Hello!  I feel honored to have the privilege of working with the staff and students at Samuelson Elementary School.  I obtained my bachelor’s degree from Central College and my master’s degree from Drake University.  I started my career at Southeast Polk School as a Special Education teacher and then as a 6th grade classroom teacher.  I came to Des Moines Public Schools as an Instructional Coach.  I have worked at Brubaker Elementary, Smouse Opportunity School, and Samuelson.  I live with my husband and two children.  I enjoy being outside, yoga, movies, and books.

My name is Lisa Weatherall and I love teaching second grade!  I attended Iowa State University to earn my bachelor’s degree in education and later attended Graceland University for my master’s degree in Education.  I began my career in Des Moines Public Schools at Moore Elementary where I taught special education for 4 years before becoming a second grade teacher.  I taught at Woodlawn for a year before we switched to the Samuelson Building.  I enjoy working in the Beaverdale neighborhood and I love the diversity of our students.  My husband Jim and I have three teenage children, who keep us very busy. We spend most of our free time involved in their athletic or school activities.

Hello! My name is Megan Davidson and this is my third year teaching here at Samuelson. I graduated from the University of Iowa in 2007, and worked in the insurance field prior to following my passion of teaching.  In 2015 I earned my Masters of Science in Teaching degree from Drake University with endorsement in ELL and reading. Being a teacher has been an amazing career change for me, and I feel so fortunate to work with all of the wonderful students and staff at Samuelson.

I also recently got married in September and enjoy spending time with my husband. We both love to read, watch movies and cheer on the Iowa Hawkeyes together! Having grown up in Urbandale, I am lucky to have my parents here in town and love spending time with my family. In my free time, I also enjoy hot yoga, cooking and doing crafts.

My name is Denie Rew.  I am so honored and proud to be a member of the Samuelson community!  I have been a teacher with Des Moines Public Schools since 2003.  During my career I have worked in preschool, home intervention, and classroom.  I received my teaching degree from Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!!) in the areas of Early Childhood Education and Special Education, and I am currently earning my reading specialist endorsement.  I am always excited for new learning opportunities and growing as a teacher.

I currently reside in Urbandale with my AMAZING family!  My family includes my husband Jason, my daughter Dennan, my son Dayne, and our sweet pug, J.T.  Our family loves going camping, playing sports, and watching our beloved Cyclones.

My goal is to always provide a fun, caring, and positive learning environment for every child that enters my classroom!

Hi! My name is Abby Wiechmann and I am the Speech-Language Pathologist here at Samuelson. This is my first year with the Des Moines Public Schools and I am excited to be joining this great community! I previously graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with my Bachelor’s degree in Communicative Sciences and Disorders and my Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I will be serving four schools within the district including one preschool, two elementary schools, and one middle school. My husband and I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and trying out different ice cream shops in the area! I am looking forward to a great school year!