Now & Then At Wheeler Fall 2015

Now&Then @WheelerSchool

fall 2015

INSIDE:

DR. JANE GOODALL VISITS WHEELER PHOTOS FROM REUNION 2015 OUR FOUNDER’S DAY DEBUT

Now&Then

@WheelerSchool

Vol. 13 Issue 2 Fall 2015 Editor: Laurie Flynn Head of Institutional Advancement: Patricia McLaughlin Board of Trustees President: Meredith Curren Alumni Association President: Nicole Brissette Jennings ‘99 Parents Association President: Stacy Kaufman Emanuel ‘87 Cover: Primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall DBE speaks at Wheeler in October, 2015 Photo by Pam Murray

Nondiscrimination Policy: The Wheeler School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or handicap in the administration of its educational, admissions, and financial aid policies, faculty and staff recruitment and hiring policies, athletics or other programs or activities administered by the school.

FIND US ONLINE www.wheelerschool.org www.facebook.com/wheelerschool twitter @wheelerschool and @wheelerwarriors LinkedIn: The Wheeler School Alumni Network Instagram: @wheeleralumni Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement The Wheeler School 216 Hope Street Providence, Rhode Island 02906 401-421-8100

HEAD’S MESSAGE

BY DAN MILLER THE LESSONS OF JANE GOODALL I knew that there would be excitement in our community when people learned that Jane Goodall – the Jane Goodall – would be coming to campus as this year’s Fox Family Speaker. What I did not anticipate was the Beatlemania-type frenzy – the deluge of emails, texts, and phone calls from every quarter. People I’d never met before stopped me on the street to ask me where they should camp out to get tickets; a middle-aged businessman handed me a stuffed monkey for her to sign — for him, not his child; long lost alumni suddenly found our phone number; a faculty member wept, overcome by an emotion she couldn’t quite explain. In my time at Wheeler we have welcomed professional athletes, U.S. Senators and Governors, Nobel Laureates, and Oscar winners to this block, and all of them combined did not stir the depth and breadth of response occasioned by this quiet, humble, 82-year-old woman who spent the majority of her adult life observing chimpanzees in the jungles of Tanzania.

Some of this response can be explained by Dr. Goodall’s scientific contributions, which are both easily understood by the general public, yet radical in their implications. Her improbable, seemingly made-for-Hollywood personal /professional narrative — young woman without any formal training heads into the jungle and discovers things that no previous scientist ever has — didn’t hurt either, amplified as it was by the golden age of three-channel TV, National Geographic, and print newspapers. “I realize,” she once quipped, “that the public loves the beauty and the beast angle.”

But Dr. Goodall’s enduring power to inspire and excite has clearly exceeded the normal life cycle and intensity of popular interest. Perhaps our response is more primal. Many of us, but particularly young people, feel a deep connection to animals, especially furry ones. For children, she seems an inter-species translator, a bridge; for many adults, she is a bridge back, a validation to feelings we thought we’d outgrown.

But after seeing her with our students and faculty, I’m convinced that Dr. Goodall’s intangible human qualities are what elevate her to a rarified pantheon of 20th-century icons, and what made her so inspiring to our students and faculty. When one of our middle school students told me that Dr. Goodall was “like the scientist version of Mandela” she identified what so many were feeling: that we were in the presence of a heroine of character as much as accomplishment, a human being whose abiding humility, grace, courage, and selfless dedication to mission might, in some small way, inspire all of us to be just a little better ourselves.

The Wheeler calendar is so densely packed, with so many opportunities for our students, that one can sometimes wonder which ones will stick, which ones will make it past that night’s dinner table, that school year, that high school or college graduation.

Jane Goodall’s visit felt like the opportunity of a lifetime.

“For children, she seems an interspecies translator, a bridge; for many adults, she is a bridge back, a validation to feelings we thought we’d outgrown.“ Now & Then @ Wheeler 1

Want to listen to Dr. Goodall’s talk at Wheeler?

Head to www.wheelerschoolbroadcasting.org and click on School Events.

THE FOX FAMILY SPEAKER, 2015-16

Dr. Jane Goodall Leaves Lasting Impression With Campus Visit The opportunity to have noted primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall visit Wheeler this October can be traced to the family of the late Wheeler Nursery teacher Deirdre Marsters, who wanted to honor their mother by doing something extraordinary for her school. And, coupled with the generosity of Lucy and Jim Fox, who created the Fox Family Speaker series nearly a decade ago for just this opportunity, EVERY student at Wheeler, from Nursery - Grade 12, was able to hear the amazing Dr. Goodall speak — as well as greet them with a chimpanzee call. It was a day not soon to be forgotten by everyone, including Dr. Goodall who (reports back confirmed) loves her new Wheeler Purple & Gold custom-knitted shawl!

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photos by Pam Murray, tree planting photo by Meryl Willett A birch tree in memory of Nursery teacher Deirdre Marsters has been planted at The Wheeler Farm to commemorate Dr. Goodall’s visit.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 3

Thank you to all the teachers who took photos during the Founder’s Day field trips.

See their photos and watch a video with Dan Miller’s remarks and footage of the day at www.wheelerschool.org/foundersday.

WHEELER’S INAUGURAL FOUNDER’S DAY

Nursery-12 Day of Service Gives Campus Community A Common Purpose With coordination by a campus committee led by faculty member Cali Almy, more than 1,000 students and teachers fanned out across the city and state to volunteer at area parks and recreation facilities last May 15, to celebrate the 169th birthday of School Founder Mary C. Wheeler and kick off the School’s first Founder’s Day. Founder’s Day was created with a two-fold mission, said Wheeler Head of School Dan Miller: 1. To bring students in grades N-12 together to further strengthen the connections between our children of disparate ages.

2. To bring the Wheeler community out into the larger city and state community to engage in meaningful collaboration in a range of service projects.”

This year’s event will be held Friday, May 13.

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THANK YOU’S PROVE A SPECIAL VALUE TO ALL "The Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy thanks all the Wheeler School students and teachers very much for the great work. Your more than 115 volunteers painted over graffiti, removed invasive plants, spread wood chips, pulled seedlings from the meadow, brushed trails and collected a small mountain of litter. It was great to see so many kids enjoying themselves and gaining a new perspective on the city where they go to school."

Mike Lusi, Neutaconkanut Hill Conservancy “On behalf of the Providence Department of Parks and Recreation, thank you for your...skills, energy and creativity, all of which culminated in a spectacular day of park revitalizations, play, exploration and team work. The Wheeler students and staff not only made a remarkable difference in the look and feel of our parks, but they experienced the urgency of conserving natural resources, the importance of equity and access and can begin to understand what our green spaces mean to the quality of life in Providence.”

Wendy Nilsson, Superintendent, Providence Dept. of Parks and Recreation

The day of service began with a fun, all-school chalk drawing on Meeting Street as the mixed grade groups gathered to the sounds of music by Wheeler School Broadcasting and opening remarks by Head Dan Miller.

Drone photo by Providence Aerial Productions

Now & Then @ Wheeler 5

photos by Laurie Flynn

RECENT CAMPUS ENHANCEMENTS

• Advanced Sciences Classroom • Athletics Facilities on both campuses • Hirsch/Alperin Design-Innovate-Build Lab • Lower School Transformation

Lower School Renovations Enliven A Joyful Space For Learning When the school year ended last June, movers came into Lower School and packed up EVERYTHING for a complete, total renovation of every space on every floor. The result is a completely new interior with spaces that the students and teachers find comfortable and conducive for learning! From the LED “cloud lighting” above, to the durable, noise absorbing carpeting below, and incredible murals around every corner, the Sixties-era, former dormitory building got a new lease on life (and much welcomed air-conditioning) thanks to Ed Wojik Architects and 4 eyes design. Next summer the stairwells get their makeover. Please come visit soon!

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HIRSCH/ALPERIN DESIGN-INNOVATE-BUILD LAB

Farm Tennis Courts Among Athletic Rehabs This Summer Every good athlete understands the importance of rehab to stay in peak form. This summer, our Providence Madden Gym (below) got a new floor surface and purple and gold paint scheme while our Farm campus had a complete redo of our tennis courts and spectator areas. Last refreshed in 1980, the hardcourts were rebuilt with post-tensioned concrete (brought in by 40 trucks!) that have a 50-year life. Tennis fans may recognize the plexipave style from Indian Wells Gardens in Palm Springs!

A mesmerizing hologram of a jellyfish? A robot that dispenses Tic Tacs like Mr. Harris? A linoleum cut of the School seal? 3D-printed phone cases? What you can design, you can probably build in our new Hirsch/Alperin Design-Innovate-Build Lab in Hope Building. Thank you to donors Andrew Hirsch ’88, The McCauley Family CP ’16, ’19 and 2014 alumni parents Jacky Beshar and Scot Jones for helping to create this space where creativity takes shape!

ADVANCED SCIENCES CLASSROOM Advanced Science classes have a new space where the old Room 12 had been in Angell Building. Physics experiments ring the room while overhead tools allow instant hands-on learning.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 7

Left to right: Andrew Terceira, Andrew

Alex Cabrera, Angelo Oliveira, Jim Belluche, Alberto Teixeira, Todd James, Emanuel Relvinha, Plant Manager, Gerald DelSignore

WHO KEEPS OUR SMALL ‘CITY’ RUNNING?

Big Men On Campus

By Ben Goulet

W

hen the lilacs bloom and the warm winds of spring return, it’s easy to forget a brutal winter, even one described as “unprecedented” and “historic.” But the winter of 2014-15 was just that, a hammering so relentless, that Providence often felt paralyzed. Wheeler School was closed for a total of five days, more than any in its long history. And while for many of us, snow days mean blankets, hot cocoa and Netflix marathons, one group of Wheeler staff was here every one of those days – including the weekends — in full battle mode against the elements: the Wheeler School Maintenance staff. That’s just one job of many, an added task to an already enormous constellation of responsibilities.

The numbers help put Maintenance into perspective: The Wheeler School campus encompasses a full five acres of land, 8 Now & Then @ Wheeler

translating into 217,800 square feet of bricks and pipes, heating, wiring, roofing and sidewalks. Each building has its quirks and challenges, since the ages of each in a 125+ year old school vary widely. Not to mention, with more than a thousand faculty, staff and students on campus, the wear and tear on the building, day after day, is nearly constant.

And all of this is overseen, maintained and repaired by only nine men: a 37-year Wheeler veteran with a background in engineering; a recently-retired 30-year veteran expert in Portuguese football; a quiet woodworker whose creations can be found in every building on campus; a friendly jack-ofall-trades who loves to landscape and have cookouts with friends and family; a Michigan native whose voice is laced with an accent of the Upper Peninsula; a soft-spoken dad who religiously checks out audio books from the Prescott Library to listen to with his daughter; an ambitious native from Spain plucked from a day labor agency and hired by Wheeler

on the spot; a football fanatic with a young daughter; and a man from Warren who tends his Touisset family farm, a place passed down through generations.

For Jerry DelSignore, Alberto Teixeira, Angelo Oliveira, Jimmy Belluche, Todd James, Manny Relvinha, Alex Cabrera, Andrew Terceira and Mike Rodriques, the days start early -- long before most people arrive on campus. A meeting is held and “work orders” (requests for things to be fixed or moved) are dispersed; divvied up based on who has the knowledge to tackle the job, be it plumbing, electrical and more. Orders in hand, the men fan out across the school, their ubiquitous walkietalkies squawking away.

Plant Manager Jerry DelSignore oversees the buildings and grounds (“From roofs to floors and everything in between,” he likes to say) and, in his long tenure, has been a witness to the growth of the school. Over the years, Wheeler has acquired multiple

photo by Laurie Flynn

Donato, Mike Rodrigues,

buildings surrounding the campus and has taken on huge construction projects, such as the recent addition of the Gilder Center for the Arts. And with every new building or acquisition comes new responsibilities for the Maintenance crew.

Each member of the team takes a required class in electrical work, and they are encouraged to add to those skills, with classes in boiler repair, plumbing and more.

Paid for by the school, these classes are held after hours, usually in Massachusetts. These are long days, to be sure. But the men are dedicated to create the most talented team that they can.

There’s a financial incentive for Wheeler, too.

Having a crew with a wide range of technical knowledge and abilities saves the school hundreds of thousands -- if not millions -of dollars over the years by keeping repairs in-house. The less the school hires out, be it a heating problem or a paint job, the more money the school saves.

Business Manager Gary Esposito knows this well. Calling himself a “head coach” to the Maintenance team, Esposito supports the Maintenance staff by attending meetings on various projects, especially during major construction. But beyond the day-to-day of intricate details, he has a deep appreciation for the job they do.

When Jimmy Belluche was asked about one of the biggest challenges of the job, his answer was quick.

“It’s tough on the body,” he said.

This is a hard job. With all of the heavy lifting, crouching, climbing and whatever else is needed, it takes a physical toll. In addition, some of the responsibilities carry an element of careful attention to risk that’s inherent in the trades, such as electrical work. But, like many occupations that have high physical demands, team allegiances become ironclad.

This is a tight group that has each other’s back.

Esposito’s philosophy of community is mirrored within the Maintenance staff, as well. Most of the hiring for Maintenance is done through word of mouth and rarely are the jobs advertised publicly. The reason for this, Todd James told me, is twofold: The vetting process is extremely strict in regards to safety and careful consideration is made to find the right fit.

“We’ve got a great crew,” James said. “You’ve got to fit in and have a sense of humor. It won’t work if you don’t.”

When asked what they loved most about working at Wheeler, the answer from each man was unanimous: that Wheeler is like

family. The crew feel a great responsibility to help faculty, staff and students achieve their best during the school year and to maintain the buildings and grounds over the summer, ready to take it on all over again the next year.

Alex Cabrera smiles when he talks about the stroke of luck that got him to Wheeler. Just four months in the United States, he was chosen to fill in for a temporary position through a labor ready corporation. His strong work ethic and positive attitude was so impressive, he was hired full time almost immediately. Now his daughter Maya attends Wheeler Lower School, soon to enter the third grade. His gratitude seems to exude from his very being.

“God touched me that day (I came to Wheeler),” he said, smiling widely. “I know it.”

Ben Goulet is a former Lower School Librarian at Wheeler. He left the school in June to move to Joshua Tree, California with his wife.

Below is a photo from last winter of a creative Thank You Note written by then-7th graders to the crew!

photo by Vanessa O’Driscoll

“They go the extra mile, every time,” he said. “Unlike other schools I visit, these

guys are part of the community here. They are absolutely essential and appreciated by everyone.”

Now & Then @ Wheeler 9

Eighth grader, Mahki Galloway (right), discusses gentrification with a Brown student on Thayer Street.

STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENT ACTIVISTS:

A Year of Transformative Work at Breakthrough Providence

By Lindsay Paiva AmeriCorps•VISTA Students Teaching Students Institute Coordinator

“T

his summer, every student discovered that they have a voice, and that they can share what they know with others, “reflected an eighth grader after the final social justice project presentations at Breakthrough Providence in early August.

Breakthrough Providence (BTP), an academic and leadership program hosted at The Wheeler School, is an organization with a dual mission: to create a pathway to college for low-income, academically motivated middle school students in Providence public schools, and to encourage talented high school and college students to pursue careers in education. For over twenty years, BTP has worked to reduce summer learning loss and to engage 10 Now & Then @ Wheeler

and empower students from Providence public schools to become strong critical thinkers and leaders in their schools and communities.

Each year, up to one third of our young teachers and tutors are Wheeler students.

During the School Year Program this year, students are exploring the theme: “Justice for All? Elections and Taking Political Action” by learning about topics including education and high-stakes testing, immigration and voting rights, health & health care. Last year, in the six-week Summerbridge program in July and August, students studied the schoolto-prison pipeline and gentrification. Pulling themes from the culturally-relevant texts they read in English class (i.e., A Raisin in the Sun),

analyzing hard data and statistics in math, and channelling their inner activists, students wrote letters to school principals and elected officials, collected lesson and activity ideas in a blog for educators, and even took to the streets of Providence to help raise awareness about these issues. BTP creates a brave space for students to explore these themes and their own identities, fostering a community driven by hope and love, strong relationships, and a culture of spirit and scholarship.

Along with the exciting work happening in BTP classrooms, the organization has also found creative ways to expand its impact and share its best practices with the educational community at large. This year, BTP launched

its new professional development arm, the Students Teaching Students Institute (STSI).

In October, thanks to a grant from The Rhode Island Foundation, BTP began a new program in collaboration with PPSD: The Rida Network. The term “rida” comes from critical educator Jeff Duncan-Andrade’s research on effective teachers. Ridas have a critically conscious purpose for teaching, feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to students, parents, and the community, and are committed to building strong, trusting relationships with their students.

The Rida Network is a professional learning community for Providence public school teachers who are committed to student engagement through the lens of culturallyrelevant and critical teaching methods.

Participating teachers will design and implement student engagement plans in their classrooms, utilizing a Rida-inspired pedagogical approach and BTP’s best practices.

I

n addition to The Rida Network, thanks to a grant from The Otto H. York Foundation, Breakthrough launched its College Bound Program this fall.

The program will prepare 150 low-income, first generation college-bound high school students to succeed in college-preparatory high schools and 4-year colleges. Through a combination of new programs and partnerships with local college access organizations, BTP will offer SAT preparation courses, guidance around developing a high school course of study, college and financial aid application support, and ongoing mentoring so that BTP graduates can make the most informed choices about college.

To learn more about Breakthrough Providence or to set up a visit, please contact Dulari Tahbildar, Executive Director, at dtahbildar@breakthroughprovidence. org or (401) 528-2127. To sign up for the BTP newsletter, email Joshua Rodriguez at jrodriguez@breakthroughprovidence.org.

“Each year, up to one third of our young teachers and tutors are Wheeler students.”

Right: Students take a tour of Brown University led by BTP’s Program Director for Teacher Education, Marisa Chock, during Breakthrough Providence’s College Day. Now & Then @ Wheeler 11

Alumni and

SPECIAL SECTION: A TEACHER’S IMPACT

colleagues reflect on the impact of a teacher; using as their focus, the six Wheeler veterans who retired last school year. page

Rob “Otter” Brown

by Drew Wheelan ‘93

Marcie Cummings

by Mark Harris,

7 8

Aerie Director

Coach Wally Davis

by Jesse Frieder ‘10 and

9

Jeff Gagnon ‘14

Ann Marie Gillett

by Eric Palmieri ‘02

Pat Katz

by Lynn Ducoff Belkin ‘99

10 11

Alberto Teixeira

by Ben Goulet, former Lower School Librarian photo by Robert Martin 12 Now & Then @ Wheeler

12

After 34 years of dedicated and impassioned teaching, Wheeler said “farewell” to our beloved Upper School science teacher, Rob “Otter” Brown. Otter received his B.A. in Geology in 1968 from Cornell University. He and his wife Suzy Williams (a Lower School teacher) joined the Wheeler community in 1981, after having initially been hired as the Middle School science teacher, and Boys Middle School Soccer Coach. Otter and Suzy have been described as the Wheeler science “power duo,” and along with their daughters, Lily ’03 and Larkin ’06, Otter and his family have had a profound effect on the Wheeler School and its family and friends.

In 1982, the foundation of Otter’s legacy was laid when he was transferred to the Upper School to begin teaching freshman Environmental Science, which he taught for the remainder of his Wheeler career. Otter’s teaching style, humanity and accessibility to students made for a unique and deeply engaging student experience. His very “hands on” approach often included time in the field, wading in the Runnins River, calling for owls at the Wheeler Farm or spelunking in western Massachusetts.

Otter’s approach to teaching Environmental Science was an inclusive and interdisciplinary mélange that pulled from all aspects of life, and often incorporated real world and tangible issues for students. As well as focusing on the science and systems that comprise and sustain our world, students in Otter’s classes were taught and encouraged to apply this knowledge to their own lives and to be able to communicate with others about these issues. Otter always included a public speaking component to his classes that served to prepare Wheeler freshmen for the rigors of the Wheeler experience and beyond.

As well as freshman Environmental Science, Otter augmented Wheeler’s Upper School curriculum by offering other classes such as Field Geology, Field Natural History and AP Environmental Science.

The impact of Otter’s influence and teaching is the stuff of legend and no gathering of Wheeler alumni goes without great stories and remembrances of time spent under his tutelage and guidance. Otter’s legacy also leaves a very tangible and permanent record of excellence for the Wheeler School. Under Otter, Wheeler began its run as champions

ROB “OTTER” BROWN

BY DREW WHEELAN ‘93 of the RI state Envirothon, which includes 13 first place showings in the 20 years of statewide competition. In 1991 Otter and Wheeler were awarded the first of three National Science and Technology Awards funded by Toyota for the Whole Rivers Program for the Runnins River Project. In 1992 Otter was awarded the National Earth Teacher Award, landing him and Wheeler in Newsweek, Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. In 1993 Otter and his students were regional winners in the Seiko Youth Challenge in Tucson, Arizona. In 1994, Otter and his students were awarded a $250,000 grant for winning the NSTA/ NYNEX Science and Technology award at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., as well as “Best Student Video” from the RI Education Media Association. In 1995, Otter was named Michael C. Brown Faculty Chair, and in 1997, he was awarded the Paul Brandewein Fellowship. In 2007, Otter was awarded the Amgen award for Science Teaching Excellence.

for its curiosity, intelligence, athleticism and elegance. Perhaps the exuberant, whiskered appearance helped, as well as wanting to distinguish between former head of the Upper School, Michael C. Brown; whatever it was, the new name clearly “stuck”.

Otter’s contributions to the Wheeler community and the world are endless and ongoing. Like ripples on a still pond, his past students ply their way through the world, touching everyone and everything in their paths, informed by the “rock” that is Otter Brown that first splashed into their lives and broke the surface to illuminate the beauty and dynamism of the world in which we live. His work ethic, dedication and friendship have given all of us the strongest and brightest example of how to live, love, teach and leave this world a better place than it was when we got here. Though Otter will be missed in the day-to-day activities on campus, his influence and legacy will continue to permeate all we do as Wheeler students, teachers, colleagues and alumni.

Otter’s sphere of influence was not limited to the classroom. He is the consummate sports fan and athlete, and his presence was often noted on the sidelines of any Wheeler sporting event from cross country running, soccer, lacrosse and, of course, basketball. He also coached the 1982 Girls’ Varsity Soccer team. In between and after classes Otter often made time to play squash, tennis or pickle ball, and his new knee has made him as competitive a force as ever!

Roughly half of Otter’s students first met and still know him as “Mr.” or “Rob” Brown.

Not surprisingly, Otter’s not so new moniker came about through an experience with students in the field. In 1999, after an intense 24-hour lesson in field observation and natural history, he and his students were talking about animals that they felt a special affinity to. When it came to Mr. Brown he declared his “totem” animal to be the Otter Now & Then @ Wheeler 13

MARCIE CUMMINGS ‘72

BY MARK HARRIS Marcie Cummings ‘72 retired last spring after a long career in the English Department at Wheeler. She missed several end-of-year recognition ceremonies because of the need to care for her daughter, Molly ’06, who was recovering from a car crash. Mark was asked to prepare some remarks for the final faculty meeting that Marcie couldn’t attend, so we are happy to reprint them here.

FAREWELL, MARCIE CUMMINGS First of all, Marcie, let’s dispense with the notion that when school begins September 2nd all of us will be missing you terribly.

You certainly know how the first day of school goes, and no one “misses” anybody.

The pace is too fast. There are so many new kids to teach, new colleagues to mentor, new pressures and challenges every minute. We’ll miss waking up late, perhaps, but all of us will be in renewal (survival!) mode that day, and poignant moments will be few and far between. You may cross our minds a time or two that first week, but we’ll have thoughts of jealousy more than anything else, especially if it’s 88 degrees and sticky, and we imagine you reading a book at the beach!

You also know, as well as anyone, how schools work. In just a few years all of your former students will have graduated, and none of the Wheeler high school kids then will have known you as a teacher. The cast of grownup characters will gradually change, too, and after a while even the English Department might be hazy about exactly when you were here, and what you brought to us over the years. That’s just the nature of an institutionpeople come and stay for a while and go, and the school moves on…

But that is not to say you’ll be forgotten.

When you arrived back at Wheeler, your 14 Now & Then @ Wheeler

alma mater, and joined me as a 6th Grade teacher up on the 3rd floor of Angell Building in 1980, you already knew you wanted to teach Upper School English. You brought that sensibility to your Lower School classes.

I remember vividly the time you assigned A Midsummer Night’s Dream, asking me whether Shakespeare was too much of a reach for your kids, and how you decided to stage it as a class play, and how the kids refused to edit the Bard’s words even a little bit, insisting on acting out every scene. Most of all, I remember how those kids really got it. They loved the roles, the character switches, the

rhythm of the lines. They were hooked. Those kids are all grownups now. They won’t forget.

Some of them send their own kids to Wheeler today; I’m not surprised why.

So a sizable crew of alumni will remember you with reverence, and of course your faculty colleagues will recall you with great fondness. Your personal qualities have left deep impressions on us all: your steadfast friendships, your rock-solid confidence in family, your love of place- Wheeler, Brown, Matunuck, the stuff of Rhode Island.

But what will remain of you, in this school to which you have given so much?

I remember that around the time you arrived we introduced a strand on World Religions as part of a geography unit, something we still teach today. A video clip of an elderly monk intoning phrases about the nature of karma comes to mind. He said that all of our thoughts, all of our deeds, are eternally recorded. And I can imagine that long after you are gone, some vestige of your contributions to Wheeler will remain…

The grain in the wood of your desk, the walls and board and tables in those worn rooms in FAB, will carry a faint pulse…It will be beating, almost imperceptibly, with the energy of ten thousand poems, the laughter from ten thousand shared examples of word play, the glint of ten thousand discovered treasures in ten thousand texts…Your presence will be eternally recorded in that faint throb, in the circulatory system of the school, and in the lymph of hundreds of your former students around the world, tuned in to the same quiet, very special vibration. The slowly circulating ether will be there, carrying ten thousand topic sentences, ten thousand quiet reminders that words and ideas on a page are like breathing itself, sustaining the life of the mind. Ten thousand special moments, permanently recorded, that’s what makes for a great career, the vestiges of a special person’s time in a special place. Moment by moment, thought by thought, idea by idea, word by word. Your legacy was assured, comment by comment, re-write by re-write, in very penciled edit, with every late-night reading…

All are eternally recorded. If your karma somehow passes to your successor, perhaps absorbed through your office chair, that new occupant will be elevated to a higher plane.

The English Office, in the Fresh Air Building, is one of the few places on campus that can legitimately be called “Old.” It’s an island in a sea of perpetual renewal. Toward the end of the year, while you were off at the

COACH WALLY DAVIS

BY JESSE FRIEDER ‘10 & JEFFREY GAGNON ‘14

hospital in New Haven, I walked upstairs and sat down at your desk, among the partially filled cardboard boxes. There was a row of books remaining at the edge of that desk, not yet packed, lined up as though reluctant to leave. It seemed that the books clung there, their authors plaintively whispering “Do not forsake us…” Joyce. Blake. Warren. Rushdie.

Carver. Morrison. Eliot. Faulkner. O’Connor.

The breadth and richness of human experience were lined up on that desk.

Isn’t it funny how life has chapters, just like those books. And we’ve made frequent appearances in each other’s stories, going way back. Relationships, children, commiserating, laughing…

When the Lower School chapter of your Wheeler teaching story began, I remember how you always spoke to even the youngest of your students on their levels, without ever patronizing them…You shared ideas, with every paper, every assignment, every story. Your comments in red pen were never intimidating- they were always invitations to conversation, nourishing and inviting.

I remember the eulogy you delivered at your dad’s funeral: clear-eyed, steady, faithful, and then you and your family turned a page and began a new chapter. (I wonder how many kids at the school know how the Cummings Room in Hope Building got its name?)

I remember a chapter in our lives, long ago, in which I offered you a toast. I offer it again, as another chapter begins for you. There is a spring holiday in Egypt called Sham el Nessim, literally “Sniffing the Breeze… “ At the change of seasons, everyone takes a moment to pause, to adjust , to greet the new day, to feel the changes…A new day is here for you, Marcie. A new chapter. Smell the breeze…

Just as the school year ended, award-winning veteran coach and Physical Education teacher Wally Davis announced his retirement. Two of his former Warrior athletes share their memories of playing for him.

I remember distinctly playing at the Wheeler outdoor courts against South Kingstown. Their number one player had not lost that season and I was quite intimidated to play him, especially at home. Coach Davis knew how nervous I was.

He sat on my court for the entire first set, and rather than impart a complex strategy on me, he simply let me talk. This allowed me to release pent up angst and to ultimately think through how to win the match. Coach Davis was always so patient and understanding. He knew how to meet me at my current emotional level so that I could be successful. Whenever he was on my court, I knew that he would help me center myself and refocus on the task at hand. That skill of meeting players where they are has served me well in my own coaching and I owe this technique to Coach Davis.

Jesse Frieder ‘10 Assistant Men’s Tennis Coach, Boston University Having played for Coach Davis for four years, I can say from personal experience that he was a great coach. He knew what his players needed to do to be successful in high school tennis and always planned practices accordingly. Even with the many years of coaching he had, Coach never thought he had all the answers and would listen to his players to know their concerns so he could get the most out of them. This applied especially to practice as he was more than willing to learn a new drill that could help everybody. During matches when I was struggling, I could always count on him for advice to help me lift my game, and even when I was winning he knew what to say to keep my momentum going. I enjoyed having him as a coach and Wheeler will surely miss him.

Jeffrey Gagnon ‘14 Now & Then @ Wheeler 15

ANN-MARIE GILLETT

BY ERIC PALMIERI ‘02 In many ways, my Lower School years at Wheeler are a blur. And still, there are some aspects of my N-5 education that I remember vividly. The carpet squares we used to sit on in Kindergarten come to mind. Remember those things?! Let me tell you, there is little else that makes a kid feel special like his very own carpet square to sit on. Sure, they weren’t exactly square, or even all that rectangular, but come on, it was carpet ON TOP OF carpet! Oh! And do any of you remember Mrs. Scanlon’s laminated owl cartoon that was taped to the side of her desk? She told us it would come alive and bite us if we touched it (re-taping it to her desk, I’m sure, got to be a real pain in the tuckus). Man…going to the library was DANGEROUS! Despite my almost photographic memory of carpet cutouts and flesh-eating library owls, I can think of no other part of my lower school years that brings back fonder and happier memories than art class with Annie Gillett. I can remember having a hard time keeping the Elmer’s Glue off my hands, prompting an endless barrage of, “Mrs. Gillett, can I go to the sink and wash my hands?” And sure, I wasn’t the best at using scissors, but Annie would always find a way of making the “kid with the sticky hands who couldn’t cut straight” feel more confident.

When thinking about how Annie’s art class may have shaped my life as an adult, I asked myself some crucial questions. Am I an accomplished artist? No. Am I a successful craftsman? Nope. Do I still get glue on my hands? Absolutely. Am I good at cutting wrapping paper in a straight line? Goodness gracious, talk about a hot mess! There’s a 93% chance that my gift-wrapping looks exactly the same now as it did when I was in the 1st grade.

16 Now & Then @ Wheeler

But then, I asked myself slightly different questions. Am I an artist? YES! I love to paint, draw, and make macaroni art (when applicable). Am I a craftsman? SURE! I recently built a basement shower out of some wood pallets and a blue plastic “kiddie” pool…now THAT’S crafty! Do I still find ways to use glue? I love getting my hands on that stuff! And my scissor skills? I’m still happily making mincemeat out of my giftwrap!

You see, Annie’s love of art and the creative process was infectious, as if transferred through osmosis, having permeated my skin at a very young age and into every part of my being. Her talents as an educator go way beyond her knowledge of art, or her ability to walk kids through the steps in making papiermâché, which, by the way, is an impressive feat when you consider the most likely product: Six-year-olds x (water + flour) x (newspaper/ glue) = BIG NASTY MESS! Annie could mesmerize a hyperactive and distractible 1st grader with her enthusiasm and obvious passion for art. She had a way of stirring my imagination and a unique ability to show me how to turn my ideas into reality.

Annie, I am forever grateful to you for instilling in me the love of creation, a love that extends out into other areas of my life. How do you create when you work at a bakery, you might ask? Root beer-flavored chicken wings, coming right up! Those were a hit! Peanut butter and Fluff pizza with a crumbled Wonder Bread topping? Eh… not so much! Sometimes things work and sometimes things don’t, but thanks to Annie Gillett there is one thing I’m sure of: hit or miss, I will keep on creating.

PATRICIA KATZ

BY LYNN DUCOFF BELKIN ‘99

Wheeler said farewell to a number of inspirational teachers last year. I was fortunate to have four out of the five teachers who retired. One of these incredible teachers was Mrs. Pat Katz. Fourth grade was a very memorable year, as was each year at Wheeler.

Mrs. Katz met each of us where we were at and supported us, with her kindness and her compassion, each day and throughout the year.

the responses with one another. Our pen pal was from Australia. Even through a number of notes, I do not think I gained a true perspective of “the land down under.”

Did Michelle live in a country full of wild kangaroos and koala bears? Was it anything like America? After years of sporadic corresponding by mail, we connected by Facebook. Since then we have met here and in Australia. (see photo at right)

Being a fourth grader was a transformative experience for me, being in the “upper” part of lower school. It was particularly exciting to have a wonderful teacher who left one day as Ms. Massie….and returned a few weeks later as Mrs. Katz. As a class, we were worried about having a substitute for what seemed to be a very long time. We were so enthusiastic about her return; especially the opportunity to hear about her wedding, honeymoon…

It is an honor to be celebrating another special moment in Mrs. Katz’s life. It is like giving back to someone who gave so much to me. I am so happy to know that she is feeling well.

Mrs. Katz, thank you for being a memorable part of my school years. I truly believe, that my experiences at Wheeler enabled me to be who I am today.

Apparently we began thinking a bit about our own futures that year. I love to share and laugh about Me, Myself and I (cover in photo at right), a project we each composed in fourth grade. “I hope to get married…I hope my husband will be a chef for an Italian restaurant.” Mrs. Katz, fourth grade dreams come true…he may not work for a restaurant, however, Matt Belkin is quite a cook at home.

One particular fourth grade project that had quite an impact on me was being assigned a pen pal. Daryl West and I shared a pal.

Together we would write letters and share

Now & Then @ Wheeler 17

ALBERTO TEIXEIRA

BY BEN GOULET

On May 19th, after 30 years of loyal service, Alberto Teixeira retired from the Wheeler School maintenance staff. Arriving on campus in 1985, Alberto became a fixture at the school. His primary responsibility was maintenance and upkeep of the Student Union, and, for anyone who experienced a lunch duty with the students, this was no small task. But Alberto’s friendly nature and strong work ethic made him an invaluable member of the maintenance crew. When I asked him what he’ll miss the most about working at the school, he was quiet for a bit.

One of Alberto’s passions outside of Wheeler is Portugal’s football team: Sporting. He becomes very animated when talking about the team and he knows all of the players and intricacies of the game. Business Manager Gary Esposito had many conversations with Alberto about the team.

“The kids,” he said. “The kids are the best thing. I stop and look for them.”

“For me,” he said, “Wheeler is a family.

Everybody is so nice to me.”

“I’ll miss our conversations about Sporting,” he said. “He is a huge fan and is an expert on all things football.”

Alberto plans to relax in retirement, seeing friends and family and following his team.

Head of School Dan Miller speaks often of the maintenance crew, reminding faculty and students often about how essential their work is here at the school. To Miller, Alberto’s long tenure was something to be admired.

“He is really proud of his longevity here,” he said. “You’d see him walking across campus at noon every day, completely determined to get the job done.”

More than 200 people congratulated Alberto Teixeira after this photo at right appeared on the school’s Facebook page. He stopped by to say farewell to the coaches in the Athletics Department (one of the buildings he maintained) and they had a special gift bag for him.

Photo by Jean Carlson

18 Now & Then @ Wheeler

photo by NASA

WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS WELCOME MIDDLE SCHOOL GROUP FOR SPECIAL PLACE-BASED TRIP Last year, a group of Middle School girls was able to visit with and learn from a variety of women business owners who share Hope Street as their daytime address. The Rochambeau group was eager to meet the Wheeler students, opening each of their shops and making time for lunch conversations. We thank trustee Lynn Williams of Seven Stars Bakery for assisting in this leadership development event.

MEET SOME FUTURE ROCKET SCIENTISTS!

BROWN DANCE TROUPE BRINGS LION TO LIFE FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

photo by Liz MacMillan

NASA noticed Wheeler’s honorable mention in the international CERN Beamline competition last spring, and invited a student group to be guests at Kennedy Space Center! The group got behind-the-scenes tours, a chance to meet engineers, visit a magnesium symposium, and more. From left to right: chaperone Rob “Otter” Brown, Emily Larson, Amy Vogel, Brian Fogarty, Adam Dolce, teacher Tammy Kjonaas, Dr. Ravi Margasahayam, Greg Kaiser, Raghu Nimmagadda, and Ronni Mak. Dr. Margasahayam was their VIP “tour guide,” who has his own chair in the launch control room, and is one of the folks who says, “Go!” at countdown.

The Brown University Lion Dance Troupe made a HUGE impression on our Kindergarten last spring with a special visit to their classroom, courtesy of the Wheeler Aerie Program.

Students were excited to have their studies of Asian culture deepen and come to life in a special performance by the neighboring university students.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 19

RI SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS HONOR TALENT & EFFORT Eleven students earned awards in the 2015 RI Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Visual Arts Department congratulates Jack Pilgrim ‘15 and senior Zak Johnson, who each earned Gold Keys; while Silver Keys went to Sarah Chin ‘15, Rachael Curry ‘15 and Taylor Lee ‘15 and to seniors Ben Saccone, Andrew Simonson and Cam St. Onge.

The Wheeler English Department congratulates students Lucy Friedmann ‘15, sophomore Leah Huntley and Dani Michaud ‘15 for earning awards in the Writing Awards competition. Friedmann earned two Honorable Mentions in Personal Essay/Memoir and Personal Essay categories. Huntley earned a Silver Key in Short Story. Michaud earned a Silver Key in Personal Essay/Memoir and an Honorable Mention in Science Fiction/Fantasy.

By Taylor Lee ‘15

By Sarah Chin ‘15

By Jack Pilgrim ‘15

By Zak Johnson ‘16

By Rachael Curry ‘15 20 Now & Then @ Wheeler

By Andrew Simonson ‘16

By Cam St. Onge ‘16

By Ben Saccone ‘16

PJ DAY FUN FOR ALL Lower School enjoyed staying in their pajamas all day this fall! Here are some members of Third Grade Wheeler & Hamilton after a vigorous morning boot camp workout that left them all a little pooped, but settled and ready to learn.

Students brought new socks to donate to senior Nick Lowinger’s Gotta Have Sole nonprofit as part of the special event. Did you know Nick created his nonprofit when he was a Wheeler 6th grader?

Photo by Laurie Flynn

WHEELER BOARD HAS MISSION TO SERVE

Wheeler’s Board of Trustees has a mission to provide our community with an exceptional educational environment that meets the mission of the School. Members of the Board of Trustees for 2015-16 are shown above. Seated from left: Cliff White, Treasurer; James Lousararian, Vice President; Meredith Curren, President; and members Ron Rotondo and Judith Dickstein Remondi. Standing from left: David Bedrick '92, Mark Pelson, Konique G.Z. Ballah '98, Ray Uritescu, Ken Volpe, Stacy Emanuel '87, Jacky Beshar, Alisia St. Florian '86, Lynn Williams, Rebecca Spencer, Jayashree Nimmagadda, Barbara Gaines, Alfred Verrecchia, Carol Cimilluca '59. Members not able to be present for the photo include: Abbott Stranahan, Secretary and members Dennis Coleman, Jamie Kase, and Kenneth Shimberg.

PARENTS ASSOCIATION USES TIME & TALENT TO TREASURE SCHOOL Photo by Kris Craig, Providence Journal

SENIORS CREATE TIME FOR INTERFAITH PRAYER Seniors Danish Azam (left) and August Kahn created and led an interfaith service at the RI State House last August to promote peace. Nearly 50 children, parents and senior citizens attended the event which was promoted via social media and covered prominently the next day in The Providence Journal.

In October, the RI State Council of Churches invited the two boys to its annual “heroes” breakfast to recognize their efforts. Both students, and Ian Steller ‘15, helped create the Inter-Belief Club at Wheeler under the auspices of Students Interested In Cultural Awareness (SICA).

The Wheeler Parents Association works throughout the school year to involve parents in fun and productive ways to support Wheeler. Whether working the “wishing tree” (below) at Fall Family Fest, sorting clothes at, or tweeting about, the popular Clothing & More Sale, making calls on behalf of the Annual Fund or being classroom reps and new parent mentors, the WPA makes volunteerism its focus 2014-15 WPA President Pam Clancy to keep Wheeler strong. Find out ways you can Rotondo (left) with 2015-16 President volunteer by contacting Parent Relations Director Stacy Kaufman Emanuel ‘87.

Jody Holliday at jodyholliday@wheelerschool.org

Photo by Lynn Williams

Now & Then @ Wheeler 21

2015 Spring Season UNDEFEATED! Boys Varsity Tennis — RIIL Div II Champions

ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

A Purple-Gold Tie The 25th anniversary Apache Race at our 101st Field Day last spring saw a first — a tie between runners Lauren DiMundo (purple) and Nora Stolzman (gold) amazed everyone ringing the field.

Make plans to join us this year for Field Day, Saturday, May 21. From the Grand March to the final tug of war, it’s always memorable!

22 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Check That, Ben Our apologies to student Ben Czech (above) for misidentifying him in our last issue. Czech was the champion in the Providence Cup 100m backstroke as a member of our swim team last spring.

Wheeler swimmers have begun their new season with a 64-24 win over their first opponent in December!

2015 Boys Soccer Goes Undefeated Boys Varsity Soccer enjoyed an undefeated season this fall, earning the SENE Championship and the #1 seed in the New England tournament where they came up short in penalty kicks at the end.

Girls Soccer also made it to the SENE finals, holding the winner to only two goals.

Great seasons for all athletes!

2015 CHAMPIONS FROM GOLF, LACROSSE & TRACK HONORED • Varsity Coed Golf — SENE Team Champions plus, Jon Dwyer: 81, finishing 1st, Jeffrey Giguere: 83 (second place) and Justin Paik: 88 (third place).

• Varsity Track — Doc Odell/SENE 4x1 Relay Champions: Eniang Bassey-Eleyi, Max Prescott, Alex Tapalian and Ben Volpe, plus SENE champions Prescott in 100 meters and Tapalian in long jump.

• Boys Lacrosse — RIIL Div II North cochampions, plus Jack Lousararian, Dan Smith and Clem Titsworth ‘15 named to AllStar team. Titsworth hit 100+ career goals as a Wheeler Warrior.

CROSS COUNTRY IS LEADER OF THE PACK 3-PEATS AS 2015 SENE CHAMPS FOR GIRLS, BOYS AND BOTH INDIVIDUAL RUNNERS Students are hotfooting it to cross country — making it the largest of our sports teams. At the Ocean State Invitational in September, ninth graders (above l-r) Lucy Ward (16th), Ellie Hamilton (2nd) and Maddie Heynen (26th) grabbed 3 medals for the podium as well a 3rd place team finish! Ellie’s second place finish was the highest a Wheeler student has ever placed at the OSI. At press time, Wheeler took all four SENE Championships for the third consecutive year!

The Middle School Cross Country Team placed 6th in the 2015 Ocean State Invitational division for their grades this year, a team personal best! All MSXC runners and grade and gender groups had a great showing, but 8th grade boys placed 6th and 8th grader Shivesh Mehrotra (pictured below) placed 30th overall, earning a medal at the meet.

PINGREE THREE-PEAT photos by Steve Jenks

Cross Country coaches Tom Wharton (left) and Page Stites hold the PingreeWheeler Cups after a third consecutive win for Wheeler this past October. The traditional event pits fall teams from the two schools in a rivalry that stretches back decades (to 1969) in memory of Wheeler, later Pingree, Athletic Director Marjorie Burrell, who was killed in an automobile accident that year.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 23

photo by Steve Jenks

PERFORMING ARTS

photo by Mark Turek

photo by Marc Harrison

Alden Blackman performs with the Middle School Jazz Ensemble at a concert last year. Middle School musicians from jazz and chorale perform in concert and in the community at events such as the Hope Street Merchants Block Party last June, the RI Community Food Bank Open House during the holidays. and wherever their schedules allow.

JAZZ ENSEMBLE ON ROAD TO NEWPORT AS YEAR BEGINS

MIDDLE SCHOOL ACTRESS PART OF TRINITY’S “CAESAR”

Wheeler’s Jazz Performance Ensemble was barely into a new school year when asked to perform in Newport for a new arts effort called Art After Dark hosted by the Newport Art Museum. The versatile musicians will share their talents on a new CD out in the Spring.

Eighth grader Tara Sullivan performed the role of Lucia, daughter of Brutus and Portia, in this fall’s Trinity Repertory producation of “Julius Caesar.” Sullivan has had minor roles in other Trinity shows. Despite a small role, Sullivan received nice reviews and mentions in the local media.

24 Now & Then @ Wheeler

AFRICAN MUSIC HELPS RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS A multi-school effort to raise awareness for the plight of West Africans in Sierra Leone brought the renowned Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars for a performance last April in the new Isenberg Auditorium at the Gilder Center for the Arts. Six area independent schools co-sponsored the event with the Foundation for West Africa.

Middle School Musical 2015

photos by Bob Martin

Oliver!

photo by Bob Sullivan

HEAVEN CAN WAIT FOR UPPER SCHOOL, AS LOWER SCHOOL FIDDLES AROUND

WHEELER DANCE COMPANY DEBUT

photo by Marc Harrison

photo by Jesse Yip ‘08

Upper School Theater presented its fall production of “Heaven Can Wait” to soldout audiences while at press time, the Lower School thespians were rehearsing for their musical, “Fiddler On The Roof.”

You can watch both performances at Wheeler School Broadcasting.org. Use the password wheeler1889 to see all of our Performing Arts videos!

Alumna Erin Gildea ‘04 (far left), a graduate of Wheeler and Hamilton, is the Artistic Director of the Wheeler Dance Company, which held its first full-fledged dance program under the auspices of Aerie last Spring.

Erin has danced with Festival Ballet Providence and currently teaches at dance companies across the state and is on the Board of Directors for Rhode Island Ballet Theater. Students from all four divisions at the School performed from classics to pop!

Now & Then @ Wheeler 25

Eighth graders (l to r) Catherine Sawoski, Nora Sucov and Caroline Esposito use Skype to interview Betsy West ‘69, producer of the PBS series, MAKERS.

CONNECTING ACROSS GENERATIONS:

History Project Means More When Students & Alums Engage Story and Photo By Young Un Head of Middle School and Eighth Grade History Teacher

I

n a Wheeler classroom, different influences converge by design and sometimes by luck to spark learning and even transformations. As Middle School Head, but also an Eighth Grade History teacher, I was lucky enough to witness such a convergence when three of my students working on a documentary project about the Feminist movement during the 1960s, reached out to alumnae Betsy West ‘69 and Katrine Cage Ames ‘65.

Betsy and Katrine agreed to be interviewed for the girls’ documentary.

When the girls got an enthusiastic “Yes” from Betsy (who visited campus as our 10th Fox Family Speaker in 2015) and Katrine (who’d just returned for her 50th Reunion celebration in October), their documentary 26 Now & Then @ Wheeler

took on another dimension. What was once an interesting project for three bright girls suddenly became transformative because of a real-life connection with two influential women, women who had directly experienced the Feminist movement.

The 60s project in Eighth Grade is the result of a multidisciplinary collaboration with Joe Baer, the lead teacher of the Eighth Grade History class; Christine Smith, the Prescott Library department chair and Middle School librarian; and Steve Jenks, Middle School technology facilitator. When designing the new course three years ago, Joe and I wanted our students to forge connections in the community. For example, through the course, students deepen their knowledge about issues

they care about, then write advocacy letters to national and political leaders. They also interview their parents or neighbors for first-hand accounts of important moments in history.

As teachers, Joe and I want our class on contemporary US and Chinese history to be a serious and grounded study. Students use an online textbook (designed by Joe) filled with demanding reading, interesting video, and insightful analysis from academics and journalists. If we were to rely solely on this resource, our students would learn a great deal of history. But we wanted it to be more compelling through use of direct connection with decision makers and makers of history.

One eighth grader recently said while it was nerve-wracking to reach out to people and

difficult to schedule interviews, she learned the necessity of getting outside of Wheeler and connecting with people to hear their opinions and share their ideas.

The aforementioned three girls - Caroline Esposito, Catherine Sawoski, and Nora Sucov - connected with these alumnae, so generous with their time, as well as Wheeler Art faculty member, Sarah Daughn. By reaching out, the three students heard vivid stories of women who made more money than their husbands yet couldn’t apply for a mortgage, and husbands who gave allowances to their

“What was once an interesting project for three bright girls suddenly became transformative because of a real-life connection with two influential women, women who had directly experienced the Feminist movement.”

Young Un

wives. They talked to their interviewees about the influence of Betty Friedan’s, Feminine Mystique and heard eye-opening anecdotes of protest marches and ugly reactions from onlookers. They learned of the racial tensions within the movement.

The end result will be a collaborative multimodal presentation but also much more.

Because, as I watched the girls learn from these remarkable women, I witnessed their own transformation through direct connection, a connection that may propel the girls to become the next “Betsy” or “Katrine.”

PROJECT FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENTS — On a factual basis, from talking to Ms. West and Ms. Ames, I learned about all the trials and all the marches that women and advocates for women’s rights had to go through, and all of the protests and resistances women had to uphold just to have a chance to get on even footing with men. They were regarded as less, not as smart and not as strong. . .

I really can’t imagine what it would be like to be considered not as smart and not as strong as my brothers and my friends and the rest of my male family. The way Ms. West and Ms. Ames described the 60s, it sounds so frustrating and maddening, to not be able to know that you were valued and favored as much as the person standing right next to you. I can relate though to the feeling of wondering what you’re worth to other people compared to someone next to you, but not based on a gender standpoint.

Sometimes I wonder how it would have affected my life if I had been one of three boys, instead of one girl and two boys. I know that there are some jobs where it is expected to be an almost completely male workforce, and vice versa, for women. Some people believe that there are things that only men should and can do, and some things only women should and can do, but I don’t believe it.

Men and women are equal in every aspect except our individual personalities and the ways we look, the things we fear and the way we deal with them. We all have the same core ability, but how we choose to utilize it can be and is always different. We are all different, but the base of our abilities and our capacities do not differ because of our gender, but in the way we use and cultivate them, and how much of an effort we make to reach success. We can do the same things, and all have the same ability to think and create our ideas.

There is no reason to undervalue a person’s work or plain intellectual value based on their gender. Decisions should be based on ability and nothing else.

“The way Ms. West and Ms. Ames described the 60s, it sounds so frustrating and maddening, to not be able to know that you were valued and favored as much as the person standing right next to you.”

Now & Then @ Wheeler 27

Christine Armbrust Rooks ‘70

2015 Alumni Founder’s Award

The Wheeler School Alumni Association is proud to announce the recipient of its 2015 Founder’s Award, presented during Reunion & Alumni Weekend this past October on the campus in Providence, RI.

Alumni Profile

The Wheeler Alumni Association Founder’s Award honors graduates who make a positive difference in the community as a volunteer, philanthropist or ambassador. This year, Wheeler honors someone who is all this, and more: Christine Armbrust Rooks ’70.

Christine A. Rooks ‘70 Watch for an interview with this year’s award recipient in our next issue. Below: Chris receives the award from Dan Miller and Alumni Board President Nicole Brissette Jennings ‘99

After college, Chris returned as a Lower School teacher (1972-1976), as well as a Trustee and administrator in Admissions and Alumni/ Development. Her volunteer leadership includes service as Alumni Board President, Head of School Search Committee, Alumni Co-Chair for the Centennial Capital Campaign and a Co-Chair of The Big Event fundraiser in its inaugural year. A resident of Providence, RI and Vero Beach, FL, she has served on the boards of RISD Museum Associates, Youth In Action, the Women’s Fund and Planned Parenthood.

As Alumni and Parent Relations Director at Wheeler, Chris created and ran the Chester H. Kirk Memorial Wheeler Golf Tournament for more than a decade. She left Wheeler in 2008 to travel and make time with her grandchildren.

Chris and her husband, Steve, are parents of Wheeler alumni Stephanie Rooks Stern ’94 and Benjamin Rooks ’97. Her sister, Carla A. Gomez ’79 is also a graduate, as are several nieces and an aunt.

Proud purples, all.

28 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Hogan Vivier ‘12

Study In Cuba Right Place For A History-Making Moment “How was study abroad?”

Each time I have been faced with this question I answer the same thing: being in Cuba was an incredible experience, very hard but good, I truly fell in love with the country. Although this response is accurate, it never seems sufficient to describe my experience.

Being in Cuba I did not have the most “traditional” abroad experience. I spent my semester (from Brown University) in a country that, until very recently, was banned by the United States. I went from going to school 30 minutes away from my parents to being on an island cut off from the country I have lived in my whole life. I had no access to money other than what I had brought with me, no way to easily call my parents, and not even a way to receive or send mail directly.

Alumni Profile

Despite all these limitations though, this semester turned out to be one of the most eye-opening and amazing experiences of my life. I was able to experience what some in America consider a bad and dangerous place filled with “radical communists.” To the contrary, I found Cuba to be a beautiful country, keen on doing whatever possible to achieve freedom and independence from other countries. Yes, Cuba has its flaws, especially politically, just like every country, and they are also struggling financially. That being said, the nationalistic pride and warmth I felt from the people there more than made up for it.

Living in Habana (the capitol) amidst the improvements being made between the relations between America and Cuba was literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. What I gained from physically being there I could never have gleaned from the news or a textbook. I saw firsthand the excitement the people had for the future. Rather than harboring resentment toward the United States, many Cubans were excited to meet Americans like my classmates and me. They were happy to talk to us about the new changes, and most had positive outlooks on the future. Although I think that the United States has the potential to be a great asset and ally to Cuba, I worry about the western influence corrupting the country’s purity. I would hate to see the authentic Cuba I fell in love with be tainted and become too commercialized by America’s influence. I feel very fortunate to have been able to experience Cuba; I think it is a place that everyone should experience, not just the tourist parts but also the true Cuban culture, and I look forward to returning in the near future.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 29

Betsy West ‘69

Veteran Storyteller Inspires Newest Generation To Understand Others Emmy winner Betsy West ‘69, visited her alma mater last winter as our 10th Fox Family Speaker, and her visit continues to resonate with the campus. An executive producer at Storyville Films and an associate professor at the Columbia School of Journalism, West has more than 30 years of experience in television, news, and documentaries. She has won 21 Emmy Awards over the course of her career and continues to be an active documentarian. Her most recent project, Alumni Makers: Women Who Make America, provides an inProfile depth look at the history of the women’s movement and has starred women such as Hilary Clinton and Gloria Steinem. Having debuted on PBS in February 2013, this documentary has prompted West to further educate the public on the history of feminism. It has gathered such a following that West has created an online video archive that continues to document the views of prominent females in society on the women’s movement and which teachers at Wheeler have appreciated being able to use as a curriculum resource.

As part of her visit at Wheeler, West told her story to a range of students, from Kindergarteners to Seniors. Here are some of the views and experiences that she shared: What activities was she involved in at Wheeler?

A member of the Wheeler Class of 1969, and a proud Purple, West was active as a member of the Debating Club and Glee Club. She was also president of a fun Tiddlywinks Club. Her Senior page in the Wheeler yearbook read, “TRY AND STOP ME.” How did your Wheeler education influence your college experience?

Having graduated from Brown University in 1973, West admits that she “took [her] Wheeler education for granted when she went to Brown.” She had such a great experience there, in part due to the preparation that Wheeler afforded her: four years of Latin with Mrs. Church, history classes with Mr. Tinker, and, of course, English with Ms. Alden. “She taught us the dramatic narrative,” West explained, “and how to use the classic Greek storytelling structure.” Having been so well prepared for college, West is grateful to Mary C. Wheeler for having “the foresight to start this innovative school.”

What was it like to film Makers: Women Who Make America?

“People have been trying to make this kind of documentary for a long time,” West explained, but they lacked adequate funds. Once having raised enough money to jumpstart the project, West’s goal was to combat the negative feeling towards feminism. She focused on making the documentary entertaining for both men and women.

As she underwent the project, West found that women wanted to be a part of it and share their stories. For instance, a female coal miner in Virginia stepped forward. Having experienced sexual harassment from her boss in the late 1980s, she took him to court and won, an anomaly for the time. In addition, she spoke to well-known voices in the women’s movement, including Gloria Steinem. Steinem says that a social revolution takes about 100 years. In agreement, West believes 30 Now & Then @ Wheeler

photo by Pam Murray

By Lucy Friedmann ‘15 and Kate Middeleer ‘16

Betsy West flanked by Wheeler writers Middeleer and Friedmann

that we’re only “about halfway through the women’s revolution,” that there is “still more to be done.”

What is her favorite scene from the documentary?

West holds a special appreciation for the first interview that she ever conducted, what later became the segment on Katherine Switzer (which she showed to all the Wheeler students during her visit). Having finally raised enough money to fund the project, this interview fueled her sense of excitement. Switzer’s experience being the first woman to run the Boston Marathon was a rare instance of documented discrimination against women. Such a scene perfectly set the tone for the rest of the documentary. Her other favorite clips include interviews with Ruth Simmons, the first African-American Ivy League President, and Lynn Povich, the first female senior editor at Newsweek.

Does Betsy West call herself a feminist?

Yes, of course. As she explained, women still earn 77¢ to every dollar that a man makes. As she showed to the Upper School during her visit to Wheeler, her views reflect those of popular actor and comedian Aziz Ansari in his interview on The Late Show: “I feel like if you do believe that men and women have equal rights, if someone asks if you’re a feminist, you have to say yes, because that is how words work.”

What is she working on now?

West is currently working on a documentary called The Lavender Scare, following the campaign against homosexuals in office during the 1950s.

What advice would she give to a current Wheeler student?

“Take advantage of every opportunity to educate yourself,” West recommended. Drawing from her own experience of finding her passion in journalism, she feels lucky to have found a career that lets her do just that. She encourages students to “explore broadly,” “try things out,” and “find passion.” With a daughter in her sophomore year at Brown, she is envious of the many opportunities that she has in front of her. Then, once in the working world, she urges students to “work for people [they] admire…who can teach [them] something.”

Amanda Gastel ‘15

A Letter To Founder’s Family Friend Henry David Thoreau

Dear Henry,

I write to you with admiration and idolization of you, your thoughts and your way of life. Seated at the round breakfast nook of my superfluously grand house in the woods of Rhode Island, my every action contradicts your ingenious advice to “simplify, simplify.” When you wrote your thoughts while inhabiting the cabin in the woods at Walden Pond, your ideas flowed from your head, through your pen and spilled onto the paper, similar to how the DNA in your cell will send instructions through the RNA to be executed by the ribosomes.

This is the simplest, truest method for conveying your thoughts to others because your ideas are transferred from your mind to the book with the pen as an instrument. I write this letter on a laptop, a machine which deprives me of the simplicity and directness with which you were able to write your Walden. The technology that has been invented since your time enables us to be constantly influenced by society in an incessant, overwhelming, and often suffocating manner. The new inventions of the television and internet bombard our brains with ceaseless attempts at conformity, leaving us with heads so corrupt that there is absolutely no way to return to our original self, nor ever to come in contact with our individual soul. The fantasy of solitude is a place that exists only in dreams. Once you experience something other than solitude, there is no way to reestablish this strived-for state. Ralph Waldo Emerson claims in his texts to have “become a transparent eye-ball; [he is] nothing; [he] see[s] all”. Do you consider this possible? Is it a legitimate desire to actually become “transparent,” or rather is this a false sense of self-discovery fabricated

by Emerson for reassurance?

New alumna Amanda Gastel '15’s letter to Mary Wheeler’s family friend Henry David Thoreau was named semifinalist in the RI Center for the Book's Letters about Literature contest.

Alumni

Profile My pressing question is how can there ever be individualism in this world? Nowhere in my daily routine do I make actions because of my own thoughts and desires, because how am I to know what I want or how I wish to behave, if I’m not even familiar with myself.

There is so little time for self-familiarity in this world that when I find myself in any social situation, the most curious stranger in the room, to me, is myself. I don’t know who I am, what I want, what I am like, or the meaning of my existence because life is so complex that there is no time to behave - consciously or not - according to my soul. In fact, when evaluating my life, I will never be able to make my own decisions according to what I want. Each day I go to school because it is the law, and at school I am heavily pressured to think certain ways, behave in certain manners and think about specific topics. Your literature is a prime example of this: I am forced to read your work, forced to react to your words in specific ways according to the teacher’s desires, and now forced to write you this letter! When is it my turn to determine about which topics I have strong opinions? And when can I choose the topics of my essays? I can answer that one -- never. It is painfully often, Thoreau, that I find myself wondering about individualism and why we are all forced to be the same. Of course my life is unique and the choices I make are in my best interest when considering this way of life. I plan to graduate from a university and become an orthodontist while simultaneously being an “angel of the house” like my mother. Though this life plan was carefully chosen by me, it is Your idea that truly sticks with me the most is “to drive life into a only ideal because of where it will put me in society. My children will corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its someday roam their superfluously meanness to the world.” This suggestion interests me greatly because large houses and its execution seems so utterly impossible. “To drive life into a corner” is an intangible task in and of itself. How can a man detach himself so examine their enviously luxurious profoundly from life that he has the ability to regard it as a separate lifestyle and thing, nonetheless control it enough to lead it in one direction or wonder, as I am, another, nonetheless into a vulnerable corner to be observed and measured. How then, I may ask, can one “reduce it to its lowest terms?” why it must be this way. Simplicity, For reducing life of anything, would be to alter it and lead it astray of its true form. How can you truly boil life down to the basics when you simplicity. Why can’t have life without an existing society, and society is what prevents can this not be the motto? you from seeing clearly? Why is one to “publish” the meaning of life

to the world, when this publication is to be interpreted differently Fondly, by everyone, when interpretations stem from prior experience and Amanda Gastel knowledge that are taught, shaped, and developed by society itself.

You wish to “suck out all the marrow of life” which would be a tedious task even with the knowledge of the meaning of life.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 31

Lisa Bonaccorso ‘85

Argentinian Roots Give Filmmaker’s Project A Personal Touch

By Kate Middeleer ‘16 The year 1973 brought a level of violence and unrest to Argentina that forced many families to flee the country — a huge move that, in Reunion alumna Lisa Bonaccorso’s case, eventually brought her to a small private school in a small town in a small state.

The Wheeler School has seen many people walk through its doors. Yet even with the similar textbooks Alumni and course lists, where its graduates end up — what Profile they do, what they create — is always, in part, a product of where they started. Everyone’s history is a story, and Bonaccorso, Class of 1985, is using her experience in film to share hers.

Coming to the US from several years in Brazil after fleeing Argentina, Bonaccorso entered Wheeler at age 13 into the 7th grade, which was, as she explained it, “a massive culture shock.”

“We were a decade behind in fashion,” she says. But Wheeler is where it all started; Bonaccorso held her first camera in high school, as a photographer for the school’s yearbook. From there, she stuck behind the lens. During her senior year at Boston University, she held an internship at NBC’s Boston affiliate. Her efforts during that internship earned her an associate producer credit on a prime-time special.

“Deep down, I’ve always wanted to be a producer,” Bonaccorso says, “but I’ve always been afraid of it.” Over the years, she’s been behind the camera on many sets, such as the TV hit, Grey’s Anatomy.

“My mother’s been telling me my whole life to write our story,” she says. And the story that Lisa eventually decided to tell, of her family’s sudden move from their home in Argentina, started out only as a quick teaser. Bonaccorso was surprised then, when it ended up in a Writers Guild of America screenwriter’s inbox, and she got a response back, saying, “This is a feature film.”

She went to South Carolina to have a meeting with the screenwriter, with the hopes that if she had an outline of her feature film to give the writer, she’d get an offer to write the script. Once having made the hike to South Carolina for her meeting, fate intervened and the meeting was cancelled. But Lisa was stuck there for the next three weeks, taking care of a friend’s horses in exchange for housing on their farm.

Sitting there, with the kind of beautiful view you see only in the movies, she thought, “What the hell, I’ll just start writing it myself.” And so she did. And she didn’t stop.

“Once I started writing, I realized it had to be written by me.

It’s such a personal story.” She had no experience writing scripts— only reading them as part of her previous jobs. But that didn’t stop her, not being the kind of “girl who can read the manual.”

“I cranked out the script,” Bonaccorso said. “I needed to ‘vomit’ what I had onto the page—then I’ll fix it later.”

Where to go from there was more difficult. Though given the opportunity to take meetings that would potentially get her feature produced, she decided not to, fearing the danger of signing a 32 Now & Then @ Wheeler

release for very little money, as well as losing creative control or possibly having the script shelved.

Along the way, however, “people came out of the woodwork to help.” Urged by a friend to send the script to a film contest, she had unexpected results. In October 2013, Caught in the Crossfire was nominated and WON “Best Unproduced Script based on a True Story” at London’s international Film Festival. From there she continued to reach out to people in and out of Hollywood and to publicize her work. “It’s not considered harassment,” she laughed. “it’s called persistence.”

Along the way she partnered with Fred Caruso, production manager for The Godfather, and acting mentor for Lisa, teaching her the film-development steps. “You’re going to do all the work and I’ll take all the meetings,” he told her.

About a year and a half into development, a Kickstarter initiative to finance Caught in the Crossfire was created to help Bonaccorso get the funds to produce the film. Crowdsourcing is, however, nearly impossible without huge means of publication and the initiative failed to reach the goal’s funds, but that isn’t to say it didn’t help Lisa and her project. As a result of canvassing for backers, news of her film reached thousands of people. Many helped promote it during her campaign, including some of the actors from Grey’s Anatomy. The effort is helping her get closer to her goal.

Bonaccorso is hopeful that filming on Caught in the Crossfire will begin next spring, mostly in Argentina.

Sam Fox ‘05

Climbing RI’s Highest Peak With A Philanthropist/Athlete And Alum

By Kate Middeleer ‘16 We gathered with the growing crowd in June at the base of the trail, waiting to see the top of Sam’s head, which would inevitably be the first thing to be seen of the biker as he made his way up the steep road.

We came to hike with him up Rhode Island’s Jerimoth Hill, his sixth climb thus far out of the many that would make up the 103-day Tour de Fox, a 14,000-mile trip taking him and his crew from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to bike between, and then climb, the highest peaks across 48 states and into Canada.

For more than a decade, Sam Fox, Class of 2005, has been running to raise awareness and money for Parkinson’s, a disease his mom, Lucy, became afflicted with in 2001. He has run many miles to raise money and support, perhaps most notably his 2,400 mile Pacific Coast Trail run/hike in 2011. The crowd assembled that morning was just one indicator of the network of support Sam has created.

As he made his way up the hill to cheers and the cameraman snapping pictures, it was unclear how many of the people knew him personally — it seemed like maybe everyone.

My classmate Michael Matt and I (center) had driven up that morning, both of us on the Wheeler cross-country team as Sam had been, remembering him when he had come to give a presentation several years ago to the whole School (as a Fox Family Speaker).

We started the hike alongside Sam. After about two minutes, I told Michael that I needed to get a quote from Fox at the top of the mountain.

“We are at the top,” Michael said. Oh. Everyone had said Rhode Island’s highest point wasn’t very steep, and it’s not as if I had been expecting any noticeable altitude change, but I was a little surprised.

Nevertheless, the hikers were thrilled and everyone had to get a picture with Sam.

Hamilton student Ben Diaz (below right), who will graduate Wheeler in 2025, was particularly excited to get the chance to speak with Sam. “What was the tallest mountain you’ve gone up?” he asked, to which Sam replied: Mount Washington, NH. Michael and I, like many of the other hikers, had come suited up in sneakers. Sam, on the other hand, wore flip-flops.

“You didn’t climb in flip-flops, did you?” someone Alumni else asked. “Any opportunity I get,” he answered.

Profile Then Sam spoke to us about his time at Wheeler, about the tiny cross-country team he was captain of his sophomore year: seven people compared to this year’s 64 kid team, as well as Mr. Tom Wharton, the cross-country coach who’d been Sam’s math teacher at Wheeler. “That guy’s cool,” said Sam. Though the number of miles he has run to support his mother’s cause is almost uncountable, he explains that he’s no short-distance runner. He never even ran for the Wheeler Apache Race. “I didn’t want to embarrass myself,” he jokes.

His feelings for Wheeler can be summed up in about the same time it takes to climb Rhode Island’s highest peak: “No bad feelings.”

“Oh, and, (with a smile) Dan Miller (Head of School) is a beast.”

Fox was in this latest challenge for the long haul. The groups accompanying him on his climbs would keep getting bigger and bigger across the country. “It means a lot to me and my family,” he said. Sam finished the Tour de Fox in Vancouver on September 12th, marking the end of a journey that had exceeded the $1 million goal and had taken him up and down America.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 33

CLASS NEWS & PHOTOS

In Memoriam Georgina Jill Traverso ’43 6/3/2015 Nancy Haley Lyle ’44

ALUMS SHARE MEMORIES OF LEGENDARY “MISS EM” Rose Lenhart Magee ‘53 generously donated two paintings by legendary Wheeler Art teacher Louise Late Emerson to the school last year. Along with the paintings (one of Nantucket is pictured below), Rose gathered some reflections about “Miss Em” we are happy to share below.

From Marcia Sewall ‘53 Miss Em owned a charming little house at 94 Meeting St. in Providence. For probably ten years my mother rented the first floor apartment from Miss Em, and I recall one lovely painting of hers of Nantucket which hung on our wall or hallway. When my mother moved to N.H. it stayed behind. I do have a spirited ink drawing which she did of her room in my grandparent's Maine house when she visited. It is unsigned. She was very active in the Providence Art Club and the Artists Association of Nantucket. She might have been one of the founding members there. I recall she had a studio in the Providence Arcade building, downtown Providence.

Gloria Vanderbilt Stakowski (also a Wheeler graduate) was a devoted friend of Miss Em's and collected her work, especially collages. Also, heirs of Elizabeth Saltonstall, Providence, a Nantucket painter, too, whom I believe taught at Wheeler with Miss Em, might have some paintings. If you google Louise L. Emerson, painter, a lovely painting of hers is listed for sale. Maybe some graduate would like to make that donation? I recall her as a no-nonsense person, very sensitive, very genuine, a work of art herself. I do recall a "little hat," but I think of her with bangs and a chignon (often with cigarette), blouses, skirts and sturdy shoes, busily going about her work, with a roguish spirit about her. For many of us, she was a very memorable, inspiring person and the epitome of "artist."

From Rose Lenhart Magee ‘53 I think of “Miss Em” as having been “old” even when we were students. She was crusty, irreverent, wore old clothes and I believe a small hat on her head. She was truly an “individual” but I still believe her art classes were important to our education. After (my husband’s) service in the US Air Force, we moved to Massachusetts when he began studying at Harvard Law School. One summer weekend we visited Miss Em on Nantucket where she had a small home.

Coincidentally, the local art museum was featuring her work then. Later after moving to Seattle in 1962 I decided I wanted one of her paintings and wrote to her. She actually sent 4 or 5 and I selected two, one of flowers and one of Nantucket. I had them framed and enjoyed them all these years. I still have many fond memories of Wheeler. Of course it has changed completely over the years, but I’m very pleased with its current successes.

Louise Emerson (1901-1974 was an important member of the Nantucket summer art scene for over fifty years. She was a charter member of the “45 Group” and a founding member of the Artists Association of Nantucket. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Emerson headed the art department at the Mary C.Wheeler School in Providence, Rhode Island. She worked in a variety of media, including silkscreen and collage, inspiring her friends and colleagues, including Isabelle Tuttle and Charlotte Kimball, to make experiments in those techniques as well.

34 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Bio info from the Nantucket Historical Association website page about The Nantucket Art Colony, 1920-45

9/18/2015

Margaret Ricketson Sprague ’46 6/2/2015 Lane Stanley ’50

7/20/2015

Sarah L. Bates ’51

11/4/2015

Patricia W. Cooper ’58

6/1/2015

Jacalyn Weinstein Brookner ’63 5/15/2015 Melinda K. Leeson ’69

8/16/2015

Elizabeth Moore ’69

9/22/2015

Gail M. Brown ’71

7/4/2015

Former Faculty & Staff Gertrude Pansey AP ’75 former reading specialist

5/6/2015

Alton Sims former faculty in the Wheeler music conservatory 9/24/2015

1949

Alys Acworth Rickett has written a book (cover photo at right) about her life titled “Each Side of the Pond.” In it, she writes much about her years during WWII at Wheeler, living with an alum family until it was safe for her to return to her own home in England. Rickett interviewed current Wheeler Head Dan Miller and received permission to reprint exams and coursework required in Wheeler Upper School today as a comparison to British education in similar subjects. Her kind words about her alma mater then and now are much appreciated.

1956

Eliza Greene Chace Collins visited campus last spring to see the new Gilder Center for the Arts and the changes to Wheeler Memorial Hall. The tour included a stop in the Art Studio which was given in memory of her great-great-grandmother Eliza Greene Chace, one of Miss Wheeler’s first art students. Photo by Michele Diaz ‘86 on facing page at top right.

1972

Family and friends came together at the Wheeler Farm last May, on Field Day, to remember Dodie Woodbridge and commemorate the new scholarship fund in her name. The endowment fund will support students at Wheeler who need significant tuition assistance and have a passion for the arts. The marker in the Wheeler Memorial Garden on Columbine Hill states: “In Memory of Dorothy Woodbridge Dash, “Dodie,” Wheeler Artist, Athlete and Beloved Member of the Class of 1972.” Present in the photo at right are Woody and Phyllis Woodbridge, Merry Murray Meade ’75, Marcie Cummings ’72, Dodie’s husband Tony Dash, and Dodie’s siblings Kim McCann ’74 and “Trip” Woodbridge III. Trip delivered a beautiful mahogany bench he built that now graces the garden grounds providing visitors with a place to rest, reflect, and remember.

1978

Laurie MacDonald wrote that Fall is a great time of year to reconnect with classmates and shared the photo at right center of friends from the Class of 1978 who get together each year in Vermont. Pictured are Deb DeSimone; Holly Rao; Amanda Bodell; Wendy Motta; Laurie Wilkins; Emily Perceley.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 35

1982

Susan Kenney (photo far left) married Jeffrey Todd, August 1. Joining her at her wedding were her mother, Miriam Graves Kenney ‘53, and sister, Lisa Kenney Griffis ‘84 and classmates pictured: Honey Soll Schwartz, Susan, Cheryl Marsella-Lauzier and Jamie Vibert Smida.

1986

Michele Sczerbinski Diaz was recently elected as President of the Board for the Partnership of Philanthropic Planning of Rhode Island.

PPP-RI is the local council dedicated to being a source for education, research, and advocacy for professionals who have a role in designing and implementing donors’ philanthropic plans.

1989

“Ancient teacher meets with Michelle Gagnon in West Hollywood” is the cutline retired Upper School Head Michael Brown sent us with this photo (this page top right) from a California trip. Gagnon is a successful author of adult and young adult thrillers.

Kyle Bennett and his daughter (at left in center photo) happily discovered the community group he led last Earth Day to clean up the Woonasquatucket River Watershed was made up of Wheeler ECO Club members, some now alums themselves!

Here they are in the green shirts, Jess D’Agostino ‘14, Grace Heald ‘16, Catherine Horwitz ‘16, Will Evans ‘16 and facultly member Summer Sheeley.

1999

The Metropolitan Opera has commissioned Nico Muhly (top photo right) to compose “Marnie” for its 2019-20 season, based on Winston Graham’s 1961 novel that was adapted into an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

Muhly composed “Two Boys,” which debuted at the English National Opera in 2011 and appeared at the Met two years later. The Met said “Marnie” is a co-commission that will debut at the English National Opera in 2017.

2003

36 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Andrea Beukema recently completed her MS in Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development from the University at Albany in May and began working at Cornell University in August as an Instructional Designer, developing online learning content.

2004

Dr. Jon Santoro (bottom left) was named the recipient of the $25,000 2015 The Right Fit H.E.R.O. Honorarium for his “outstanding accomplishments as an emerging leader in pediatric neurology and for passionate advocacy for the population he serves.”

Santoro was among 200 medical residents nationwide nominated and narrowed to 10 finalists.

Dacia Read has been appointed by RI Governor Gina Raimondo to the RI Children’s Cabinet as Policy Director. Read returns to RI from the Children’s Defense Fund in New York.

GRADUATION LAUNDRY BAGS ENDURE IN THE HEARTS & HOUSEHOLDS OF MANY ALUMS! A conversation on one of Wheeler’s alumni Facebook group pages this year brought back memories for many of their traditional “graduation” gifts from the school over the past several decades — the large laundry bag. While the logo design may have changed with the times, the practical nature of the gift is still valued — even if you are using it to haul firewood as one alum admitted. Retired Upper School Administrative Assistant Monica Fransisco spoke recently to us about using her Wheeler laundry bag more and more often these days after a physical therapist suggested it was really a much safer way to move clothes up and down staircases than using a laundry basket!

Do you still have your laundry bag? Below members of the Class of 2015, Rachel Vanicek and Nikki Bansal, pose right after receiving theirs!

2005

Hannah Meszaros-Martin was among the presenters at Princeton University in November for a conference on history, conflict and climate change.

2006

John Clarke and Aaron Spacone (facing page botton right) reunited last spring when John was admitted to the RI Bar Association. John, a new Wheeler Alumni Board member, graduated from Roger Williams University School of Law in May 2014 and passed the MA and RI bar exams in 2015. He started working as an associate at a firm called Langlois, Wilkins, Furtado & Metcalf, PC, and recently joined Wheeler’s Alumni Board.

Larkin Brown began teaching 5th & 6th Grade Earth Science at Excel Academy, a Charter School in East Boston.

2008

Elliot Mermel’s most recent venture, Coalo Valley Farms, is a farm dedicated to providing the world-wide community with an affordable, high-grade cricket protein powder. The project has been featured in the LA Times, CNBC, and FOX. Their Indie GoGO Campaign closed on October 8th and raised more than $3,000!

Two purples, Aria Morris and Jonathan Read have become the latest Wheeler alumni couple! Read their story and see photos on the next page. “Jonathan and I met at Wheeler in middle school in 2002 continued on next page

Now & Then @ Wheeler 37

and began dating in high school in 2005.

We have been together ever since and decided to make everything official on Friday, August 21st, 2015. Our wedding ceremony was held at St. Mary’s Parish in Bristol, Rhode Island, followed by a reception at Blithewold Mansion in Bristol, Rhode Island. It was the most beautiful and SCORCHINGLY hot day filled with love, friends, family and laughter. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding and we are so happy that we were able to celebrate it with our Wheeler family who has been there with us since the beginning of our relationship. (A number of Wheeler alumni were at the wedding.)

Top photo left to right- Kelley Lootens, Katie Nolan, Vicktery Sanchez, Sierra Olney ‘08, Aria Morris Read ‘08, Gabriella David ‘08, Destiney Bishop, Hope Barone ‘08, Dacia Read, ‘04 Middle photo left to right- Joshua Morris (attended Wheeler for middle school from 2006-2009), Ryan Thornton, Paul Thompson ‘08, Jordan Monk (attended Wheeler until 2004), Jonathan Read ‘08, Nathan Morris ‘10, Sean Suri ‘08, John Willumsen.

2011

Nick Codola, (photo bottom left) Co-Captain of the Amherst Indoor & Outdoor Track Teams, and his team were winners of the ECAC Championship, having finished first from a field of 56 teams. Nick helped achieve this victory by finishing 3rd in the distance medley relay. As a graduating senior, Nick has been named All-New England Division III in indoor and outdoor track during all four years and helped to set a record for the 4 x 800 at Amherst. Nick also helped coach Wheeler’s SENE-league championship Cross Country Boys Team this season.

Several alums from the Classes of 2011, 2012 and 2014 attended Graduation last June. In the photo on the facing page top right are Allie Chernick ‘12, Yin Agbontaen ‘14, Jiawen Tang ‘11 and Maya Chin ‘11.

2013

Luke Barr (at left) has an internship as a Decision 2016 researcher with NBC News as he pursues his degree from American University in Washington, DC. Barr has offered to come to campus and talk about his experiences during this campaign season.

38 Now & Then @ Wheeler

2014

Harvard student Rebecca Greenberg spent last summer researching Arctic foxes in the Swedish tundra. She will come to Wheeler later this year to speak to classes, including AP Environmental Science. Shown in the photo at right, Rebecca wrote, “The data I collected focused on behavior, such as investigating whether fox cubs have distinct personality traits and if such differences can be correlated with their survival. So besides the crazy hiking (20km every other day to each fox den carrying 50 lb. packs of food and materials), I spent a lot of time recording den activity and tagging fox cubs. Besides being a blast, this summer also helped me decide on majoring in evolutionary biology here and possibly pursuing a career in scientific research.”

2015

Grace Evans (at right) as named to Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s Millennial Task Force to launch a public engagement campaign and help inform the City’s efforts to attract and retain talented young professionals in the capital city.

New alumna Alex Larosee (far right) posed with her godmother, fellow Wheeler alumna Dr. Marlene Cutitar ‘79 at graduation this past June. Cutitar has been a Wheeler alumna trustee and recipient of the Wheeler School Alumni Founder’s Award.

HOW DO WE GATHER YOUR CLASS NEWS? You send it via social media, snail mail, email, or even the occasional phone conversation (which we love).

Sometimes we grab it off a celebrity’s Instagram feed — we’re looking at YOU, Ryan Reynolds!

Can a dog have a class year?

We know they definitely have class, especially when wearing a fetching

Thanks for the shout out to Sam Fox ‘05, who successfully completed his latest endurance

Wheeler cap! Thanks to alum Ethan

challenge for the Michael

Colaiace ‘89 and family for this fun

J. Fox Foundation. Read

photo.

about his RI visit in the Alumni Profiles section.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 39

Leaders of the Pack — Wheeler Alumni gathered at the Annual Meet-

ALUMNI EVENTS

ing on Field Day last Spring to lead the march of the Purples and Golds.

Joining the group were from back row l to r: Darlene D’Arezzo ‘87, Charles Blackman ‘87, Michele Sczerbinski Diaz ‘86, Ed Pensa ‘89, Martha Murphy ‘80, Megan McKain ‘86, Peter Pizzarello ‘92, Faye Granoff Stolzman ‘81, Jason Siperstein ‘03, Geoff O’Hara ‘87, Laurie Wilkins McDonald ‘78, and Sloane DeAngelis Pilgrim ‘86.

Front row l to r: Lichen Grewer ‘93, Beth Heaton ‘88, Sarah Daunis ‘90, Chloe Michaud ‘16, Katherine Hofman ‘16, Maggie Chaquette ‘14, Nicole Brissette Jennings ‘99 (2016 President), Carol Graves Cimilluca ‘59, Etienne Granito Mechrefe ‘95 (2015 President) and Tony Mechrefe ‘92.

The Next Step — Members of the Class of 2015 signed mugs from their accepted colleges at a Spring celebration. The mugs are kept in Alumni House to remind us of the many paths and places our graduates take after leaving Wheeler. Pictured from left: Anna Boogaerts, Hannah Feinstein, Jacquie Scoliard. photo by Meryl Willett

Coming Home — Numerous alums return to campus each school year to talk to students about their “life after Wheeler.” Above at an event with families of color last Spring are (from left) Jacob Mukand ‘14, John Goncalves ‘09, Felipe Ferreras ‘13, Yin Agbontaen ‘14 and Genesis Garcia ‘11. photo by Marc Harrison 40 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni At Large — A great group of alumni on the West Coast reconnected at a Wheeler Metro Club gathering in Los Angeles last spring at The Laugh Factory.

Wheeler Alumni also gathered in San Francisco during the same trip. Be on the lookout for email invitations to Metro Club events in 2016 all across the country.

PROVIDENCE-AREA ALUMS GO BACK TO SCHOOL FOR FUN AT WHEELER WORKSHOPS

Graduation Ceremony Transforms A Class Via Final Student - And - First Alumni Event

photos by Pam Murray

photos by Meryl Willett

Providence-area alumni returned to campus in June to kick off the summer with fun alumni-led workshops. From top to bottom we say “thank you” to Michele Steckler ‘80, Jeremy Duffy ‘88, Meg Sheeley ‘04, Bonnie Phinney ‘70 and Brett Robichaud ‘04 (not pictured) for sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience with classmates.

From top: Classmates sing the alma mater. Center: Co-presidents Sarah Chin and Owen Ahlborn deliver their speeches. Bottom: speaker RI Governor Gina Raimondo joins Head Dan Miller for the march of the graduates.

Find speeches and photos online at www.wheelerschool.org/graduation2015 Now & Then @ Wheeler 41

REUNION 2015

Come back to Wheeler next year!

OCTOBER 14 & 15, 2016

Margery Barbour Phinney ‘40 Celebrates 75th Reunion Milestone anniversaries call for special mention. This year, one of the only five living members of the Wheeler Class of 1940, Margery Barbour Phinney, returned to campus to celebrate Reunion at the Half Century Club Dinner. Marge was accompanied by her daughter Bonnie Phinney ‘70, who celebrated her reunion this year — her 45th.

Lots of alums, parents and children, cousins and siblings celebrate reunions together. It makes the weekend all the more special! At right are l to r: Marge Phinney ‘40, Betty Ann Hacking Taylor ‘43 and Concie Payan Danforth ‘50.

The Class of ‘65 Celebrates Its Golden Reunion at the Half Century Club Dinner

Standing (L-R) Paula Hurd ‘64, Christine Johnson Beehler ‘65, Nina Tracy McCampbell ‘65, Katrine Woolsey Ames ‘65, Deirdre Byers ‘65, Dianne Kidder ‘65, Anne Harvey Grote ‘65, Sarah Williamson Whinery ‘65, Diane Dewart Morin ‘65, Emily Greene Waterman Mooney ‘65, Tory Eames Dodge ‘65, Cynthia Williamson Fulton ‘65, Susie Smith Talbot ‘65, Joanna Clark Swayze ‘65, Beth Smith Golden ‘65, Charlotte Eschenheimer Johnson ‘65. Seated (L-R) Betty Ann Hacking Taylor ’43, Robin Squibb ’63, Miriam Graves Kenney ‘53, Territa Percelay ’55, Constance Payan Danforth ’50, Bonnie Phinney ’70, Margery Barbour Phinney ‘40 42 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni Night & Reunion Weekend Snapshots -- See more on SmugMug at https://wheeleralumni.smugmug.com/2015-Alumni-Weekend

photos by Pam Murray

Class of 1970 — At left are Class of 1970 alumnae Chris Armbrust Rooks, Joan Dickson and Bonnie Phinney.

Class of 1990 — At right are Beth Orenstein Franklin, Val Cioci Sorensen, Sara Cordeiro English and Ted Turnbull.

Class of 2005 — Middle School teacher Philip Hall, Jared Saletin, Brooke Rennie, Will Rennie and Rachel Hussey.

Former faculty member Doug Neuman chats with Kathy Kraig Mumma ‘95.

Members of Wheeler’s Student Alumni Ambassador Board helped alumni tour campus.

Bryan Arboleda ‘14 came back on Alumni Night in his School tie!

Now & Then @ Wheeler 43

REUNION 2015

Class of 1985 Back Row (L-R) Christine Medeiros Silverman, Leigh Feldman, Maria Renzulli Gould, Meredith Cohen Fried, Donna McNally, Debra Epstein Hughes, Susan Cohen Gastel.

Front Row (L-R) Susan Clegg, Tracey Phillips Tisler, Pamela Aaronson Hamilton, Kristen Bruno McClusky.

(Back Row L-R) Jason Lea, Jessica Adams Green, Yoonhyung Lee, Michael Friedman, Julia Daunis, Gustav Brown, Tom Hoagland, Tom Parker, Scott Dvorin, Dawn Merkle Slack, Catharine Hellwig, Katherine Toher Shimko.(Middle Row L-R) Kevin Goldman, Rebekah Gewirtz, Etienne Granito, Amanda Griffith, Bonnie Thompson Yezukevich, Lillian Shuey Picchione, Sarah Allen Scoville, Josh Cohen, Lina Zaslavsky. (Front Row L-R) Megan Moore, Monica Francisco, Katherine Kraig Mumma, Heather Joines.

44 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Head to SmugMug to see all the photos from this fall’s Alumni Day & Reunion Weekend 2015. https://wheeleralumni.smugmug.com/2015-Alumni-Weekend Here are few of our favorites!

Former Upper School Head Michael Brown H’03

Come back to Wheeler next year!

OCTOBER 14 & 15, 2016 Reunite, reconnect, and enjoy a fall weekend in Providence at Reunion Weekend 2016

photos by Pam Murray

Alumni Association President Nicole Brissette Jennings ‘99

Carissa Spatcher and Danny Cohen, both Class of 2000.

Now & Then @ Wheeler 45

ALUMNI DAY 2015 ALUMNI OFFER GUIDANCE AND EXPERTISE TO SENIORS AT ANNUAL ALUMNI DAY ROUNDTABLE LUNCHEON Thank you to all the alumni who generously gave time during their day to talk about their professional experiences since graduating from Wheeler. Joining us that day were the following: Top photo (L-R) Aman Mehta ‘11, CoFounder, Grow Materials LLC. Brandon Lane ‘06, Program Manager at The MET Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Brett Robichaud ‘04, Technical Learning Coordinator at Alex and Ani, James Weingrod ‘00, Visual Artist, Amanda Armbrust ‘03, Green Trading Assistant at InterAmerican Coffee, Heather Joines ‘95, Assistant Registrar, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Wheeler trustee Alisia St. Florian ‘86, Attorney (Education Law), Partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP. Bottom photo: (L-R) John Clarke ‘06, associate at Langlois, Wilkins, Furtado & Metcalf, PC, Irvin Adu Gyamfi ‘10, Market Consultant at NFI, Kristen McClusky ‘85 Marketing and Operations Consultant, David Bedrick ‘92, VP of IODC Sales at Prudential Investments, Laura Robertson ‘04, Brand Manager, National Geographic Society, Edward Turnbull ‘92, Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch, Brian Franklin ‘92, Brian Franklin Communications; Public Relations.

Not pictured: Emily Taradash ‘02, Theater Artist and Costume Shop Supervisor at Ocean State Theater Company.

Join the more than 550 alumni on the Wheeler Alumni Network on LinkedIn and use the free WheeConnect app (iTunes and Google Play) to network by location and profession.

46 Now & Then @ Wheeler

LEGACY PHOTO TRADITION GROWING IN NUMBERS AS LATEST GENERATIONS OF ALUMNI CHILDREN INCREASE

Children of alumni pose each on Alumni Day each year for a special Legacy photo (accompanied by lemonade and cookies!)

From back to front rows:

Row 1 Cece Pilgrim, Garrett Pilgrim, David Mardo, Justin Emanuel

Row 2 Maya Pensa, Sofia Lopresti, Ben Salinger, Mayalynea Bell

Row 3 Hannah Singer, Yasmine Mechrefe, Molly O'Hara, Isabelle Jenkins, Mira Pensa, Ella Rudisill, Giuliana Mardo

Row 4 Jack Gaudioso, Cloe Cazzani, Emily Colaiace, Sophie Blackman, Giulia Diamante, Jordan Gaudioso

Row 5 Anthony Mechrefe, Charlie Woodcome

Row 6 Caleb Isenberg, Ben Diaz, Samara Gaudioso, Reilly Joyce, Franklin Pizzarello, William Singer, Adam Miller

Row 7 Dylan Joyce, Gennaro Cerce, Lillia Mechrefe, Arden Pryor, Avery Pryor, Sophie Isenberg

Row 8 Johnny Cerce, Maddie Pensa, Giada Degaitas, Giorgi Degaitas, Scarlett Jennings, Owen Baill, Isla Pivorunas, Catie O'Hara Children of alumni entering Wheeler for the first time this school year, not all of whom were available at the time of this photo:

• Owen Baill ’25, son of Ms. Erin Kilduff ’91 and Dr. Kevin Baill

• Madison Chase, daughter of Mrs. Courtney Dell Chase ’89 and Mr. Kevin Chase

• Alex ’26 and Reese ’28 Finkelstein, son and daughter of Mrs. Denielle Verdi Finkelstein ‘94 and Mr. Matthew Finkelstein

• Scarlett Jennings ’28, daughter of

Mrs. Nicole Brissette Jennings ’99 and Mr. Daren Jennings

• Franklin Pizzarello ‘24, son of Dr.

Peter Pizzarello ‘92 and Dr. Martha Pizzarello

• Avery Pryor ‘24, daughter of Mrs. Lisa Pizzarello Pryor ‘86 and Mr.

Lawrence Pryor and sister to Arden Pryor ‘23, already enrolled.

• Emma ’25 and Lily ’23 Routhier,

Daughters of Ms. Susan Clegg ’85 and Ms. Rachael Routhier

• Concetta “Cece” Sisto ’30, daughter of Mrs. Lynn-Marie Cerce Sisto ‘93 and Mr. Jason Sisto ‘92

Now & Then @ Wheeler 47

The Mary Colman Wheeler Society A Life Milestone + Wheeler Friendships + Memorable Wheeler Teachers = A Gift That Will Change Lives Cristiana Quinn ’80 reflects on the role that Wheeler friendships have played in her life and how they inspired her to make plans to create a scholarship for students with significant financial need who hope to attend Wheeler. Here are a few excerpts of her inspiring interview which can be found in full at giftplanning.wheelerschool.org.

“First, many of my closest friends are Wheeler alumnae – and that makes the bonds that are formed at Wheeler very important to me.”

“The ‘big 50’ was looming, and I realized that I had no will. Sadly, several of my Wheeler friends passed early, and this pushed me to plan for how my money will be allocated when I am no longer here.”

“Through my work, and as a volunteer advisor with students from at-risk neighborhoods, I decided I want my legacy to be scholarships for students with extreme need.”

“Think about issues that you feel passionately about and plan now. Don’t let others determine what your legacy will (or won’t) be. If you haven’t been to campus, come back and consider what your gift can do to improve the life of one child…or more.”

We are some of the proud members of the Mary Colman Wheeler Society.

Read our stories at GIFT PLANNING.WHEELERSCHOOL.ORG/DONORS

Michele Sczerbinski Diaz ’86, in the Office of Planned Giving welcomes your call at (401)528-2132 or email at michelediaz@wheelerschool.org to explore ways that you can change lives, too.

2016 COMMUNITY GIVING DAY Tuesday, February 23

2016 CLOTHING & MORE SALE NEW HOURS Thursday, April 14, 10am - 8pm Friday, April 15, Noon - 8pm Saturday, April 16, 10 am - 3 pm

2016 WHEELER’S BIG EVENT Saturday, April 30 Van Norman Field House The Wheeler Farm

Parents of Alumni: If this publication is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address with you, please notify the Alumni Office of the new mailing address.

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID Office of Institutional Advancement The Wheeler School 216 Hope Street Providence, Rhode Island 02906-2246

A group of Wheeler science students were specially invited by NASA to visit Kennedy Space Center this fall. Read about them in this issue!

Photo by Tammy Kjonaas

Providence, RI Permit No. 1023