Wheeler Alumni

Purple or Gold—who will prevail?

It’s the age-old question of a Wheeler Field Day. This Monday, students will give it their all in pursuit of spirit-color glory and the chance to fly their flag high at Wheeler Farm for the year ahead.

Alumni are invited to join the community cookout and Field Day celebration. Relive the traditions you remember, cheer on your spirit team, reconnect with past teachers, and join your fellow alums to lead the March of the Purple & Golds onto Phelan Field.

📍 Monday, June 8 | Wheeler Farm, Seekonk
💜 12:00 p.m. Community Cookout
💛 12:45 p.m. March of the Purple & Golds, followed by the Apache Race and student competitions

Stay to cheer on your spirit team—and don’t forget to wear your Purple or Gold!

Just drop in, or tell us you are coming here on the Wheel! https://alumni.wheelerschool.org/events/view/fieldday2026

We welcomed a very full circle of alumni back to Wheeler Farm on Friday for the Purple and Gold Circle’s annual luncheon.

This special honorary group celebrates those classes that graduated from Wheeler 50 years ago or more. The day was a beautiful blend of fond memories, reunion-like celebrating, and exciting new beginnings! 🎉

The group started their visit with a campus tour, as they returned to some familiar sites from their student days and also got to see some of the more recent additions. They talked with students and faculty in the 6th-Grade Farm Program hosted in the Eliza Mauran Blackwell ‘78 Pavilion, then got a sneak peek of the soon-to-open Swim Center. The new ADA accessible boardwalk that leads from Walker Street to Wheeler Pond was a huge hit. The grand finale of the tour was a visit to the Nest to learn about our nature-based early childhood program, where they were serenaded by our youngest students. A true ‘full circle’ moment for sure! 🎶

After their tour, nearly 40 alumni from the classes of 1953 to 1976 enjoyed a delicious lunch together on the Columbine Hill House deck overlooking the sunlit fields they remembered fondly. In addition to walks down memory lane—both literal and figurative—they heard from Wheeler senior Anna C. ’26, who spoke about some of her own special Wheeler experiences as she prepares to join their alumni family next week. Head of School Mark Anderson also reflected on and answered many great questions about his first year at the helm of their alma mater. With a glass raised, we made special toasts for the alumni celebrating their 50th, 60th, and 70th(!) graduation anniversaries! 🥂✨

It all made for a powerful and picturesque day for our Purple and Gold Circle community members who are true representatives of our school motto, “the spirit giveth life.” 💜💛

Thank you, Boston alumni, for a wonderful evening at Porto! ✨

Last week, Wheeler alumni spanning the classes of 1966 through 2024 gathered with Head of School Mark Anderson P’27 for an evening of connection, conversation, and community as part of our Wheeler on the Road series.🛣️

We are especially grateful to alumni board member Andrew Jacober ’04 for hosting the event and to Chef Jody Adams ’75 for welcoming us to her elegant and acclaimed Back Bay restaurant, Porto. Andrew and Jody shared reflections on the importance of staying connected to the Wheeler community and how the friendships they formed with classmates and teachers have remained a meaningful part of their lives for decades. 💜💛

As the final stop on this year’s Wheeler on the Road tour, the gathering was a fitting way to cap off Mark’s first year as head of school — celebrating the relationships and connections that make Wheeler special. We continue to be inspired by our alumni and what they are doing out in the world, but also by the strength of their connections to Wheeler and to one another!

Boston alumni, it’s your night to shine! 💜🌟💛

Join Head of School Mark Anderson P’27 for an exclusive evening at Porto in the Back Bay, graciously hosted by alumni board member Andrew Jacober ’04 at the restaurant of Chef Jody Adams ’75 — two-time James Beard Award winner and co-owner of Boston legendary culinary destinations Porto, Trade, and Saloniki.

After stops in DC, Florida, Los Angeles, and New York, Wheeler on the Road is coming to Boston for an evening of connection, conversation, and school updates with fellow alumni.

Reconnect with old friends, meet alumni in the area, and strengthen your Wheeler ties 💞. This one is coming up soon — be sure to register today and spread the word! 📣

Event Details:
Porto, Back Bay (at the Prudential Center)
Tuesday, May 26
5:30–7:00pm

RSVP by May 19
https://alumni.wheelerschool.org/events/view/wotrboston-2026

Wheeler on the Road: Boston Join us on May 26 for Wheeler on the Road: Boston, hosted by alumni board member Andrew Jacober ’04 at Porto, the Back Bay restaurant founded by James Beard Award–winning Chef Jody Adams ’75. Connect with fellow alumni, enjoy light bites and drinks, and meet new Head of School Mark Anderson,...

Purple and Gold Circle alumnae—do you remember celebrating May Day? Were you a boarder or a day student? What are your favorite Wheeler memories?

Share your stories with us and with each other at this year’s Purple and Gold Circle lunch, an annual tradition for classes that graduated 50 years ago or more.

This year we are dining al fresco at the Farm!

Friday, May 29, 2026
💜10:30 Farm Tour
💛12 pm Lunch

Take a morning stroll down memory lane with a tour of the Pageant Grounds and the Pond, plus get a sneak peek at our brand-new Aquatics Center. Along the way, experience Wheeler’s nature-based learning in action—from our youngest students in the Nest to the 6th-grade Farm Program. Lunch is served on the deck of Columbine Hill House, where you can meet new Head of School Mark Anderson and connect with old classmates and new friends.

Kindly RSVP by May 20:
https://alumni.wheelerschool.org/events/view/p-g2026

We can’t wait to welcome you to the Farm this Spring!

Purple & Gold Circle Annual Alumni Lunch 2026 The Purple & Gold Circle honors all members of Wheeler classes from 50 years ago and beyond (1976 and earlier). The annual luncheon, hosted by Wheeler’s Head of School and the Alumni Association, is a special time to celebrate the lasting bonds between you, your classmates, and the impact your...

Wheeler hit the West Coast last week with a blockbuster of a meet up!

A huge thank you to our event host, Paul Corrigan ’90, for welcoming seven decades of alumni into his home for an unforgettable night of connection, nostalgia, and school pride. 💜💛

There were alumnae who haven’t seen each other in nearly sixty years and happily learned they are neighbors in LA, there were our more recent grads who are pursuing their passions in nearby universities — plus dozens of alumni thriving in impressive careers, from TV and music, to book publishing and poetry, to social work, investments, engineering, and venture capital.

As Paul and Head of School Mark Anderson P’27 shared in their remarks, Wheeler has played a foundational role for every person who gathered together as “One Wheeler” in Santa Monica. Staying connected to one another and supporting Wheeler through events like this ensures our strong school continues to thrive. Thank you to all the alumni who gathered for this long awaited west coast reunion!

Next week, Mark takes Wheeler on the Road again to NYC! If you are in the area on April 17, please join us and the 18 Wheelers a ca****la group at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an evening of 🎨 art, 🎶music, and alumni community 💖!

➡️RSVP today:
https://alumni.wheelerschool.org/events/view/wotr-nyc

A book can take you to some incredible places. For Wilson Kimball ’86, that saying rings (and reads) true, as one book in particular took her to the last continent on Earth she had yet to visit.

“I really love travel, but I didn’t set out to go to all seven continents,” Wilson says. “It was about 2019 when my husband, Jim, started talking about how he wanted to go to Antarctica after he'd read ‘Endurance,’ about the explorer Shackleton.”

While their trip promised to be a bit easier than Shackleton’s epic story of survival, it still came with a few challenges, such as the pandemic, that delayed their departure by several years.

Last December, Wilson and Jim finally fulfilled their mission. Wilson made sure to bring along a Wheeler School pennant to take a school-inspired photo. It was there in the striking polar landscape that she realized she had made it to her seventh continent. “I just thought it was an amazing milestone,” she says.

As she thinks back on Wheeler – a place where she had many other amazing experiences – Wilson recalls “being obsessed with history in 5th grade. Our textbook was about Mesopotamia and the first known civilization established by the Sumerians. There are just so many formative memories from history with Mr. Smith and Mr. Kasanow. I also remember reading ‘Little House on the Prairie’ books in Mrs. Greenawalt’s class. And I remember building solar collectors on the roof so that we could cook burgers. That was in a science class.”

“The thing about Wheeler that makes it so special is that it has a lot of unique experiences that you don't get elsewhere,” she adds. “Everybody was family. The depth of both the education and the connections was so important.”

That exposure to experiential learning has served Wilson well in her professional life, as the president and CEO for the Municipal Housing Authority of Yonkers, NY.

“Every day is different,” she says. “It is kind of like Wheeler in that sense. Wheeler wasn't a school where you went in every day and sat in the same classroom and talked out of a book. You lived it as well as learned it. And that is what I love about my job.”

You can read more of Wilson's story on our website: https://buff.ly/aJQ6hjj

We’re pleased to announce this year’s faculty recipients of flexible grants! While Wheeler prioritizes professional development for all employees, those with at least 10 years of tenure can design and propose an educational opportunity that takes the experience to a new level.

For example, Upper School Science Teacher Bob Schmidt will use his grant to take a course in Icelandic Language and Culture through the University Centre of the Westfjords. “The Westfjords is a region that I’ve only read about, but one that has captured my imagination the more I’ve researched it,” he wrote in his application. “This opportunity will allow me to continue to be passionate about what I do and impart that sense of curiosity as a lifelong learner to the Wheeler community.”

Lower School Art Teacher Bobbie Berking-Dalzell ’73’s grant will fund her continued growth as a painter and educator. “My goal is to attend plein air oil painting workshops over the summer that would allow me to deepen my technical skills, refine my artistic voice, and engage in focused studio practice that is difficult to sustain during the academic year,” she said in her proposal.

Upper School Academic Support Teacher Pam Levanos is going to visit inclusive schools in Jerusalem and Bethlehem that serve students with special needs. In her submission, she recalled visiting a behavioral school as part of the master’s coursework in special education. “I observed a room that isolated students when they couldn’t self-regulate. This experience changed me…and I began to think deeply about schooling and bias, as well as how these particular schools educate marginalized communities.”

Upper School Art Teacher Liz Kilduff ’86 will apply her funding towards a bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing and jewelry. “As an artist with a strong foundation in two-dimensional practices, I am interested in exploring 3D processes to better understand form, structure, and material relationships,” she said. “The knowledge I gain from this program will help me create lessons that enhance student learning and problem-solving.”

Please join us in congratulating our four flexible grant recipients! You can read more about their upcoming experiences on our website: https://buff.ly/DJAt3Hv

Can you guess the first question 4th- and 5th-graders posed to guest speaker and architect Dan Wood ’85 during his recent visit to our Providence campus? It had less to do with the Angell Building’s design and more to do with his Wheeler spirit.

“What color are you?” a Lower Schooler asked. He’s Team Gold.

It’s a fitting spirit color for Mr. Wood who, along with his spouse, Amale Andraos, is the co-founder of .ac, a New York-based architecture and urban design firm that is the gold standard when it comes to addressing environmental and social challenges through innovative design. The firm received the 2023 Arts and Letters Award in Architecture and was named the #1 design firm in the U.S. by Architect Magazine, among other honors.

During their campus visit last month, Mr. Wood and Ms. Andraos talked about their multifaceted careers with both Lower and Upper Schoolers. As they shared examples of their projects near and far, each story reflected their commitment to understanding culture, tradition, art, science, and community engagement. Their work ranges from designing an immersive, sustainable, and accessible library in Colorado, to community centers in Mexico City, and – right here in Rhode Island, The River House, which is their own “passive” family home focused on reducing energy use.

In coming “home” to Wheeler, Mr. Wood said that one of the great things about being a student here was that the school exposed him to many different areas of interest. “There can be pressure to do well in every subject, but you also get to explore a lot of different worlds, and that helps you develop curiosity about the world around you.”

For Mr. Wood, curiosity and “constant learning” are what he loves most about being an architect. “Technologies change, the types of projects change, clients change, and even the kinds of buildings we design evolve. So when we’re doing research, we’re truly learning and discovering new things. That’s what makes it fun – you get to keep learning, almost like you get to stay in school.”

Read the full Alumni Spotlight on our website: https://www.wheelerschool.org/news/exploring-architecture-imagination-and-learning-at-wheeler-with-architects-dan-wood-85-and-amale-andraos/

Wheeler Takes the Met and you’re invited! 🏛️🎶

The 2,000-year-old Egyptian Temple of Dendur will provide a dramatic backdrop and acoustics for the musical stylings of the 18 Wheelers, our nationally recognized a ca****la group, who have been invited to perform in the galleries of The Metropolitan Museum of Art this spring!

“Taking our singers to New York City isn’t just a trip — it’s a masterclass in what’s possible,” shares Director of Vocal Music and Teacher of Performing Arts Emily Serotta. “The energy of the city will push our students beyond the rehearsal room and into the real world, and I can’t wait to see how this experience will impact their relationship to the music they make together. When these young voices fill a gallery in one of the most iconic, storied spaces, in one of the world’s most musical cities, something will shift. They’ll come home knowing what they’re capable of. I can’t wait to watch their confidence and their performance skills grow!”

To help celebrate this honor, we’re bringing together Wheeler’s alumni and family community in NYC for a pre-performance welcome reception hosted by Head of School Mark Anderson P’27 in the museum’s Petrie Court Café. The museum is open until 9pm for your enjoyment after the show.

For tickets to the Wheeler gathering, which includes museum admission, drinks and light bites, and the concert, visit the Wheel: https://alumni.wheelerschool.org/events/view/wotr-nyc

🗓️Friday, April 17, 2026
🏛️The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY
🍷4:30 pm | Reception with Head of School, Mark Anderson P’27
🎶6 pm | 18 Wheelers Performance
🎨6:30 - 9 pm | Explore the Met Museum galleries on your own