Our "Immigration" to Ellis Island
Written by a fifth grade student
| On September 19, the 4th and 5th grade classes at Rocky Hill School went to Ellis Island, New York, the former immigration station. They left at 7:15 AM and arrived at the dock 4 hours later. Then they took a half- hour ferry ride and arrived at Ellis Island about 12:45. Ellis Island was the last stop for immigrants leaving Europe and coming to America from 1892-1954. Immigrants are people who move to a different country. In the early 1900's, most immigrants came to "America in order to escape poverty." When the students arrived at Ellis Island, they got headsets which told them where to go. Then the speaker would tell them what went on in that room; for example, the registry room was where the immigrants waited to be examined by doctors. Outside of the main building is the Wall of Honor that has names of over 500,000 immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. Ellis Island was closed for immigration in 1954. From 1954 to 1982 it was abandoned by everyone except the ghosts of the people who had passed through. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan asked the Chrysler Corporation to start a private fund to restore Ellis Island. In 1990 the island was reopened to the public as a museum. Many of the people who worked on and donated to the restoration were children of immigrants who had entered the United States through Elllis Island.
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 | "We just arrived at Ellis Island. Awesome!" |
| "When I first saw her I was filled with excitement." "... I felt her magic." |  |
 | "This is a gorgeous view of the sky line of New York City. We really enjoyed our trip to Ellis Island." |
| "This is a picture of me looking at the Statue of Liberty. It is so big and beautiful. It makes me feel proud to be an American." |  |
| "The Statue of Liberty was the highlight of the ferry ride there and back." | |
| "The immigrants who went to Ellis Island were brave." |  |
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