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🌏 World Geography is the overarching theme for 5th-Grade Aerie Enrichment this term, with students exploring the relationship between people and the places they inhabit and asking essential questions like, “How does geography impact where we live and who lives there? and “How do they, in turn, impact the geography?”

To help our Lower Schoolers explore this question, 5th-Grade Teacher Emily Abedon P’27, P’30 invited cartographer Andrew Middleton, owner of The Map Center, to lead a series of three sessions on maps and mapmaking. 🗺️

During the first session, students learned that Mr. Middleton helped create maps for Apple Maps and Google Maps, as well as a mapping tool utility companies use to track outages. He also demonstrated how an astrolabe works and shared a detail about the night sky: the position of Polaris, the North Star, changes depending on where you are on Earth.

In the sessions ahead, students will examine maps from the Age of Discovery, make their own maps using clementines, and explore critical cartography. Along the way, they’ll consider questions like “Why does this map look so weird?”, “Is it wrong? Is it useful?” and “Why was it made, and by whom?”

They’ll also be asked to consider a question that applies to maps far beyond the classroom: “Do you trust it?”

@themapcenter

To honor National Hispanic Heritage Month (which comes to a close tomorrow), our Upper School Spanish 5 and 3 Honors students recently went on a field trip.

The day kicked off with an intimate theater experience at ECAS Theater in Providence, where they saw Lope de Vega’s classic 1613 comedy, “La Dama Boba,” reimagined with a modern twist.

“Thanks to a pre-trip classroom visit to Wheeler by lead actor Jorge Rivera, our students were able to understand this quirky poetic play a bit better, and they found many connections to modern day,” shares Upper School Spanish Teacher Amy Bonnici P’26, P’28.

After the applause and curtain call, the Wheeler group got to participate in a private Q&A session with the director and cast!

“The immersion didn’t stop there,” Ms. Bonnici adds. “Students enjoyed a delicious Dominican lunch at La Gran Parada and finished the day dancing together as they learned Bachata dance moves at @culturadancearts in Pawtucket.

“Real-world experiences like this can bring language learning to life, connecting our students with our talented neighbors and building meaningful community relationships,” she continues. “Special thanks to @teatro_ecas , especially to Jorge Rivera, Director Francis Parra, Brandon Contreras at Cultura Dance Arts, the kind team at La Gran Parada, and to Ms. Horita Graham [P’35] for being such an amazing chaperone. As always, thanks to the students for bringing such positive energy!” 🌟

Nest students and their families recently had their first family community adventures of the school year! Each season, our five Nursery homerooms take turns hosting a special gathering for families in their learning spaces. Last week, the Cardinals and Peaceful Pines took the lead! 

The Peaceful Pines answered a “Question of the Day” to decide where to go: Pageant Grounds or Wheeler Pond? The vote was in, and they headed to Wheeler Pond! There, they spotted two pairs of mallard ducks before gathering for a gratitude circle and their daily chant: “Thank you, Mother Nature!” 🦆💚

Meanwhile, the Cardinals and their families explored the cross-country trail together and enjoyed warm apple cider outdoors! 🍎☕

“When families step into our environment, they get a glimpse of their children’s experiences, share in their learning, and strengthen the bonds between home and school,” says Nest Director Michelle Dolan. “These gatherings remind our learners that their families are part of the community supporting them as they grow.”

We look forward to the Chickadees, Mighty Oaks, and Mockingbirds hosting their seasonal family gatherings next! 🍂🍃

Sixth-graders recently learned about five Francophone countries and territories: Algérie, Côte d`Ivoire, la Guyane Française, la Nouvelle-Calédonie, and Guadeloupe 🗺️. Working in groups, students researched their assigned country or territory, and created posters highlighting its location, flag, food, and culture, as well as the reasons why French is spoken there. Each poster also included three fun facts and eight new French words the students learned along the way.

The groups then presented their findings to the class – some of the presentations included playing national anthems 🎶! 

French Teacher Olivia Wilcox said the project gave students an opportunity to put their creativity and collaboration skills to work, and the groups approached it with “beaucoup d’enthousiasme” (plenty of enthusiasm)!