Celebrating Our Community
The 2021-22 school year was a period when we returned to various rituals and communicated experiences that had been greatly affected, if not paused, by the pandemic. We highlight some of them here. You could read more below as well as in our latest issue of Now & Then.
On June 10, we celebrated the Class of 2022 during our 133rd Commencement! Families, friends, faculty, and staff gathered at Wheeler Farm for a joyous ceremony that reflected on the graduates’ hard work, struggles, and successes amid the pandemic uncertainty they faced for much of their time in Upper School. In her welcome address, Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 thanked the Class of 2022 for inspiring both adults and younger students alike with “what resilience, fortitude, flexibility, and positivity could look like…While at times, you may have wanted to put your heads in the sand, instead you turned around and led us forward,” she said. “You took what the world gave you and spun gold from straw.”
Student remarks were delivered by Senior Class Co-Presidents Lila Rizvi ‘22 and Carl Wehbe ‘22. Michael L. Littman PhD, The Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence in Computer Science at Brown University, gave this year’s Commencement address.
On May 13, we held Founder’s Day and Field Day on the same day–for the first time ever! The festivities began with a colorful display on both of Wheeler’s campuses, as Lower, Middle, and Upper School students drew chalk artwork that showcased their Wheeler, Purple, and Gold spirit. We then headed out for Founder’s Day service projects at parks across Providence and the Farm. In the early afternoon, everyone came together in Seekonk for Wheeler’s 108th Field Day. The opening march, which was led by Athletic Association leadership, Color Captains, and Wheeler alumni, was followed by the beloved–and exciting!–Purple and Gold relay race (Purple won the girls race and Gold was victorious in the boys race). Each division then headed off to different fields at the Farm for more friendly competition. Activities included tug-of-war, a variety of relay races, dodgeball, an obstacle course, and capture-the-flag.Wheeler holds Founder’s Day and Field Day on the same day-for the first time ever!
Following Founder’s Day and Field Day activities with students, the Wheeler adult community gathered at school that May evening for our Celebration of Giving. This thank-you event was held in appreciation of our donors and volunteers, who generously raised a goal-busting $891,614 for the Wheeler Fund last year, with an additional $39,000 contributed through the Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us, and thank you to everyone who continues to support the Wheeler Fund, volunteer, or contribute to making Wheeler a place where each and every student can learn their powers and thrive!
In February, we honored Omar Bah, founder and Executive Director of the Refugee Dream Center, Inc. (RDC), as the latest recipient of the Wheeler Community Spirit Award. Each year since 2004, the award, which is bestowed by the Students Involved in Cultural Awareness (SICA) club, has recognized a person in the Providence community who advocates for those with fewer opportunities.
Bah is a torture survivor, former journalist, and refugee from The Gambia in West Africa who founded the RDC along with his wife, Teddi Jallow. Through the center, refugees learn new skills, receive case management support and job training, and network in a diverse setting as they work towards self-sufficiency in their new communities and integrate into American society by interacting and sharing their unique cultures and skills.
Over the May weekend of Mary C. Wheeler’s birthday, Founder’s Day, and Field Day, members of the Class of 1971 gathered for various celebrations and conversations in honor of their milestone 50th Reunion (their original Reunion Weekend was postponed due to the pandemic). Nearly 30 members of the class returned to Wheeler either in person or virtually.
On Field Day, which was held that Friday afternoon, they led the Purple and Gold March, with Jody Angevin ’71 carrying the banner for Purple and Kim Scala ’71 carrying the banner for Gold. “My mother and her three sisters all went to Wheeler as day students so the legacy is strong,” Jody said. “It brought back memories of my own Field Days (three in total as I arrived as a boarder in my sophomore year), and I loved being followed by our future leaders.”
In a ceremony held during last year’s Reunion and Homecoming festivities, we inducted two Warriors sports icons, MaryAnn “Mama” Farroba and Julie Baldwin, as well as two historic championship teams, 1985 Boys Soccer and 1988 Field Hockey, as the inaugural members of the Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame.
Wheeler students offered up vibrant song and dance on a global scale during the 9th annual Multicultural Performance Showcase, held in Isenberg Auditorium in November. Event emcees Monique Pond ’24, Leenah Gibbs ‘23, Sydney Jaiswal ‘22, and Mateo Smith ‘23 introduced performances that reflected cultures from across the world. “We have so much gratitude and love for the many hearts and hands who helped make our ninth Showcase a successful celebration,” said Director of Unity & Diversity Princess Sirleaf Bomba P’16, P’18. “It is our rich diversity which makes Wheeler a stronger, more united community.”
During last year’s Reunion and Homecoming Weekend, Harvey E. Lee Jr. ’86 was honored as the latest recipient of the Founder’s Award, which is presented annually by The Wheeler School Alumni Board. The award recognizes Wheeler alumni who have made a positive and considerable difference to Wheeler and who serve as an ambassador for the school and a leader in keeping their class engaged with the wider Wheeler community.
“Receiving the Founder’s Award was not only an honor, it was a humbling experience,” Lee says. “It was humbling because we don’t often see ourselves in the same way that others perceive us. We live our daily lives. We consume ourselves with our daily responsibilities. We perform at our jobs. We care for our families. We enjoy time with friends. We do things that keep us busy. Yet we seldom pause to appreciate the impact that we have on our family, friends, and peers. Receiving the Founder’s Award meant that my work, time, and energy were appreciated by my community.”
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, The Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale returned on April 8 and 9! More than 130 volunteers once again transformed Madden Gymnasium into an expansive pop-up retail store, as parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, alumni family members, friends, and students showed up for an hour, a day, or a week to work hard and have fun in support of Wheeler and the wider local community. There was $56,000 in total sales, and the net proceeds were donated to the Wheeler Fund and other key school priorities. Thank you to the Wheeler School Parents Association, as always, for organizing the event, and thank you to everyone who donated items. The 2023 Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale will be held on Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22. You can see information about upcoming donation days on The Famous Wheeler Clothing Sale webpage at bit.ly/famouswheelersale.
We had a great time at GrandFriends Day in May! Our special guests in Providence began their Wheeler experience by listening to some welcoming remarks from Head of School Allison Gaines Pell P’23, P’25 and a few songs from the 18 Wheelers a cappella group in Isenberg Auditorium before heading off to their students’ classrooms for various activities. They also enjoyed some more musical performances and games outside, before finishing up the day with lunch and taking some fun photos together. Meanwhile, at Wheeler Farm, grandparents and special friends had the opportunity to feel how joyful it is for the children to learn at the Nest.
In June, we hosted our Purple and Gold Circle Reunion which celebrated alumnae from the classes of 1970 to 1955. Nearly 30 friends and classmates gathered on the lawn in front of Hope Building for a luncheon with Head of School Allison Gaines Pell. Afterwards, some also traveled to Seekonk for a guided tour of the Farm campus. This event was postponed from the fall and will be held each spring to honor alumnae/i celebrating their 51st to their 86th Wheeler Reunion.