Hi! Welcome Finkel's Firsties! :-)

My name is Samantha Finkel and I am excited to be back at Discovery for my sixth year of teaching! I taught third grade for the past five years and I am thrilled to join the first grade team!  I completed my Master's degree in Elementary Education at James Madison University in 2015. Go Dukes! I am also a Loudoun County Public Schools graduate. I grew up in Loudoun my whole life.

When I am not teaching, I am often reading, cooking, working out, or playing with my one-year-old puppy, Ellie. Any beach is my favorite vacation spot, especially with friends and family there by my side. In April of 2020, we bought a house in Brambleton! I had a fun summer decorating and setting up our new home.

I believe in creating a safe, comfortable, and positive work environment for my class. As there will be many challenges this 2020-2021 virtual school year, I can assure you that as a team, we will navigate through it together! My goal this year, first and foremost, is to develop strong relationships with the students so they can feel comfortable in their new online classroom. While learning the academics is an important part of the child's school day, we will also learn how to be kind to one another and treat each other as family while also learning how to gain independence and become problem solvers.

I believe that building a strong team together as teacher, student, and parents is a vital part of a child's success. So, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to view my welcome video!