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Summer 2026
Double celebration for Nicholas Gallery and Daughter Raylea
Nicholas Gallery (top) with Raylea (L) and Cherish Casey (R) at Ellis. When Nicholas Gallery’s daughter Raylea graduates from Ellis Pre-K this summer, that will be a second major milestone for father and daughter to celebrate. After 16 months in foster care, Raylea was reunited with her father when he won custody in June 2024. This family success demonstrates the determination and resilience of the father and daughter, and the wraparound support that Ellis offered them. Nic
Ellis On Display in the Grogan Fine Arts Gallery
Grogan & Company President Georgina Winthrop showcases highlights from the gallery's featured works. On Wednesday evening, April 15, Ellis hosted a reception at Grogan & Company Auctioneers on Charles Street. The evening offered an exclusive private preview of Grogan’s upcoming spring collection. Guests admired fine art, including paintings, etchings, lithographs and photographs, and some dazzling jewelry to be auctioned later in the season. Mingling over drinks and assorted
How Ellis and Boston Pre‑K Work Together to Support Young Learners
Boston’s universal pre‑K initiative was launched in 2005 by then‑Mayor Thomas Menino, who called for Boston Public Schools (BPS) to expand pre-K access alongside a quality improvement plan known as Boston K1DS. Ellis Early Learning has been part of that effort from the beginning. Today, Ellis has four classrooms funded through BPS: Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots in the South End, and Maple in Jamaica Plain. All Ellis preschool classrooms use the BPS Focus Curriculum, a play‑ba
Inside the Ellis Family Child Care Network
A new Ellis initiative is working to strengthen the Massachusetts child care system. The Ellis FCC Network gathered with members of the Ellis Early Learning team to celebrate their launch last year. Launched last year with a generous restricted gift from an anonymous donor, the Ellis Family Child Care (FCC) Network marks Ellis’s expansion into home‑based early education and care. The Ellis FCC Network is the first such system established in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts i
Ellis Gratitude Breakfast Thanks Donors with News About Exciting Changes
L to R: Paul and Pia Miller and Suzanne Dwyer were among the Ellis Early Learning Fund members who joined us for the Gratitude Breakfast. On Wednesday, March 11, more than two dozen supporters of the Ellis Early Learning Fund gathered for a delicious breakfast from Flour Bakery + Cafe. This event offered a welcome opportunity to mingle with donors and staff and learn more about the organization’s recent work. CEO Lauren Cook spoke about two ambitious new initiatives launched
Ellis Family Spotlight: Ashley, João, and Lucas at Ellis JP
Ashley Storms and João Ricardo Santos’s connection to Ellis Early Learning began even before they had their son Lucas, now in his fourth year at the Jamaica Plain center. While attending Boston University for her undergraduate degree in 2009, Ashley was a Jumpstart volunteer through AmeriCorps, helping to implement the organization's early education literacy programming. “We would come to Ellis three times a week to read in the classrooms. The teachers always connected the st
Where Education Begins: Infants
Spring 2026
Leadership That Moves Our Mission Forward
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
Meet Mr. Phil, Ellis's Favorite Musician
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
Closing Out 2025 on High Notes
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
Where Education Begins: Infants
Winter 2026
Fall 2025
Celebrating Our Ellis “Grandmothers”
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
Ellis Spotlight: Sarah Bukhari
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
Our Summer in Smiles
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
Summer 2025
Alejandra DelaCruz is always expanding her horizons
Alejandra DelaCruz has always focused on caring for children, but as her career evolved, Alejandra has widened her focus to increase her...
Summer is a special time at Ellis
Ellis’s summer programs are in full swing, and our preschoolers are embracing every moment of sunshine, discovery, and hands-on fun. From...
Two Ellis moms named Foster Parent of the Year
Two local chapters of the Massachusetts Department of Families and Children (DCF) recently honored Ellis mothers Pamela Schenk and Keri...
Spring 2025
Spring Arrives at Ellis!
The annual Ellis Spring Social on May 1 was a smashing success! The space was transformed into a springtime wonderland adorned with...
Advocacy for Early Learning
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 Sears Is Fulfilling her Dream
Kalicia and her daughter, Blair Kalicia Sears, the Assistant Director of the Infant-Toddler program at 58 Berkeley, thinks she was born...
Extended Families and Friends Celebrate a Joyful Grands Day at Ellis
On April 18th, the halls of Ellis were filled with laughter, hugs, and joyful buzz as students welcomed their grandparents and close...
Promoting Health and Happiness with Checkups!
Health and wellness are essential both to successful learning and to our overall well-being! We're incredibly grateful to the New England...
Winter 2025
Second year of Northeastern Co-ops
(from left) Sofia Baiker, Genesis Bejarano, and Ayana Montalvo Ellis began our partnership with the Northeastern University Cooperative...
STEM is fun and educational for Ellis little learners
Ms. Ana with students Ellis’s rich early childhood education program saw another growth spurt in early November, when Ana Davis became...
Generous donations fuel Ellis Early Learning
On a frigid winter day, there’s nothing quite like stepping into a room brimming with gifts—and that’s exactly what the Ellis team...
Fall 2024
Ellis Back to School Welcome Celebrations!
Each year, Ellis welcomes new and returning families to our two Ellis campuses for a celebration to kick of the school year. Despite a...
Meet Cyrena Spafford, Director of Infants and Toddlers at 58 Berkeley
Cyrena Spafford is Director of Infant and Toddler Education at 58 Berkeley Street. She began with Ellis in 2022 as an Education...
Ellis Launches Planned Giving Program
This fall, Ellis Early Learning is excited to announce the launch of our new planned giving program. The 1885 Society will enable donors...
The Ellis Early Learning Park is Open!
Right photo: Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Lauren Cook and Commissioner Amy Kershaw. Left photo: Cathy E. Minehan and Lauren Cook On...
Summer 2024
Ellis Baking Challenge a Sweet Success!
A happy crowd of more than 75 thronged Ellis on Sunday, June 9, for a baking challenge with Joanne Chang, founder of Boston’s Flour...
Ellis Early Learning’s First Fundraiser in NYC
On June 6th, Ellis had a fundraising cocktail party in New York City hosted by the generous Yasmina Jacobs, a close friend of our CEO,...
Getting Social for Spring
Ellis Early Learning 3rd Annual Spring Social On May 4th, Ellis Early Learning invited neighbors and friends to help usher in spring with...
Class of 2024 Graduation!
On June 21st, Ellis held three memorable graduation ceremonies for 25 preschoolers in the South End and 20 in Jamaica Plain. The children...
Meet Tom Monks, Ellis Director of Finance for 22 years!
When Tom Monks came to Ellis in November of 2001, he couldn’t imagine the changes he’d see over the 22 years he spent as Director of...
Winter 2024
Early Intervention Benefits Ellis Children and Families
All children are unique, and all children develop in their own ways. But at what point does a developmental difference require additional...
Ellis Welcomes State Leaders
On January 24th, Ellis Early Learning had the distinguished pleasure of hosting members of Governor Healey's cabinet for a tour and...
Social Work Interns Make an Impact
Last September, Ellis welcomed three social work interns to the Ellis team to help and learn from our current social workers, Cherish...
Meet Yasmin Elliano-Anderson, Director of 66 Berkeley
In just over four years at Ellis, Yasmin Elliano-Anderson has risen from being a toddler teacher at 66 Berkeley Street to director of the...
Fall 2023
Celebrating Ellis and the Strength of Families
On November 2nd, over 350 guests gathered at the Cyclorama for our Fall Benefit, Celebrating Ellis and the Strength of Families. We are...
Meet Aiyauna Terry, Director of UPK and Preschool
Aiyauna Terry’s story of over two decades with the same employer would be hard to believe at most jobs, but not at Ellis. She arrived 21...
Ellis opens brand new STEM Exploration Labs!
We were thrilled to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for our new STEM Exploration Labs for toddlers and preschoolers. Thanks to a small...
Back to School Parties!
We couldn’t have asked for a nicer set of days to kick off the 2023-2024 school year. On September 15th, outside our JP center, and on...
Meet Ellis Northeastern Co-Ops!
This year, Ellis’s team has been strengthened by our first group of students from the Northeastern University Co-op Program. This...
Summer 2023
Meet Yaskara Cruz, Site Director of Jamaica Plain
Ellis Jamaica Plain’s inaugural Director, Yaskara Cruz is so grateful to have landed in a perfect place for her career and her life....
Swan Boat rides!
During the month of June, the preschoolers and toddlers from Ellis South End had a blast at the Boston Public Garden, where they made...
UPK Graduations
On June 23, Ellis held a memorable graduation ceremony for 40 preschoolers who will soon embark on their kindergarten journey in...
Thank you to our amazing volunteers!
Volunteers are a component of Ellis Early Learning operations, and we regularly welcome individuals and groups to support our mission....
Spring 2023
Meet Tiffany Sheets, Director of Education at 66 Berkeley
Tiffany Sheets adores children, and they adore her. Children are the core of her life, both at work and at home. She is one of six...
Ellis in bloom: PNC and Natixis volunteers garden with children
During April and May, Ellis Early Learning preschool classrooms experienced exciting and enriching days as teams of volunteers from PNC...
Getting Social for Spring
Ellis Early Learning 2nd Annual Spring Social On May 4th, Ellis Early Learning invited neighbors and friends to help us usher in spring...
Teacher Appreciation Week
This month we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8 – May 12). It was a week filled with gratitude and recognition for our...
Raising a Reader
In March Ellis began an exciting new early literacy partnership that fosters reading skills by engaging families in the pleasures of...
Winter 2023
Our social workers make Ellis Early Learning shine!
This month, we’re excited to celebrate and appreciate our amazing social workers, Liz Brot and Cherish Casey. They are part of our Family...
Ellis partners with New England Conservatory for pre-k music learning
An exciting new pilot program between Ellis Early Learning and the New England Conservatory (NEC) to increase access and opportunity...
Warm Winter Wishes
Everyone would agree that January and February can feel dreary and cold. For this reason, Ellis was thrilled when the Ellis South End...
Spotlight on our new Trustees
A strong group of volunteers with diverse backgrounds joined the Ellis Board of Trustees on July 1, 2022. Kristen Vicino and Dannielle...
Fall 2022
Ellis Early Learning and Housman Institute Partnership
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Housman Institute and Ellis Early Learning Partner to Place Emotional Intelligence at Heart of Early Childhood...
Ellis Benefit Party Returned in Style After Three Years!
Lauren Cook (left) and Coleen Dinneen (right) Amy O'Leary (left) and Sunday Taylor...
Ellis Early Learning Fund
Ellis Early Learning provides children ages 4 weeks to 5 years an excellent early childhood education in a loving environment that is...
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