Spring 2015 Now & Then At Wheeler by The Wheeler School

Now&Then @Wheeler

Sspring 2015

the gilder center for the arts

Inside: Spotlight on ATHLETICS plus Reunion 2014 RECAP

Now&Then @ Wheeler Vol. 13 Issue 1 Spring 2015 Editor: Laurie Flynn Head of Institutional Advancement: Patricia McLaughlin Board of Trustees President: Meredith Curren Alumni Association President: Etienne Granito Mechrefe â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;95 Parents Association President: Pam Clancy Rotondo Cover: A view of the new Gilder Center for the Arts from Angell Street in Providence. Photo by Peter Vanderwarker 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. 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

Message from the Head of School — Dan Miller

But for all its anticipated benefits, perhaps the most gratifying surprise of the so-called “GCA” (Gilder Center for the Arts) has been the bridge it has extended to the larger city and state community. During the design phase, we asked the architects to consider ways that the building might offer both a visual “invitation” and practical amenities to encourage events that could bring together Wheeler and outside entities, but the response has exceeded our expectations in wonderful and surprising ways. As word has spread that the GCA is among the most spectacular venues in the state, both acoustically and visually, we have fielded countless inquiries from interested groups, and have had the luxury of picking those opportunities that truly merge the interests of the school with that of the community beyond its doors. To wit: • In January, nearly 300 hundred members of the local arts community gathered to view a documentary about Wheeler’s Public Art Initiative; to celebrate noted arts philanthropist Dr. Joe Chazan; and to ask questions of the eight local artists whose large-scale public pieces we have commissioned over the past decade. • In February, we were a site for the Providence Children’s Film Festival. Despite ridiculously bad weather, more than 1,000 junior filmgoers and their families attended screenings and/or workshops over a four day period. • In March, two very accomplished alumni — Emmy Award-winning journalist Betsy West ’69, and noted entertainment critic from Variety Magazine, Brent Lang ’00 — offered evening lectures and lively Q&A sessions to audiences from around the region. • In April, we are staging a concert by the well-known African band The Sierra Leone Refugee All-Stars, to raise funds for Ebola research. We expect a packed house with, among other attendees, a sizable representation from Providence’s West African community. • Following the nastiest winter in recent memory, the College Hill Neighborhood Association will use our space to host a colloquium with city officials and local residents to discuss – and this is no laughing matter! – snow removal and parking bans. • Moving from the pragmatic to the sublime, I’ll close this list with the exciting news that the renowned R.I. Chamber Music Association has begun scheduling concerts for next year’s season.

s a school embedded in a historic neighborhood and, as part of a tightly-knit, densely packed state, Wheeler has always benefitted from, and sought to give back to, the larger community. This symbiotic relationship is part of Mary C. Wheeler’s original vision for the school, and this building is the latest expression of that priority.

photo by Vickers & Beechler

he striking building pictured on the cover of this magazine has been open for six months, and it’s already hard to imagine school life without it. Every single day, the gorgeous 400-seat auditorium hums with student assemblies, concerts, and lectures while music classes – jazz, a cappella, bells, guitar – fill the six wellappointed (and acoustically isolated!) classrooms above and below. Contiguous and connected, our beloved Wheeler Memorial Hall, the recipient of a 4.5 million dollar renovation, is now free to serve performing arts full-time on the first two floors in a state-of-the-art black box theater and green room, while the studio spaces on the top floor remain untouched in “feel,” but decidedly modernized in terms of lighting, heating/cooling, digital connectivity, and ADA compliance (i.e., AC and an elevator!). The two conjoined buildings, one new, one rejuvenated, combine to create a hub for the entire community that you need to see in person to appreciate.

New Campus Spaces

New Gilder Center For The Arts Brings Creative & Community Needs Together Members of the entire Wheeler community gathered during Alumni Weekend in October to celebrate the dedication and opening of our new Gilder Center for the Arts. The renovation of Wheeler Memorial Hall with its refurbished theater and art studios, coupled with the new construction of a 400-seat assembly space, student lounge and performing arts classrooms evoked gasps of impressed surprise as well as tears of joy at the stunning spaces. Do facilities matter? One student singer remarked after practicing on her own in a new choral classroom, “I didn’t know I could sing like that!”

Photos by Peter Vanderwarker

Opening Events! Top right to bottom: Dedication events during Alumni Weekend included a ribbon cutting with Head Dan Miller, Board President Meredith Curren and “Doc” Richard Gilder, representing the generous contribution of the Gilder Family Foundation. Student-Alumni Ambassadors gave tours of the new spaces including a new digital photography studio on the top floor of Wheeler Memorial Hall. The campus celebrated its own student-centered ribbon cutting with campus leaders and seniors Kyle Blacklock, Ezra Rice and Owen Foulkes getting to use the giant scissors!

Celebrating at the Dedication were multi-campaign volunteer leadership Carol Nulman and Katherine Harrison Pelson.

A piece of theater trivia emerged as everyone learned why there is no Row I in the new auditorium — the custom helps ushers from being confused between the letter I and the number 1.

Kindergarten students were among the first inside the 18,000 sq. ft. complex. Dedication photos by Pam Murray; Student event photos by Laurie Flynn

New Campus Spaces

Lower School Library For The Future Is Space for Reading, Researching & Relaxation Who doesn’t love to open the door into a library? The shelves of imagination, the inviting cozy chairs and the enthusiastic librarians there to guide you, all combine to make libraries special places. Over the summer, Wheeler’s Prescott Library focused on a renovation for its youngest patrons. What resulted is what one 5th grader confirmed, “I love the atmosphere — it’s spacious, inviting, and kid-friendly.” Lower School Librarians Ben Goulet and Brooke Strachan worked in conjunction with Business Manager Gary Esposito and the architects to create an open, inviting, kid-friendly space that includes some of the latest developments in technology. Their hope was to design a library that does the following:

• support the curricular needs of the teachers and students by providing an easily searchable collection • provide a technologically-updated and continually updateable space to help children learn to search, evaluate and use information • include room for students to work independently and collaboratively • support a welcoming environment that would encourage reading for pleasure. The children have already embraced the space as their own with upwards of 40 students choosing to come to the library before school every day. Upon seeing the library for the first time this fall, one student exclaimed, “This is the library of the future!” So much has changed, in fact, a third grader recently told a librarian that she can’t even remember the “old” library.

New Campus Spaces

Full STEM Ahead As A New On-Campus Design-Innovate-Build Lab Opens Next Fall A dedicated space for the entire campus to use that will enrich learning with hands-on experiences in design and engineering will open in Hope Building next year. By Nupur Shridhar, Aerie Faculty Robotics, Science Olympiad, and other design/build programs provide opportunities for students to enrich their learning with real-life, hands-on experience in increasingly relevant fields. So many of us are dependent on technology not only to function in the home and workplace, but also as a way to promote our social interactions -- but fewer of us understand how these technologies actually work. Design Build Innovation labs help address this fundamental gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Design research and programming trip to Brown

Not only do students who use such labs gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter itself, but they develop their communication and teamwork skills through the experimental application of theoretical knowledge, ex. what are the benefits and limitations of working with particular materials? Do we prioritize cost, speed, or the quality of the end product? In this sense, engineering also introduces students to the importance of economic considerations and conducting cost-benefit analyses.

Rocket launch testing at the Farm for Science Olympiad Team

Collaboration and problemsolving at competition

The new lab features: - digital design - 3D printing - robotics - applied physics - engineering

Currently, there are roughly 40 students, K-12, explicitly involved in Wheelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Science Olympiad and Robotics teams. Where can a student with such creative, problem-solving skills go? Read about alum designer Coby Unger â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;09 in the Alumni section of this issue.

Brainstorming leads to design solutions in Upper School 5

Middle School Curriculum

Transforming (Not Reforming) Education For Sixth Graders, The 21st Century Way By Sam Abeshouse, Sarah Daunis ‘90 and Paul Pieri, Wheeler & Hamilton 6th Grade faculty

n a bright, sunny day at the end of September, two students hunch over a pile of tree branches, talking to 6th Grade Farm Program Director Paul Pieri while trying to figure out which branch might work best as a lacrosse stick. Meanwhile, inside the Blackwell Pavilion at the Farm, two other students melt beeswax and coconut oil in a crockpot to make lip balm. Nearby, another student reads nonfiction about swords, while another watches videos on how to bake a cake, both unfazed by the sound of power tools echoing in the background. Still another student — with the support of a teacher — tries to find the material that would make the best tone as a string on his handmade guitar. At times, it looks like unorganized chaos, but it is so much more. These students are hard at work developing their 21st century skills. At a time when there is a lot of conversation about how American schools are not meeting the needs of their students, Wheeler is excited to be part of a project that embraces 21st century learning. As Sir Ken Robinson states in his TEDTalk, How Schools Kill Creativity, “The fact is that given the challenges we face, education doesn’t need to be reformed -- it needs to be transformed. The key to this transformation is not to standardize education, but to personalize it, to build achievement on discovering the individual talents of each child, to put students in an environment where they want to learn and where they can naturally discover their true passions.” Not only do educators see the value in this type of work, CEOs like Eric Schmidt, formerly at google, argue that as increased automation wipes out a whole sector of jobs, employers are going to

be more interested in hiring individuals who possess the abilities to innovate, to collaborate, to problem solve, and to communicate effectively — 21st century skills. Wheeler’s Sixth Grade Independent Projects move away from the traditional model of teacher as the holder of all

the knowledge as students become the leaders of their projects while teachers mentor and co-construct knowledge. By introducing the unit with questions that serve to unlock student interests (What is your passion? What makes you curious and excited? What problem would you like to solve? What question do you want to answer?) the students are motivated to take an active role in their own learning. After students have determined a project, each day begins with the students making a plan, including an estimate of how much time they will spend on each task. Then they get to work, independently, with teacher support, or sometimes with support from one of their peers. At the end of the work

time, students go back to their plans and reflect on whether or not they achieved their goals. They record the actual time different tasks have taken and note what went well — and what didn’t. This attention to their own methods of working helps them make a better plan the next day, and helps them learn to be learners. The Independent Project curriculum is designed to encourage our students’ multiple intelligences, individualize instruction, meaningfully integrate Wheeler and Hamilton homerooms, and ensure success for all. Yet, success with this model looks quite different from the traditional definition of success. Students are encouraged to focus on their process, much more so than their products. We create opportunities for kids to take risks, to face setbacks, and, yes, to fail - all within the confines of a safe environment. They are encouraged to experiment, be flexible, discover, reevaluate, pick up the pieces when an experiment does not work out, and persevere. (Some of the best projects have been a string of failures, with each failure being a chance to problem solve and experiment with improvements.) As their teachers, we encourage them to ask questions, manage their own time, deepen their research strategies, and reflect. We look for teachable moments and ask them to embrace a “Growth Mindset,” the idea that all aspects of our intellectual and emotional identities can be strengthened. Furthermore, since the Sixth Grade Farm Program is valued as a professional development lab, it’s wonderful to have the chance to team-teach. Not only do we have more eyes on the same kids, allowing for more insights and resources to support our variety of learners, but by working together we, adults, get a chance to model collaboration and innovation.

Employers will be interested in individuals who possess the abilities to innovate, to collaborate, to problem solve, and to communicate effectively — the 21st century skills. So, if you run into Sixth Graders who have just finished their Independent Projects, remember that while their handcrafted baseball bat, homemade organic facial cream or hardware-store glockenspiel are very “sixth grade cool,” they are so much more than that — these items represent an opportunity to strengthen and develop their innovation, creativity, flexibility, collaboration, and resilience skills.

student survey QUOTES about the Independent Project Unit: What did you like about the two week independent project study? “We could study about whatever we wanted and we worked together a lot.” “I thought it was unique. It gives you the chance to do things you’re not usually allowed to do.”

How did reflecting on your daily progress affect your work? “I think it helped me to get more stuff done than I had planned on. And it helped me stay organized.”

Learn more here: https:// sites.google.com/a/wheelergmail.org/ independent-projects-at-the-farm/

“I was really impressed and extremely happy that so much of what I

Why do you think we offer you the chance to do an independent study? “To learn stuff that we want to learn about not what teachers assign us.” “So we can learn skills that will be important later in our life.”

read was what I hoped for: learning through and embracing failure;

What did you learn from this project? “That anything is possible when I put my mind to it.” “I learned that I can be flexible and do other things besides get upset. I can bounce back from my problems and find solutions.”

human and otherwise, to make a process better.”

developing a sense of what one’s strengths and weaknesses are when approaching a new challenge (or maybe an old challenge); seeing something through to an uncertain end; and using resources, both Young Un, Head, Wheeler Middle School

A Sampling of Recent Projects:

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

wooden baseball bat wooden sword baking a chocolate cake making a guitar bow and arrow making a wooden flute building a bridge over a stream catching a fish making paint natural beauty products

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

animal cages skate ramp ephemeral art from natural materials mini basketball hoop jewelry building a fort making fire skate ramp hockey stick

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

hockey goal lacrosse stick invent a game geological study map the Farm scavenger hunt writing a story about the Farm/ Farm animals identifying and labeling trees with handmade signs

DIVERSITY CONFERENCE HELD AT WHEELER DRAWS HUNDREDS OF YOUTH FROM ACROSS NEW ENGLAND Several hundred students from Middle School members of the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE) attended the 2014 Middle School Diversity Conference held for the first time at Wheeler this past fall. The annual conference aims to help students better understand themselves and their peers through reflection, dialogue and exposure to different cultures. This year’s theme was titled: & Making the Connection. Wheeler alum Jaclyn Chan ‘13 designed the conference logo shown on the shirts pictured below, and many Wheeler students, parents and teachers volunteered to lead workshops and serve as conference support under the coordination of Princess Bomba, Director of Unity & Diversity at the School.

Photo by Pam Murray

Photo by Noah Morse ‘15

Photo by Claire Harrison ‘16

Photo by Colin Noel ‘15

Conference keynote speakers and student emcees from left: Brown student Julmar Caredo, Jr., Harvey Lee, Jr. ‘19, Sana Iqbal ‘19 and Dr. Michael Fowlin. Photos by Pam Murray

field day

The 101st is this May 16, 2015

Photo by Annie Funnell

Happy 25th Birthday Apache Race! Have you ever wondered how Wheeler’s most popular race began?

This high energy, action-packed Purple/Gold event began back in 1990 when then-lacrosse coach Jean Carlson saw it at a camp she attended with her team in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. “It was run over acres of land and was the highlight of the camp experience,” said Carlson. “I thought, why not bring it up here and see how it goes at our Field Day.” Early Wheeler races were done using the same layout, over vast areas of The Farm, but, unfortunately, some of the runners could not be seen as their routes took them far from the crowd. A suggestion was made asking that runners compete on one field so all could watch and cheer. After several tweaks of routes and distances, the Apache Race now has an established set course where each and every runner can be seen by the cheering fans! “Many have memories of competing in the race, or cheering for your color, your friend, your sibling, your son or daughter,” said Carlson. We look forward to the 25th running this May! 9

10th Fox Family Speaker Series

Visit Highlights Women’s Movement Through Prominent Producer’s Lens Alumna Betsy West '69 presented an evening public lecture and day-long series of assemblies and classroom visits as the 10th Fox Family Speaker. West was the producer of the PBS-AOL MAKERS series about the women's movement and the winner of 21 Emmy Awards as a television producer. She is currently an executive producer with Storyville Films and a professor in the Columbia School of Journalism graduate program. The Fox Family Speaker series is funded by Lucy & James Fox AP ’03,’05, and since 2006, has annually brought an extraordinary individual to campus to inspire a passion for learning in students and the larger community.

Watch for an interview with Betsy West in our

West speaks to a senior History electives class.

Fall issue!

Early Ed students learn about pioneering women.

Alumnae and others interested in the history of the women’s movement at Wheeler participated in a special discussion led by former trustee Deb Allinson ‘68 (center) in the Fireplace Room after West’s public presentation. 10

A Middle School girls group led assembly Q&A.

In 2015, Wheeler has welcomed three distinguished leaders to its campus to serve as role models for students and to speak to members of the Wheeler community and public as advocates and experts on refugees’ rights, the women’s movement and dyslexia. Each event has served to link our campus to the world beyond and enliven discussion on these important topics. We thank them for their time with us.

2015 Community Spirit Award — Joseph R. Le

Right: Joseph R. Le and family. Below: Unity & Diversity Director Princess Bomba, Le and Wheeler Head Dan Miller at the SICA Potluck.

RI community leader Joseph R. Le is the recipient of the 2015 Community Spirit Award. For decades, Mr. Le dedicated his life to provide as he refers to it, “a hand up and not a hand out” to thousands of Southeast Asian immigrants in Rhode Island. A former Vietnamese POW and retired Executive Director of the Center for Southeast Asians, Mr. Le is the first recipient of Asian descent to receive Wheeler’s Community Spirit Award.

2015 Hamilton Life Achievement Award — Peggy Stern Right: An all-school assembly with students from Hamilton and Wheeler. Below: Dan Miller, Stern, Hamilton division head Jon Green, Mind Your p’s & q’s Party chairs Linda LaCamera and Taylor Reilly Joyce ‘96.

Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker, Peggy Stern accepted the 2015 Hamilton Life Achievement Award. Stern presented an all-school assembly featuring excerpts from her films and speaking about the benefits and challenges of her learning differences. Stern is the founder of a new online community, Dyslexiaville. 11

The wheeler Public Art Initiative

Hundreds gather for symposium & celebration of program’s decade of success Wheeler celebrated the success of its Public Art Initiative, and the 80th birthday of PAI supporter, Dr. Joseph Chazan, at a public forum in January in the new Gilder Center for the Arts Auditorium. Wheeler art students posed questions to the artists of each of the 8 pieces of large-scale art sited on the Providence and Farm campuses. The public, including many notables from the RI art scene, viewed a new video about the program by Rich Goulis, as well as, enjoyed a chance to meet each artist. Pictured at left is Dr. Chazan (center) and the Initiative’s artists from left: Agustin Patino, Steven Easton, Jonathan Bonner, Coral Bourgeois, James Reynolds, Howard Ben Tré, Nicole Chesney, Robert Martin and James “Bob” Sullivan.

Above: Art students posed questions for each artist. Front row from l to r: Molly Anderwald, Naomi Shimberg, Dani Michaud, Sophie Stowe. Back row l to r: Kyle Blacklock, Everett Smith, Julia Berkson, Noah Morse and Amelia Nishimura. Below right: artist Nicole Chesney answers questions from students from AS220. Photos by Pam Murray

“Thank you for caring about art and artists, and for the people and places that support them. . . The Wheeler Public Art Initiative began with questions on how to improve the aesthetic experience at school, and how our campus might better reflect our school’s values and identity . . .” from Dan Miller’s introduction 12

performing arts highlights

See videos and news online at www.wheelerschool.org/performing arts With an amazing SEVENTH consecutive nomination for Wheeler’s Theater program to the American High School Theatre Festival and a ticket to Scotland for the Fringe, it’s no wonder our new Gilder Center for the Arts was put to good use as soon as it opened. Head to the web to see how all our performing arts — jazz, handbells, guitar, chorale and more — are using the new space this school year. You’ll find fun videos and recordings and the latest news!

Reborn Wheeler Hall Goes Right To Work

“The Dining Room” (left) was presented as the Fall Upper School Play and “Footloose” (right) rocked the house as the US Spring Musical. Photos by Bob Martin

18 Wheelers in National Competition & on A New TV Program

The 18 Wheelers’ latest CD, World In Motion, had a track

The 18 Wheelers won the 2015 International Competition of High School A Cappella East Coast Regional in early March and are headed to the finals in New York City! The sold out “nationals” will be held April 17th. Wheeler is joined by schools from California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina in competing for the Best in High School A Cappella and others still to be determined during this year’s singing season. Wheeler last travelled to the nationals in 2010. The group is also part of a new WGBH program, “SING THAT THING” that premieres in April with a live finale in May.

featuring Joel Uritescu ‘12, selected for the 2014-15 Best of High School A Cappella compilation CD. Head to the web to hear it and to iTunes to buy it! 13

In And Out Of

1. Lower School’s Early Childhood Spirit Day is growing into a special tradition for our youngest students. The day begins with Mr. Miller reading a story to the students who come to school decked out in purple and gold. Later the group heads to the gym for playtime and fun assemblies. When the students are in Kindergarten, they are invited to the Miller home for another special storytime that includes cookies and juice. 2. While Wheeler’s work in the community is done without expectation of any acclaim, recently a RI service group for older adults, PACE, surprised teacher George Lewis with a plaque of appreciation for the hours volunteered by Lewis and 10th grade students. The citation recognized Wheeler for its “novel approach to engaging students and integrating classroom education with hands-on learning.” 3. The Wheeler Parents Association collected warm items of clothing for Amos House families at its annual winter Muffins & More event, chaired this year by parent Anne Wert, shown here with son, James.

4. Spanish 5 students and teacher Amy Bonnici shared a meal with producer/political director Michael Skolnik when he visited RI. Skolnik is the producer of Entre Nos, starring actress/author Paoloa Mendoza (on the phone in this photo). The students viewed the film and sent letters to Ms. Mendoza about their reflections of this film about the struggles of Latino immigrants.

3 14

Now & Then @ Wheeler

The Classroom 5. Wheeler’s location on College Hill in Providence provides an abundance of place-based educational opportunities. Fifth graders found these fun sculptures during a walk through the Brown and RISD campuses on their way to tour the RISD Museum. 6. Wheeler and Hope High School held a joint bone marrow drive at Hope High to raise awareness and help increase the donor registry numbers for RI Blood Center. The Hope-Wheeler Girls Alliance worked on outreach and as volunteers for the event where Wheeler alum Michelle Ducoff Miller ‘89 (second from right) came to share her personal experiences as a marrow donor.

7. Fifteen Kinesiology students spent the day as guests of Hamilton parent and Bridgewater State University professor, Dr. Kim Wise, at the BSU Dept. of Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure Studies. Students analyzed walking motion using iPad apps and Wise remarked upon their knowledge and critical thinking skills. “It’s nice when students are hungry for knowledge,” she wrote. 8. Hamilton 8th Graders continued their traditional Habitat for Humanity “Wishes In The Walls” project where students decorate lumber with artwork and notes of inspiration for the volunteers and families assisting at Habitat construction sites. Who wouldn’t love to know that their new home had such good thoughts built into it?

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8 Now & Then @ Wheeler

Spotlight on Athletics A special focus section explores how The Spirit Giveth Life to Wheeler through athletics. The Diamond, My Team, and Me By Emily Hance ‘19 I am from the tribe of Softball players

I am from singles and doubles

I am from being cheered on

What it means to Be on a team

Either one means One step closer to victory

They want me to make it Just as much as I do

What it means to Have pride

I am from purple And gold jerseys

I am from hugging my teammates

I am from hitting and running

Representing our nation As a whole

Whacking that ball Like there’s no tomorrow Letting it seep deep Into my opponents’ eyes I am from slamming my foot Against the white plate My heart pounding fiercely, Sending signals of encouragement To my brain Only to wonder what will happen next

I am from diamonds Full of dirt They know that We are the Warriors I am from cheering girls on Fighting for them To achieve their destiny Watching her sprint like She’s got the soul Of a tiger

Embracing in each other’s accomplishments It doesn’t matter what other people think It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose What matters is that we are a team What matters is that we had fun What matters is that we are a family <3 It’s just the diamond, your team, and you

Eighth grader Emily Hance wrote about her pride in being part of the Middle School softball team as a 7th grader last year, and delivered this poem at the Middle School Talent Show last spring. Emily is third from left in this photo. 16

Now & Then @ Wheeler

Check out highlights and scores at wheelerschool.org/athletics. Also on facebook (wheelerathletics) and twitter (@wheelerwarriors) and watch live streams and recordings during the year at www.wheelerschoolbroadcasting.org

An Interview With Julie Baldwin By Kate Middeleer ‘16

n my mind, I’m somehow programmed to see — when I imagine Wheeler in its “past lives” — a school full of art, full of easels and paint brushes and Mary C. Wheeler’s ghost roaming the halls. And now that I’ve been going to school here for 12 years, I’ve realized there are a lot of textbooks involved, as well. Sports, too, have played a big role in my time here at Wheeler. Though I’ve been getting on the sports bus at 3:15 and getting back home at 6:00 since I was in Middle School, I’d never given any thought to what forces had paved the way for me and my classmates to do so, and for those before us — especially as a girl. It hadn’t occurred to me that there even was a time before a sport like girls’ lacrosse was played at Wheeler. I’d never thought to wonder about the history of field hockey here, of lacrosse or tennis, soccer or track. After speaking with retired Wheeler Athletic Director and Coach Julie Baldwin, I was able to learn a bit about our school’s athletic history. But I also learned more, beyond little moments like these: about the larger influence that this coach in particular has had on some of our teams, about how she was a pioneer when it came to girls’ athletics, especially field hockey and lacrosse.

“

She touched the lives of so many girls and women over the years,” Coach Jean Carlson said in her speech for Coach Baldwin’s 2014 RIFHCA Lifetime Achievement Award, “throughout her career as coach, official, teacher, and Athletic Director.” During my interview with Coach Baldwin, I was able to get information both about her work here at Wheeler, as well as the work she’s done at other schools, which landed her in both the Arcadia University Athletic Hall of Fame and the Northeast Hall of Fame. I learned more about the

Lifetime Achievement award that she recently earned from the RI Field Hockey Coaches Association, which, as I soon found out, was a result of many, many years of hard work, despite her modestly saying it was only because she’s “the oldest living coach.”

efore Coach Baldwin began coaching girls’ sports, she was an athlete herself. Basketball and field hockey were the only sports offered to girls at her high school, but it was then that she knew these were two things that she would keep pursuing. She was a basketball player mostly — field hockey was not a big sport for women there at the time. She graduated in 1955, from a high school that didn’t even have a female coach until her sophomore year. But this coach quickly became a role model for her, and urged her to play goalie for the school’s field hockey team. To this, then athlete Baldwin said, “No, with a capital NO.” And then, of course, because it’s just how these things work, she joined the field hockey team at Arcadia University (now known as Beaver College), and immediately was made the varsity goalie for the team. “My role model came to see me play,” Coach Baldwin told me, “and said, ‘Didn’t I tell you to be a goalie?’”

involved at Brown University, and from there she came to Wheeler, to coach and eventually become Athletic Director. She coached a total of 27 years of field hockey and 29 for lacrosse, not only bringing new talent to the table, but also bringing interscholastic lacrosse to Wheeler. She was greatly responsible for women’s field hockey getting recognition in Rhode Island, helping to include it in the RI Interscholastic League when girls did not have the same level of opportunity the boys had. As Coach Carlson said at this year’s awards banquet, “Girls did not have leagues to play in, girls did not have tournaments, girls had no organized programs. Meanwhile boys sports were flourishing. Julie fought for field hockey continued on next page —

fter college, she both coached and continued to play sports herself, a member of various field hockey teams, such as the US National Squad, the Reserve Field Hockey Team, and the RI Field Hockey Association Women’s Squad. She incorporated the tools and techniques that she learned into her own coaching. She worked at a few different schools early on, such as Dobbs Ferry and Greenwich Academy, but eventually came to Providence when her husband got Now & Then @ Wheeler

Julie Baldwin with her Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo by Jean Carlson 17

. . . Pembroke, the women’s school that had been a separate part of Brown University before the two were combined, didn’t even have a lacrosse team at the time Coach Baldwin was creating an interscholastic one for Wheeler so five or so girls from Pembroke joined Wheeler’s team.

them (my players). You have to have an open mind yourself, to learn from your own kids.”

Julie Baldwin (with stick) and Mary Ann Farroba, Wheeler coaching elite.

to be recognized, so thank you JCB for fighting for us at a time when we needed you!”

hough Coach Baldwin likes coaching the younger kids, from the 3rd graders up, she really enjoys working with high school students, loving all the different “characters” that she meets. When asked about how she motivates students, to make sure they have a love of the sport as well as a good work ethic, she said, “They have to have an open mind,” and must be “wiling to work hard.” But even so, she says, as a coach, it’s her responsibility to put humor into all the drills (even the hard ones), and to make sure the athletes are having fun with them. She says that, whether you are the coach or the student, “passion makes a difference,” and, “you have to be willing to let someone critique you. I learned from 18

oach Baldwin, having been an athlete herself from a young age, was familiar with the disadvantages that came with being a woman, a woman who wanted to be a competitive player, during a time when all the leagues and competitions, were, well, a man’s thing. Penn State, now a powerhouse for women’s sports, back then had none. And Pembroke, the women’s school that had been a separate part of Brown University before the two were combined, didn’t even have a lacrosse team at the time Coach Baldwin was creating an interscholastic one for Wheeler. And so, five or so girls from Pembroke joined Wheeler’s team, enabling the older girls with interest to get a chance to play, and the Wheeler team to go up against some more experienced university teams. And despite Title IX being put into place in the 70’s, creating equal footing in sports for both genders in high school and college, there is still a way to go before there is total equality in the sports world.

omen and girls are continuing to get more and more recognition but, as Coach Baldwin says, “A girl needs to be recognized as a true athlete, as a hard worker. Women need to be recognized as true athletes, not tomboys. When I was young, you were a tomboy.” Coach Baldwin has put a lot of time into this effort, helping to classify girls’ field hockey as an interscholastic sport in the late 1960’s, as well as serving as chairperson of RI Women’s Sport Officials. Coach Baldwin still remembers Wheeler’s former headmaster, the late Hugh Madden, in the courtyard holding

up a hockey stick to celebrate a state title, back when Wheeler was single sex. She remembers the thrill of seeing the students celebrating after earning a division title, the pleasure in seeing “the girls really winning something for themselves. I just liked to see all girls and women have the opportunities that our boys and men have. That sums it up, for me.”

Then, now and always, Julie and her players and coaching colleagues, at right at Field Hockey events through the years, and above when she presented the Julie Baldwin Sportsmanship Award this year to junior Chloe Michaud.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whether you are the coach or the student athlete, passion makes the difference.â&#x20AC;? Julie Baldwin

spotlight on athletics

Coaching Trio Reflects On The Joy and Purpose Of Their Wheeler Athletic Roles By Kate Middeleer ‘16

“I enjoy high school students. They’re upbeat and positive. Working with youth makes you younger.” Tom Wharton

Coach Stephanie Bissett Girls Varsity Lacrosse

Coach Kristin Heynen Varsity Swimming

What do you like about lacrosse?: “I like seeing people work hard and the immediate results that come with it,” she says. “Team sports are fun to coach because I enjoy seeing each player contribute and everyone work together to achieve a greater goal.” Bissett adds that playing lacrosse gives students the chance to leave the classroom and show a different side of their personality. “Sports can be a stress reliever,” she says, and coaching students gives her a chance to build relationships with students she doesn’t get to see on a regular basis as a member of the Physical Education faculty.

What do you like about swimming?: Coach Heynen loves how much swimming is a group sport. Even though “you swim individual events, you come together as a team. It builds vertical relationships. You can have a 9th grader who’s friends with a junior with common interests.” The opportunities for athletes to mentor each other is a really important aspect of the sport, especially as it’s one that takes so much time and practice. Though most of the events at a swim meet are made up of individual races, a school’s overall score is the compilation of all the points earned from each individual athlete. “Right now we have the highest number of swimmers,” Coach Heynen explained about this year’s team. “Everyone has the ability to earn points. Everyone’s important.”

What do you like about coaching lacrosse?: “Lacrosse is a relatively new sport,” Coach Bissett told me, “especially in New England.” And because of this, she gets the opportunity to teach every aspect of the sport to the athletes on the team. She’s a coach for the Girls Varsity Soccer as well, but one thing she loves about teaching lacrosse is the fact that “it’s different. It’s a mix between soccer, hockey, and basketball.” What do you like about Wheeler athletics?: “There are great facilities at Wheeler,” she says, “ and lots of camaraderie among students, whether it’s lower, middle, or upper school. They all cheer each other on and get excited. They like seeing each other succeed.” 20

What do you like about coaching swimming?: Coaching is a different environment from teaching in the classroom. Instead of having a structured class environment, “swimming is helping them achieve their individual goals.” She also likes the chance to get to know kids in a different way, and for them to see another side of her. (Heynen is an art teacher at Wheeler.) “The kids get to see that I have multiple interests,” being both their teacher and their coach. It shows them that she’s multidimensional. And when they start “seeing me that way, they start to see themselves that way.”

What do you like about Wheeler athletics?: As a coach, Wheeler athletics gives Coach Heynen a chance to work with a broad range of athletes. “We take everyone at the level they come in at,” she explained, “and teach everybody to grow. It allows people to try out a sport they may have previously been intimidated by.” One especially great aspect about the swim team this year is that our team, which has previously been made up of high schoolers, has now started accepting 8th graders as well. This developmental program is great because it gives the younger athletes one more year to develop, which is important for such a hard sport, one that starts with the learning process but then requires lots of conditioning. This system also gives the team a great diversity of talent. “I love the range,” Coach Heynen says. “We’re really on an upward trajectory,” she said when asked about this year’s team. “I’m really excited. It’s a young team. We have so much growth potential.”

Coach Tom Wharton Varsity Cross Country What do you like about cross country?: “You can go out and see how hard you can push yourself,” Coach Wharton says. Not only is it easy to see your improvement over time, but you do so at a rapid rate. “I’m blown away by the fact that you could go from running three miles a day to 26 at a time,” he said. “The human body is amazing. Running is instinctual. Our bodies are built for running long distance.” What do you like about coaching cross country?: While cross country can give you the chance to be meditative, it also is a great way to spend time with others and bring together a group of people. As a coach, Coach Wharton likes the chance to be around high school students in a different environment. Just like in the classroom, he says, there’s a lot of value in a group atmosphere, in talking. “I enjoy high school students,” he says. “They’re upbeat and positive. Working with youth makes you younger.” What do you like about Wheeler athletics?: With a school with such an emphasis on academics and art, it’s great to see the different types of success that sports bring. “As a teacher,” Coach Wharton (a member of the Wheeler Mathematics Department) says, “you work with academics,” but as a coach, “you can see there are amazing, wellrounded athletes,” as well.

Wright Has The Stuff To Join 1,000 Point Club Senior Aidan Wright joined Wheeler’s 1,000 Point Club this season capping off a remarkable Warrior career. Among the highlights: • 3 x All New England Class C selection, • 3 x All SENE, • 3 x Projo Independent Star • Team Captain this season • 1 of 5 Wheeler basketball players to hit 7 three’s in one game Photo by Steve Jenks of Wright and Varsity Coach Sean Kelly ‘02, himself a 1,000 Point Club member with 2,002 points, Wheeler’s all-time leader.

Wheeler Farm —

an athletic jewel

People outside of the Wheeler community often scratch their heads when reading the directions — the “Farm?” they wonder. Once they arrive, be they an opposing team, official, spectator or one of the many youth sports groups who lease the fields, they are impressed with the facilities, field condition and natural beauty of our second campus. These 125 acres are home to four soccer/lacrosse fields, two field hockey fields, tennis courts, a softball field and a baseball field, plus the multi-sport Van Norman Field House with three basketball courts, which convert for indoor soccer, field hockey, volleyball, and batting practice — all powered by solar energy thanks to one of the largest solar panel arrays in southeastern New England.

Vickers & Beechler Photography 22

SENEISAA BANNERS

RIIL BANNERS

NEPSAC BANNERS

Southeast New England Independent Schools Athletic Association

Rhode Island Interscholastic League

New England Prep School Athletic Council

GIRLS LACROSSE 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

BOYS TENNIS GIRLS BASKETBALL State Champions 1992 Class C 1998 Class B Champions 1991, 2003 BOYS BASKETBALL Class D 1988 FIELD HOCKEY Class D II 2007, 2008 State Champions 1972, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1988, BOYS SOCCER 2000 Class C 1986, 1987 Division II 2009

BOYS LACROSSE 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999 GOLF 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014 BASEBALL 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 GIRLS BASKETBALL 1997, 1998 BOYS BASKETBALL 1989, 1990, 2005, 2013, 2014 GIRLS SOCCER 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

GIRLS TENNIS State Champions 1978, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2003

SLI BANNERS School League of Independents

GIRLS LACROSSE 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993 GIRLS BASKETBALL 1984, 1992, 1993

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 BOYS SOCCER 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 2011, 2012, 2014 BOYS CROSS COUNTRY 2013, 2014

Compiled by Athletic Director Jon Donahue at end of Fall 2014 season

Banner Years 23

spotlight on athletics Remarkable Legacy of Alumni & Current Student Athletes Illustrated On Field Hockey Teams! Photos and concept by Coach Jean Carlson With so many alumni legacy families at Wheeler, it’s no wonder that our sports team photos may bear a second look as the Wheeler Warrior generations repeat! Coach Jean Carlson noticed the field hockey teams were especially filled with familiar faces! The Class of 1981, alone, has four legacies, and two other moms each had two daughters playing this year!

Charles ‘87 & Sophia ‘21 Blackman, Michele Ducoff ‘89 & Sydney Miller ‘19, Guilia ‘21 & Lynda Michael Diamante ‘88

Geoff ‘87 & Molly O’Hara ‘20, Martha Murphy ‘80 & Molly Anderwald ‘19, Yasmine ‘20 & Etienne Granito Mechrefe ‘95, Julie Brodsky Medina & Bea ‘18

Odelia Kabessa ‘20 & Kara Orr ‘81, Faye Granoff ‘81 & Nora Stolzman ‘15, Mara Priest ‘81 & Jacquie Scoliard ‘15, Sara Granoff ‘81 & Jenna Schor ‘17

Chloe ‘20 & Dana Salvadore-Cazzani ‘82 & Emme Cazzani ‘16

Caitlyn ‘18 & Susan Park Lee ‘90 & Ariana ‘21

Social Media Channels Keep Fans In The Game Facebook: www.facebook.com/wheelerathletics Twitter: @wheelerwarriors Vimeo and Internet Radio: www.wheelerschoolbroadcasting.org Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s live game streaming or recorded highlights by Wheeler School Broadcasting, terrific sports photography by Steve Jenks, fun trivia and topical links by Coach Jean Carlson or the latest scores by Coach Eric Stein, following our athletic teams has never been easier!

spotlight on athletics

Fall Season Snapshots & Superlatives

Cross Country Repeats as SENE Champions - Boys for second consecutive year and Girls for four of the last five years.

• SENE Champions in Cross Country and Boys Varsity Soccer • SENE Individual Boys Champion: Ian Steller ‘15 • SENE Individual Girls Champion: Lily Foulkes ‘15 • RI State Singles Tennis: Natalia Pezzuco ‘16 reached the semifinals for a 3rd consecutive year with 3rd best record in state. • Overall Pingree Day Cup winners

Girls Varsity Tennis

Andy Chisholm ‘18

Winter Season Snapshots & Superlatives

Cooper Bennet ‘17, Henry Sanzo ‘16, Tyler Harden ‘15, Ben Homer ‘18 Indoor Track 4x8 Relay, 6th place at Division Meet

• SENE Champions in Boys Basketball; 3 NEPSAC All-New England honorees • Providence Cup 200 Medley Relay Champions • Providence Cup 100 m Backstroke Champion: Ben Hancox ‘16 • New Balance Indoor Nationals 13th place: Lily Foulkes ‘15 • 2014 NEPSAC Class C All Star Team: Anna Metcalf ‘18 • Top 5 Offensive Players in RIIL Ice Hockey: Justin Katz ‘15 • MS A Team Basketball “4-Pete” Tourney Champs

Anna Metcalf ‘18, #12

Justin Katz ‘15

Bri Wu ‘17, Katia Koelliker ‘18, Sonya Bostom ‘18, Maddie Heynen ‘19

Middle School A Team

spotlight on athletics

Wheeler Archives Dated 1933 28

Wheeler Athletic Trivia Q.

Madden Gym once had a unique playing surface. Do you know what it is and its old nickname?

Carpet - ‘Carpet Dome’

What year was the Van Norman Field House built and who is its namesake?

2001. Named for 3rd head of school Mabel Van Norman who had the idea for a field house at the Farm in 1940.

What Wheeler teacher/ coach won Championships in 3 different sports?

Jean Carlson Tennis Field Hockey – Lacrosse

Who is the leading scorer in Wheeler basketball history?

Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Sean Kelly ’02 scored 2002 points

Who was the first player to go on to play at a Division I school on a full scholarship?

Melissa (Lissa) Eagles ’98 Temple

Which Wheeler team won 7 consecutive SENE Championships from 20072013?

Girls Varsity Soccer

Who was the first Wheeler athlete to turn pro? Name the sport and athlete.

Tennis - Jane Forman ‘80

Warrior Spirit

Warrior athletes play hard, work hard and look to each other for fun, support and inspiration. This fall, Head Dan Miller used long-distance swimmer Diana Nyad as the subject for his opening school address to tell a story of personal and athletic struggle and endurance. Later that fall, Mr. Miller was able to meet Ms. Nyad at a Boston event. You can read his speech online at www.wheelerschool.org/ speeches.

Ellen Hatch Michaud ‘43

A 71st reunion Helps Explain A curious archives photograph The tale of a rooster in the Art Studio was among the stories shared by artist Ellen Hatch Michaud, during her return for her 71st Wheeler Reunion this past fall. Michaud has kept in faithful, regular contact with the School, inspired by her fondness for the Art Studio and teacher Louise Emerson, her memories as Head of the Student House Committee and even of her dyslexia, diagnosed Alumni while she was only in third grade (unusual for Profile that time). Michaud’s mother and sisters were also Wheeler students, sharing a common family bond of living at different times at 216 Hope Street, where Michaud recalled studying by flashlight in her dorm room closet, but not escaping the sharp eyes of Mabel Van Norman who saw the sliver of light underneath the door. While students had varying opinions of the 3rd Wheeler headmistress, Michaud spoke fondly of the Latin teacher later turned school head, and said she has long brought flowers to Miss Van Norman’s grave in Marblehead, MA. Michaud’s rich memories of the rooster used by art teacher Louise “Miss Em” Emerson — to teach students to sketch quickly to the fowl’s quick movements — helped solve a long curiosity about the unusual photo at top right from the School Archives. Now we know about the project, yet still need to identify the student shown. The Art Department is thinking of recreating the project later this spring since one of today’s faculty members raises chickens. Michaud also recalls noted actress Julie Harris as a Wheeler classmate for a time, delivering a monologue about the futility of war. Harris went on to fame as a multiwinner of Tony, Emmy and Grammy Awards as well as the National Medal of Arts. Michaud’s own talents in the arts, the fine arts, continue as recent as this past December, when she exhibited her work in a solo show in her hometown of Bedford, MA. Editor 30

1943 classmates Betty Ann Hacking Taylor (left) and Ellen Hatch Michaud reconnect at this past Reunion. At right, Michaud sits on the steps leading up to the dormitory floors in Hope Building, while at top is the Archives photo featuring a rooster and an unidentified student in the Studio. Now & Then @ Wheeler

Carol Graves Cimilluca ‘59

2014 Alumni Association Founder’s Award Recipient Wishes She could come to Wheeler “all over again!” By Lucy Friedmann ‘15 Oh, how Wheeler has changed! Carol Graves Cimilluca ’59, the 2014 recipient of the Alumni Association Founder’s Award, returned to Wheeler as a member of the Board of Trustees to support the completion of the Gilder Center for the Arts; and was amazed at how her school has grown. “I have such an appreciation for what Wheeler has become,” Cimilluca enthused. “I wish that I could [come to Wheeler] all over again!” Having enrolled at Wheeler in 1945, Cimilluca remembers a very different school. Still all girls, her class was a “great mix of both boarding and day students.” She recalls eating lunch in the basement of Wheeler Hall and has many fond memories of the “old” Wheeler. “I spent my nursery and lower school years in Cushing House,” she explains. “It was up on the hill off Pembroke Field.” Cimilluca also spent much time in Wheeler Hall. She took Latin classes with Mrs. Church in the upstairs classrooms and art courses in the Studio. “Every morning,” Cimilluca remembers, “I got dropped off at the door in the front of the Fresh Air Building when I was in the lower school.” (Many current Upper School students would envy such a shortcut.) Cimilluca comes from a long line of Wheeler graduates. Her mother, sisters, and nieces all attended Wheeler. However, while Cimilluca’s family members are all members of the Gold Team, she herself is Purple! “I was always curious to know how [this discrepancy] happened!” Carol confesses. “It was kind of fun being the lone star, but sometimes I felt like the odd man out!” Such an aberration is rare in Wheeler history, as the school purposefully tries to keep family members on the same team. Interestingly, Cimilluca’s appreciation of Wheeler seemed to only grow stronger after she graduated. “I was not crazy about Wheeler when I was here,” Cimilluca admits. “I came from a family of all girls and really wanted to go to boarding school.” However, the alumna is quick to say that she “loves this school” the way it is today. “Wheeler is truly a wonderful

Carol was at the Chinotimba Primary School in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, during Alumni Weekend this fall.

place,” she exclaims. “ The coed environment and academics are amazing.” The Alumni Association’s Founder’s Award is given to a reunioning alumna/ us who “makes a positive difference to Wheeler” through academic, volunteer or philanthropic means, as well as consistently taking part in class outreach. Carol’s involvement and support of Wheeler goes well beyond her work on the Alumni Board and the Board of Trustees. Years ago, her family established the Miriam F. Graves ‘33 Family Scholarship Fund, in memory of their mother. This fund provides financial aid to a rising senior - one who shows qualities of loyalty to the Wheeler School

Joining Alumni Board President Etienne Granito Mechrefe ‘95 and Dan Miller to accept the award at Reunion for a thentravelling Cimilluca, were sisters, Nancy Graves Wilson ‘62 and Miriam Graves Kenney ‘53, with Cimilluca’s daughter Courtney Zanelli. Now & Then @ Wheeler

and who will hopefully continue that loyalty beyond graduation. Carol and her sisters support this growing fund, with yearly outright gifts and Carol has included a bequest in her will. In addition to her own philanthropic support, she is a vocal advocate who encourages other alumni to support Alumni Wheeler. Profile Similar to many alumni, Cimilluca’s experiences at Wheeler have influenced her throughout her life. “My real love of music started here,” she reveals. Cimilluca fondly remembers her Wheeler music teacher, Mr. Tinker, who fueled her passion for singing. An active member of the octet and Wheeler’s chorus, she also participated in Mr. Tinker’s productions of Gilbert and Sullivan. “One year we put on Pirates of Penzance,” she said. Cimilluca continues to sing to this day. As a first soprano, she has “always been in a choir, chorus, or choral group.” Currently, she sings in the Canterbury Choral Society in New York City and has recently joined a choir in Rhode Island. A world traveler and grandmother of six, Cimilluca has much advice to offer current Wheeler students. “You don’t get a second chance!” she exclaims. If given the chance, Cimilluca would go to Wheeler “all over again.” She wishes that she “knew then what she knows now.” In brief terms, live life to its fullest!

Seth Kaplan ‘85

When Tom Magliozzi called me to have coffee, he wanted to discuss an idea — and since it was his idea, it was brilliant, insightful, unique and a bit crazy. It was the late 1990s and I was handling urban transportation issues for the Conservation Law Foundation. Tommy wanted me to consider Alumni applying the legal muscle Profile of CLF to defend the pedestrians of Greater Boston. The voice I had been hearing on the radio for years was yelling at me over my office phone: “I want to sue the police departments for not enforcing the laws and allowing crazy driving!” Tommy was very aware of our efforts to enforce transit expansion obligations negotiated around the Big Dig a decade earlier and he was calling me because of my public role as the face of that case. Tommy worked to establish his credentials during that call: “I really am more of a train guy than a car guy!” A fact confirmed by an email address that began “TrainBoyTommy”. Undeterred by my protests that he needed an expert in class action law and that I wasn’t one, he invited me to come down to the North End, have a cappuccino with him at the Caffè Paradiso, and talk it through. I don’t remember why he suggested the North End location — the Harvard Square branch was famously his favorite haunt until it closed in 2007. I may have mentioned that my first date with my lovely wife was in the restaurant over the Paradiso on Hanover Street, and we all know that Tommy was a sucker for a good marriage story. So a few days later there I was, sipping cappuccino with a local legend. Some might ask why I had agreed to meet to discuss an area of law where I was not expert. But you just didn’t say no to coffee with Tommy. In those days the Tom beard was a massive thing and his biography was not as well known. I was deeply entertained by his tales of having pursued multiple lives —including his military 32

misadventures and the pivotal moment when he walked away from his career at the Foxboro Company and embarked on the adventure of launching a doit yourself car garage with his brother. That enterprise of course mutated into a more conventional garage and became the launching pad for their radio show. He told me that he and his brother were trying to build a business around Car Talk and roared with laughter as he said that the difference between us was that I worked for an INTENTIONALLY non profit company. For years to come, I watched as Car Talk expanded with the increasingly successful newspaper column, website and merchandise (with spectacular misses along the way like the animated TV series) and thought back to the odd mix of brilliant business vision with reckless, rollicking and spontaneous fun I had seen over cappucino that day. Eventually, we discussed his legal ideas. Which were far more vague, good intention than hard concept. He sensibly argued that the police departments were not being aggressive enough in protecting pedestrians, instead accepting a culture of mayhem in our streets. “People would take trains and buses and walk more if they could! But it isn’t safe to cross the street, so they drive!” I ran him through the basics of tort and class action law, including the specific difficulties that come when you try to sue the police for not protecting people, especially a vague and large class of people. I did the responsible thing by telling him that while I was very skeptical about there being a viable lawsuit here that I would consult with real experts. I reached out to a prominent local class action lawyer who had once worked for my organization and had my fears confirmed: “Not only is that a bad case” he said, “it is the kind of case that makes people suspicious of all class action cases and if you pursue it then I will do everything in my power to stop you.” A pretty clear message. I tried to follow up with Tom but his attention had moved on. “Car Talk” was rocketing into national popularity and clearly creating enormous demands on him and his time. While I tried to keep in touch with him he was not in a position to casually chat with local environmental Now & Then @ Wheeler

lawyers from intentionally nonprofit organizations. One day, a couple of years later I sent a party invitation to that “TrainBoyTommy” email address and got a bounceback message informing me that it no longer was valid. And so I returned to the vast ranks of regular folks who only knew Tommy through the radio — a long running, if distant, relationship that stretched back to hearing him, on the radio in my college dorm room, heckle Susan Stamberg on Sundays during the 1980’s. But I thought back to that cappucino conversation whenever that music played and his laugh burst out of the radio and when I saw the Dewey, Cheatem and Howe office in Harvard Square. As Cambridge, Brookline, Boston, Somerville and neighbors lay out bike lanes and redesign streets so that “The car is no longer king,” to quote the late Tom Menino, it’s hard to avoid seeing Tommy, bad lawsuit ideas and all, as a bit of a prophet. He was a “car guy” on the radio, but he saw the need to reshape the city so the cars and streets served the people, instead of the other way around. It is a fitting conclusion to read about a man who clearly loved people and radiated human warmth in his writing, his advice and his famous infectious laugh. Seth Kaplan spent over 16 years at the Conservation Law Foundation on transportation, energy and climate issues before recently joining a wind energy company. He lives in Brookline.

Danielle Bahr Eason‘94

Sisters Find REality Television appearance A Boon For Business

Thinking of including reality television in your next business plan? Danielle Bahr ‘94 and her sister, Talia, made good use of the unusual tactic when their product “Myself Belts” was featured last fall on ABC’s competition series, SHARK TANK. Sister Talia went on air and got the judges “to bite” on the line of award-winning belts she and her business partner, Danielle, created, leading to increased product awareness and sales.

Alumni Profile

Danielle explains the product and their strategy to go on SHARK TANK below: “Myself Belts is a mom-invented, award-winning line of children’s belts and toddler belts. The easy belts for kids are fashionable and functional, with a design that not only keeps pants up, but teaches and encourages a child’s independence. The kids belts are perfect for potty training toddlers, preschoolers and teens alike.

“We went on Shark Tank for a strategic partner and increased exposure for our brand rather than for money. Myself Belts has been profitable since our first year in business . . .”

“Myselfbelts.com has easy toddler belts for kids and fashionable styles to choose from, including toddler belts, boys belts, girls belts, and belts for teens. The belts are also easy to use for teenagers and adults with special needs and hand-dexterity difficulties. “We went on Shark Tank for a strategic partner and increased exposure for our brand rather than for money. Myself Belts has been profitable since our first year in business and we have never needed outside funding. We hoped that a strategic partner could help to open doors in regards to licensing deals and global private brand business.” What were the results of the free television exposure? Danielle writes that “the airing had a great impact on sales. We are getting more orders in every sales channel: our website, www.myselfbelts.com, Amazon, and our wholesale business. We have also had increased press exposure directly related to our appearance on Shark Tank.” Even the company’s work with their “shark” has been successful. “Our partnership with Daymond John has gone smoothly and he and his team have been incredibly supportive. We already have some exciting things in the works, which we hope to announce in 2015. The more people helping to grow Myself Belts into a household brand, the better!” Interview with Martyn Hollands

Now & Then @ Wheeler

Ben Choiniere ‘04

road trip leads to restoration of more than a special car

My Saab Story When you’re on a 3,000 mile trip, in a 36-year old car, and the AMP warning light comes on, your heart sinks. I had given myself seven days to drive from Rhode Island to Richmond, Oregon, the site of the 2014 North American Saab Owners Convention. Thankfully this malfunction was not happening in the middle of Nebraska or Wyoming. I pulled over in the East Side Marketplace parking lot Alumni and checked the wiring. Profile With no change to the AMP light, I drove back home pulled the alternator and tried to go to sleep. The nervousness that came with breaking down only fifteen minutes from your start point was tough to settle. I had to remind myself what I had already achieved with the car. In 1978 Saab sold a revolutionary product. The model 99 Turbo was the first family car with turbocharger; previously used on specialty sports cars. This was a car that could be driven every day with seating for five and a week’s worth of groceries in the hatchback trunk. This practicality shouldn’t fool you though. As a period reviewer wrote, “Speed comes so effortlessly that the only way to stay out of traffic court is to force yourself to check the speedo every 30 seconds.” Ask any Saab fanatic,

>unabashedly raises hand<, the ’78 99 Turbo is on their bucket list. One of these rare cars, only 4,000 came stateside, had been sitting in the woods of North Carolina between two trees for ten years. The original owner sold it to a fellow member of the Carolinas SCCA race club. This new owner’s plan was to get it back on the autocross track, where it had previously been successful. This dream turned into a fuel-injected nightmare and the car was on the market again. I put my money down, sight unseen, and had it shipped up to Rhode Island. Amazingly, the car had no rust on the underbody. There was some surface rust where moisture had collected under moldings. The disco-era red velour seats were not ripped, though all the headrests were missing. The distinctive front air dam was cracked. The dashboard was disassembled. There were ants everywhere! The muffler was gone. The car would not start. If I could get the car running, get rid of the ants, and replace the missing pieces, it would be a really nice original example. You may have realized that I am a passionate person. My work life in New York had all but destroyed this passion. What was once an exciting upper management job in a green business, was now just a hostile work environment. I needed to do something that would restore my faith and happiness. Thus began the car’s restoration and my own. I lost myself in spray paint, brake fluid and clutch jobs. I found myself in old New England barns tracking down missing parts. Soon the car was Now & Then @ Wheeler

driving, stopping, boosting and looking sharp. As a test drive for my trip to Oregon, I went to the Canadian Saab Owners Convention in Toronto. The car drove well until a bump at the border took out my dashboard lights at 2 am. Suddenly, I was alone in a dark cabin. I couldn’t be happier. The show was a success. I came home with a first place people’s choice award. Thinking about how far I had come, I was able to get to sleep. The next morning I brought the alternator to the armature shop. A rectifier had burnt out. Back on the road, I pointed the car west. Four nights sleeping in the car at rest stops, and five non-air-conditioned summer days later, I was in Oregon. It’s remarkable that a nearly 40-year old car can pass almost any modern car on the highway. Although at 75 mph the engine is spinning at 4,500 rpm with its four speed transmission, any more speed and the drone makes you feel like you’re in a submarine. A highlight of the show was meeting the 86-year old Erik Carlsson (two 1st place wins at the Monte Carlo Rally and three 1st place wins at the RAC Rally). He loved my car (see above) and signed the dashboard for me. When I told him where I had driven from, he replied in his heavy Swedish voice “Ou, that a damn far way to come!” I never thought I would meet the legend, let alone impress him. The car earned a 1st place concours award.

Eric Ricci ‘06

School day memories have lasting effect on an adult life “Every time I look at that artillery shell, I think about how [my grandfather] emigrated here from Italy, without knowing a word of English at the age of 14; that was the same age that I entered Wheeler.”

By Lucy Friedmann ‘15 To this day, Eric Ricci ‘06 attributes his adult success to his Wheeler education. A graduate of Saint Anselm College, and in his second year at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, he views Wheeler as “one of the most special places in the world.” “Wheeler’s tight-knit community,” Ricci explains, “is unique. Everyone knows everyone and that’s special.” Ricci, who proudly wears his class ring every day, says that he made “friends for life” at Wheeler. He is still in touch with a handful of his classmates and speaks to them on a weekly basis. “I’m as close with them as I am with my friends from St. Anselm, and Tufts,” Ricci confesses. Having entered Wheeler in Sixth Grade, Ricci followed in his sister (Class of 2004 alumna) Christina’s footsteps, and quickly became invested in school activities, including various clubs, as well as reading the hourly news on then-WELH radio. As part of the Seventh Grade Folklore Fair, he brought in his great-grandfather’s WWI artillery shell sculpture. “It was such a cool assignment, not something you would see in a typical school.” That Middle School assignment had a lasting impact on Ricci. “Every time I look at that artillery shell, I think about how [my grandfather] emigrated here from Italy, without knowing a word of English at the age of 14; that was the same age that I entered Wheeler. [I] can’t help but be thankful for his sacrifice, which

helped me be fortunate enough to obtain a Wheeler education.” Later, as co-president of the Christian Fellowship Club in the Upper School, he and classmate David Ardente ‘06 ran frequent Caserta pizza sales. “They were huge hits,” Ricci recalls. “People would leave class early to come and get the pizza!” Of course, the dental student could not forget the amazing academic enrichment that Wheeler offered him. He still believes that the academics at Wheeler are the best in the state. “The curriculum is designed to foster a constant exchange of ideas,” Ricci explains. “That’s very unique to Wheeler.” Ricci remembers the vibrant debates that often arose in his Contemporary World Issues class. “At Wheeler, I didn’t just have to believe in something in order to participate in a debate. I had to be able to defend my position.” This type of learning environment really matured Ricci and primed him for success in college. “I had no hard transition from Wheeler to St. Anselm,” Ricci admits. “I didn’t even bat an eye. I had been doing college level work all along. Wheeler gives you the foundation to excel in college.” According to the dental student, much of Wheeler’s strength lies with its teachers. “The teachers at Wheeler are amazing,” Ricci gushes. “They love what they do and their passion for their subject is so apparent.” In particular, Ricci became close with Upper School Science faculty member Sarah Berthiaume-Leduc during his time at Wheeler. “She became a friend after graduation,” Ricci explains. She even helped him prepare for the entrance exam Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni Profile

for dental school. Now living in Boston, Ricci still tries to visit Wheeler often. “As part of the ‘Senior Superlatives’ in the yearbook, Alex Tate ’06 and I were voted ‘Most Likely to Never Leave Rhode Island.’” While Ricci did prove his classmates wrong in this regard, he relishes being a “true Rhode Islander.” “When you come back to Wheeler and see people that you haven’t seen in years,” Ricci explains, “you pick up right where you left off. It’s as if no time has passed.” After graduation, however, Ricci will prove his classmates’ superlative vote correct, when he returns back to Rhode Island in 2017 to join his father, Dr. John Ricci, in private practice.

Coby Unger ‘09

Design skills born at wheeler lead to boy’s ‘lego hand’ If you were reading The Atlantic last November, you may have enjoyed a story titled, “The Boy With The Lego Hand,” by Victoria Chao. As soon as it appeared online, inboxes at Wheeler began filling up with the link: the story about a new prosthetic hand for a young boy was both touching and “techno-wonderful.” The device was designed with collaboration by Wheeler graduate, Coby Unger ‘09, and a Alumni young boy, born with a Profile left arm that ended below his elbow. Unger describes himself as a Maker | Designer on his website cobyungerdesign.com. He was impressed by the boy, who attended a Superhero Cyborg Camp to help children think about their limb differences using 21st Century Skills of problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. Unger offered to work on the boy’s ideas even after the camp session ended. With less than one year since his 2014 graduation from Philadelphia University with a bachelor of science in industrial design, Unger’s virtual toolbox of project sponsors include DeWalt Tools, Rubbermaid, Unilever and Slam Design, to name a few. He is an Artist In Residence at Instructables in San Francisco and the owner/designer of his own company, Arborglass, a designer and fabricator of high-end wooden eyewear. If you remember that Unger was a decorated sport climber while at Wheeler, his stepping out into the unknown to work on a project like this is really not so surprising. And while he thanked his alma mater in an online post when the story appeared, it really should be Wheeler, and all of us, thanking him. Editor The photos from The Atlantic article were taken by Class of 2009 alum Matthew Kramer. You can see the entire piece online at: http://m.theatlantic.com/ technology/archive/2014/11/the-boy-withthe-lego-hand/382637/ 36

Excerpted from The Atlantic . . . While the science of prosthetics has advanced dramatically, the most sophisticated prosthetic technology is still not available for children. Arms with fingers that articulate or that can do complicated motions like turning a wrist while simultaneously opening a hand often don’t even come in children’s sizes. And for some good reasons. These advanced prosthetics are expensive—basic myoelectric systems start around $15,000— whereas basic, body-powered arms for kids are far cheaper, starting around $5,500. That price difference is particularly significant when you considering that the child might outgrow the arm in a year. . . So while Robinson’s myoelectric arms were more complex than the body-powered ones that most kids with upper-limb differences use, they left a lot to be desired. . . . Going from a prototype to a finished product requires more time and resources than the average child can muster. At the end of the (Superhero Cyborg) camp, most kids went home with a cool, but ultimately decorative device. Robinson, however, caught a lucky break. It happened that Coby Unger, an Artist in Residence at the 3-D design software maker Autodesk, had been invited to Skype into the camp’s final presentation from across the country in California. By the end of Robinson’s presentation, Unger was so impressed that he offered to help develop a working version of Robinson’s new arm using the resources available through his program. “He had great ideas about what he wanted to do and wasn’t quite able to complete [them] based on the time and resources available,” Unger said. “I thought it was a unique perspective on prosthetics I hadn’t seen before. And it had great potential for changing what prosthetic means and what it could mean.” This collaboration between a child and a professional maker has resulted in a better overall prosthetic. Unger created a version of the prototype that could be remolded and reshaped to grow with Robinson, and used materials commonly found at hardware or sporting goods stores. He made polished versions of Robinson’s Wii remote controller and fork, and also helped developed other ideas. The life-size LEGO hand attachment that Robinson presented at camp was revised into a hooked hand with the same interlocking bumps as a LEGO set so he can build out new ideas using the popular block sets. When Robinson was randomly assigned to play the violin in his school orchestra, he and Unger worked together to build a bowing attachment. Unger also threw in a Super Soaker arm for good measure. “The conversation I want to have with this design project is, what should a prosthetic be that’s actually a positive thing that people would want who don’t need it?” Unger said. “There’s no reason it has to be a semi-functional hand or hook when you could attach something you want on there and it’s something that’s fun.” Now & Then @ Wheeler

Class Notes In Memoriam Eautha Brown ‘42 6/14/2014 Estelle Macauley Ritter ‘42 8/28/2014 Joanne Waldo Stewart ‘42 9/14/2014 Virginia Tripp Gray ‘45 7/29/2014 Esther Metcalf Mauran ‘49 10/5/2014 Martha Coyle ‘52 10/2/2014 Holly Shamsai ‘53 3/26/2015 Daryl Evans Platt ‘57 10/14/2014 Maia Hanley Flanagan Mongie ‘60 6/30/2014 Barbara Peckham Mottern ‘60 5/11/2014 Siobhan Sennott McDonnell ‘75 6/4/2014 Lisa Lancellotti ‘80 10/3/2014 Wajih Mazloum ‘03 2/1/15 Daryl Carr ‘03 2/20/2015

From left are Peggy Goddard Leeson, June Graves Enos, Phyllis Williamson Aldrich, Nancy Sanderson Wright, Eliza Collins, Meredith Harding, Meredith Moody, Angela Brown Fischer, Jean Johnston Mulligan, Bette Gardiner Dion, Sally Salmen Buehler.

1959

Ellen Hamlin Reynolds writes, “Sarah Bullock Desjardins and I attended our 55th Reunion in October. We were very impressed with the new Gilder Center for the Arts and we attended the Half Century Dinner.” Susan Davis Moora writes “I’d love to invite those interested to our Sacred Land Farm outside Vilcabamba, Ecuador. For full descriptions, visit MagicalForest.me and FincaSagrada. net. We’re an intercultural biodynamic farm community serving organic food and offering inner work and enjoying a sacred valley in one of the most remote and beautiful places on Earth.” Edie Green Walker’s mother turned 100 on November 18 and the family celebrated with what her mother described as ‘the best party ever!’

1941

Janice Carr Williams shows off the tray that she painted when she was a student in the Wheeler Art Studio. It holds fond memories for her and she still uses it every day. Janice continues to paint, with watercolors now, typically two hours a day at her family home in Bristol. She would love to hear from classmates.

1956

On July 2nd, 11 members of the class gathered together in Narragansett at the home of Merry Moody.

1962

Brooke Sharretts Kaufman writes, “I just returned from 3 months overseas, mostly with my children but I also took a 3 week trip to Budapest, Venice, Lucca, the island of Sardinia and Barcelona. While I was in Paris I went with a couple of friends, including Liz Shepard ‘69, my friend who also went to Wheeler, to visit the house where Miss Wheeler stayed during the summer in Giverny. I had contacted Katherine Bourguignon who is the curator of the museum there and they also own The Hameau now. From there, we went out to Trouville and spent a night there and finally stopped at Honfleur on the way back. Lovely two days.” Pictured below is Liz, Katherine and Brooke in front of the home in Giverny, and an inset of Miss Wheeler at the same place from the School Archives.

1967

On June 23, Dr. Nancy Stetson took the oath of office and joined the Department of State as the Secretary’s Special Representative for Global Food Security. The Office of Global Food Security coordinates all aspects of U.S. diplomacy related to food security and nutrition, including in support of Feed the Future, President Obama’s flagship global hunger and food security initiative. Liz Shepard ‘69, Brooke Sharretts Kaufman ‘62 and the curator of the museum at Mary Wheeler’s former home in Giverny, France.

Class Notes 1971

In November, Shepley Metcalf performed at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston with pianist Ron Roy. Their performance took the audience on a “tour of the U.S.A. and beyond via songs by Cole Porter, Joni Mitchell, Stephen Sondheim, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more!”

1978

Vickie Bates, who lives in California, and Virginia Lincoln, who resides in New Jersey, reconnected through Facebook a couple of years ago and hoped to meet up one day in New Hampshire where Vickie grew up and Virginia’s family has spent their summer vacations for 75 years. This year, their vacations coordinated and they spent a wonderful three hours swapping life stories in a small restaurant in Wolfesboro on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Said Lincoln, “Although it had been over 35 years since (we) two had seen each other, it was as if time had stood still.”

1979

Lisa Gaquin Sullivan, Judi Alperin King, Carla Armbrust Gomez and Ann Gillespie Nuzzo met at SaltBox Farm in Concord, MA for an evening of cooking. Here Lisa and Judi are making ravioli.

50th Birthday milestone marked by Class of ‘82 members clockwise from top left: Honey Soll Schwartz, Jennifer Flather, Bianca Cioffi-Zaring, and Suzanne Lovett.

1982

Members of the Class of 1982 celebrated their 50th birthday in many exciting ways! Pictures from: Honey Soll Schwartz, Bianca Cioffi-Zaring, Jennifer Flather, Suzanne Lovett Honey writes her 50th was her first surprise party ever. She celebrated with family and longtime friends “Jill and Jill.” Jennifer writes, “I celebrated by golfing at the birthplace of golf, Saint Andrews. Dream come true though I wish I had played better!” Bianca celebrated her special day in Rhode Island with her daughters Fiona and Kylie. Suzanne writes, “For my 50th in October, my husband took me to Paris so that I could turn 50 in my favorite city with no particular agenda but to wander and explore and experience the day.”

1985

Tracie Costantino recently accepted a new position as Associate Dean of Faculty at Rhode Island School of Design.

1987

Leigh Martin Blalock says “hello” from Virginia. She is busy mothering an eight year old daughter. 38

David Cordeiro writes, “I just finished up my term as president of the Stanford Online High School which is a great option for those of you with kids who want them to have some of the benefits of Wheeler even if you don’t live near Providence. And my son will have another book published soon.” Darlene D’Arezzo opened a private counseling and psychotherapy practice on Angell Street – around the corner from Wheeler! She has been teaching at Wheeler and led the seniors through a mindfulness/relaxation skills workshop and teaches yoga, willPower & grace®, and POUND: Rockout.Workout.™ in the lower, middle, and upper schools via the AERIE and Phys Ed. She hopes some local alums can check out her fitness classes! One of our most loyal class agents, D’Arezzo recently had dinner with Bob Goodman’s mom and is happy to report she is “fabulous!”

Class Notes 1994

A true “Now & Then” moment with Chris Cobleigh, Tom Feldman and Joe Izzi from the Class of 1987 sent in by Darlene D’Arezzo

Myself Belts, a company created by Danielle Bahr Eason and her sister Talia Bahr Goldfarb, was recently featured on ABC’s Shark Tank. Read more about the company at www.myselfbelts.com.

1995

Patricia Mulvany Dutra won Second Place in the Masters Figure portion of the DFAC Miami World Finals. Patricia is living in Naples, Florida.

Neil Malik is heading to Brazil for four months in December to go kitesurfing. Sharon Smith Nelson is living in Naples, Italy with husband and three children.

1988

Sarah Arnold Fuller recently started her own side business selling crochet work.

Gwendolyn Lohse and her husband welcomed Eleanor Rose Assey on June 28, 2014. The couple love being parents!

Bill and Kate (Toher) Shimko welcomed Emmeline Elisabeth Shimko into the world on Nov. 3 in Pittsburgh, PA. Emmeline joins her two older sisters, Dessa and Clara.

1996

1989

Algernon D’Ammassa writes, “Here in New Mexico, Governor Susana Martinez appointed me to the New Mexico Humanities Council, and I’m now a weekly columnist for the Deming Headlight while also teaching at New Mexico State University and touring my solo-actor-with-musician performance based on Greek myth. My sons are 6 and 3, and let’s just say I have the children I deserve.”

Oregon Assistant Attorney General, Anika Leerssen was inducted into the Stanford University Sports Hall of Fame. She was recognized for her accomplishments as a sailor in both individual and team racing. Anika is a legal adviser to state agencies including Oregon’s departments of Forestry, Fish and Wildlife and Environmental Quality.

Class Notes 1997

While traveling in Virginia Beach, current faculty members Suzie Williams and Otter Brown had dinner with Wheeler/Hamilton alum C.J. Freeman, his wife and son Wes. C.J. teaches four sections of AP Environmental Science at a high school in Virginia Beach. Props to Otter for wearing his Wheeler 125th anniversary shirt!

Nico Muhly performed in October at the Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Celebrity Lectures at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The evening included spoken word in addition to Muhly’s music. Sara Zarrella married Steven Bruce Sheally, August 31. Sara was voted Best of Rhode Island Wedding Photographer for 2014!

2000

Lindsay Crudele joined a panel on November 18th to discuss the role of a government agency’s social media manager. The panel consisted of experienced social media leads at varying size government agencies. Lindsay served as the city of Boston’s social media director for three years.

1999

Raleigh Theodore Jennings was born on June 2nd, 2014 to Nicole Brissette Jennings and her husband Daren. He joins his big sister Scarlett Mae. All are happy and healthy and Nicole is back teaching music at Wheeler’s Lower School.

2001

Joshua Harry Auslander was born on September 16, 2014 to Rachel (Aaronson) and Jamie Auslander in Arlington, VA, weighing 7 lb 1 oz and measuring 21 inches long. Everyone is doing well and Rachel and Jamie are loving their new roles as Mom and Dad!

2002

On July 12, 2014, Suzanne Jacober (see photo above) married Evan Walke in a beautiful ceremony in Narragansett, RI. In attendance from Wheeler were Kelly Clifton ‘02, Jamie Granoff ‘05, Jonathan Granoff ‘02, Alex Haxton ‘02, Jason Hirsch ‘99, Andrew Jacober ‘04, David Jacober ‘99, Michael Jacober ‘01, Anne-Marie Jeannet ‘02, Kennon Kay ‘01, Erin Kilmartin ‘02, Chrissy Massie ‘02, Jennifer Paolino ‘02, and Scott Robbin ‘02.

2003

Will Hunt was awarded a residency for this spring at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, NH, where he will be working on his non-fiction book about subterranean space, titled “Underground: A Human History of the World Beneath our Feet”, which will be published by Random House in 2016. Giacomo Fortunato placed third in the Lifestyle category of the International Photography Awards for his photo “Coexistence.” He describes his photo as “show[ing] the interactions between people and their surroundings. The places themselves are not the focus of the work, but rather are settings for my analysis on how people interact and the underlying tension between themselves and these places.”

SvenErik Karlsson’s daughter Elsa shows her spirit while sporting her new Wheeler bib! Want one for your baby? Contact us at alumnioffice@ wheelerschool.org.

Adam Donahue married Kaitlin Lambert in Newport, RI on November 20th at Channing Memorial Church.

2004

Dacia Read graduated from Brooklyn Law School in May 2014 and has passed the NY State Bar Exam. She now works in legislative affairs as Sr. Public Policy Associate at the Children’s Defense Fund – New York. As if finishing law school wasn’t joyous enough, Dacia also added getting engaged to her activities in the past year. She and her fiancé, John Willumsen, will wed in Providence in April 2016. Felicia Ricci started an online voice lesson business in 2013 that now reaches over 12,000 students on 6 different continents. Her full singing courses are hosted on the e-learning site Udemy.com and she publishes free online content to her YouTube channel, which just passed 2 million views. Felicia was featured on BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills show, and she did a guest call-in spot during the holiday season, teaching Mills how to sing Christmas songs. Erika Kreuter Schecter and husband John Schecter welcomed daughter Adelaide to their family on October 4.

Bailey Woodhull (above) was married in September. Shown above from left: Andrew Jacober, Alexander Connor, Carrie Alexander, Amanda Chisholm, Kensey Potter, Bailey, Dustin Hilt, Kathleen Koster, Erica Kreuter Schechter, Jon Schechter and Kati Sklut. Let the Alumni Office know if you want to use a Wheeler flag at your milestone event whenever you have several alums gathered. Steven Musche (below)married Kailani Knight in St. Helena, CA on September 6th. In attendance were best man, Andrew Shedd, groomsmen, James Higgins and Alex Connor, and other Class of 2004 alums including Drew Appleton, Nick Parrillo, Nick Raho, and Jeff Baker.

Zoe Chao appeared as the “slightly unpleasant” Shayna in three episodes of HBO’s “The Comeback.” Here she is at the HBO premiere!

Class Notes 2009

Hanna Spacone is living, working, and auditioning in New York City. She is currently scheduled to go out on tour with Girls Night: The Musical. She was very excited to return to Rhode Island for the holidays to play Rose in Ocean State Theatre’s Meet Me in St. Louis.

2006

Hal DeCoursey married Ali Lozinski on August 30th, with the reception at the Providence Public Library. Bharat Maraj was the best man, and Dan Fogarty, Anson Dorsey, and Alden Lowe were groomsmen; Chris Dubois was man of honor. Brandon Lane (below left) and friend Devan Durante received a grant from Providence’s Department of Planning and Development to launch the Providence Polaroid Project — a kind of community photo shoot designed to create a collective portrait of Rhode Island’s capital city. Read more about the endeavor at www.pvdpolaroid.com.

Aaron Spacone graduated from UConn Law School in May 2013 and, after a one-year clerkship with the Connecticut Supreme Court, recently began clerking for Justice Gilbert Indeglia of the RI Supreme Court. 42

Coby Unger takes a child’s perspective on prosthetics and makes it reality. See an article in The Atlantic about Unger’s work in the Alumni Profile section or read it online at theatlantic.com as the-boy-with-thelego-hand.

2012

Lindsay Rosenthal (above) completed her first half marathon this past summer. Drew Zwetchkenbaum brought his fellow performers from Dartmouth’s improv group, Casual Thursday, to

2010

Jesse Frieder, 2010 RI State Singles Champion and Co-Captain of the Boston University Men’s Tennis team was awarded the 2014 Donelli Leadership Award presented to a men’s and women’s varsity senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership both on and off the field. In his four years as a starter for the BU Div. I tennis team, Frieder racked up 41 wins at #2 and #3 singles, and 39 wins at #1 and #2 doubles. As a senior, he led his team to the semifinals of the Patriot League Championships before narrowly losing to Navy 4-3. Jesse graduated from Boston University’s School of Management in May and will be teaching Middle School mathematics in Fall River, MA as part of the Teach for America program. Samantha Sugerman recently completed an internship at NESN in the Features Department. Samantha was involved in features shoots around New England including covering the Red Sox home opener. She also covered the Bruins first practice day after the Olympic break with reporter Jamie Erdahl, and went on shoots covering the stories of Jimmy Fund recipients and the successes of the Providence Bruins.

campus in December for a performance and master class workshops.

2014

Recent Wheeler graduates, Sophie Wu and Dan Michel, attended homecoming as freshmen at Franklin and Marshall.

Alumni Events

Stay informed at www.wheelerschool.org/alumni and see the photos after on Instagram @wheeleralumni

Fall’s Degas/Cassatt Exhibit Draws Alums from Up and Down East Coast to DC for Art

Standing l to r: Lisa Winter ‘04, Elizabeth Swenson ‘45, Etienne Mechrefe ‘95, Deb Allinson ‘68, Cristina Del Sesto ‘82, Rob Glancy ‘01, Ben Choinere ‘04, Theodore Feder ‘08. Seated l to r: Wendell Graham ‘73, Deborah Davidson ‘76, Hallee Brown ‘09 and T’sey-Haye Preaster ‘98.

You asked for events that connect across affinities such as music, athletics or art and we listened. Last year, we travelled to NYC for Nico Muhly '99's opera debut at The Met. This September, we were thrilled to see alums from Florida, MA, RI and the DC area attend three arts events planned around the Degas/Cassatt Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. All class eras were represented from in-college to Half-Century Club members. The photo to the left shows alumni gathered at the American News Women's Club for a lecture and reception. Below left are some of our DC In-College alums, glad to see Alumni Relations Associate Director Martyn Hollands. And on the next two pages, see alumni athletes, Hamilton alumni and more!

DC In-College Alums gathered in Georgtown for dinner. From left: Alex Zigerelli ‘13, Nick Zigerelli ‘13, Jess Pitocco ‘14, Maggie Chaquette ‘14 and Honor Davis ‘14 with Martyn Hollands. Photos by Laurie Flynn 43

Alumni Events

Stay informed at www.wheelerschool.org/alumni and see the photos after on Instagram @wheeleralumni

New York Metro Club at Ginger Man, New York City

Former and current Wheeler Warriors gathered for soccer and alumni memories during Thanksgiving Weekend. At bottom left are Brett Robichaud ‘04, Suzanne Cross Foxley ‘84, Jennifer Orr ‘84, Coach Jean Carlson, Julie Snyder ‘83, Kara Orr ‘81, Judy Salvadore ‘81, Dana Salvadore Cazzani ‘82 and Ben Choinere ‘04.

Download on iTunes or Google Play. It’s FREE! Expand your Wheeler alumni network 24/7.

The Senior Class got college relationship advice from J.D. Nathanson ‘12, Lara Hollands ‘04, Genesis Garcia ‘11 and Matthew Kramer ‘09. Photo by Annie Funnell

Alums from New York and Rhode Island joined alumna Caroline Woolard ‘02 as she guided them through the Crossing Brooklyn exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. The exhibit reflects the rich creative diversity of 35 Brooklyn-based artists and included work by Woolard. Among the alums attending were from left: Molly Johnson ‘06, Sabine Schaefers ‘04, Caroline Woolard ‘06, the exhibit curator and Ben Choinere ‘04. Photo by Martyn Hollands

Current Hamilton 8th graders met with In-High School Hamilton alums this winter to discuss the next steps in their educational careers. With Hamilton faculty Jon Green, Bob Schmidt, Heidi Harris and Martha Richardson are Brendan Sullivan ‘17, Justin Marderosian ‘16, Reilly Miller ‘17, John Waddington ‘16 and Jess D’Agostino ‘15. Photo by Martyn Hollands

Alumni Weekend 2014 Half Century Club Dinner We welcome any alumna who has celebrated her 50th Reunion to join us each year at a complimentary dinner with the incoming 50th Reunion class. Seated from left: Betty Ann Hacking Taylor ‘43, Ellen Hatch Michaud ‘43, Harriet Fulton Dwyer ‘61. Standing from left: Sarah Bullock Desjardins ‘59, Concie Payan Danforth ‘50, Ellen Hamlin Reynolds ‘58 and Territa Percelay ‘55.

Class of 1964

Above photo from l to r seated: Nancy Underwood Callahan ‘64, Patricia Perry Merritt ‘64, Alix Bernstingle Smullin ‘64, Nancy Porter ‘64, Eliza Cocroft Bailey ‘64, Andrea Hale Pierson ‘64. Back Row: Susan Gustafson Levin ‘64, Muffet Reath Stewart ‘64, Lucy Gardner Shepard ‘64, Paula Hurd ‘64, Jo Moody Biddle ‘64, Bambi Gifford Mleczko ‘64, Lindsay Green ‘64, Susan Wilson-Hall ‘64, Charlotte Brayton Underwood ‘64. Photo inset: members of the class gather on the steps of Clark Alumni House earlier in the evening.

Now & Then @ Wheeler

More than 150 alums gathered for this year’s 4’s and 9’s Reunion and Alumni Weekend which featured the dedication of Wheeler’s newest campus facility — the Gilder Center for the Arts — along with chances to tour campus, visit classes, have lunch with the Class of 2015 and reconnect. Save the date for next year, October 16-17, 2015!

Class of 1974

Class members gathered Saturday night at the home of Bonnie Perlman Jaffe. Wheeler sent along champagne and special 125th anniversary glasses for the group. From left to right: Susan Odessa Froelich, Susan Lichtman, Bonnie Perlman Jaffe, Meg Sheridan Mock, Martha Lynne Barrows, Barbara Krawczyk, Denise Wachtenheim Lewis, Marjorie Rotkin Gold, Sharon Epstein. Also present but not in this photo was Ann West.

Gilder Center Dedication on Alumni Night

Right photo: Class members Susan Lichtman (left) and Ann West applaud the performers in one of the new classrooms in the Gilder Center for the Arts during its Dedication the Friday night of Alumni Weekend. Below: Martha Barrows and Marjorie Lewis enjoy catching up at the Alumni Night reception which followed.

Alumni Weekend photos by Pam Murray and Colin Noel ‘15 47

Alumni Weekend 2014 Save the date for next year, October 16-17, 2015!

Class of 1979

Marlene Cutitar, Judi Alperin King & Pam Rich were the Class of 1979 representatives. “We missed all of the rest of our classmates… We must have been quite precocious for us to be 35-year alumnae and still be celebrating our perennial 39th birthdays!”

Former Faculty Always Popular Guests

Retired Upper School head Michael Brown and his wife, Eva, made the trip from Guilford, CT, to join the festivities at Alumni Weekend and attend the dedication of the new Gilder Center. Recently retired teacher Dan Moore was also back to visit, as was retired Upper School administrative assistant Monica Francisco and science teacher Seth Garfield.

Alumni tour the new handbells room.

Now & Then @ Wheeler

Karen Pinson ‘89’s Apple Ginger Cake and Brownie Pie with Biscotti Crust. We need say no more. For as soon as unwrapped, there was no more! It was a surprise for her classmates, who know of her skills, to have such special desserts at their Reunion.

Centennial Class of 1989

Front row: Amy Baumgartel Singer, Stefanie Lightman, Klee Helander Miller, Lori Stern Siegel, Robin Berk Cornelison, Allison Cohen O’Brien, Michelle Ducoff Miller, Sybil Miles-Castellone, Jeff Brown, Karen Abbatomarco Pinson. Back row: Doug Hill, Ethan Colaiace, Mike Malik, Jan Sturner, Alex Laurelli, Edward Pensa, Nicole Kirk Webster, Andrew Hall, Eric Miller. Below, class members meet up at the Friday evening cocktail party.

Fall Family Fest at the Farm

A sunny Saturday at the Farm brought out these classmates for brunch. From left: Ethan Colaiace, Jeff Brown, Alex Laurelli Barber, Lori Stern Siegel, Michael Malik, Andrew Hall and Robin Berk Cornelison.

Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni Weekend 2014 Save the date for next year, October 16-17, 2015!

Class of 1994

From left front row: Keri Hague Beck, Andrew Ullucci, Tanya Mechrefe Gaudioso, Shannon Early Iamarone, Denielle Verdi Finklestein, Danielle Bahr Eason, Dan Zinno. Back Row: Chris Judge, Gus Sandstrom, Hal Woodcome. Below left and right. Dan, Andrew and Gus meet up at the Friday night Reunion Reception in the Prescott Library while Tanya and Shannon pose before heading into the fun photo booth. (We promised that what happens in the photo booth stays in photo booth!)

Now & Then @ Wheeler

Hats off tothe Class of 2004 with the best Reunion attendance this year. Planning began early in the summer with fun email and Instagram photos designed to rekindle connections and memories. It worked to bring out a turnout that other classes can try to match in future years!

Class of 2004 Left to Right holding sign: Katie Powers, Mike Kapos. Second Row: Sam Miner, Alicia Lyons, Erin Gildea, Erica Izzo, Jonathan Santoro, Alex Burnett, Ben Choiniere. Third Row: Zach Mandell, Kathleen Koster, Kathryn Wilson. Fourth Row: Nick Parrillo, Jonathan Cooper, Sherry Ghoreishi, Alexander Baker, Christina Ricci, Melissa Monbouquette. Fifth Row: Andrew Jacober, Laura Robertson, Samantha Feingold, Ashley Tramonti, Bailey Woodhull, Amanda Chisholm. Sixth Row: Meg Sheeley, Andrew Shedd, Thomas Madonna, Sabine Schaefers, Nick Cicchitelli, Carrie Alexander. Back Row: Drew Appleton, Sam Garfield, Alex Connor, Katherine Sklut, Felicia Ricci.

Thanks to Alex Connor and Carrie Alexander who worked to bring together their classmates. When asked what makes Wheeler so special to them, their responses to our recent whiteboard campaign were easy! Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni Weekend 2014 Save the date for next year, October 16-17, 2015!

Class of 2009

Front row l to r: Hannah Spacone, Tori Frank, Caity Sprague, Kye Ehrlich Second Row: Kate Wilson, Andrew Poirier, Adam Lousararian, Laura Kaiser Third Row: Brett Musco, Brian Feldman, Gus Godley Back Row: Alex Noel, Dean Clarke, Canaan Gifford, James Rudolph

Celebrating their first official reunion, the 5th, at a number of the Alumni Weekend festivities on Friday and Saturday were those who gathered with the class banner above as well as Amanda Dail, Trey Dandreta, Alexis Ingram, Hanna Strom-Weber, Marko Tkach and Alex Zwetchkenbaum. Now & Then @ Wheeler

Alumni Weekend Snapshots See lots more photos online at www.wheeleralumni.smugmug.com

Class of 1964 members toured the Wheeler Farm on Saturday.

Class of 1981 members make a point to come back every Alumni Night!

Michael Feinstein ‘08 spoke to seniors at the Alumni-Senior Lunch, including sister Hannah ‘15.

Dr. Marlene Cutitar ‘79, above, speaks to seniors about the medical profession and, at left, a Prescott Library classroom is transformed into a Reunion hangout suite with old yearbooks and photo displays thanks to Tom Kraig ‘98.

Brent Lang ‘00 Presents

The Culture of Today’s Film Industry Is Topic At Fun, Entertainment Event It was another cold winter’s night, but alumni, parents of alumni, friends, faculty and members of the public turned out to hear Variety’s Senior Film and Media Reporter Brent Lang discuss the recent film awards season and his insight into the business side of the movies. Before the event, the “bolder” attendees walked the red carpet and posed for Wheeler paparazzi in the new Gilder Center for the Arts lobby. We look forward to hosting more such evenings featuring alumni speakers.

Brent Lang ‘00 with Dan Miller Faculty members Annie Funnell and Bob Schmidt

Alumni Association President Etienne Granito Mechrefe ‘95 and Nicole Brissette Jennings ‘99

Jamie Weingrod ‘00, Amy Barlow and Peter Kammerer ‘00

Wheeler parents and alumnae Dana Salvadore Cazzani ‘82 and Etienne Mechrefe ‘95 54

Parent of alumni Karen Hollands with daughter Laura ‘10

Heather Joines ‘95 with Alumni Relations Associate Director Martyn Hollands

The Wheeler Archives

Now & Then Moment â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for a campus as old as Wheelerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there are numerous spaces that have evolved as new buildings have been added and new programs have been born. Seeing our youngest robotics students at work recently in the Aerie room at the top floor of the 1912-built Hope Building reminded us of an earlier use for this space as an art studio. What hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t changed? Students intent on creativity and learning. Come fall, students will have a new Design - Innovate - Build Lab in Hope Building for these projects, just as these earlier art students gained a new Art Studio once Wheeler Memorial Hall was built. Nupur Shridhar 55

be intentional

You believe in our mission. You share our values on the importance of an independent school education. Remembering Wheeler with a charitable gift in your financial or estate plan is a wonderful way to make an impact on students’ lives. Your philanthropic planning today can leave a lasting legacy for generations. Learn how at giftplanning.wheelerschool.org Watch a Wheeler-exclusive video workshop with Estate Planning experts, Renée Evangelista and Kinnaird Howland: Intentional Estate Planning at giftplanning.wheelerschool.org/Wheeler_workshop Explore the gift options that cost you nothing during your lifetime and read the donors stories of alumnae/i and families who have made such plans to support our students, teachers and community. You are invited to contact Michele Sczerbinski Diaz ’86 in the Office of Planned Giving, at michelediaz@wheelerschool.org or directly (401)528-2132 with any questions. 56

Tori Frank, Class of 2009 photo by Colin Noel, Class of 2015

What

Wheeler means to me!

Make your gift to the Wheeler School Annual Fund and be part of a collective, positive impact on the school. Every year, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, grandparents, parents of alumni and friends all come together to support the Wheeler and Hamilton community through the Annual Fund. What does Wheeler mean to you? Is it Community? Caring teachers? Educational opportunity? Make your gift and share your own whiteboard photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and use #wheelerwhiteboard. Visit www.wheelerschool.org/wheelerwhiteboard to see more photos and join the conversation any time of the year!

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

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

The 2014-15 Wheeler Student Alumni Ambassadors greet visitors at this past fallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Admission Open House. The group is present during Reunion, Grandparents Day and other special events to welcome guests to campus. Photo by Martyn Hollands

Providence, RI Permit No. 1023