Jason Senne

Ellis Principal

The bell rings and students fill the room. You take a seat, start getting ready for class, and then look up. It’s a typical day in middle school, right? Nope, not today. You are looking at the Excel Energy Center. As you listen to your teachers, including Magic Johnson, Ciara, Spencer West, Colbie Callait, and Craig and Marc Kielburger, you realize you are in for a day of inspiration. This might be the case if you are attending We Day. We Day is a transformational event that empowers young people to change the world.

Ellis Middle School National Junior Honors Society has earned the honor of participating in this star-studded event, which took place Tuesday, Nov. 3. While there were countless big-name performers and inspirational speakers presenting, the message behind the day remains in sharp focus.

The bell is real. It’s clear ring starts a lesson that will highlight causes in need of support around the world, such as education, women’s rights and clean water, or projects which students can implement to impact change in these areas. Real people, those who implement and those who have been supported, create a highly impactful message. Students select which projects and people they will embrace.

This was the second year in a row for Ellis NJHS to attend. Also included were students from I.J. Holton Intermediate School and Austin High School; they all committed to one global and one local challenge. Last year, NJHS students chose one specific campaign, “We Are Silent,” which allows students to raise money by pledging their silence for the school day and collecting pledges for that silence. The donations were used to fund educational and clean water initiatives in India and Ethiopia. These countries were chosen by the students from a list of countries considered to be in high-need.

Locally, students supplied the manpower to fill backpacks for the Ellis backpack program. They filled the bags each week and the program ran for the entire school year. NJHS didn’t stop there. The students also conducted a highly successful shoe drive which provided hundreds of pairs of shoes to those in Nicaragua and within our community. Pretty impressive track record!

Together WE can change the world!