Wheeler School

We are excited to share that composer Sara Barone ’13 has been nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on the television program, “The Beast in Me”!

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by our peers in the Television Academy,” Sara says of her nomination for Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special. “It’s especially meaningful to see ‘The Beast in Me’ recognized across so many different categories.”

When we last posted about Sara’s career, we highlighted her score for “Planet Earth III,” which scored Sara her first Emmy nod in 2024. While that was a documentary, “the emotional core of the process is often quite similar [when composing for a fictional series like ‘The Beast in Me.’],” Sara says. “With a fictional project, I’m usually thinking very closely about character psychology, subtext, and what the music can reveal that may not be expressed on screen.

“With a project like ‘Planet Earth III,’ the storytelling comes from real behavior and real environments, so the music has to remain sensitive to that authenticity. But on a show like ‘Planet Earth III,’ the sequences are incredibly cinematic and have their own dramatic arcs, so I still approached them as stories, with tension, wonder, intimacy, and emotional weight. In both cases, the goal is ultimately the same: to deepen the audience’s connection to the story being told.”

When it comes to her own story arc, Sara says, “My time at Wheeler played an important role in shaping me as a young musician and composer. From being introduced to musical traditions from around the world through the Music Department, to studying music theory and composition through Aerie, to performing with the 18 Wheelers, I could not have imagined a more enriching foundation.”

From that foundation at Wheeler to the Sept. 14 Emmy Awards ceremony, Sara adds that she’s looking forward “to celebrating with the team, seeing friends and colleagues, and enjoying the rare opportunity for composers to emerge from our studios and socialize in formalwear.”

Please join us in congratulating Sara on her Emmy nomination!

Photo credit: Anna Azarov

This summer, Gryer A. ’28, Angela D. ’28, Adit M. ’28, Sarae S. ’28, and Sienna T. ’27 stepped into a leadership experience focused on creating meaningful social change.

Offered through a partnership with Wheeler’s Student Support Program, Tufts University’s Leadership for Social Change (LSC) program empowers students to examine complex social issues, strengthen their leadership skills, collaborate with others, and explore how they can make a difference. Over two weeks, students participated in interactive lectures with Tufts faculty, connected with local leaders and community organizations, and explored strategies for advancing equity, inclusion, and civic engagement.

“One of the greatest joys of my work is watching students grow into confident, compassionate leaders,” shared Equity, Community, and Belonging Student Support Coordinator and College Counseling Liaison Rose Phildor P’28, P’35. “When young people are given the opportunity to learn, lead, and serve, they don’t just imagine change, they become it.”

Congratulations to Gryer, Angela, Adit, Sarae, and Sienna on completing the 2026 Tufts University Leadership for Social Change program! We’re excited to see how they continue to apply what they learned as leaders at Wheeler and beyond. 💫

Students in our Hamilton Summer Program welcomed a very special guest today: Chip, the harbor seal mascot of Rhode Island FC! They asked Chip questions, exchanged high fives, shared interesting facts about harbor seals, and even got Chip to sign a few autographs (which is a very impressive feat for someone with flippers)!

The only thing missing from the experience was our own animal mascots, the Gold Lion and Purple Cow, who are currently enjoying summer vacation by the new pool at Wheeler Farm. We’ll need to arrange for a mascot meet up during the school year!

Congratulations to our state champion Envirothon team on their excellent performance at the 2026 NCF-Envirothon international competition! 🌳 🏆 💧

This year’s event was held at Mississippi State University and featured 45 top teams from across the United States and Canada. Wheeler finished 11th overall in last week’s competition, including a second place ranking in the Wildlife category and an eighth place result in the Oral Presentation category.

As we’ve shared in previous posts, Envirothon is a problem-solving competition where high school students explore concepts related to the environment and natural resource conservation through categories including Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Aquatics, Wildlife, and Current Environmental Issues.

Wheeler qualified for the international championships (for the third year in a row!) by winning the Rhode Island Envirothon last school year. Our title-winning competitors included David B. ’26 (captain), Amelie J. ’26, Milin J. ’26, Peter K. ’26, and Lucas M. ’26, and they were coached by Rani MacNeil. Congratulations to the entire team, and thank you to faculty chaperones Maiysha Laguerre P’29 and Willis Dunbar who accompanied them on last week’s trip to Mississippi!

Congratulations to Sienna T. ’27 on being crowned Miss Rhode Island Teen USA last weekend! 🌟

“I am incredibly honored,” Sienna says of winning the Miss Rhode Island Teen USA title. “This experience has taught me the importance of perseverance, and reminded me that growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. I’m excited to represent Rhode Island over the coming year and hope to inspire others to pursue their passions, and to lead with kindness and purpose.

“I’m extremely grateful for my family’s support and to have met so many incredible young women who encouraged one another and celebrated each other’s successes,” she adds.

“I can’t wait to see what I learn in my next steps when I represent Rhode Island at Miss Teen USA in Miami!”

The 44th Miss Teen USA pageant is scheduled for Aug. 26 – right before Sienna will start her senior year at Wheeler.

This summer, Kush P. ’28 performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in New York City after earning First Prize in the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, which recognizes talented musicians from around the world.

Although the invitation arrived this year, Kush explained that preparation began months earlier. Last October, he started learning Frédéric Chopin's “Etude Op. 10 No. 4.” "I worked on it all year," he said. "Although it's a short piece, just under three minutes and only six pages, it's quite technically challenging."

Mastering the notes was only part of the process. Kush said developing the musical interpretation took even longer. "I spent the last few months leading up to the recital really making it sound 'concert-ready.' More than anything, that means practicing slowly and getting full control over the sound of every note."

As the recital approached, Kush continued preparing with the support of his piano teacher, Nonetta Shatakhtsian of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School. "Her expert advice, encouragement, and enthusiasm have brought me to this point,” he added.

At Wheeler, Upper School Jazz Music Teacher Francisco Pais Cardoso has seen Kush's curiosity and dedication firsthand, describing him as "an extremely motivated and wonderful classical pianist" with "amazing technique" and a willingness to explore different musical styles.

Despite his nerves, Kush found confidence once he stepped onto the stage. "Waiting backstage was the most challenging aspect," he noted. "In fact, when I got on stage to perform, it didn't feel scary at all. It finally hit me in that moment that I was prepared, and no matter how well the performance was going to go, I had made it to that point."

Following the recital, Kush joined musicians of all ages and instruments on stage for an awards ceremony, where they received trophies and certificates recognizing their achievements.

"After my final bow, I felt truly accomplished," Kush reflected. "Performing in Carnegie Hall was a tremendous feeling and is certainly a milestone in my musical career. It was so meaningful to finally perform something I had spent so long working on. I can't wait to continue growing as a pianist!" 🎹✨

📸 credit: Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition

Today we're celebrating two alumnae authors with exciting new projects for middle grade readers!

📚 Abby Zwetchkenbaum Gibson, M.Ed. ’11

As an Orton-Gillingham tutor and former 5th-grade teacher, Abby Zwetchkenbaum Gibson, M.Ed. '11 spent years searching for the right books for her dyslexic students. The decodable texts available were often too simple, repetitive, and unengaging for older readers, while the books her students wanted to read were often linguistically out of reach.

So Abby decided to write the books she wished existed.

The result: “Friends and Foes,” a compelling high-low fiction series that addresses the real social challenges kids face while making engaging chapter books accessible for striving and reluctant readers.

As Abby shares, "This project is deeply personal and professionally meaningful to me. It grew directly out of my work with students, my love of writing, and my belief that emerging readers deserve rich, engaging stories without compromising instructional integrity."

Congratulations, Abby, on this exciting achievement, and thank you for creating stories that help more young readers discover the joy of reading.

✨ Next, we're shining a spotlight on another Wheeler alumna whose creative journey has taken her from filmmaking to cartooning — and now to middle grade fiction.

🎬 Sofia Warren '09

From climbing trees and drawing inspiration from “Calvin and Hobbes” to studying filmmaking and becoming a cartoonist for The New Yorker, Sofia Warren '09 has built a career rooted in creativity, irreverence, and a love of storytelling.

This September, Putnam Books for Young Readers will publish “Film Nerds,” Sofia's debut middle grade graphic novel. The story follows two girls whose shared love of making movies is tested by the changing dynamics of middle school — a heartfelt celebration of imagination, friendship, and collaboration.

As Sofia explains, "Ami and Ivy are fictional, but their story very much reflects the friendships — and the moviemaking — that shaped my own early life. It's been a joy to bring Ami and Ivy to life, and to let them strive, laugh, stumble, and triumph. For kids with a creative spark (that is to say, all kids!), I hope Ami and Ivy prove to be inspiring companions."

Since graduating from Wheeler, Sofia has become a contributing cartoonist for The New Yorker, authored the graphic memoir “Radical: My Year With a Socialist Senator;” and published work in MoMA Magazine, Catapult, Narrative Magazine, and more.

Join us in congratulating Sofia on this exciting new book, and in welcoming her back to Wheeler this fall for Alumni Career Roundtables and Homecoming Weekend!

Summer is yet another season where Upper School Latin Teacher Jonathan Migliori gets to use his knowledge to shine (beyond the classroom). As you may remember, last summer, he served as resident historian for Viking Cruises during a trip across the Arctic…and now, he’s setting off on a very different kind of journey, to the set of Jeopardy! This Thursday, he’ll debut as a contestant on the long-running television game show.

“As a trivia fan, I’ve always wanted to be on Jeopardy!, and have gone through the audition process a number of times over the last 10 years,” says Mr. Migliori. “I was actually in Morgan packing up after last period when I got the call that I would be on the show. Because of the laws around game show integrity, I had to keep this a secret for almost three months, which was a challenge. I had a blast though! There were so many questions in this week’s games that touched on Latin, mythology, and ancient history, which was especially exciting.”

And we’re excited to watch Mr. Migliori on Jeopardy! this Thursday! You can find your local TV station airing the episode at jeopardy.com/watch to view it live, and it will also be available for streaming on Hulu and Peacock the next day.

Bonam fortunam, Magister! ✨