Wheeler School

Call Directions Website Contact the school

Wheeler School The Wheeler School is a Nursery-Grade 12 coed, independent school founded in 1889 with two campuses, city and rural, in Providence, RI, and Seekonk, MA

10/11/2026

We’re celebrating this October’s Dyslexia and ADHD Awareness Month with a range of activities organized by the Hamilton School at Wheeler. This Thursday, the Hamilton Institute will hold its annual Learning Differences Seminar featuring Dr. Greg Fabiano. The topic will be “New Directions in Intervention and Treatment for Children with ADHD.”

Thank you to Mr. McCarthy and Charlie, Langston, Declan, and Wes for helping us learn more about dyslexia, Hamilton, and this month’s programming!

The virtual seminar is one of numerous events coming up this week at Wheeler:

MONDAY:
– Indigenous Peoples’ Day, school is closed.

TUESDAY:
– Intro to the Upper School’s Polaris Program for Hamilton Grade 8 families

WEDNESDAY:
– Wheeler Family Association (WFA) Presents: Clothing Sale Donation Day
– WFA Presents: Meet-Up and Walk for Parents and Guardians
– WFA Presents: Homecoming Committee Planning Meeting
– Coffee, Cupcakes, and Conversation. All parents and guardians are warmly invited to join us for an evening of cross-cultural conversation, facilitated by History Department Chair Virginia Laffey P’14, P’19, about how you can guide your children in having effective and respectful political discourse.

THURSDAY:
– Opening Reception for “Everyday Wonder,” an exhibition featuring the work of artists Maria Napolitano and Karen Roarke, from 5-8pm at the Chazan Gallery on our Providence campus.
– Hamilton Institute Presents: 5th Annual Learning Differences Seminar Series (Virtual), at 6pm.
– 9th-Grade Parent and Guardian Night

FRIDAY:
– WFA Presents: Meet-Up and Walk for Parents and Guardians

SATURDAY:
– Fall Open House for Prospective K-12 Families, from 9am-12pm on our Providence campus. Visit wheeler.org/enrollment/ for more information.

You can see additional details about all of these events in the Parent and Guardian Portal and in last Thursday’s e-newsletter.

For now, we hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend, and we’ll see you back at school on Tuesday!

We’re dancing our way into the weekend, courtesy of the Upper School’s “Foundation of DJ’ing” class. “In this Aerie Enri...
10/09/2026

We’re dancing our way into the weekend, courtesy of the Upper School’s “Foundation of DJ’ing” class.

“In this Aerie Enrichment, we cover the essentials of DJ’ing,” says faculty member David Schiano P’26 who, in addition to serving as director of operations for Wheeler’s radio station, WELH 88.1FM, has over three decades of professional DJ experience for events, nightclubs, and weddings.

During this course, Mr. Schiano shows students the layout of digital controllers and teaches them how to count beats, bars, and phrases so they know how and when to transition between tracks, to match the tempos of two different songs, and to align their beats manually or using software tools.

The Foundation of DJ’ing class was a former enrichment that Mr. Schiano was inspired to bring back this year when he saw student William G. ’27 sitting in the cafeteria one day, spinning music using a small controller. “I told him I’ve been a DJ forever, we started talking, and we made it into an official Thursday appointment where I could help him use different equipment and keep advancing.”

From there, this one-on-one DJ booth became a bit more crowded when Mr. Schiano and William thought it would be fun to open the lessons to any interested Upper School students through Aerie.

On the day we stopped by, Mr. Schiano was working with William and William’s friend and fellow senior, Hilario L. ’27.

“I love DJing,” William says, one hand on a turntable. “Being able to mix two songs together and keep that energy and that vibe, that really resonates with me.”

Hilario describes himself as William’s apprentice. “He showed me the ropes, and I’ve always loved music ever since I can remember. For me, being able to create remixes on the fly is so nice, and I love listening to the drops.

“And it’s always great to get feedback from someone in the industry,” Hilario adds, turning towards Mr. Schiano.

William agrees. “I don’t think I’d be where I am right now without Mr. Schiano’s help.”

“That’s a good remix,” Mr. Schiano responds right on cue (or tempo), his head nodding along to William’s music.

Fourth-grade artists have been working on a shoe-perb drawing unit with Lower School Art Teacher Adam Ferbert. First, th...
10/09/2026

Fourth-grade artists have been working on a shoe-perb drawing unit with Lower School Art Teacher Adam Ferbert. First, they practiced contour lines, learned to draw hidden objects by touch alone, and sketched objects from multiple viewpoints. After experimenting with pure contour and continuous line drawings of their hands, the students moved on to a simple still life using something they all brought to class: their shoes! 👟✏️

“The art room grew really quiet as the students practiced drawing from observation, focusing on capturing all the little details, from stitching to texture,” says Mr. Adam. “It was great to watch these young artists become so wrapped up in drawing an object they see every day but might never have taken the time to really look at. Sometimes, slowing down and looking closely can help us see something familiar in a whole new way!”

Next, the fourth-graders will use copies of their drawings to experiment with cross-hatching in pen and add watercolor to their designs. 🎨

“It was a long haul,” Head of Upper School Neeltje Henneman says on the latest episode of The This Week at Wheeler Podca...
10/08/2026

“It was a long haul,” Head of Upper School Neeltje Henneman says on the latest episode of The This Week at Wheeler Podcast – and no, she isn’t talking about this being her last school year at Wheeler (at least just yet in our interview). Rather, she’s reflecting on her beloved Mets and their disappointing season. Still, Ms. Henneman says, “There’s always next year.”

Once we move beyond baseball, though, she’s happy to talk about her time at Wheeler. From her very first day to today, 19 years later, it’s always been about the Upper School community. “A school is only as good as its teachers and its students,” she says. “The kids and the adults are the things I’m going to miss the very most.

“The high school kids, I’ll say the same things about them that I would say about the faculty: They’re smart. They’re curious. They’re funny. They’re annoying. They’re all the things. That’s where the joy is in school for sure. It’s the people.”

“It’s also the families,” she continues. “Collaborating with families has been a big part of my job here. To participate in the shared work of shepherding these children from 14 to 18 is a privilege, and it’s one that we don’t take lightly. We couldn’t do it without support from home.

“There’s a generosity of spirit” at Wheeler, she adds with appreciation. “I do feel very lucky.”

We feel very lucky that Neeltje has been our head of upper school for nearly two decades. You can listen to the rest of our conversation at bit.ly/ms-henneman.

And while she won’t be at Wheeler next fall, you can be sure to catch Ms. Henneman a year from now as she watches her Mets play October baseball.

10/08/2026

Look who we spotted in the art studio! 🎨🦁🐮

If you want to see more of what’s happening at Wheeler, join us for our K-12 Open House on Oct. 17 or our Nursery-PreK Open House on Nov. 14 The Nest at Wheeler.

You’ll have the chance to meet our faculty, students, staff, and current families and experience some of what makes Wheeler such a special place to learn and grow.

Visit wheelerschool.org/events to learn more and register, or click the link in our bio.

We can’t wait to see you!💜💛

This October, in recognition of Dyslexia and ADHD Awareness Month, Hamilton students are participating in the Dyslexia P...
10/08/2026

This October, in recognition of Dyslexia and ADHD Awareness Month, Hamilton students are participating in the Dyslexia Poster Project as they express the strengths and challenges that can come with dyslexia. “Once completed, each poster will be displayed in Hale Hall and around our Providence campus,” says Head of the Hamilton School at Wheeler Bill McCarthy. “This will bring greater awareness to members of our school community about what it is like to be dyslexic and why individuals with this learning difference deserve certain pathways and opportunities to reach their best potential. Like our students, each poster is unique and personal, and this is an important message to remind people that not all individuals with dyslexia are the same.”

Wall Street came to Wheeler this week as the Middle School Stock Market Club 📈 held its second session of the Aerie Enri...
10/07/2026

Wall Street came to Wheeler this week as the Middle School Stock Market Club 📈 held its second session of the Aerie Enrichment season.

“We started the students off with a trading game simulator where they're going to be able to invest fake money into companies,” says Aerie instructor Sarah Nguyen, who is studying mechanical engineering at Brown University and also leads a similar Stock Market Club in Wheeler Upper School. “From this course, we hope that they're able to take away how to analyze companies, what differentiates a good company from a bad company, and how to compare and contrast different companies that are within similar sectors.”

Kayla Wang, who is co-teaching the class with Ms. Nguyen and is studying applied mathematics and computer science at Brown University, adds, “The course also has an element of portfolio construction because we hope that through the trading competition they'll see how diversification works, and how owning different companies helps reduce overall risk.”

We’re excited to see how these Middle School stock traders put their new skills💲to the test!

Last month when the temperatures were a bit warmer, Aubrey A. ’27, Kahlan A. ’29, Anabelle B. ’28, Julian W. ’27, Elise ...
10/07/2026

Last month when the temperatures were a bit warmer, Aubrey A. ’27, Kahlan A. ’29, Anabelle B. ’28, Julian W. ’27, Elise W. ’30, Hayden R. ’35, Wheeler parent Brooke Rennie P’35, Hamilton Teacher Will Rennie P’35, and Coach Kristin Murphy P’19, P’23 swam and raised more than $1,200 together for Swim Across America Rhode Island to support the fight against cancer.

swimmers and members of the Wheeler community have participated in the annual open-water fundraiser in Narragansett since 2017, when Wheeler alumnus Ben Czech ’18 started this tradition in honor of a family member battling cancer.

“This year was the first year out of my four years participating in the event where the weather was beautiful and sunny,” said Aubrey, a senior. “Just feeling the warm sun and the excited atmosphere made me know I was going to have a great swim. I volunteer regularly to help children fighting cancer, so doing this swim was very important to me to honor these strong fighters and to show that they are not alone!”

Julian, a fellow senior who joined the Swim team in Upper School, said, “I’ll support Swim Across America for life because of the welcoming environment that both Swim Across America and Wheeler Swim provided for me. Asking family and friends to support an organization near and dear to my heart didn't feel burdensome, but fulfilling. I hope that this can bring more cancer awareness to those who are willing to support!” 🩷 Swim Across America

After spending 15 years as a student at Wheeler, William Singer ’24 is putting some of the valuable lessons he learned h...
10/06/2026

After spending 15 years as a student at Wheeler, William Singer ’24 is putting some of the valuable lessons he learned here, both in the classroom and on the baseball field, into his current college education at Haverford.

A commitment to high academic standards. The confidence that comes from being part of and contributing to a close community. And an understanding that sports are ultimately about more than the final score.

Those lessons came into sharp focus when William took the mound against Johns Hopkins last April, which was then ranked as one of the nation’s top-five teams. What transpired was the delivery of a brilliant performance, leading Haverford to a historic upset. (William’s pictured here, alongside his proud parents, Director of College Counseling Amy Baumgartel Singer ’89, P’20, P’24 and Adam Singer P’20, P’24, just after that monumental game.)

You can read the rest of William’s story at bit.ly/william-singer.

Haverford College Baseball

School Nurse Christy Morales P’29 brought history, culture, and dance to life at The Nest this week!🪹🎶To celebrate Hispa...
10/06/2026

School Nurse Christy Morales P’29 brought history, culture, and dance to life at The Nest this week!🪹🎶

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Nurse Christy taught students about “La Raspa,” a traditional Mexican folk dance originating in Veracruz, Mexico. The name La Raspa means “to scrape or grate,” referring to the dance’s signature footwork, where dancers slide one foot forward and balance on their heel.

While La Raspa is traditionally danced with partners, our students joined hands in a big circle, learning coordinated footwork, clapping, and changing directions together. They also learned about traditional Veracruz dress and costume elements, including the shawl (rebozo), hat (sombrero), and dance shoes (zapatos).

And there was a sweet parting gift: Nurse Christy gave each child a red flower 🌺 , a traditional part of the costume worn during the dance!

To top off the celebration, she shared two delicious pastel de tres leches cakes 🍰 that she baked for faculty to enjoy.

Thank you, Nurse Christy, for caring so deeply for the entire Nest community and for sharing your culture and traditions with our students. It was a joyful afternoon of learning, dancing, and smiling together! 💞

Address

216 Hope Street
Providence, RI
02906

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 3pm
Tuesday 8am - 3pm
Wednesday 8am - 3pm
Thursday 8am - 3pm
Friday 8am - 3pm

Telephone

+14014218100

Website

, , ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wheeler School posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Wheeler School:

Shortcuts

Share

Category