Life at Ellis
Culture & Community Life
Ellis is a community that pursues, supports, and honors diversity in all its forms.
The Department of Culture and Community Life helps Ellis live its mission, vision, and motto, Esse Quam Videri, “to be rather than to seem,” in the daily life of the school. Our work is rooted in the belief that culture is not only what we say we value. Culture is what students, families, faculty, and staff experience every day.
We are committed to strengthening a school community where every student feels safe, supported, and valued. This work asks us to honor the dignity of each person, recognize the strength found in our differences, and build the conditions that allow every girl to learn, lead, grow, and thrive.
We do this by:
-
Recognizing and celebrating the lived experience of every student.
-
Practicing equity and inclusion with intention, humility, and consistency across our internal culture and external partnerships.
-
Building authentic, reciprocal relationships with families that are grounded in trust, communication, and shared care for each girl.
-
Supporting culturally sustaining teaching and learning that honors students’ identities, expands understanding, and prepares students to engage the world with empathy, confidence, and responsibility.
At its heart, this work is about helping Ellis become what it says it values. Through leadership, communication, reflection, and partnership, we continue building a school culture where belonging, dignity, and care are not only stated, but deeply felt.
List of 4 items.
-
Commitment to Equity and Inclusion
We understand that this work requires intention, humility, and consistency. It calls us to reflect on our culture, systems, and daily interactions while preparing students to engage the world with empathy, courage, and responsibility. We are committed to building a community where dignity is protected, voices are respected, and every girl has what she needs to thrive. -
Culturally Sustaining Learning
We are committed to teaching and learning that honors students' identities, broadens their understanding of others, and encourages thoughtful curiosity. Through meaningful experiences and inclusive classrooms, every girl is empowered to see herself as both a learner and a leader in a diverse and interconnected world. -
Partnering with Families
We believe strong family partnerships are essential to a thriving school community. By fostering relationships rooted in trust, respect, open communication, and shared purpose, we work together to support each girl's academic, social, and emotional growth throughout her Ellis journey. -
Valuing Every Individual
We believe every girl at Ellis is more than a student in our classrooms. She is a whole person with a unique story, voice, culture, family, perspective, and future. We honor that individuality by creating a community where every student is known, valued, supported, and empowered to flourish.
List of 2 items.
-
Student Affinity Groups
Student Affinity Groups bring together students who share a core identifier, providing a safe environment in which students who share a specific identity can come together for building community while supporting and empowering one another. Affinity Groups prepare community members to engage effectively in cross/intercultural exchanges. -
Ellisians for an Inclusive Community
Ellisians for an Inclusive Community (EFIC) brings together faculty, administrators, and staff to help ensure that Ellis’s values are not only stated, but practiced. The group supports the ongoing work of building a school culture rooted in equity, dignity, inclusion, and care.
Middle School Affinity Groups
List of 2 items.
Upper School Affinity Groups
Upper School Alliance Groups
List of 3 items.
Culture Jam
Culture Jam is an annual student-led conference that creates space for high school students to learn, lead, and engage in meaningful conversations about identity, equity, culture, and community.
Designed and produced by students, Culture Jam invites participants into thoughtful dialogue about the issues shaping their schools, the Pittsburgh region, and the wider world. Through this experience, students build the confidence to listen deeply, speak with purpose, ask courageous questions, and engage across differences with care, dignity, and respect.
Dr. Christine Herring
A Note from the Director of Culture and Community Life
At Ellis, culture is not a statement on a page. It is the daily experience of our students, families, faculty, and staff. It is felt in how we greet one another, how we listen, how we lead, how we repair harm, how we communicate, and how we make room for every girl to become fully herself.
The work of Culture and Community Life is grounded in the mission, vision, and motto of The Ellis School, Esse Quam Videri, “to be rather than to seem.” That motto calls us to live with integrity. It asks us to make sure that who we say we are is reflected in how we teach, lead, gather, partner, and care for one another.
This work is leadership work. It is communication work. It is trust-building work. It asks us to create the conditions where every student is known with care, respected with dignity, challenged with purpose, and supported with intention. It also asks us to build strong partnerships with families and to communicate in ways that strengthen connection, clarity, and shared responsibility.
This work is leadership work. It is communication work. It is trust-building work. It asks us to create the conditions where every student is known with care, respected with dignity, challenged with purpose, and supported with intention. It also asks us to build strong partnerships with families and to communicate in ways that strengthen connection, clarity, and shared responsibility.
At Ellis, each girl brings more than her academic gifts to our community. She brings her identity, her experiences, her relationships, her questions, and her hopes for who she is becoming. Our responsibility is to shape a school culture where every student feels known, valued, and connected to something larger than herself.
Culture and community life are not separate from academic excellence. They make academic excellence possible. When students feel known, trusted, and valued, they are more willing to take risks, ask questions, lead boldly, and grow with confidence.
This is the heart of Esse Quam Videri. We do not want our values to simply be beautifully written. We want them to be deeply lived. Through intentional leadership, thoughtful communication, honest reflection, and shared care, we will continue building an Ellis community where who we are is felt every day by every student.
