Meet Mrs. Finch

This is my fourteenth year teaching at Chesterbrook Academy and my first year in First Grade. Before that I spent a year in third grade, eight years teaching second grade and four years teaching in our preschool program. Every year has been exciting and memorable, as I have been lucky to teach such wonderful students and meet unbelievable families. Chesterbrook Elementary is an outstanding place where I truly enjoy being around enthusiastic students, staff, and parents.

I have been married to my husband Jonathan foreight years, and we live in Holly Springs with our beautiful little girl, Ava Grace who is a preschooler in Ms. Massung’s class. I'm a Raleigh native and am lucky to have my sister here in town, as well as my mother who also teaches at Green Hope High School. This year she is teaching my former students. So cool! My father lives in Wrightsville Beach and I am fortunate to be able to spend a large chunk of my summers there.

I graduated fromNorth Carolina State Universityin May of 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Law and Legal Philosophy, while also completing coursework at Duke University and The London School of Economics. While in college, I fell in love with my part-time internship teaching in a preschool, and realized that my heart was truly in teaching. So, I continued my education by earning my teaching certification in Elementary Education, with a focus on Classroom Technology, from North Carolina Central.

I am also a huge equestrian sports fan! I rode horses as a child and competed on the Equestrian Team while at N.C. State. While I do not have the opportunity to ride nearly as much now, I love to be around the horses and watch equestrian events!

In my classroom, I promote an atmosphere of safety, trust, and respect. I work hard to build a sense of community among my students, and I emphasize the idea of teamwork. I value cooperation, compassion and collaboration both in my classroom and as I work with my peers. I believe that great things can happen when we work together!Chesterbrook isa place where I really feel like part of a strong community and part of a winning team!