Lower School / Nest Preschool-5
Exploration, discovery, and play define our early learning experiences.
Spend some time with our students, faculty, and staff, and see what makes our school so special, at an upcoming Open House! Open House for K-12 is Oct. 17 from 9am-12pm and Open House for N-PreK is Nov. 14 from 9:30-11:30am. Register here. We can’t wait to welcome you to Wheeler!
At Wheeler, we build curiosity, confidence, and critical skills—and instill in each student a lifelong love of learning. We welcome students and families from every background to join our inclusive, diverse, energetic community.
Exploration, discovery, and play define our early learning experiences.
The right balance of support and challenge brings out every student's best
Challenging and engaging coursework tailored to your interests equip students to become critical thinkers and thoughtful global citizens
A school-within-a-school, skilled faculty meet students’ learning differences with the individualized instruction that leads to success
We help each student learn by doing and collaborating, explore new interests and grow their passions, build self-awareness and confidence through leadership and service, and develop to be thoughtful, curious, and contributing citizens of the world.
Read about Wheeler
The hub of our dynamic N-12 community, Wheeler's campus at the top of College Hill in Providence, offers student-focused learning spaces designed to encourage discovery, collaboration, play, and achievement.
In the City
Our 120-acre farm in nearby Seekonk, MA provides students with state-of-the-art athletic facilities. It's a pastoral counterpoint to our urban campus—and is a living, hands-on laboratory for a range of unique programs.
On the Farm
Nest students and their families recently had their first family community adventures of the school year! Each season, our five Nursery homerooms take turns hosting a special gathering for families in their learning spaces. Last week, the Cardinals and Peaceful Pines took the lead!
The Peaceful Pines answered a “Question of the Day” to decide where to go: Pageant Grounds or Wheeler Pond? The vote was in, and they headed to Wheeler Pond! There, they spotted two pairs of mallard ducks before gathering for a gratitude circle and their daily chant: “Thank you, Mother Nature!” 🦆💚
Meanwhile, the Cardinals and their families explored the cross-country trail together and enjoyed warm apple cider outdoors! 🍎☕
“When families step into our environment, they get a glimpse of their children’s experiences, share in their learning, and strengthen the bonds between home and school,” says Nest Director Michelle Dolan. “These gatherings remind our learners that their families are part of the community supporting them as they grow.”
We look forward to the Chickadees, Mighty Oaks, and Mockingbirds hosting their seasonal family gatherings next! 🍂🍃
Oct 13
Sixth-graders recently learned about five Francophone countries and territories: Algérie, Côte d`Ivoire, la Guyane Française, la Nouvelle-Calédonie, and Guadeloupe 🗺️. Working in groups, students researched their assigned country or territory, and created posters highlighting its location, flag, food, and culture, as well as the reasons why French is spoken there. Each poster also included three fun facts and eight new French words the students learned along the way.
The groups then presented their findings to the class – some of the presentations included playing national anthems 🎶!
French Teacher Olivia Wilcox said the project gave students an opportunity to put their creativity and collaboration skills to work, and the groups approached it with “beaucoup d’enthousiasme” (plenty of enthusiasm)!
Oct 13
We’re celebrating this October’s Dyslexia and ADHD Awareness Month with a range of activities organized by the Hamilton School at Wheeler. This Thursday, the Hamilton Institute will hold its annual Learning Differences Seminar featuring Dr. Greg Fabiano. The topic will be “New Directions in Intervention and Treatment for Children with ADHD.”
Thank you to Mr. McCarthy and Charlie, Langston, Declan, and Wes for helping us learn more about dyslexia, Hamilton, and this month’s programming!
The virtual seminar is one of numerous events coming up this week at Wheeler:
MONDAY:
– Indigenous Peoples’ Day, school is closed.
TUESDAY:
– Intro to the Upper School’s Polaris Program for Hamilton Grade 8 families
WEDNESDAY:
– Wheeler Family Association (WFA) Presents: Clothing Sale Donation Day
– WFA Presents: Meet-Up and Walk for Parents and Guardians
– WFA Presents: Homecoming Committee Planning Meeting
– Coffee, Cupcakes, and Conversation. All parents and guardians are warmly invited to join us for an evening of cross-cultural conversation, facilitated by History Department Chair Virginia Laffey P’14, P’19, about how you can guide your children in having effective and respectful political discourse.
THURSDAY:
– Opening Reception for “Everyday Wonder,” an exhibition featuring the work of artists Maria Napolitano and Karen Roarke, from 5-8pm at the Chazan Gallery on our Providence campus.
– Hamilton Institute Presents: 5th Annual Learning Differences Seminar Series (Virtual), at 6pm.
– 9th-Grade Parent and Guardian Night
FRIDAY:
– WFA Presents: Meet-Up and Walk for Parents and Guardians
SATURDAY:
– Fall Open House for Prospective K-12 Families, from 9am-12pm on our Providence campus. Visit wheeler.org/enrollment/ for more information.
You can see additional details about all of these events in the Parent and Guardian Portal and in last Thursday’s e-newsletter.
For now, we hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, and we’ll see you back at school on Tuesday!
Oct 11
We’re dancing our way into the weekend, courtesy of the Upper School’s “Foundation of DJ’ing” class.
“In this Aerie Enrichment, we cover the essentials of DJ’ing,” says faculty member David Schiano P’26 who, in addition to serving as director of operations for Wheeler’s radio station, WELH 88.1FM, has over three decades of professional DJ experience for events, nightclubs, and weddings.
During this course, Mr. Schiano shows students the layout of digital controllers and teaches them how to count beats, bars, and phrases so they know how and when to transition between tracks, to match the tempos of two different songs, and to align their beats manually or using software tools.
The Foundation of DJ’ing class was a former enrichment that Mr. Schiano was inspired to bring back this year when he saw student William G. ’27 sitting in the cafeteria one day, spinning music using a small controller. “I told him I’ve been a DJ forever, we started talking, and we made it into an official Thursday appointment where I could help him use different equipment and keep advancing.”
From there, this one-on-one DJ booth became a bit more crowded when Mr. Schiano and William thought it would be fun to open the lessons to any interested Upper School students through Aerie.
On the day we stopped by, Mr. Schiano was working with William and William’s friend and fellow senior, Hilario L. ’27.
“I love DJing,” William says, one hand on a turntable. “Being able to mix two songs together and keep that energy and that vibe, that really resonates with me.”
Hilario describes himself as William’s apprentice. “He showed me the ropes, and I’ve always loved music ever since I can remember. For me, being able to create remixes on the fly is so nice, and I love listening to the drops.
“And it’s always great to get feedback from someone in the industry,” Hilario adds, turning towards Mr. Schiano.
William agrees. “I don’t think I’d be where I am right now without Mr. Schiano’s help.”
“That’s a good remix,” Mr. Schiano responds right on cue (or tempo), his head nodding along to William’s music.
Oct 9