FAMILIAR FACES
MEET DAYNA ELLIS, RNS FACULTY
W
hen former RNS Head of School Paul Kitchen hired Dayna Ellis on April Fool’s Day in 2002, her dedication to teaching and learning, commitment to her students, and love of life on the Hill would be no joke. Mrs. Ellis started as a recent BEd grad and newlywed. Nearly 20 years later, her family is an integral part of the RNS community. “We live on campus. Both of my sons, Rhett and Sutter, were born and raised here, and my husband Greg has been a duty teacher, houseparent, coach, and is now the RNS school bus driver. We are definitely an RNS family!” she says. So much so, in fact, that she also has two cousins who teach at the school – Mrs. Chrissy Chetley and Ms. Kate Whitters. Mrs. Ellis is a graduate of Dalhousie University and Mount Saint Vincent University, and she teaches French, Spanish, English, and drama. Originally from Sussex, NB, growing up she remembers playing basketball in the old RCS Netherwood gym (“one time I mistook former teacher and Athletic Director Mr. Jeff Bateman for a player instead of the ref and tried to pass the ball to him”) but never imagined 24 THE HILL
“... the Prefects passed around a candle and talked about a special teacher who made a difference in their lives. I remember thinking that one day I wanted my name to be mentioned in that circle.”
she would end up calling the Hill her home. Her first week on the job, she went to Camp Glenburn for the Grade 12 leadership camp – an experience that left a lasting impact on her. “After Mr. Kitchen spoke to the students about their roles as leaders in the school, the Prefects passed around a candle and talked about a special teacher who made a difference in their lives. I remember thinking that one day I wanted my name to be mentioned in that circle. That was the moment I changed from having a ‘two-year RNS plan’ to being a ‘lifer’.” Continued on page 40