Meet the Heads
Head of School
Frances C. Lukens
M.Ed., Goucher College
B.A., Connecticut College
“It is an honor to be the head of St. Anne’s School of Annapolis, and to have the opportunity to influence the lives of children in our community. We as educators have an auspicious role in life: We guide children as they discover the world and grow into fulfilled people living meaningful lives.”
Fran Lukens began her career in education in 1971 and joined St. Anne’s School of Annapolis 20 years ago when it was a preschool located in the St. Anne’s Parish Fellowship building. Fran’s vision, commitment and passion for the school and its students, faculty and community helped propel its early success and growth. Since taking the helm as the founding head of the expanded school 15 years ago, she helped make the move to the new Arundel on the Bay campus and is proud to have played a role in providing a premier educational experience for children through the eighth grade.
Fran draws upon her experience as a classroom teacher, parent educator and private tutor. She believes that education is so much more than the basic subjects listed on an academic curriculum. She knows that education makes a difference and is an essential element in defining and developing citizens who will contribute to the future intellectually, socially and spiritually.
A firm believer that a well-rounded education inspires a love of learning that lasts a lifetime, Fran is quick to take on new challenges and learning opportunities that offer a combination of personal and professional fulfillment as well as an inspiration for those around her. She works with educators throughout Maryland through the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, where she has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, a member and chair of the Accreditation Committee and chair of Visiting Teams. She also has served on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal School Association. Fran makes her home in Annapolis and is actively involved in a number of community and civic activities and organizations.
Associate Head of School, Curriculum and Professional Development
Lisa Nagel
M.Ed., John Carroll University
B.A., Oberlin College
“I chose to come to St. Anne’s School of Annapolis not only because the school invests in the intellectual and social promise of our students, but also because it cultivates and celebrates the attributes of its staff and its families.”
Lisa Nagel came to St. Anne's School of Annapolis in 1998, as the head of Early Childhood and Lower School. Her deep respect for children and their capabilities are underscored each day at St. Anne’s School and inspire her to initiate and refine curricular programs in social development, literacy development and emergent thematic studies.
When she first arrived at the school in 1998, Lisa saw an ideal foundation for implementing the Reggio Emilia approach to learning at the Early Childhood level and the Lower School’s Responsive Classroom education methods. Today, these two approaches complement the school’s mission by providing innovative, hands-on learning for students and inspire continuing education experiences for faculty and administrators. Taking part in the North American Reggio Emilia Alliance’s study tour to Italy in 2005 and attending several of the group’s annual conferences in the U.S. has given Lisa the opportunity to share experiences with educators from all parts of the world.
Lisa is a frequent lecturer and consultant on social development, conflict resolution and language arts topics. Before coming to St. Anne’s School, she worked as an education specialist with an Ohio-based mental health agency, volunteered on a conflict resolution project in Lithuania with the ministry of education, and taught Preprimary and First Grade at an independent school. She also was an editor and developer of the Contemporary Women’s Issues Database – a widely accessed resource in university and upper school settings for topics related to women’s and children’s issues and social studies. Lisa is affiliated with The Deak Group and is called upon to lead training on conflict resolution, mediation and diversity issues. She is also a member of several state, regional and national education associations.
Middle School Head
Ellen Kelly
M.Ed., University of Hartford
B.S., University of Maryland
“I came to St. Anne’s School of Annapolis because of its strong middle school program and the openness, enthusiasm and commitment of the administration and teachers. Everyone at the school is dedicated to our mission and to delivering the best program possible. We’re successful in achieving our goals because of top-down commitment to new ideas and carrying through with innovations.”
An atmosphere of openness, shared leadership and active listening first attracted Ellen Kelly to St. Anne’s School of Annapolis in 2002. Today, she knows her initial impression and decision to join the school was on target. A career educator, Ellen is proud of the school’s success. She and her team have expanded existing programs, added new areas of study and introduced new schedules that allow increased interaction among the Middle School student body. Today, the Middle School is known throughout the region as one of the area’s best.
Ellen is especially gratified to see how quickly children respond to new social curricula like the Buddy Program, which pairs those of different ages together to foster friendships and work on service learning projects, and the early success of training students as “conflict managers” who help resolve disputes among peers. Ellen is committed to the Middle School’s interdisciplinary curriculum and the impact each grade’s essential question has on students. She is impressed with the responsibility and quest for knowledge students demonstrate as they look for meaning and explore theories in the classroom as well as on field trips to memorable destinations.
Before coming to St. Anne’s School, Ellen was the head of school at Jemicy School in Owings Mills, Md., and served in a variety of teaching and administrative roles for 19 years at Watkinson School in Hartford, Conn.
