Letter from the Director of K-8 Instructional Alignment
Dear ANCS Families,
As we begin a new school year, I wanted to take a moment to reintroduce myself in my new role as the Director of K–8 Instructional Alignment and Enrichment & Extension. I am also helping support the leadership transition at our elementary campus, which has given me the wonderful opportunity to work alongside teachers and leaders in new ways.
This year marks my 34th year in education and my 20th year at ANCS, something that is both hard to believe and incredibly meaningful to me. I began my ANCS journey as a fifth grade teacher. After two years in the classroom, I became our curriculum specialist, and two years later, I stepped into the position of principal of the elementary campus, where I served for the past 16 years.
One of my goals this year is to strengthen K-8 unity across our two campuses. I want us to continue building bridges between our campuses and communities; not just instructionally, but as one unified teaching and learning community. We have so much expertise, creativity, and passion across ANCS, and I am excited about finding more opportunities for us to learn from one another and work together on behalf of our students. Ultimately, I want every ANCS student to experience a strong sense of continuity as they move from the EC to the MC – a shared ANCS experience grounded in our core values, our constructivist approach, and our commitment to helping every child be their personal best.
After spending so many years leading the EC, I am excited to experience ANCS through a new lens. One of the most rewarding parts of this transition so far has been getting our Enrichment & Extension program up and running and working with teachers across both campuses to think about how we can challenge, support, and inspire all of our students. I have loved being in classrooms at both campuses, collaborating with teachers, and thinking about teaching and learning across the K-8 experience.
My path in education began well before ANCS. Over the years, I have taught students from kindergarten through 12th grade and have taught everything from art to Spanish to sixth grade language arts! Through all of those experiences, one thing has remained constant: I love working in schools. I love the energy of classrooms, the curiosity of children, the creativity of teachers, and the incredible learning that happens when all of those things come together.
ANCS is particularly special to me because it has been more than a workplace – it has truly been a school family. Both of my children attended ANCS. They are now 25 and 22 years old, and I truly believe that the foundational skills they developed here – especially their ability to think critically, creatively, ask questions, solve problems, and see the world from different perspectives – helped prepare them for success in high school, college, and in the real world.
I am incredibly grateful to have spent the last 19 years as part of this community, and I am excited about what this next chapter will bring. I look forward to continuing to work with our students, teachers, and families and to helping ensure that the ANCS experience remains one that challenges students to think deeply, learn joyfully, and make a meaningful impact on the world around them.
When I am not busy thinking about education, I enjoy hiking, camping, reading, painting, playing with my dog, Joni, and listening to music (from the 80’s, of course!).
It’s wonderful to be back in a new way. I look forward to seeing many of you around both campuses this year!
Take care,
Lara
Lara Zelski
Lara Zelski began working at ANCS in 2007. Previously, she worked at the Howard School and taught art, Spanish, reading and math. She taught 6th, 4th, and 2nd in DeKalb County. She taught 4th and 5th grade in Decatur and then moved to Title One reading and math instruction for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. She taught 5th grade at the ANCS elementary campus for two years.
