When Ellis alumnae returned to their alma mater for Reunion Weekend in October, they made one thing clear: Their Ellis experience has stuck with them. Whether through their academic background, the friendships with peers and relationships with teachers, or extracurricular experiences, alumnae shared how Ellis has continued to influence them throughout their lives.

Modeling, designing, storytelling—these are terms one might expect to hear in an art or English classroom. But at Ellis, used to compliment rigorous experimentation, data collection, and analysis, they perfectly illustrate the science curriculum. In general, Ellis’ Upper School curriculum encourages hands-on, active learning experiences, but Ellis science teachers take this to another level.

Ellis second graders Crystal and Julia have a good reason for enjoying their reading class: The more they can read, the more they can know about the world.

Ellis students greeted new teachers in the classroom this fall, as ten new faces joined the faculty across the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Each brings excitement and innovation to their classrooms, labs, stages, and athletic spaces, and they look forward to guiding and mentoring students through each subject this year.

Seven new staff members join the Ellis administration for the 2022–2023 school year, each bringing a wealth of knowledge in their areas of expertise and decades of experience working in independent schools, higher education institutions, and organizations that serve students and other young learners in the Pittsburgh region and beyond.

Earlier this spring, Joy’s Gym came alive with an exuberant energy that echoed across campus. The entire Middle School community gathered to see the creativity of Ellis’ fifth and sixth graders on display, filling the space with the hustle and bustle one might find at a real-world artisan market. Festive booths showcasing unique products lined the gym’s perimeter, and students excitedly demonstrated their creations, rattling off sales pitches and counting stacks of brightly colored “Ellis bucks.” Following a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and after undergoing a strategic refresh, Ellis Entrepreneurs has made a triumphant return.

Ten Upper School students have been inducted into the National Honor Societies for world languages. Four students were inducted into the National Latin Honor Society and six students were inducted into Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica.

The students of Ellis’ MATHCOUNTS team really know their numbers. They can maneuver puzzle-like word problems, work together to crack tough equations, and race against the clock while completing complex calculations. Each club period, this small but mighty band of middle school mathletes meets to sharpen their skills—and this year the students have chosen to continue meeting even though their competition season has passed. Why? Because they know that math takes practice; because they believe they can always get better; and, most of all, because they enjoy it. 

Jamie Schiff has been appointed Ellis’ next Head of Lower School, effective July 1, 2022.

29 Ellis students representing grades 7–12 have a collective 44 works of art included in the 2022 Scholastic Art Awards exhibition, earning a total of 3 Gold Key awards, 14 Silver Key awards, and 27 Honorable Mention awards. Their art has been honored in several categories, including photography, digital art, drawing and illustration, ceramics and glass, painting, and mixed media.

A number of Ellis student writers were recently celebrated for their participation in the regional Scholastic Writing Awards. Recognized for their critical essays, poetry, personal essays, journalism, science fiction, and fantasy, 28 Ellis students representing grades 8–12 won a total of 37 awards, including 5 Gold Keys, 17 Silver Keys, and 15 Honorable Mentions. 

On Friday, February 10, the Upper School community gathered on campus to participate in the School’s first-ever Wellness Day. Organized by Head of Upper School Amanda Finigan, Associate Head of Upper School Ashley Dotson, and School Counselor Karen Boyer, the day offered students a change of pace and an opportunity to explore new wellness practices outside of the classroom. 

During the Ellis English department’s formal review of the Middle and Upper School curriculum, faculty sought to ensure that the literature studied in their classes represented students’ diverse lived experiences and voices. A key piece of student feedback that was collected as part of this review came through loud and clear: students wanted to read stories that incorporated more empowering female characters, particularly women of color.

A sophomore, designated the "Special Student” of the day, stands in front of a classroom of her Upper School peers. She replies to interview questions asked by her teacher and classmates, speaking enthusiastically about Tom Hanks movies, her favorite Marvel characters, and her love of One Direction. It’s an entertaining exercise, and an impressive one—for the majority of the discussion has been spoken in Latin.

Lower School Physical Education Teacher Michelle Cook has been chosen as one of 20 members of the USA Ball Hockey Women’s Masters Team.