Ellis Day of Service
Creating tissue-paper “stained glass” window decorations for Family House, baking cookies for Bethlehem Haven, and removing river debris with Allegheny CleanWays are some of the hands-on, creative ways our students are engaging in a Day of Service on Wednesday, September 28. Students expressed a desire to give back to the community that has welcomed and supported Ellis for 100 years. As a result, every student in the Ellis community will participate in “Day of Service” as a part of our year-long Centennial Celebration.
The day will emphasize the reciprocal learning aspect of service-learning, allowing students to gain a better understanding of themselves and their world through their service to others.
Service learning is an integral part of academic life at Ellis. Service learning combines meaningful service to the community with curriculum-based learning. In effective service learning, students respond to genuine social needs through community activities that are integrated into the curriculum and accompanied by structured reflection, deepening their learning and building community responsibility. The world beyond the classroom serves as an invaluable learning space where students extend and apply their knowledge. In preparation for Day of Service, students come to understand the importance of public service, leadership, and a knowledgeable citizenry in community engagement. It is also a way for Ellis students in every grade to learn about the issues and concerns affecting individuals in our community and the environment. This is how good students become great citizens.
Thanks to the efforts of the faculty and the Ellis Faculty Centennial Committee, each division is participating in developmentally appropriate activities that integrate service with academic content. The students are empowered to bring their passions and individual talents to the projects, while working collaboratively with each other and with the staff and volunteers at each site. In many instances, Ellis has had a long standing relationship with the organization. The School is particularly excited to work with Ellis alumna Jessie Demoise '05 at Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Jessie received her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and went on to manage the planning and design of water and sewer projects with sensitive environmental contexts for DC Water, including rehabilitation of stream adjacent sewers and the siting of elevated water storage. She will be discussing her work and the projects of our Upper School students during their visit on Day of Service. Other projects at the School include:
Lower School
- Our second graders will be creating "stained glass" tissue paper art for the dining room windows at the Ronald McDonald House to be installed during their visit in October. The Ronald McDonald House provides comfort and care for families with sick children in neighboring hospitals.
- Grade 4 will decorate activity bags for Bethlehem Haven homeless women’s shelter. They will be helped by Middle School students, which will provide an opportunity for them to connect and collaborate with older girls at Ellis on a community project.
Middle School
- Our fifth graders will be on their class trip to the Linsly Outdoor Center in Raccoon State Park where they will engage in outdoor education experiences focusing on environmental sustainability and stream studies.
- Grade 6 will collaborate with students in Lower School classrooms to create activity bags and boxes and bake cookies for Bethlehem Haven, as well as help with maintenance of green spaces around Ellis.
- Students in seventh grade will expand their outlook to Western Pennsylvania as they visit Friends of the Riverfront.
- Our eighth graders will work with Allegheny CleanWays to remove debris and restore the health of greenways and rivers.
Upper School
- Our ninth grade students will decorate and deliver hundreds of cupcakes to Family House, which provides an affordable “home away from home” for patients and their families who are receiving medical treatment at Pittsburgh-area hospitals.
- Our sophomores and juniors will engage with our long-established partnership with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, an organization dedicated to improving quality of life for the people of Pittsburgh by restoring the park system to excellence in partnership with government and the community. Ellis alumna Jessie Demoise '05 will talk to them about their work.
- Our seniors will work with the Pittsburgh Project, a nonprofit community development organization with a more than 30-year track record of developing servant leaders and upholding the dignity of vulnerable homeowners.
The students and faculty look forward to supporting our Pittsburgh community partners on September 28 and beyond. At Ellis, social responsibility is not “required”–it is part of the fabric of who we are as a community.
Envision Her at Ellis
If you're interested in exploring Ellis for your daughter, let's connect! Request information about enrollment, attend one of our upcoming events, or hear about Ellis from those who know it best: our students.
