Ellis Island: The Dream of America
Ellis Island: The Dream of America is a work for actors and orchestra with projected images by American composer Peter Boyer, composed in 2001-02, commissioned by the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut. The work combines first-person narrations of seven immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island between 1910 and 1940, selected by Boyer from the Ellis Island Oral History Project, with Boyer’s original orchestral music. The work has received over 170 performances by more than 75 orchestras. A recording of the work released on the Naxos record label was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition in the 48th annual Grammy Awards. In April 2017, performances by Pacific Symphony of "Ellis Island: The Dream of America" were filmed for broadcast on PBS’ "Great Performances" series in the 2017-18 broadcast season.
The Ellis School
Members of the Ellis Alumnae Association, organized in 1919, volunteer as class agents, event hosts, guest speakers, and Ellis Magazine correspondents.
The Middle and Upper Schools are based on an eight-day cycle. One day every other cycle, students participate in activities that provide community resources and partnerships. In the Middle School, there are division-wide co-curricular programs, while at the Upper School, the students are involved with numerous community programs. There is an Extended Day Program offered to students in Pre-K through 8th Grade. Students who remain on campus after 3:30 and do not participate in any extracurricular activities must enroll in this program. For Lower School students, there is an After School Adventures Program that provides young girls activities in various areas, such as creative arts, sciences, and athletics.