Ellis Island
During and immediately following World War II, Ellis Island was used to hold German merchant mariners and "enemy aliens"—Axis nationals detained for fear of spying, sabotage, and other fifth column activity. In December 1941, Ellis Island held 279 Japanese, 248 Germans, and 81 Italians removed from the East Coast. Unlike other wartime immigration detention stations, Ellis Island was designated as a permanent holding facility and was used to hold foreign nationals throughout the war. A total of 7,000 Germans, Italians and Japanese would be ultimately detained at Ellis Island. It was also a processing center for returning sick or wounded U.S. soldiers, and a Coast Guard training base. Ellis Island still managed to process tens of thousands of immigrants per year during this time, but many fewer than the hundreds of thousands per year who arrived before the war. After the war, immigration rapidly returned to earlier levels.
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.