Building Belonging

A core pillar at The Ellis School is cultivating students to be caring and empathetic individuals who make deep, authentic connections with others. Not only do we know our students benefit from learning in community where relationships are key and every girl is invited to bring all aspects of her identity into our shared space, but—as a school founded in order to enhance the ability of women to access opportunities commensurate with men at a time when that was a rarity—we carry a long-held commitment to the importance of diversity, inclusivity, and equity in making the world a better place for all. 
“This has been a year of many challenges for our local community and nation. The pandemic has created enormous stresses and losses for many, the calls for social justice have been loud and clear, and the heightened divisiveness among Americans has tested our ability to engage in constructive dialogue around important issues,” shared Macon Finley, Head of School. “One of my dreams for Ellis is that we continue to be a strong and connected community in which we take care of each other, challenge each other to see different perspectives and work together to be a truly inclusive community. Our mission—to develop girls and young women to be bold, authentic, intellectually vibrant changemakers—makes this dream essential.”

The work of faculty, staff, students, and the Board of Trustees to ensure everyone feels known, welcome, and connected in meaningful and collaborative ways this year flourished. In July 2020, former Lower School teacher Denise LaRosa stepped into her new position as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and she has played an important role in creating school and community-oriented initiatives around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Together, Ms. Finley, the Board Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, and Ms. LaRosa set clear expectations and goals toward ensuring that every student feels like they are seen, heard, known, and treated fairly at Ellis. After listening to members of the school community as they expressed their needs around these efforts, a new statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion was created:

The Ellis School community pursues, supports, and embraces diversity of all kinds, recognizing the collective strength derived from our individual differences. We are committed to creating a school environment in which all students feel welcome, known, heard, safe, and treated fairly, while establishing ourselves as a leader in equity and justice initiatives.
  • We recognize and celebrate the unique value and dignity of every student.
  • We commit to doing the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally.
  • We foster authentic and reciprocal relationships with families.
  • We strive to teach a culturally sustaining curriculum and engage in culturally sustaining instructional practices.
In practice, these goals and expectations affect all members of the Ellis community, and every Ellisian has a stake in this work.

Prioritizing Professional Development

Ellis faculty and staff continued their participation in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) focused professional development on multiple occasions this year. The Office of DEI hosted three sessions that included defining and understanding cultural competency through an Ellis lens, culturally responsive instruction, and highlighting and recognizing the DEI work that is already happening in Ellis classrooms.

Ms. LaRosa led the first discussion on cultural competency with the goal of defining what it means at Ellis and how it connects to our mission, vision, and strategic plan. Cultural competency is an ability to understand, interact, and communicate with people across cultures in authentic ways, and encompasses gaining awareness of different world views and cultures different from your own. From practicing cross-cultural communication skills to managing intent vs. impact, Ms. LaRosa honed in on how faculty and staff can lead courageous conversations that are respectful, inclusive, and culturally competent at school, at home, and in the community. She also highlighted the importance of listening to and lifting up student voices and how the faculty's understanding of cultural competency shapes the school experience for students.

“It’s really important when engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion work that everyone who participates has the language and the common knowledge they need to delve deeper into themes and issues moving forward,” shared Ms. LaRosa. “Cultural competency is the foundation for all DEI initiatives. This session laid the groundwork for faculty and informs everything that we do together.”

The second workshop was run by educators Dr. Epryl King and Dr. Janet Niethamer of RAMP (Raising Achievement in Monroeville and Pitcairn) on culturally responsive practices within classroom instruction. Dr. King and Dr. Niethamer shared strategies and tools teachers can use to incorporate additional culturally responsive instructional practices. During the interactive session, teachers discussed ways they could implement new frameworks and strengthen existing ones in their curriculums and instructional practices.

The Ellisians for an Inclusive Community (EFIC) steering committee led the third workshop and highlighted the engaging DEI work that faculty have already implemented in their classrooms. Faculty members shared photos that represented DEI at Ellis and were then encouraged to reflect upon and discuss how they can replicate and sustain these positive practices across grades and divisions. From images of students performing in the Upper School musical to pictures of books lining our library shelves, the photos submitted represented a range of authentic moments on campus.

“One of the intentions of this activity was to celebrate, recognize, and honor the amazing work our teachers are already doing in this space,” shared Gina Kilpela, English Teacher and EFIC leader. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion work is not new to us as a faculty. Rather, we’re taking the next step. The goal was to reflect on ways we can expand and extend what we’re doing, and be more engaging and intentional in doing so.”

This year, students and faculty also continued to have the opportunity to attend the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Student Diversity Leadership Conference and People of Color Conference. Five teachers and three students virtually tuned in to a variety of programming designed to equip students and educators with the dialogue and skills needed to improve the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in their schools and communities. The School has been sending students and faculty to these conferences for the past decade.

Incorporating New Culturally Responsive Coursework
When a professional development opportunity at the University of Pittsburgh presented itself to Lower School teachers Jen Lakin, Holly Mawn, and Jess Nolan, they knew they couldn’t pass it up. Eager to work together on their social studies curricula in grades 3 and 4, the trio joined the week-long Interdisciplinary Global Educators Workshop, a virtual program designed for K-16 educators to collaborate on redesigning curriculum units to be more culturally responsive. In the realm of education, culturally responsive coursework provides students with the opportunity to learn from and relate respectfully with people from their own culture as well as those from other cultures.

Run by the University’s Global Studies Center, Grade 3 Teachers Ms. Lakin and Ms. Mawn and Grade 4 Teacher Ms. Nolan chose to revamp their immigration units to look more broadly at migration patterns. After workshopping the idea with fellow participants, they decided that by taking the “im” off of immigration, they could look more closely at the migration of people within the United States, their contributions, and the long-term effects.

“We really wanted to come together to globalize our units and make it a seamless transition from third to fourth grade,” shared Ms. Mawn. “Our goal was to make sure that we were telling stories from multiple perspectives. By highlighting migration, we are focusing on the rich cultural contributions from many different cultures and how those contributions helped create the America we know today.”

In practice, third grade students explored migration through the lens of why people move. They considered what life was once like for immigrants, what caused people to leave their homes to start new lives in different places, and investigated how migration is a theme across their subjects. From social studies to literature and art class, students deepened their understanding through diverse storytelling and interactive lessons that focused on migration and movement.

These cross-cultural connections came alive in the art studio when students were introduced to two contemporary artists, Favianna Rodriguez and Lordy Rodriguez, while exploring themes of migration and mapping. In language arts class, new literature selections brought migration stories to life. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park, a book about a half white/half Chinese girl who lives in the Dakota Territories in the 1800s, was chosen to provide a contrast to the Little House series that students also read. The story provided an opportunity for Ms. Lakin and Ms. Mawn to discuss how people can have different experiences, even if they live in the same place, at the same time. In addition to Prairie Lotus, students read Follow Me Down to Nicodemus Town by A. LaFaye, a book based on the history of the African American pioneer settlement. In this book, third
graders learned about the Great Migration and the frontier towns where formerly enslaved people settled from Dede and her family, Exodusters who settled in Nicodemus, Kansas.

In the fourth grade, students built upon their knowledge and dug deeper into the pushes and pulls of migration. They explored different essential questions: Why do people settle where they do? What kinds of obstacles do migrants face? What cultural contributions can be attributed to migration? To ensure that Ellis girls related to the material, Ms. Nolan introduced new lesson plans that delved into two aspects of culture that were affected by migration: food and music. Students learned about the cultural connections derived from food through two novels, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan and Love Sugar Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano, and a new project. Aptly titled the Flavor Profile Project, students researched ingredients from specific countries and shared recipes and information about their origins. From avocados and enchiladas in Mexico to olives and spanakopita in Greece, fourth graders highlighted a variety of cultures and cuisines that they enjoy at their dinner tables.

As for music, students looked to storytelling and jazz to discuss the Great Migration and the African American experience. They read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, learned about jazz in music class with Ellis’ very own jazz expert and music teacher Jayla Griggs, and watched the documentary America’s Musical Journey to uncover how music influences and contributes to American culture.

“The beauty of teaching literature and social studies is to be able to connect students to so many stories,” said Ms. Nolan. “These stories deepen their understanding of ideas that can be very complex. They highlight economic, environmental, and cultural reasons for migration and help students understand that migration looks very different depending upon your situation.”

This in-depth, multi-year look at migration in grades 3 and 4 encouraged students to foster authentic relationships and recognize the weighty contributions migrants have made in the United States. By making migration a recurring theme throughout grades 3 and 4, students are able to connect to the idea on a personal level as they think about their communities, their neighbors, and their own cultures.

Involving the Entire Ellis Community
We know that students thrive when the adults from their schools and homes work in close partnership with each other. Ellis strives to equip parents with the information and tools they need to raise strong, confident, and healthy girls who can connect authentically across differences. To help families support their daughters and grow in their own journeys, Ellis launched a four-part mini-series, developed jointly by the Office of DEI and the Ellis Parent Association, called The Groundwork: The Parent Role in Building an Inclusive Community. These virtual webinars featured experts within a range of topics and fields and highlighted helpful resources pertinent to families in each division. With the goal of providing an avenue for caregivers to explore their own identities, the sessions were a safe space for thoughtful reflection and dialogue among parents.

During the first session, Ms. LaRosa and a panel of members from the parent community figuratively laid the groundwork for future sessions by discussing how parents can reinforce what students learn in the classroom at home. Parents prepared by listening to an episode of the podcast Unlocking Us with Bren  Brown. The second session featured panelist Dr. Aisha White, Program Director of Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education (P.R.I.D.E.) at the University of Pittsburgh, and focused on how children learn about race from a young age. Ms. LaRosa led the third session on identity development and how parents can support middle school-aged students as they navigate their evolving identities. The fourth and final session featured Sloane Davidson, the Founder and CEO of Hello Neighbor, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of recently resettled refugee families, in conversation with Ms. LaRosa. With experience working across the intersection of philanthropy and digital marketing and a long history of activism, Ms. Davidson brought a unique perspective on how parents can support and guide their teenagers as they take constructive action in their communities.

Fostering authentic and reciprocal relationships with and among families is one of the ways Ellis works to develop a sense of belonging for all community members. Parent Affinity Groups bring together families who share a core identifier. They provide a safe environment in which parents who share a specific identity can come together for building community while supporting Ellis students who share their core identifier. This year, the first family affinity group, the Black Parent Affinity Group, was formed.

The group’s mission is “to create and maintain a strong parent community that serves as a united platform to create a fellowship of genuine camaraderie among Black families, to support their daughters in their Ellis experience, and to celebrate the cultural bonds of the local, national, and global Black Diaspora”. With the goal of engaging authentically in cross-cultural exchanges and finding community with one another, Parent Affinity Groups are another way for families to support their personal growth in this work and to cultivate positive relationships at Ellis.

Committing to the Work Long-Term
Faculty and staff continued their efforts related to culturally responsive pedagogy through participation in an EFIC-led book study. Three books were chosen this year in order to meet a variety of interests and professional learning goals. Faculty and staff were given the option of reading the following: We Got This. Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be by Cornelius Minor, Grading for Equity: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman, and Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

From ongoing faculty support to opportunities to strengthen our community’s shared understanding of what it takes to foster belonging, Ellis will continue to pursue equity and inclusion through a collective effort and commitment to the work. It is, and will remain, a crucial part of our efforts to live into our mission of developing girls and young women to become bold, authentic, intellectually vibrant changemakers
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