September 2007

Welcome to the Wheelock School web site. It is my sincere hope that this small glimpse of our comprehensive elementary school will give you a sense of our school programs and culture.

Wheelock proudly serves students ages 3-5 in our Community Preschool, which has been recognized as a model program for school districts throughout New Hampshire.

We are fortunate in Keene to have a full day kindergarten program for our students. The kindergarten program helps students develop the necessary skills to become successful readers and writers. Kindergarten students learn mathematics concepts such as one-to-one correspondence, more than, less than, patterning and counting. Science and Social Studies are woven into the curriculum through thematic teaching.

Like their older peers in grades 1-5, Kindergarten students go to ‘specials.’ Specials are subjects taught by specialists in their field such as Art, Music, Physical Education, Computers, Guidance, and Library. Our K-5 students also participate in Exploratory, which is instruction which goes a bit beyond the curriculum. During Exploratory students might quilt, participate in a walking or running program, put on a play, build Lego machines, explore different art media, or sing in Chorus.

In grades 1-5 our students participate in a rigorous curriculum which is common to Keene’s five elementary schools. Our teachers take great pride in knowing their students and families well, and partnering for the success of the students.

We participate in many community events such as arts projects for Keene’s birthday, the Colony House Museum, and the Keene Pumpkin Festival. We have an ongoing relationship with Keene State College, and we often have pre-service teachers observing or visiting our school. Our community is very supportive of our schools, and we have a highly involved group of parents who support students, teachers, and families through the efforts of the Wheelock PTA. Community-building events, field trips, and artist-in-residence programs are just a few of the contributions of our PTA.

Please call or e-mail with any questions you may have about Wheelock School.

Cordially,

Gwen S. Mitchell, Principal