Middle School at Wheeler
A lot changes for students while they are “in the middle” of childhood and adolescence.
During that time, Wheeler helps each student build academic skill sets and curiosity to create a foundation for high school.
Parallel to academics, we understand adolescents want answers to their questions about themselves, the world and their place in it. And in ways that are safe for risk-taking and growth.
Our Goal
Success in the twin pursuits of academic and individual growth during the Middle School years (Grades 6-8) comes down to students expressing their curiosity, asking great questions, and then figuring out the ways to find the answers. These keys to success for adolescents are also the keys to preparation for high school and for lifelong learning; they may not realize it yet! Wheeler also recognizes that—in our rapidly changing times—the definition of a “classroom” is evolving. Today’s classrooms are now centers of collaboration, design, imagination, and production.
Our Faculty
The organization and temperament of our Middle School faculty ensure that we get to know our students. Advisors meet with their student groups daily and often more than once a day. Because much of each school day is spent with students in class, advisor periods, field trips, lunch, recess and at times on athletic teams, Wheeler teachers learn much about your student’s individual, social, and academic life. Advisors are organized into grade-level faculty teams and meet weekly to discuss, among other things, the academic as well as the social-emotional progress of your child.
Our Curriculum
Besides getting to know their students well, teachers also design rich, innovative curricula and programs in the humanities, STEM, and arts to tap into a student’s natural curiosity, need to learn something relevant and the desire to direct her/his/their own learning. A Wheeler Middle School classroom is often productively noisy as students wrestle with a problem or design a solution. Sometimes we employ technology; other times we don’t. Sometimes we read contemporary authors; other times the classics. And, sometimes the classroom is a theater like Trinity Rep or a multi-dimensional Providence neighborhood through Cityside for 8th Grade, the Wheeler Farm, a gallery on our own campus or at the Rhode Island School of Design, or science labs either at Brown University or our own Hirsch/Alperin Design-Innovate-Build Lab. Combined with the vigorous foundation of habits of mind and heart that we foster in our daily classroom instruction, each student moves on to Upper School with an intellectual foundation for upper-level scholarship, adventures, and achievements.
To You, The Student
At Wheeler’s Middle School, we understand that you make many decisions as you progress from leaving elementary school to preparing for high school in a few short years. Our teachers help you take risks, fail (i.e., try again), and succeed in building a strong academic foundation while fostering your social and emotional growth. You are asking questions of yourself, friends, family, and the world at this time in your life. We are here to help you learn how to find the answers by finding your own strengths and styles of learning. It is somewhat cliche to talk about “finding your voice” at this stage in one’s life, but at Wheeler, we believe that it is by building confidence, empathy, resilience, and friendship that your voice can be heard.
Contact Head of Middle School Vanessa O’Driscoll
Middle School Administration
See Our Stories
“I’m so ecstatic and grateful to serve my community in this position,” says newly-elected Community Council Co-Head Nico G. ’27. “This is an opportunity to lead the Upper School’s morning meetings and be a bubbly face you see in the morning, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for assemblies.”
At one of those recent assemblies, the current Community Council co-heads, Joy F. ’26 and Philip D. ’26, officially passed the leadership baton to Nico and his fellow incoming co-head, Ada A. ’27.
“We both have worked so hard for this and will continue to do our best navigating the leadership that comes with it,” Nico adds. “I’m beyond blessed to have someone like Ada by my side, and together, we hope to make next year spectacular.”
Ada, who has attended Wheeler since the age of 3, says it is an honor to serve as an Upper School Community Council co-head, and she’s excited to help shape meaningful experiences – and help create meeting memories – for her peers.
“I also hope to highlight the wonderful individuals in this community and bring people together,” she says. “Wheeler is truly a special place, and I’m grateful beyond words to help keep it that way, especially alongside someone as incredible and important to me as Nico.”
🎉 Congratulations to Ada and Nico as they step into these new roles and help shape the year ahead for the Upper School community, and thank you to Joy and Philip for their thoughtful, collaborative leadership this year! 💜💛
May 20
In preparation for the upcoming Spring Dance Showcase, “Kaleidoscope,” students in Dance Performance have spent the past few months collaborating with professional dancer and choreographer Adele Walden from Ballet RI to learn an original contemporary piece that will debut this week. 🩰✨
“This was a great opportunity for the Dance Performance students to work with a choreographer in the field of contemporary and ballet,” said K–12 Dance Program Coordinator and Dance Teacher Erin Muccino ’04. “Giving students opportunities to learn from other professionals in the dance community is a great way to help them build many skills. The dancers were expected to learn this dance in four sessions, memorize the material, and ask questions. Adele was an excellent teacher and choreographer whom the dancers quickly connected with and enjoyed learning from. Our dancers were prepared and eager to learn from her, and it was exciting to see their progress both technically and artistically in just four sessions.”
Ms. Adele was equally impressed by the students’ commitment and enthusiasm throughout the process. “They are super fast learners,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like I am struggling to work with them. I am giving them the material and they’re really running with it, which has helped with the process. The piece we’re working on is a three-minute contemporary work, and I want it to show off the dancers’ athleticism and their drive to work hard.”
🤩 We look forward to seeing Dance Performance premiere this piece, entitled “Forte,” which is set to “Horizon” by Christophe Filippi, at this Thursday and Friday’s showcase. Both performances are sold out.
May 20
Given today’s hot weather, we felt this was a perfect time to provide you with a peek at our new pool center at Wheeler Farm! 💦
Finishing touches are underway under the dome, but we’ll be ready to dive in at our ribbon cutting on June 8 (following Field Day). We’ll share more information soon about that event, but in the meantime, if these photos have you thinking about summer, it’s not too late to sign up for a Family Pass to enjoy the pool in person (and when the dome will be off)! ☀️
Visit wheelersummercamp.com/family-pass/ for more information.
May 19
Eighth-graders recently learned about the impact of redlining on communities directly from someone who has made it her mission to advocate for those negatively impacted by it: Wheeler parent Michelle Davidson P’30, P’30, who is also a senior loan officer at Luminate Bank.
“During the school year, students in U.S. History have discovered how redlining originated during the New Deal and continued to grow in the coming decades,” shared Middle School History Teacher Colin Martin P’24, P’27, P’29. “We have explored how redlining — the discriminatory practice of denying loans and financial services to residents of certain neighborhoods, often based on race — has impacted not only people at the time, but also generational wealth, with the domino effect rippling through decades and generations. Even now, redlining continues to directly impact lives.”
As one recent example, Mr. Martin explained that, in 2023, City National Bank of Los Angeles was fined $31 million for its redlining practices.
During her visit, Mrs. Davidson spoke about her experience as a financial executive hired early in her career by Fleet Bank to address its redlining practices. She went on to transform the lending division at Fleet Bank RI before embarking on a broader career focused on educating and empowering individuals to achieve homeownership — first in Rhode Island and later nationally.
“Her career is an example of how one person can impact the financial wealth of thousands, including subsequent generations, through homeownership,” said Mr. Martin.
May 19
