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To amplify and incorporate our new School Mission based on our founder's precept,
our community created the following Vision statement: 


Through exploration of Wheeler's transformative curriculum—which actively cultivates voice, social conscience, passion, and interest—students will unlock their powers of mind, body, heart, and spirit. While all our paths of discovery are unique, each of us will develop the empathy, knowledge, and skills needed to lead a life of joy, meaning, and impact as ethical, engaged, and creative citizens of our school, community, and world.




In this, Wheeler's 130th school year, and with the Wheeler Board of Trustees, I offer the strategic design that will direct our work through 2023.   
 
Over the course of my first year as Head of School, I have been fortunate to spend hundreds of hours devoted to conversation, in both individual meetings and large groups, collecting insights and questions from our community. It has been a profound experience, resulting in a set of questions that I presented — along with important data from educational research and workforce analysis about what the future represents — to our trustees, faculty, administration, and staff last February. Throughout the Spring, I was able to meet with students, parents, and various committees to gather further input as well. 
 
We found inspiration for this process within a belief held by our founder Mary Colman Wheeler that Wheeler students would “learn [their] powers and be answerable for their use.” This seemed a perfect launch point for not only our students but also for Wheeler as an institution today, based on a foundation of strength, preparing to lead with bold strides into the future. 
 
Wheeler’s vision is to expand our capacity for every student to fulfill this founding precept. That is, through social, athletic, artistic, and academic endeavors, all Wheeler students are challenged to discover their “powers” of mind, body, and heart — and to develop the skills, empathy, and knowledge necessary “for their use” as each student prepares for a meaningful and productive life as a creative and engaged citizen of the world. To fulfill this vision, Wheeler community members will continue to commit to create and embrace opportunities, continually seek understanding and knowledge, learn from commonalities and differences, and strive to be the best version of themselves. To anchor our promise, we are adapting Miss Wheeler’s precept to be our Mission Statement, replacing the last iteration adopted in 1993.
 
Below are the three directions that we have chosen to fulfill this purpose. We hope you will join us in celebrating an important step that we have made in establishing a powerful and motivational framework for growth and innovation.
 
With gratitude for your partnership,

Allison Gaines Pell
Head of School

Jim Lousararian
Chair, Board of Trustees

Our Strategic Design for 2023

    • Strategic Design Directions

List of 1 news stories.

  • Mission Announced to Campus Community

    Mission Announcement Remarks by Head of School Allison Gaines Pell

    Today, we are here to announce and celebrate a new mission statement for Wheeler, and I want to share with you why I think it’s important enough for us all to be in the room together to do so.
     
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The Mission Reveal Assembly

New School Mission from Wheeler School Broadcasting on Vimeo.

School Division Structure

Founded in 1889, The Wheeler School is an independent day school for girls and boys from Nursery through Grade Twelve in Providence, Rhode Island. Comprised of four school divisions, please learn more about each by selecting its link under the Programs tab above:
  • Lower School (Grades Nursery - Five)
  • Middle School (Grades Six - Eight)
  • Upper School (Grades Nine - Twelve)
  • The Hamilton School at Wheeler for students with diagnosed learning differences (Grades One - Eight)
To request more information, contact the Admission Office at 401.421.8100 or email them here.

In addition to our new School Mission, we value and live by our School Motto, The Spirit Giveth Life, which was selected by students in the 1930s. Read more about the motto, school seal and our history on our School History page.
Please download our Statement on Diversity and Community.
Nondiscrimination Policy:
The Wheeler School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or handicap in the administration of its educational, admissions, and financial aid policies, faculty and staff recruitment and hiring policies, athletics or other program or activities administered by the school.
216 Hope Street
Providence, Rhode Island 02906-2246
Phone: (401) 421-8100
FAX: (401) 751-7674

Founded 1889

The Wheeler School is an independent coeducational college preparatory day school for Nursery, Pre-K, K-Grade 12 serving Providence, RI, Greater Providence and Greater Boston. The Hamilton School welcomes Grades 1-8 with language-based learning differences.