When Sara Frazer Ellis founded Miss Ellis’ School in 1916, her vision was to create an environment in which girls and young women would thrive––a school where they would emerge poised and ready to tackle the most exciting opportunities in the world of higher education. For over 100 years, The Ellis School has evolved as the world has changed, but we have maintained our fierce focus on being a place where girls grow and learn in all the best ways to prepare them to soar in the world into which they will graduate.

When we began our strategic visioning process in spring 2018, our goal was to listen to the voices of our many constituents—students, parents, faculty, staff, alumnae, friends of the School—and to hear what they believed Ellis does particularly well, what opportunities we have for improvement, and, most importantly, in what ways can we continue to be a spectacular launching pad for girls and young women into today’s world.

Our 18 months of listening, conversation, and study has resulted in a dynamic, exciting, and clear directive for our work over the next five years. We have updated our mission and vision statements to reflect the compelling promises we make to families and the unique proposition our school community and program provide for our students. We couldn’t be more energized about our future, and look forward to sharing our mission, vision, and priorities with you. Our strategic priorities fall into five main categories: Enhancing and Enriching our Visionary Program, Recruiting and Retaining a Vibrant Student Body, Building an Exemplary School Climate, Supporting Facilities that Enhance our Program, and Ensuring the Long Term Financial Health of the School.

We are immensely grateful to everyone who participated in this visioning journey, and invite all who love Ellis to climb aboard for the next phase of this remarkable school’s adventures. Away we go!

With enthusiasm and gratitude,

Head of School                      Chair, Board of Trustees