Our New Mission and Strategic Design

Read this special focus section, written by Head of School Allison Gaines Pell, that explains why Wheeler needs to lead and the important process to choose a new Mission for the School. She discusses the changing landscape of education, the Top 10 Skills for 2020, and the current and planned ways Wheeler will be at the forefront of education.

The benefits to our students include:

• Rigor and Health: maintaining our level of excellence while supporting students in a healthy, balanced lifestyle
• Whole Life Seminar: creating a Nursery – Gr. 12 course sequence to integrate Unity & Diversity, Health & Wellness, Social-Emotional Learning and Metacognition (learning how we learn.)
• Aerie Approach: We will imbue every course and classroom with opportunities for individual exploration and self-directed research and inquiry
• The Natural Counterpoint at the Wheeler Farm: Beyond athletics, the Gr. 6 Farm Program and Early Childhood Forest Fridays, we intend to develop our 120-acre Farm Campus in Seekonk, MA, as a unique educational facility for all ages by embracing the tranquility of the property in new ways.
• Transdisciplinary Studio-Driven Learning: The new Upper School NuVuX Studio Term partners with the NuVu Innovation School in Cambridge, MA, to give students the option to explore real-world problems and topics and to use the design process to solve challenges using creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.
• Experiential Learning and Our Place in Providence: Our school philosophy emerged from John Dewey who believed we learn by doing. Both the Gr. 6 Farm Program at our Farm Campus and the Gr. 8 Cityside Program at the WaterFire Arts Center present experiential and inquiry-based learning to help students hone communication, inquiry, research, presentation, writing skills and collaboration at 21st Century learners.
• Access and Affordability: A meaningful life includes learning from all people — from different ethnicities, gender, religion, and socio-economic backgrounds. We remain committed to financial support for students from all walks of life.

You can read the entire issue of Now & Then at Wheeler here: