Principal's Message

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!  At Daniel Morgan, we strive to empower our students by embedding skills and dispositions in our curriculum to help prepare students for life beyond middle school. At Daniel Morgan we believe in providing an innovative, equitable, and safe community for all students.  Our goal is to provide all students with an individualized academic experience, build positive relationships, and encourage students to participate in extracurricular opportunities that appeal to them.  

Our focus is on empowering our students to achieve academic success by providing engaging educational experiences. This year we will continue to include PBL (Project Based Learning) and personalized learning experiences tailored to student interest within our instructional practice.  In addition, we will continue to provide students with an individualized educational experience, appealing to student interests and skills.  

This year we will continue our PRIDE PBIS program.  Students are encouraged daily to show PRIDE in the school and themselves.  An emphasis is placed on meeting our students’ physical, social, and emotional needs.  We strive to help our students manage their emotions, resolve conflicts effectively, and make responsible decisions.  It is our goal to continue to improve our school climate and student conduct.

If at any time I can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me personally.  I strive to be easily accessible to parents and value your input. I am confident that we will work together to ensure that our students have the skills and dispositions necessary to succeed both in the classroom and in life.  

Ms. O'Donnell
(540) 667-7171
(540) 431-1415

Experience & Education

Ms. O’Donnell has enjoyed the field of education for 19 years. She began her career in Louisa County teaching 5th grade. Following a move to Northern Virginia, she taught in gifted centers in Fairfax County for 4 years, at both the 4th and 5th grade level. 

After relocating back to Winchester, her hometown, she taught at both Daniel Morgan Middle School and John Kerr Elementary School. Previously, she served as the Lead Teacher at John Kerr before moving on to an Instructional Coaching position in Frederick County Public Schools.  From January 2016 until June 2019, Ms. O'Donnell served as the Assistant Principal at John Kerr Elementary School.  Ms. O'Donnell then served as the Principal at John Kerr Elementary School from 2019-2022.  This will be her third year as the principal at Daniel Morgan Middle School.  

Ms. O'Donnell earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Randolph-Macon College in 2006, a Master’s of Arts in Teaching from George Mason University in 2011, and a certificate in Administration and Leadership from James Madison University in 2015. She currently resides in Winchester with her husband, Joe, and seven-year-old twins, Joseph and Chandler.