Visual Arts Department Chair and 中学 Visual Arts Teacher Linda Tonetti Dugan and Third Grade Teacher Jen Lakin will both depart Ellis in June.

The past 27 years have felt like the blink of an eye to Ms. Tonetti Dugan, which she attributes to the strength of the Ellis community and how much she has enjoyed working at the school. She plans to travel with her husband, create her own art—she is a painter—and spend time with family.

在澳门新葡新京官方的那段时间里, she developed many community partnerships including working with the PA Council on the Arts, 卡内基艺术博物馆, 匹兹堡玻璃中心, regional and international artists and curators, 和更多的. She and her 的同事们 regularly take students to the Carnegie International, meet with artists on campus and in their studios, and go on many art-related field trips including visits to Fallingwater and other sites—all activities that bring the arts to life for students, 她会想念的, 她说.

“我肯定会想念这个社区. I’ll miss my 的同事们, and I’ll miss teaching art,” 她说. “The best part of teaching art is seeing that ‘ah ha’ moment on a student’s face. Sometimes I feel like I’m pulling rabbits out of a hat because they’re so excited to see what they are capable of doing. And over the years, I’ve especially loved watching how 我们的学生 grow and go out into the world. We have an exceptional community of strong young women that I know I will remain connected to in one way or another, and I will greatly miss working with Ellis students  in the studio.”

Ms. 拉金也有同感. When a former Ellis employee suggested that Ms. 拉金考虑在澳门新葡新京官方教书, she decided to see what this girls' school in the East End was all about. When she began working at Ellis, she knew she was there to stay. Ms. Lakin has taught third grade at Ellis for 11 years, and now plans to retire to spend time in Minneapolis with family, 包括一个新的孙子. She said that without a doubt, the thing she’ll miss most about Ellis is the students.

Some of her favorite moments at Ellis have been the ones that celebrate the community, which she described as “a place where people think about others and think about how we can work best together.” Heritage Day has been special for that reason, but she also enjoyed field trips to Meadowcroft Village and to the Fort Pitt Museum that help students understand the history of this area and relate it to how we live, 学习, 今天就开始工作. She said it’s a joy to watch her students discover something that excites them, whether it’s a piece of history or a new concept in math.

“I love third grade because the kids really love 学习ing things,” 她说. “他们对此非常兴奋, 这对老师来说是令人兴奋的, too—we get caught up in it every year! They are just thrilled about knowing things.”

另外, six members of the Ellis community will move on to new opportunities at the end of the 2023–2024 school year. The School is grateful for the many contributions they made to 我们的学生, 的同事们, and community during their time at Ellis, and wishes them the best in their future endeavors.

搜索es to find outstanding individuals to fill these positions are complete, and information about those individuals will be shared at the start of the school year.

劳伦Fajobi, 上学校 Division Head: Lauren and her husband will be relocating overseas this summer. Lauren has accepted the Secondary School Deputy Principal position at MEF International School in Istanbul.

凯蒂·约翰逊, Director of 体育运动: Katie has accepted a new position as the Athletic Director at the Latin School of Chicago.

本Zucker, 上学校 Mathematics: Ben is pursuing a master’s degree in Library Science at the University of Pittsburgh this fall.

蕾切尔哈特, First Grade teacher: Rachael has decided to spend more time with her family following the recent birth of her second child.

Jazmine Lucas, First Grade teacher: Jazmine will be relocating to Indiana with her family. She will teach first grade in Bloomington, Indiana and her husband will be a professor at Indiana University.

冬青Mawn, Third Grade teacher: Holly will leave her teaching role to spend more time with her family, but will continue to work with Ellis’ Extended Day Program (EDP).