Honoring Patricia D. Keenan and welcoming Dawn Hayes  L to R: Patti Keenan and Dawn Hayes on Ellis's South End campus. This February, Ellis Early Learning will celebrate the retirement of Patricia D. Keenan, Vice President of Advancement, Community, and Equity, whose leadership over the past five years has helped propel Ellis into a new season of growth and innovation. Patti is succeeded by Dawn Hayes, who steps into the role of Chief Advancement Officer. When Patti joined E

Mr. Phil (left) and his music liven up many Ellis celebrations. Phil Berman – “Mr. Phil” to all Ellis children – followed a winding path to his career in music and early childhood education, but once he found his way, he knew he was where he belonged. After studying and working in serious adult theater, Phil found work at the Brookline Puppet Showplace and quickly produced 10 programs for 10 weeks, all targeted to children under three. “That was a trial by fire! I was totall

Highlights from a season of events that capped off a remarkable year. Celebrating Ellis and Our 140th Birthday!  On November 6, 2025, the Ellis community gathered at the historic Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts for Celebrating Ellis and Our 140th Birthday. Team members, families, friends, and advocates of early education came together to honor 140 years of impact at Ellis, and to help launch the decades ahead. With remarkable attention to detail from the team at

Part of a series: Where Education Begins  Pree Dawn teaches infants in our Ladybugs classroom. As an Ellis Infant educator, Pree Dawn begins each day with drop-offs, greeting families, welcoming the students, and connecting with parents about their child’s latest updates. Those conversations help guide everything that follows during the day. Pree and her co-teachers in the Ladybugs classroom – Emani, Tiaja, and Niurka – shape the curriculum around each child’s unique needs an

Part of a series: Where Education Begins For Jackie Deschamps and her husband, Steve Krikorian, choosing Ellis for their children felt natural from the very beginning. As neighbors of Ellis’s South End campus, they were thrilled to secure a spot before their first child, Axel, was even born. The Krikorian Family (L to R): Jackie, Steve, Axel, and Wyn Axel began in the Infant program in 2023 at just three months old, followed by his younger brother, Wyn, in 2025 at two months

Part of a series: Where Education Begins Not many people think of the words “infant” and “curriculum” together, but Ellis takes education of infants as seriously as the word curriculum implies. The new Infant curriculum, collaboratively developed with Neighborhood Villages (NV) and five early childhood programs in Boston, will take the excellence of Ellis’s programs for its youngest learners to a new level. It will provide guidance for teachers, educational enrichment for inf

Edie (left) and Cecilia (right) Each week at Ellis’s South End locations, two remarkable women bring joy, care, and extra hands to our youngest learners. Cecilia and Edie have very different roles, but both share one thing: They are cherished volunteers whose warmth touches every child, family, and teacher at Ellis. For 13 years, Cecilia has been a beloved “abuela” at Ellis, bringing love, care, and joy to every child she meets. Cecilia came to Ellis through the ABCD Foster

Sarah Bukhari joined Ellis in November 2022, and it didn’t take long for her to feel at home. Already part of the Jamaica Plain community, she was thrilled to be placed close to her family, and the match turned out to be “perfect,” she says. Sarah and her son Mohamed at the Ellis JP Back to School Party last month! Originally an elementary school teacher in Pakistan, Sarah moved to the U.S. in 2012 and faced the challenge many immigrant educators know well: her teaching cred

At Ellis, learning and discovery don’t take a break over the summer. Our little learners enjoyed a season full of curiosity, connection, and joy. From splashing at the Boston Common Frog Pond to gliding across the Public Garden on the iconic Swan Boats, our explorers experienced the best of Boston’s summer traditions. Back on campus at Ellis, water play days kept the energy high and the children cool. But the warmest months at Ellis are more than fun in the sun. Seasonal ex

At Ellis, we know that passionate, supported educators are the heart of every child’s success. That’s why we invest deeply in professional development (PD), giving our teachers the tools, guidance, and coaching they need to inspire curiosity, confidence, and growth in every child. Ellis has steadily been increasing PD since 2022, after the height of Covid-19 saw children needing extra support to recover from social-emotional setbacks. Targeted teacher trainings helped meet t

Alejandra DelaCruz has always focused on caring for children, but as her career evolved, Alejandra has widened her focus to increase her...

Ellis’s summer programs are in full swing, and our preschoolers are embracing every moment of sunshine, discovery, and hands-on fun. From...

Two local chapters of the Massachusetts Department of Families and Children (DCF) recently honored Ellis mothers Pamela Schenk and Keri...

The start of summer marks a new chapter for our little learners. On June 18 th  and 20 th , Ellis was filled with smiles and happy tears...

The sun was smiling on Ellis at our first Cheers to Community event at The Haven on June 11 th . This gathering brought together old and new friends of Ellis to celebrate our Jamaica Plain (JP) community and nourish our connections. From the heartfelt remarks of JP Center Coordinator Issam Heredia-Bitar and Ellis dad and Trustee Brendan Fogarty to the warm plates of delicious food and the perfect spring weather, every moment was a reminder of why Ellis matters. Ellis Jamaica

The annual Ellis Spring Social on May 1 was a smashing success! The space was transformed into a springtime wonderland adorned with...

Thank you to all our amazing Teachers! At Ellis, advocacy is a cornerstone of our mission – a powerful tool we use to champion the needs...

Kalicia and her daughter, Blair Kalicia Sears, the Assistant Director of the Infant-Toddler program at 58 Berkeley, thinks she was born...

On April 18th, the halls of Ellis were filled with laughter, hugs, and joyful buzz as students welcomed their grandparents and close...

Health and wellness are essential both to successful learning and to our overall well-being! We're incredibly grateful to the New England...