About Us

I couldn't be more excited to continue my service to St. John’s Lane Elementary School as your Principal for the 2023-2024 school year! It is a true honor and privilege to lead this extraordinary learning community. Our school’s proud history, traditions, and many strengths have shaped our outstanding reputation as we enter our 69th year of service to the students and families of this community. I see my role as Principal as a critical one in preparing our students for a successful future. I understand the responsibility I have to our families in ensuring the academic success and social-emotional well-being of each and every one of our Jaguars and I whole-heartedly embrace this responsibility. My goal is to bring our school system’s Strategic Call to Action to life by ensuring student-centered practices, building inclusive relationships throughout our learning community, and implementing responsive and efficient operations to all aspects of our program. You can expect me to work collaboratively and transparently with all stakeholders to make this happen. Additionally, it is very important to me that your child knows me, knows that I am an advocate for them, and that I am another trusted adult that they can turn to for support, encouragement, or simply to connect with at any time throughout their school day here at SJLES. I believe that every student, regardless of their circumstance, deserves an engaging, rigorous, inclusive, and accessible learning environment where they can excel socially, emotionally, and academically. This lens has been shaped by my professional experiences as a teacher and administrator here in Howard County over the past 25 years. I spent 11 years in various teaching positions spanning grades K-5 at Stevens Forest Elementary, Bushy Park Elementary, and Longfellow Elementary. I have also served as Leadership Intern at Waterloo Elementary and Assistant Principal at Longfellow Elementary and Deep Run Elementary. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Bloomsburg University, an Advanced Certificate in Study in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations from Notre Dame of Maryland University and hold Administration & Supervision I and II Certifications. My lens is also profoundly shaped by the incredibly important job of being Dad of my two sons Luke and Drew. I promise to make decisions on behalf of your children just as I would my own. When I am away from school, I am most likely spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy traveling, basketball, swimming, walking, coaching my sons’ sports teams, and reading during my free time. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve our school and community as Principal. Please don't hesitate to contact me throughout the school year if I can be of service to your child or family in any way. It is going to be a great school year here at St. John’s Lane Elementary School!

Greetings, SJLES students, families, and community members! Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. I am thrilled to begin my third year as Assistant Principal here at SJLES. While I love my role as a school leader, I have had what feels like a lifetime of other professional experiences before coming to SJLES. Beginning my career in special education, I was a middle school special education teacher for three years in Baltimore County and then for three years at Elkridge Landing Middle School here in Howard County. Desiring to support others more, I served as a Resource Teacher for the Department of Special Education until 2018, at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. During that time, I also had the pleasure of being an administrator for the BSAP Saturday Math Academy. My incredible experiences with the BSAP SMA staff and families influenced my pursuit of school leadership opportunities. As a result, in 2018, I joined the Cedar Lane School as the Instructional Program Design Leader and Inclusion Liaison. In 2019, I joined the administrative team at Hollifield Station Elementary School. I reflect on all 17 years of these experiences and how each one has uniquely prepared me to be of service to the students, staff, and families of SJLES. As for my own educational background, I hold a B.A. in Communication Science and Disorders and a M.Ed. in Special Education from James Madison University, an Advanced Certificate in Study in Educational Leadership and Organizational Change from Towson University and hold Administration & Supervision I Certification. When I am not here at SJLES, I love spending time with my sons, both of whom are HCPSS high schoolers and athletes. I also enjoy supporting local restaurants and businesses, and can almost always be found out and about in Howard and neighboring counties trying new places to eat or taking advantage of the fun activities our area has to offer! Additionally, I am an adjunct faculty member of Howard Community College, where I have continued my passion for teacher education and have written and taught special education and child growth and development courses since 2009. As a parent, community member, and lifelong educator, I thrive on building positive working relationships with families. We are all truly in this together, and I look forward to supporting your child in these early years of their educational journey. I invite parents and community members to reach out to me at any time with questions or ideas for how we can improve our practice or support your child.