From teaching to parenting to administration, Ms. Gabriele has basically done it all. She joined the SLS faculty as a 10th grade English teacher at just 22 years old. Though she initially struggled due to kids’ behavioral issues in class – and even attempted to quit three times during her first year – she gained confidence and encouragement from Mr. Whitcomb, the school’s previous headmaster. Ultimately, she cultivated a love for the community and for the many roles she eventually filled here: middle school teacher, Director of Admissions, Head of Upper School, and even parent. Now, taking on the role of Head of School during Mr. Davis’ six-month sabbatical, she is sure to see SLS in a whole new light.

Ms. Gabriele notes that even after 29 years, St. Luke’s is internally the same. Even though the buildings have changed since Ms. Gabriele first stepped onto campus, the spirit of the school and its students have not. “If you took a kid out of St. Luke’s now and placed him or her in any time period, like the 40s or the 50s, and they didn’t see the building, they would still think it’s St. Luke’s,” she claims.

One of her most recent roles at St Luke’s was maintaining the budget and overseeing the building of the new space.“The more the school can make things warm and inviting, the better the performance in the classroom will become,” she notes. Her favorite part of the new building is the Cafe, which she feels has already had a positive effect on the school. She underestimated how important a dedicated space just for Upper School students is; “it’s good for kids as they move through their years at school to earn certain privileges,” she says.

Ms. Gabriele wants the students to know that she is excited to be the Head of School while Mr. Davis is on sabbatical and that she is not going to take the six-month position lightly. She wants to be more involved with the kids in the future, perhaps through college counseling or by returning to the classroom. She has also been memorizing yearbooks since the summer to attempt to know all the kids’ names and what they look like – but still be sure to introduce yourself in the hallway! In all, Ms. Gabriele is determined to make her time as Head of School memorable and is willing to go above and beyond to do so.