes garnering 10 All-State Selections: Sekou Kamara ’22 (soccer), Zeah Pivorunas ’22 (tennis), Miranda Ye ’22 (tennis), Travis Cobain ’22 (basketball), Sari Nostramo ’22 (gymnastics), Charlie Caiati ’22 (tennis), Andy Weisberg ’24 (tennis), Eliot Advani ’23 (tennis), Mateo Smith ’25 (swim), and Sadie Martiesian ’24 (lacrosse). Accompanying those accolades were other wonderful success stories, particularly involving our seniors. Five members of Wheeler’s Class of

2022 are beginning to compete at the NCAA level this year: Oliver Zelman (Bard/baseball), Sekou Kamara (Franklin Pierce/soccer), Emma Mirrer (Princeton/rowing), Charlie Spurrell (Amherst/ track & field, and Graham Spurrell (Bates/football). We also recognized two of our seniors last year, Zeah Pivorunas and Travis Cobain, as our Wheeler Scholar-Athlete Award winners. The award, which is presented annually in memory of Jaz Tereszczenko ’85, honors a student or pair of students from the graduating class who exemplify the best qualities of a Wheeler School student-athlete. Pivorunas, who is attending New York University this year, claimed three All-State selections and three All-Division selections in tennis with a career singles record of 53-9. Cobain, who is now a postgraduate at Deerfield Academy where he will play soccer and basketball, earned All-Division honors in soccer three times and in basketball all four years at Wheeler, while also being selected as a two-time All-State basketball player.

Dear Wheeler Community,

It is with great pleasure and excitement that I share with you what’s new in the world of Wheeler Athletics!

TRAVIS COBAIN

ZEAH PIVORUNAS

SADIE MARTIESIAN

SEKOU KAMARA

GRAHAM SPURRELL

CHARLIE SPURRELL

As you may have already read in the “Celebrating Our Community” section of the magazine, we honored our inaugural class in the Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame last year. The upcoming Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony will honor individual inductees Jane Forman ’80 and Konique Ballah ’97, as well as the 2010 and 2011 Girls Soccer Teams coached by current Physical Education Department Head Monica Aleixo P’16, P’17.

Forman, a former top-50 world-ranked tennis player, was unstoppable in her playing days as a Warrior student-athlete. She became the first Rhode Island singles player to win four consecutive State Championships (a feat attained only once since in Rhode Island and by another Warrior, Marrisa Alikpala ’01). After Wheeler, Forman had a standout career at Clemson University, earning four All-American honors before beginning her memorable professional career.

Ballah, who was known locally, regionally, and nationally as an outstanding sprinter, captured five individual New England Championships during her time as a Warrior student-athlete. In 1996 she won the NEPSAC Class C 100m title, in 1997 she claimed the 200m and 400m, and she then repeated as New England Champion in those same two events in 1998. Her 25.1-second finish in the 200m stood as a Rhode Island State Record for almost 20 years. After Wheeler, Ballah competed at Brown on the university’s Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track Teams.

The 2010 and 2011 Wheeler Girls Soccer Teams were among the most dominating teams in all of NEPSAC soccer in the last 20 years, accumulating a two-year record of 37 wins and only four losses. During a two-year stretch of undefeated play in the SENE, which featured back-to-back championships, the Warriors did not yield a single goal to their opposition. In fact, the Warriors outscored their opponents 180 to 11 over the 41-game stretch. Both teams qualified for the NEPSAC Tournament and in 2010 they reached the championship before losing a heartbreaker to The Groton School 1-0. The team also featured multiple girls who would eventually compete at the NCAA level.

Members of the 2011 team

Class of 2012: Hannah Broderick (captain), Nicole Evangelista, Nina Frank, Addie Glazzard, Maggie Godley (captain), Sarah Rose Oberman-Breindel, Charlotte Platt, Julia Rice, and Hogan Vivier (captain). Class of 2013: Molly Sawdy, Jessica Shill, and Alex Strong Class of 2014: Elizabeth Morrocco Class of 2015: Anna Boogaerts, Jacque Boushell, Nellie Congdon, Lauren DiMundo, Jessica Fernandes, and Lily Foulkes

Coaches: Monica Aleixo and Martyn Hollands

Members of the 2010 team

Class of 2011: Rosa Congdon (captain), Caroline Frishman (captain), Genesis Garcia, Molly Nickerson (captain), and Priscilla Tyler (captain)

Class of 2012: Hannah Broderick, Nicole Evangelista, Nina Frank, Addie Glazzard, Maggie Godley, Charlotte Platt, Julia Rice, and Hogan Vivier

Class of 2013: Molly Sawdy and Alex Strong

Class of 2014: Yin Agbontaen, Gabrielle L’Archesque, Elizabeth Morrocco, and Rebecca Howe

JANE FORMAN

KONIQUE BALLAH

Nora Kiley ’24 was the Rhode Island Class C Champion in 100m hurdles, 300m hurdles, and the high jump last season and qualified for the New England Championships.

Sekou Kamara ’22 was tabbed All-New England by the United States Soccer Association. Sadie Martiesian ’24 led the state of Rhode Island with 94 goals in Girls Lacrosse last season.

Travis Cobain ’22 finished his four-year basketball career at Wheeler with 1,529 career points, which places him fourth on the all-time scoring list. Coach Jim Bush was named RIIL’s Divison 3 softball coach of the year for 2021-22.

Charlie Spurrell ’22 qualified for the National Championship, which was held in June in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He finished 16th in the Hammer Throw.

Andy Weisberg ’24 and Eliot Advani ’23 captured the Rhode Island State Doubles Tennis Championship last year. While Wheeler studentathletes have captured the singles championship on 16 occasions, no Warriors have ever captured the doubles title until last spring.

Wheeler is excited to offer competitive sailing this year in the Upper School. We will be joining a cooperative program with Rocky Hill Country Day for the spring 2023 season.

The 2022-23 school year marks Wheeler Athletics’ return to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council after competing exclusively in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) for the last six years. The Warriors are full-time members, and we will once again compete for New England Championships. Still, we are planning to maintain relationships with local and RIIL schools through non-league contests. Many of our athletes and coaches are excited about the move, as are many of our alumni who have fond memories of competing in the NEPSAC.

I encourage all of you to check out our teams in action this year, and please feel free to connect with me at any time at seankelly@wheelerschool. org. I’m always eager to hear from former Warrior student-athletes and to gain additional insight into our storied athletic past!

Sean Kelly’02 P’35 Director of Athletics

Celebrating Our Community

The 2021-22 school year was a period when we returned to various rituals and communal experiences that had been greatly affected, if not paused, by the pandemic. We highlight some of them here. You can see and read more by scanning this QR code.

On June 10, we celebrated the Class of 2022 during our 133rd Commencement! Families, friends, faculty, and staff gathered at Wheeler Farm for a joyous ceremony that reflected on the graduates’ hard work, struggles, and successes amid the pandemic uncertainty they faced for much of their time in Upper School. In her welcome address, Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 thanked the Class of 2022 for inspiring both adults and younger students alike with “what resilience, fortitude, flexibility, and positivity could look like…While at times, you may have wanted to put your heads in the sand, instead you turned around and led us forward,” she said. “You took what the world gave you and spun gold from straw.”

Student remarks were delivered by Senior Class Co-Presidents Lila Rizvi ‘22 and Carl Wehbe ‘22. Michael L. Littman PhD, The Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science at Brown University, gave this year’s Commencement address.

On May 13, we held Founder’s Day and Field Day on the same day–for the first time ever! The festivities began with a colorful display on both of Wheeler’s campuses, as Lower, Middle, and Upper School students drew chalk artwork that showcased their Wheeler, Purple, and Gold spirit. We then headed out for Founder’s Day service projects at parks across Providence and the Farm. In the early afternoon, everyone came together in Seekonk for Wheeler’s 108th Field Day. The opening march, which was led by Athletic Association leadership, Color Captains, and Wheeler alumni, was followed by the beloved–and exciting!–Purple and Gold relay race (Purple won the girls race and Gold was victorious in the boys race). Each division then headed off to different fields at the Farm for more friendly competition. Activities included tug-of-war, a variety of relay races, dodgeball, an obstacle course, and capture-the-flag.

Following Founder’s Day and Field Day activities with students, the Wheeler adult community gathered at school that May evening for our Celebration of Giving. This thank-you event was held in appreciation of our donors and volunteers, who generously raised a goalbusting $891,614 for the Wheeler Fund last year, with an additional $39,000 contributed through the Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us, and thank you to everyone who continues to support the Wheeler Fund, volunteer, or contribute to making Wheeler a place where each and every student can learn their powers and thrive!

In February, we honored Omar Bah, founder and Executive Director of the Refugee Dream Center, Inc. (RDC), as the latest recipient of the Wheeler Community Spirit Award. Each year since 2004, the award, which is bestowed by the Students Involved in Cultural Awareness (SICA) club, has recognized a person in the Providence community who advocates for those with fewer opportunities.

Bah is a torture survivor, former journalist, and refugee from The Gambia in West Africa who founded the RDC along with his wife, Teddi Jallow. Through the center, refugees learn new skills, receive case management support and job training, and network in a diverse setting as they work towards self-sufficiency in their new communities and integrate into American society by interacting and sharing their unique cultures and skills.

“This award recognizes the powerful forces of courage, resilience, advocacy, and passion in the work of social justice and equity,” Bah said. “I have had the privilege to recognize these qualities in the youth population of Providence, who possess brilliant minds and an urge to create change. I dedicate this award to them, because they have reminded me of the power of speaking up on issues that matter. And while thanking the Wheeler School for this recognition, I want to seize this opportunity to thank the entire refugee community for their trust in me and for working with me over the years to grow together. May we continue to uplift and empower one another to create a better world.”

Roots Will Always Be Tangled Together”: The Class of 1971 Reconnects at Its 50th Reunion

Over the May weekend of Mary C. Wheeler’s birthday, Founder’s Day, and Field Day, members of the Class of 1971 gathered for various celebrations and conversations in honor of their milestone 50th Reunion (their original Reunion Weekend was postponed due to the pandemic). Nearly 30 members of the class returned to Wheeler either in person or virtually.

On Field Day, they led the Purple and Gold March, with Jody Angevin ’71 carrying the banner for Purple and Kim Scala ’71 carrying the banner for Gold. “My mother and her three sisters all went to Wheeler as day students so the legacy is strong,” Jody said. “It brought back memories of my own Field Days (three in total as I arrived as a boarder in my sophomore year), and I loved being followed by our future leaders.”

While they were at the Farm, the classmates toured the rest of Wheeler’s Seekonk campus, and when they approached the hallowed Pageant Grounds, they were inspired to reenact a scene from their 4th-grade play! “That recreation in the woods was one of the most memorable moments of the Reunion,” Jody said. “I could see the participants all as 4th graders–Kim as the narrator and Allison Argo ’71 as the little elf (others were mushrooms), and all with the lines permanently etched in their memories just waiting to be triggered and retrieved at that location. (It was) funny and moving and emblematic of the intimacy we all had with one another within a few hours of the start of our Reunion at the Farm.”

On Saturday, the alumnae gathered in the Hope Building on our Providence campus to hear about Wheeler today from Upper School Head Neeltje Henneman and Aerie Program Director Mark Harris P’08, P’24. “I was impressed by what Wheeler is doing, by the academic opportunities offered, particularly the Aerie Program and where it is going in building compassionate and curious leaders interested in the world around them and the people in it,” Jody said.

Four of the alumnae then shared presentations about their own adventures after Wheeler, including aforementioned Allison, who became

an Emmy Award-winning documentary film maker; Shepley Metcalf ’71, who, at age 40, finally pursued her dream to become a successful jazz singer and treated her classmates to a brief performance; Sarah Lynch Faldetta ’71, who discussed her high-power career in energy generation; and Daphne Greene Kapolka ’71, who discovered her passion for science at Wheeler and became one of the first female anti-submarine warfare officers in the U.S. Navy.

“The four presentations set the stage for a subsequent round-table discussion in which every single one of us shared highlights (and sometimes lowlights) of our life paths and reflected on how Wheeler impacted our lives. It was magical!” Kim said. “In and of itself, the experience of convening in the old dining room a half century after our graduation was simultaneously surreal and natural.”

Later that evening in the Nulman Lewis Student Center, the group enjoyed a 50th Reunion dinner which was full of laughter, reminiscing, and storytelling. “Reconnecting with classmates was meaningful, remarkable, and joyful,” Kim said. “All of us have gone in disparate directions, but there is something about beginning one’s life journey together that is powerful and deep. As I said at the first toast, our roots will always be tangled together.”

The alumnae are also helping others begin their own Wheeler journeys: collectively, they raised more than $31,000 for their Class of ‘71 50th Reunion Class Gift and designated the majority of those funds to create an annual scholarship that will support a portion of a student’s tuition needs for four years. “I was very fortunate to receive a Wheeler education, thanks to the fact that my parents had the foresight and the resources. My education really shaped who I became,” Kim reflected. “Contributing to the Class Gift is important, in part, so that students who are motivated to get a Wheeler education but don’t have the financial resources also have the opportunity. I feel strongly that a diverse student body is beneficial to everyone.”

“Our

Wheeler students offered up vibrant song and dance on a global scale during the 9th annual Multicultural Performance Showcase, held in Isenberg Auditorium in November. Event emcees Monique Pond ’24, Leenah Gibbs ‘23, Sydney Jaiswal ‘22, and Mateo Smith ‘23 introduced performances that reflected cultures from across the world. “We have so much gratitude and love for the many hearts and hands who helped make our ninth Showcase a successful celebration,” said Director of Unity & Diversity Princess Sirleaf Bomba P’16, P’18. “It is our rich diversity which makes Wheeler a stronger, more united community.”

In a ceremony held during last year’s Reunion and Homecoming festivities, we inducted two Warriors sports icons, MaryAnn “Mama” Farroba and Julie Baldwin, as well as two historic championship teams, 1985 Boys Soccer and 1988 Field Hockey, as the inaugural members of the Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame.

Farroba, Athletics Director Sean Kelly ’02 P’35 remembered, “created a remarkable resume and a lasting legacy for Wheeler Athletics and our community as a whole. As a physical education teacher, coach, and referee, MaryAnn ‘Mama’ Farroba not only positively impacted the experience of generations of Wheeler student-athletes, but her work laid the groundwork to the development and growth of girls sports in the state of Rhode Island.”

Baldwin was a foundational figure in the history of Wheeler field hockey, coaching five championship teams in the 1970s. She was “a major catalyst in building the school’s Athletics program from the ground up,” Kelly said. “Her work was not just limited to the boundaries of Wheeler’s city and farm campus either. Much like Mama Farroba, Coach Baldwin actively promoted the progression of female sports in Rhode Island through action and voice.”

The 1985 Boys Soccer team, which was coached by longtime Wheeler Athletics Director Jon Donahue, kick-started Wheeler’s dominant stretch in boys sports in the late 1980s by winning the SENEISAA Division II Championship and becoming the first Wheeler boys program to win a tournament championship.

The 1988 Field Hockey team captured the Rhode Island State Championship and finished the memorable season with an impressive 17-2-2 record. Congratulations again to these inaugural members of Wheeler’s Athletics Hall of Fame! You can read about this year’s inductees in Sean Kelly’s letter (on page 42) of the magazine.

For Founder’s Award Winner Harvey E. Lee Jr. ’86, Wheeler Has Influenced His Life and Legacy

“The second is that Wheeler has a lot of very smart people. Wheeler also has a lot of very creative and artistic people. While I was always a good student, I was never the best. I was smart, but I wasn’t the smartest. I worked diligently, but I was sometimes lazy. All of this was okay because you were free to be yourself. I felt that there was always a place for me and always a place for everyone.”

During last year’s Reunion and Homecoming Weekend, Harvey E. Lee Jr. ’86 was honored as the latest recipient of the Founder’s Award, which is presented annually by The Wheeler School Alumni Board. The award recognizes Wheeler alumni who have made a positive and considerable difference to Wheeler and who serve as an ambassador for the school and a leader in keeping their class engaged with the wider Wheeler community.

“Receiving the Founder’s Award was not only an honor, it was a humbling experience,” Lee says. “It was humbling because we don’t often see ourselves in the same way that others perceive us. We live our daily lives. We consume ourselves with our daily responsibilities. We perform at our jobs. We care for our families. We enjoy time with friends. We do things that keep us busy. Yet we seldom pause to appreciate the impact that we have on our family, friends, and peers. Receiving the Founder’s Award meant that my work, time, and energy were appreciated by my community.”

Lee originally joined the Wheeler community in Upper School. “Thanks to my parents’ involvement, even though I had always attended public schools, I never felt my education was lacking. I thrived,” he says. “Yet, once I walked through Wheeler’s gates two things immediately stood out. The first and foremost were the engagement of my teachers. The teachers were the cornerstone of my experience. I always felt that they genuinely cared about me as a person, respected me as an individual, and fostered my development as a critical thinker.

After graduating from Wheeler, Lee went on to Tufts University, where he earned a BS in Mathematics. Since then, he has enjoyed a multifaceted career that has spanned acting, telecommunications, and sales. He was a series regular on the CBS television program, In the Heat of the Night, he worked in affiliate sales for MTV Networks, and he is currently a sales manager with Cox Business. Lee also serves on the boards of The Meeting Street Center and Button Hole in Providence, and he is a former member of Wheeler’s Board of Trustees.

“Wheeler has had a profound influence on my post-Wheeler life because its education thoroughly prepared me for college and the ‘real world,’ and my post-Wheeler life still involved the school, including Hamilton,” Lee reflects. “I not only served on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Board, I was blessed to present Wheeler diplomas to my three children Taylor ’15, Teresa ’17, and Harvey III ’19 (though I still call him Billy!). They are my pride and joy because of how they care for each other and how they became exceptional human beings. I’m grateful to Wheeler because Wheeler not only influenced my life, Wheeler also influenced my legacy.”

Harvey E. Lee Jr. ’86 with daughter Taylor ’15

Harvey E. Lee Jr. ’86 with Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 and Wheeler Board President Alisia St. Florian ’86

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, The Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale returned on April 8 and 9! More than 130 volunteers once again transformed Madden Gymnasium into an expansive pop-up retail store, as parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, alumni family members, friends, and students showed up for an hour, a day, or a week to work hard and have fun in support of Wheeler and the wider local community. There was $56,000 in total sales, and the net proceeds were donated to the Wheeler Fund and other key school priorities. Thank you to the Wheeler School Parents Association, as always, for organizing the event, and thank you to everyone who donated items. The 2023 Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale will be held on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22. You can see information about upcoming donation days on The Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale webpage at bit.ly/famouswheelersale.

IN MEMORIAM Celebrating Our Community

WE

WHEELER COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Alumnae/i

Nancy Pardee Abercrombie ’44

Phyllis Williamson Aldrich ‘56

Elisabeth Sheldon Aschman ’42

Sister Benedicta of the Order of Saint Helena, Episcopal (Andrea Sender ’53)

Frances Foote Breer ’45

Anne Clifford Buell ’47

Virginia Taber Carlin ’56

Mary Harris Clark ’38

Elizabeth Chafee Conway ’40

Marlene Cutitar ’79

Pauline Mather Doyle ’62

Josephine Brown Emery ’51

Marjorie Jenckes Fleischmann ’52

Sandra Ruisi Greenwood ’66

Joan Hayward Jones ’46

Linda Ryan Jones ’60

Judith Mears Kean ‘54

Valerie Jones Materne ’39

Ann Leahy Rulon-Miller ’40

Sarah Harwood Norris ’45

Martha Whitaker Brown Nourie ’52

Dr. Matthew Orenstein ’04

Cornelia Green Palmer ’58

Patricia Howard

Pittore-Robertson ’46

Cynthia Pratt ’63

Diana Fraser Seamans ’38

Meredith Eckstein Sharp ’62

Linda Bickford Slaven ’57

Elizabeth Sammartino

Sorrentino ’46

Alicia Pardee Sours ’46

Susan Fischer Spencer ’59

Milicent Whittall Throop ’51

Marilyn Blackall Wheeler ’45

Alison Wherry Woodman ’57

Jean Adams Woodward ’39

Janet Saunders Wright ’55

Former Faculty and Staff

Clay V. Stites

Suzanne Read Trayes

Ruth Whitford

Former Trustees

Rosemary S. Blake

Marlene Cutitar ’79

Richard P. Iacobucci

Martha Whitaker Brown Nourie ’52

Sruel M. Oelbaum

Cornelia Green Palmer ’58

Kenneth W. Washburn

We had a great time at GrandFriends Day in May! Our special guests in Providence began their Wheeler experience by listening to some welcoming remarks from Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 and a few songs from the 18 Wheelers a cappella group in Isenberg Auditorium before heading off to their students’ classrooms for various activities. They also enjoyed some more musical performances and games outside, before finishing up the day with lunch and taking some fun photos together. Meanwhile, at Wheeler Farm, grandparents and special friends had the opportunity to feel how joyful it is for the children to learn at the Nest.

In June we hosted our Purple and Gold Circle Luncheon, which celebrated alumnae from the Classes of the 1950’s to 1970. Nearly 30 friends and classmates gathered on the lawn in front of Hope Building for a luncheon with Head of School Allison Gaines Pell. Afterwards, some also traveled to Seekonk for a guided tour of the Farm campus. This event was postponed from the fall and will be held each spring to honor alumnae/i celebrating their 51st to their 86th Wheeler Reunion.

Best Wishes

We express our appreciation to the following Wheeler faculty and staff, with at least 10 years of service, who retired or moved on to other opportunities within the last year. We are deeply grateful for your dedication, care, and many contributions to our school and community.

Ianthe Hershberger

Math Department Head, Middle School

Math Faculty, and 7th Grade Dean (11 years)

Annie White P’28

Upper School Director of Academic Support (11 years)

Heidi Harris P’24 Hamilton School Faculty (12 years)

Martha Richardson Hamilton School Faculty (12 years)

Joanie Graff P’13

Hamilton School Division Assistant (16 years)

Paule Craton P’06, P’09

Lower School and Hamilton Technology Faculty (23 years)

Marc Harrison P’16, P’21

Upper School Science Faculty and Upper School Unity & Diversity Coordinator (25 years)

Jon Green P’03, P’06, P’11 Hamilton School Director (30 years)

Betsy Nickerson P’11, P’14 Upper School Language Faculty (32 years)

Gary Esposito P’97, P’00 Director of Operations (36 years)

Suzanne Elliott P’04, P’07

Middle School Faculty (41 years)

Jerry DelSignore P’01 Plant Manager (44 years)

Nature-Based Beginning at the Nest

Dear Wheeler Community,

It is with great pleasure that I write to you about the Nest program, Wheeler’s unique nature-based early learning center at the Farm. The notion of developing an early childhood program at the Seekonk campus started to take shape about five years ago when early childhood students and their teachers ventured into the forests at the Farm every Friday morning to immerse in outdoor learning and play. The children’s innate connection to nature and the joy and wonder they experienced during these Forest Friday adventures added to their academic and social emotional development, as well as their interest and engagement in learning.

Nest is a preschool

Michelle Dolan

As with so many other things, the ongoing pandemic led to change, and in Wheelers’ case, that meant moving early childhood education to the Farm so that we could get back to in-person learning in September of 2020. With the knowledge that teachers had about the benefits of nature-based learning, it felt like this was an opportunity to build on our Forest Friday experiences. Instead of replicating the Providence experience in Seekonk, some teachers chose to take advantage of the Farm’s diverse natural habitats as outdoor classrooms, turning Forest Friday into Forest Everyday! Given that we were living and teaching through a pandemic, the choice to move learning outdoors was also the safest place to mitigate health risks and create an optimum experience for children to engage with their teachers and peers in a developmentally appropriate way.

It was during this period that the dream of a full-time, early childhood nature-based learning experience at the Farm became a reality. The Nest is a preschool where nature permeates almost every aspect of the program. Learning takes place indoors and outdoors in all types of weather, and students and teachers spend at least 30% of the day outside. This pedagogical approach meets the needs of the whole child and students actively engage with their peers, teachers, and the environment. These core principles encourage relationship building and play based, hands-on experiences where the philosophy of teaching is emergent and meaningful lessons are planned in response to students’ interests.

The

where nature permeates almost every aspect of the program.”

One wonderful example of this type of learning inquiry took place on a cold January morning when the pre-kindergarten class ventured to Fire Pond. The pond was frozen, solid enough to walk on and covered with a dusting of snow, and the children were delighted to figure out how to navigate the slippery ice, taking short, careful steps to avoid falling. When they reached the other side of the pond they noticed a downed birch tree with several crusty, round, white and brown growths on its trunk. They had many questions and observations. They noticed the color and shape of the growths and counted at least 15 of them. “What is it?” “How did it get there?”“Can we take some back to the classroom with us?” Lots of conversation ensued and several children proposed explanations about this “thing” based on their understanding of the world around them. When they tried to remove one from the tree, they couldn’t loosen it. A student had the idea of foraging around to look for a growth that may have fallen off the tree. He was super excited to find one attached to some peeled bark on the forest floor, so he collected it and brought it back to the classroom. Students found it fascinating to hold and look at more closely. Their interest in it and enthusiasm for this particular outdoor experience inspired indoor lessons, where students and teachers described their outdoor findings, hypothesized about what the item was, and sourced literature and information from the computer to identify it. Students learned that it was a type of tinder fungus and how and why it is prone to growing on birch trees.

At the Nest, teaching and learning is guided by six principles. Nature is a central component of indoor and outdoor learning and the framework for integrating math, science, literacy, and social studies. Play is an essential component because it’s how young children learn best. We use developmentally appropriate practices to meet children where they are at and design learning experiences that align with their interests and promote their progress. Authentic social emotional learning is at the heart of every interaction, and teachers and peers support each other to understand and express their feelings, to make responsible decisions, and to maintain positive peer interactions. Students also take part in daily activities that develop strong physical skills and build stronger body and mind connections.

The Farm is an incredible treasure for Wheeler, and it’s a quintessential setting for an early childhood program. Nature provides countless opportunities for children to have fun, discover, create, and problem solve. Interacting with nature allows students to learn by doing, and experiment with ideas, to think, question, and develop inquisitive minds.

The benefits of nature-based learning are numerous and supported by research. Nature engagement enhances cognitive development, improves academic performance and social relationships, increases physical abilities, and can reduce the symptoms of ADHD. When children are surrounded by the wonders of nature they are less stressed, allowing them to become fully immersed and intrinsically motivated by their surroundings.

When I reflect on the former early childhood experience in Providence and what the Nest has become, I am reminded of the commonalities between the two: joyful classrooms, child centered practices, high quality learning experiences, dedicated and skillful teachers, and responsive and supportive relationships with students and families. The Nest differs from other early childhood education programs in its approach to teaching, its focus on learning with nature, the Farm campus location, the flexible enrollment options it offers for families, and eligibility for children 2.9 years old to attend.

While I had a vision for the Nest and what I hoped it could be for Wheeler, its students, families, and teachers, in my wildest dreams, I could not have imagined a more extraordinary inaugural year of the program in the 2021-2022 school year. I am so grateful to work alongside talented early childhood teachers who are passionate about connecting children to nature and nurturing their love of learning. From hikes in the woods, to learning about birds and watching the ospreys build their nest on top of the radio tower, to sledding and tracking animals in the winter, to tapping maple trees and making maple syrup, to rainy spring days and shelter building, teachers, together with their students, brought the mission of the Nest to life in many special ways.

In 2022-2023, we have lots to look forward to! It’s an exciting time as we continue to build our learning community at the Farm. There has been such incredible interest in the Nest that we have expanded our pre-kindergarten program to two homerooms and have welcomed four new teachers to the team. While I’m sure there will be many wonderful surprises and twists and turns in the journey ahead, I am reminded each day when I arrive at work what a gift the Farm property is for the Nest program. I hear the words of a former pre-kindergarten student in my head. She couldn’t have described in a more perfect way that coming to school at the Nest feels like “jumping into the fun!”

Warm regards, Michelle Dolan Director of the Nest at Wheeler

can learn more about the Nest at Wheeler by visiting nest.wheelerschool.org or scanning this QR code.

The Farm is an incredible treasure for Wheeler, and it’s a quintessential setting for an early childhood program.”

Michelle Dolan

Creating No Place to Call Home

For the Wheeler students who created work for the recent exhibit No Place to Call Home in partnership with Providencebased non-profit community arts organization AS220, their creative contributions represented more than artistic expression. The paintings, murals, videos, and other artwork, which were on display in AS220’s Main Gallery throughout April, focused on the immense challenges and uncertainties facing the homeless and people with housing insecurity across Rhode Island.

The participating students, who came from across Wheeler Lower, Middle, and Upper School through a major collaboration between the Art Department and Cityside at Wheeler, hope the exhibit served as a powerful and sobering presentation about these critical issues.

“We tend to wipe the problem completely from our minds, and in turn, don’t think about it,” says Luyao Lei ‘26, who was among a group of students that created a special mural and accompanying video for the show that aimed to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions about homelessness. Luyao, who says she primarily worked on the video portion, wanted to convey that homelessness is often overlooked and ignored. “We wanted to use this gallery and our artwork to show that homelessness is still a very real and relevant problem in our society and to remind people that it’s still there, even if you try not to see it.”

As fellow artist Anna Cherepowich ‘26 worked on the mural and learned more about those who are facing homelesseness, she was struck by how similar they are to herself. “At first, it seemed impossible to me that someone who is living on the streets, who doesn’t know when the next time they’ll eat, can be so much like me, a privileged teenager who besides having a home, gets to go to an

How can art help us examine issues like homelessness and housing insecurity?

Joe Baer

amazing school with so many opportunities,” Anna says. “All it can take is one bad mental health episode, one job loss, or one addiction to turn someone like me into a person living on the streets.”

Like many other states across the country, Rhode Island faces enormous challenges with housing insecurity and homelessness. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, over 45,000, or about 29%, of renter households face insecurity from extremely low income, with 56% of extremely low income renter households struggling with a severe cost burden. About 4,000 men, women, and children experience homelessness in Rhode Island each year, with a smaller number remaining chronically homeless.

Cityside Director Joe Baer P’08 says the Wheeler students approached these difficult issues with empathy and an open mind. “As they met with stakeholders and developed a richer understanding, they realized they now had a responsibility to broaden awareness in order to encourage dialogue and action,” he says.

Cityside provided experiential teaching and learning opportunities within Providence’s 25 neighborhoods. Meetings with various stakeholders, including Crossroads, Rhode Island; One Neighborhood Builders; Housing Works, R.I.; The Refugee Dream Center; Federal Hill House; and United Way of Rhode Island offered valuable insight, not just for students, but for Baer himself. “As I’ve sat in on interviews with both front-line providers and policy makers, my own understanding of the complexities of homelessness and housing insecurity has deepened,” he says. “I hope attendees at the AS220 show saw the intersectionality with housing issues and access to health care, educational opportunities, employment, transportation options, and other aspects of our day to day life.”

Baer originally envisioned No Place to Call Home three years ago. The show’s opening in April required and represented so much of what students learned in Cityside and through the Visual Arts Department, the Digital Production Studio, and many subject teachers, Baer says, and he is grateful that Wheeler’s students, faculty, and staff were able to partner with AS220 on the show.

Anna Cherepowich also appreciates AS220 for displaying the students’ work and ensuring their message was heard. She says it was great collaborating with her peers on the show. “They were flexible, open to new ideas, and were a joy to work with. They all deserve so much recognition for their hard work.”

...they realized they now had a responsibility to broaden awareness in order to encourage dialogue and action.”

Going Underground with Fox Family Speaker

Will Hunt ’03

In May, Wheeler alumnus Will Hunt ’03 was back at school as Wheeler’s latest Fox Family Speaker. The series, which began in 2006, brings individuals to campus to share their extraordinary talents and passions for learning with the entire school community. Will’s writing has appeared in such places as The New Yorker, The Guardian, and The Paris Review, and he is the author of the book, Underground, which details his explorations of the history and connections of the world beneath our feet.

In the morning of his visit, Will met students at the Nest alongside 6th-graders in the Farm Program, where he spoke about some of his experiences investigating subterranean worlds. The Nest students also learned about some of the artifacts uncovered on the Farm during a recent dig, with 6th-grade students offering presentations on unearthed items like a milk jug, glass, and toothbrush.

Will then spent the rest of the day engaging with the community on our Providence campus. He briefly talked about some of his underground adventures with our Lower School–and had a surprise interruption from Rob “Otter” Brown, one of his former Wheeler science teachers who was dressed as a spelunker–before Will, the students, faculty, and staff traveled into Creamer Courtyard to decorate, build, and crawl through an amazing and impressively long cardboard box tunnel! He later participated in the Upper School’s Writing Assembly and joined an Upper School memoir class before finishing the day with our Middle Schoolers. Philip Spradlin ’26 interviewed Will and facilitated an audience Q&A session.

We invited Philip to reflect on that conversation and share some of his favorite moments:

How does an Environmental Science trip at Wheeler lead to a career exploring subterranean worlds?

When I was first offered the opportunity to conduct an interview with Will Hunt, in particular about his book Underground, I wasn’t sure what to think because I knew next to nothing about the numerous underground civilizations living right beneath our feet. However, as I researched the book and got to understand what it really showcased, I became fascinated with it because I knew so little about the subterranean world: an aspect of society that is so frequently overlooked. My curiosity guided me through looking at all the richness of Underground, and I was drawn to the story as I toured these new spaces.

My interview with Will took place a few days later. As our conversation unfolded, I noticed the way he spoke with me helped bring what he writes about in the book even more to life. What ultimately stood out to me was how much passion he had for the world beneath our feet. No person without a strong, genuine love for their work could inspire and uplift hundreds of Middle School students! Here is an excerpt from our conversation where we talk about how Will’s passion began and his thoughts on how the students in the audience might discover their own passion:

When you were 16, you discovered an abandoned tunnel in Providence. How did this exploration launch your passion for the underground world?

That’s right, when I was a student at Wheeler I went on a field trip with an Environmental Science teacher named “Otter”...he was a really special teacher, and he brought us to an abandoned train tunnel not far from school. It just really got under my skin. It was this sort of big forbidden place with echoes and a strange wind coming from the end that I thought was very cool. But it got much cooler when I looked at a map of Providence and realized that the tunnel ran directly beneath my house! It sparked this fascination with things hidden underground which I have been sort of following all over the world for years now. My obsession is that wherever we go, beneath our feet there is something interesting: there is a network of hidden tunnels, there are ancient fossils, there are archeological sites, there are maybe caves, there are tectonic plates shifting against each other, and I just think that’s the most beautiful thing in the world.

Do you think everyone will have that same “click,” in the sense that they’ll say, “This is what I love, and this what I want to do”? I absolutely do think that. And it might happen next week, or it might happen in 10 years, but there will be a thing that comes along, that kind of picks you up by your collar and makes you really excited. It might not be something that you do for the rest of your life, but as long as you are open to that and you’re willing to follow it and just recognize how special it can be. I think all the time about how easy it would have been for me to shrug off the feeling of curiosity I felt about this tunnel underground on Gano Street. How sad that would have been to miss out on the experience of just wanting to understand it, wanting to learn about it, and kind of entering the world through it.

After my questions, as well as many additional questions from the audience, the event was over. I took home a lot from Will. Most notably, I was significantly impacted by his belief that everyone will eventually find something that they love and feel that they’ve found their genuine passion. For him, this meant exploring everything underground: catacombs, caves, tunnels, and so much more. Moving forward, I hope that both my fellow students and I will recognize that we should always be on the lookout for things in our world that bring true joy to our lives.

This same sense of excitement for exploration is at the heart of the Fox Family Speaker Series, which was endowed in 2010 by Wheeler alumni parents Lucy and James Fox P’03, P’05.

At the end of his visit, when he was asked when it meant to be back at school and what he hoped students took away from his time with them, Will said, “I would love for the students to see that there are lots of adventures and discoveries to be had and made, and that they should just be really curious about the world. I learned how to do that at Wheeler.”

You can watch a video from Will Hunt’s Fox Family Speaker Series visit on Wheeler’s website at https://bit.ly/will-hunt or by scanning this QR code:

A Banner Year for the Wheeler Fund Co-Chairs

The Wheeler Fund wrapped its 2021-22 campaign with the strongest results in several years. One of the many factors that contributed to its success was the dedication and drive of its volunteer Co-Chairs.

Krista Sturtevant P’29 and Mete Tunca P’25, P’30 each brought a background filled with strong leadership and affinity for Wheeler into their roles as Wheeler Fund Co-Chairs. In this capacity, they volunteered their time and talents—Krista for the past year and Mete for the last two—to educate fellow parents about the critical role that philanthropy plays in maintaining the school’s expansive offerings and inspire them to make personally meaningful gifts.

Krista Sturtevant P’29

Krista Sturtevant’s professional career has its foundations in fundraising. She formerly worked for the Make A Wish Foundation in Providence and later transitioned to the Development Office of St. George’s School in Middletown, Rhode Island before becoming Director of Development for the Newport Festivals Foundation. Through these experiences, she came to realize her passion for education.

“It turns out that I really like being in schools,” she says. “That’s my niche and where I’m most comfortable and where I can make the biggest impact.”

That passion for working in schools, bolstered by her daughter’s own education at Wheeler, made her a natural fit for the Co-Chair position. Ella Sturtevant ’29, a Hamilton 6th-grader, has benefited greatly from Wheeler’s teachers and learning environment and is “thriving,” Sturtevant says. “The Hamilton School program has completely transformed her in all the right ways.”

While Sturtevant is certainly enthusiastic about her family’s Wheeler experience, when she considers the challenge of fundraising in support of the school, she knows that it takes more than your own committment and dedication to be successful— you need to get others to become as committed to the cause as well. She wants to make sure that Wheeler community members understand the purpose and importance of the Wheeler Fund, and emphasizes that every gift matters when supporting the learning environment of so many children like her daughter.

“I think that, with fundraising, if you believe in what you’re fundraising for then it’s not really a job,” she says. “What you’re asking for is directly benefiting the kids and their education, and it’s the reason why parents have made a clear decision to send their children to an independent school like this.”

Mete Tunca P’25, P’30

Mete Tunca became involved with the Wheeler Fund out of his personal desire to give back. He is Director of IT Product Management at Fidelity Investments and has also served on the Wheeler School Board of Trustees since September 2020. Since his two sons, Devin Tunca ‘30 and J on Tunca ‘25, enrolled at Wheeler, he has aimed to give back to what he calls a “warm group.” He was more than happy to be named a Co-Chair for the Wheeler Fund as a way to do just that.

“I think they could see that my motivation was that I wanted to be a part of the fabric here,” he says. “I didn’t just want to send my kids here, I wanted to be ingrained in the culture.”

While not an expert fundraiser, he believes his communication skills and outgoing personality helped in his fundraising efforts for the Wheeler Fund, as being an extrovert and relating to parents on a personal level makes a difference when it comes to bringing in more support. “People generally aren’t expecting the sorts of calls or messages from this group, so they may be a little guarded in that respect, but when you tell them that you’re a parent with a child here, they instantly open up.”

Tunca also says there may be a lack of understanding about the Wheeler Fund and how it fills in gaps not entirely covered by tuition, which means informational outreach to parents is critical. He says the relationship between parents and Wheeler is a partnership, and he sees the student experience and school culture as being just as important as the academics.

“My kids spend a lot of time at Wheeler, and I want them to have the complete experience as students,” Tunca says. “We have to be focused on what we are all building here together, in terms of the culture, character, and integrity, and some of that comes from the Wheeler Fund.”

2022-23 Co-Chairs

Krista will serve the second year of her Co-Chair term this year, and she is joined by Lana Hegstrom P’29, P’31, whose work on the Advancement Committee and the Wheeler School Parents Association Executive Board make her a seasoned Wheeler volunteer already. Together they will strive to surpass last year’s results, aiming for a goal of $900,000 for the Wheeler Fund. Through their efforts, Wheeler will continue to raise the resources that directly enhance the Wheeler experience for all students and teachers, every day.

Announcing Wheeler’s New Trustees

As we begin the 2022-23 school year, we are pleased to introduce you to the three newest members of the Wheeler Board of Trustees.

Matt Coen ’88 arrived at Wheeler as a 2nd-grader, in 1976, when the school had just gone coed and basketball was played in Wheeler Hall. By his senior year, the Boys Basketball team, which he captained, had won its first championship. “It was fun to be a part of such dramatic change during my years at Wheeler,” Matt recalls. In addition to basketball, Matt was active in student government, and he was also an editor for the student newspaper, The Spoke. During his junior year, Matt was diagnosed with dyslexia. “The Hamilton School opened the year after I graduated,” he says. “To see it become the global leader in language-based learning differences that it is today is incredible.”

After starting out in politics following his time at Wheeler, Matt has spent the majority of his career as an entrepreneur at the intersection of media, marketing, and technology. He was the Co-Founder and longtime CEO of Second Street, an audience engagement platform for media and marketers. He is now the Founder of 142 Steps Ventures and Managing Partner of SLM Media Group, which publishes St. Louis Magazine and other niche digital and print publications and marketing services.

In 2006, Matt co-wrote and produced the award-winning documentary, Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, which was broadcast nationally on the PBS series Independent Lens.

Matt and his wife, Emily, have three sons, Will, Henry, and Noah, and he is involved with their St.

Louis schools, MICDS and Forsyth School, where he previously served as the Board Chair. Matt currently serves on the National Executive Council of the American Jewish Committee, the Board of Hawthorn School, and as an inaugural member of the Wheeler Leadership Council.

“The way that Wheeler has evolved over the decades has always been a source of inspiration for me, as someone whose career is focused on innovation and entrepreneurship,” says Matt. “I’m excited to serve with Head of School Allison Gaines Pell and the rest of the Board to chart the next phase of evolution for Wheeler students.”

Robin “Rob” Glancy ’01 joined Wheeler in the 9th-grade, and as a student, he was deeply involved in the Aerie Enrichment Program, Mock Trial, and a special course of study in Spoken French and Francophone Culture. He also co-founded the Culinary Club and was a member of Wheeler’s Golf Team for three seasons.

After graduating from Wheeler, Rob studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of Colorado at Boulder and Leadership and Behavioral Economics at Harvard Business School.

Rob is currently the Director of Human Resources at The Field School, an independent day school for grades 6 through 12 in northwest Washington, DC. He lives in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC with his partner, Greg

Matt Coen ’88

Sandoval,

Rob remains an engaged and active Wheeler alumnus, having served two terms on the Alumni Board, and he is currently a member of the Wheeler Leadership Council.

“As a Wheeler alumnus, I am incredibly honored to be able to serve the school as a Trustee,” Rob says. “Since graduating in 2001, I have enjoyed remaining engaged and connected to the school. To now have the opportunity to lean in even further to steward Wheeler as a member of the Board is a true privilege. Working in independent schools, it feels especially rewarding to have my personal and professional lives intersect at this moment to serve my alma mater.”

Paige Roberts P’29, P’31 is the President of the Wheeler School Parents Association. Paige and her husband, Mike, joined the Wheeler Community as parents in 2015. Her two children, Sophie ’29 and Zack ’31, are thriving at Wheeler, and Paige says she feels grateful to have landed in Providence as she and her family are enjoying all that Rhode Island has to offer.

Upon graduating from The George Washington University and completing a Masters degree in European Law and Economics at the University of Malta as a Rotary Scholar, Paige spent over a decade working in the fields of statistics and executive

communication, most recently for Schneider Electric. For many years she enjoyed traveling around the world in pursuit of work and new adventures. When she decided to have children, she made the choice to be home with them, and Paige says she enjoys being there for school pick up, games at Wheeler Farm, field trips, the always entertaining job of carpool driver, and so much more.

In addition to her role as Mom, she also identifies as an entrepreneur (with a new brand launching this year), volunteer, and travel planner. If you live in Providence, you are likely to see her running the streets of the East Side.

“My role as WSPA President and Trustee is dedicated to supporting our parents and families, creating opportunities for connection, and strengthening our community for the benefit of its students,” Paige says. “As a Wheeler parent, I have chosen to be a part of this community, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its vibrancy and to shaping Wheeler’s long-term vision for success.”

Rob and Matt were elected by the Board last spring and began their three-year terms on July 1, while Paige is serving as a Trustee this school year during her time as WSPA President. Please join us in congratulating them on their meaningful new roles at Wheeler!

who is an Assistant Research Professor of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics at George Washington University.

Robin “Rob” Glancy ’01

Paige Roberts P’29, P’31 (L)