AERIE PROGRAM: NEAS&C DISCUSSION TOPICS
STANDARD 4 (PROGRAM)
1. We in the Aerie Department share a belief that student learning is greatly enhanced when
we seize opportunities to instill passion and excitement in our students. There is an emphasis
on learning through DOING. We also believe that classroom learning is improved when teachers
are given a wealth of personnel and resources to bring their curricula to life. We believe that
learning in groups and the individual pursuit of interests are compatible endeavors. We believe
that much of our students’ learning takes place outside the regular classroom. We believe that
a rich array of opportunities available to our students helps create a productive community of
self-driven learners. Finally, we believe that a great school is responsive to individual student
initiative, and we respond accordingly.
2. While we believe that our department’s goals are well-aligned with the school mission, the
Aerie Program’s strongest contributions to the Wheeler community are those elements of the
Mission Statement that deal with Opportunity and Individuality, and contributing to “the
extraordinary energy and vitality which is characteristic of this community.” We focus on
individual interests and talents and a wide variety of opportunities so that students may
discover, explore, and excel, both inside and outside of the classroom.
3. In Lower School we work with T-5 classroom teachers to develop and employ high-interest
projects which spin off from and complement the classroom curriculum. Enrichment classes
are part of the regular Lower School schedule. There is planning for integration of Hamilton
students into each unit and to ensure that the curriculum matches a variety of learning styles
(often there is a focus on oral language rather than written, and extensive hands-on learning.)
We communicate regularly with the teams of classroom teachers to examine, improve, and
revise our units of study.
4. The Department’s curriculum (Lower & Hamilton Schools) is created for students in concert
with classroom teachers. There is continuity within grade levels as well as with school-wide
curriculum initiatives such as geography standards and science department goals. We work
with teacher teams to meet the needs of students using technology and working with the
library, performing arts, science and art staffs. In mathematics instruction in Grades 3-5, each
member of the Aerie Department teaches a section in order to accommodate classroom
teacher goals of appropriate instructional groupings and attention to individual needs. When
students have specific needs for differentiated curricula, for example in Spanish or
mathematics, a team approach is employed to respond with tutorials, accelerated placement,
or enrichment. At Middle and Upper School levels, alternative offerings for students with
fluency in language or accelerated math placement are routinely employed, with adjunct
instructors supplied through the Aerie Department. An extensive menu of co-curricular
programs and classes reflect student and faculty initiatives and change according to evolving
needs.
5. Curriculum at Wheeler is organic. As personnel change over time, instructor strengths and
interests lead to tinkering with curriculum units from year to year. Aerie units, typically 3-4 per
year at each T-5 grade level, are regularly planned with classroom teacher teams, integrating
departmental objectives, school-wide initiatives, parental input, and adjunct resources to
provide comprehensive support for teacher goals. Post-unit feedback and analysis carries over
to the next year’s schedule. Stability of department staffing makes accommodation and
integration of new faculty into the mix at each grade level smooth. The Aerie staff is
represented in N-12 departmental discussions of curriculum changes, divisional meetings, and
administrative teams. Aerie offerings in Middle and Upper Schools reflect a mix of long-term
commitment to enhancing the core program and capitalizing on individual student short-term
interests.
6. Two Aerie department members work with teacher teams in Grades T-5, while a third joins
the teaching staff for Grades 3-5. Two of these staff members continue to work with students
as they move into Middle and Upper Schools. This continuity helps provide a bridge for
divisional and departmental communications about students and curriculum.
STANDARD 6
1. & 2. Three Aerie faculty members work with teachers and staff to make use of technology in
individual classrooms. In addition to the Wheeler radio station (WELH), we provide equipment
for various courses and projects, e.g., film making, Rube Goldberg building machines, Robotics,
recycling; we make every effort to supply what is needed for classroom initiatives. In our
teaching we use Power Point, streaming video, educational websites, still and video cameras,
sound recording equipment, video editing software, filmstrip projectors, computer projection,
and video and DVD media. The department is allocated two project classrooms, two individual
offices, a complete radio broadcasting facility, and storage.
STRENGTHS AND IMPROVEMENTS
1. The department’s strengths include our resources and flexibility as well our imagination. We
have a “whole school” view and fully integrate Hamilton students into our program. In addition
to three full-time faculty members, an Administrative Assistant (shared with the Lower School,)
and a full-time radio station manager, we typically employ 80 or so adjunct instructors each
year (part-time faculty as well as college undergraduate and graduate students) to help
facilitate our program. The Aerie budget reflects a deep and lasting commitment by the school
to this program. Aerie is an integral partner to each of the four divisions, Transition through
Grade 12. New initiatives and curriculum experiments are accommodated quickly, as are
sudden needs for student support services. Long-term partnerships between the Aerie
Department, the key administrators in the school, and virtually every department in the
institution are key to smooth operation of the program. The ability to invest in long-term R & D
efforts is a strength as well.
2. We need to develop a more substantial Middle School Program; plans for the coming year
include a revamping of the Activities mini-course program and looking at more effective
curricular enhancement. Challenges include continuity of services in a tighter budget climate,
maintaining quality of adjunct instruction, adequate supervision of a large staff of interns, and
more effective allocation of staff time.