Meet Our Staff!

I am entering my 12th year in education and my 4th year in school administration. I am passionate about ensuring that the school creates an environment where ALL students feel safe, heard, and valued. I understand that students may need a variety of different supports in order to access their education. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the Capitol Hill Staff to ensure that we provide the best educational environment for your child to be themselves and thrive. I have been married for 11 years to my wife, and we have 4 wonderful girls. I strive to be present and enjoy every bit of life I am offered. I love being outside, eating and cooking good food, and watching movies. My favorite parts of Oregon are the cool mornings and evenings and beautiful landscape.

I am new to Capitol Hill, Portland, and Administrative work! Prior to the big move, I worked with students with special needs for over 15 years in Seattle Public Schools. I have a Masters in Teaching and am passionate about creating accessible and welcoming settings. My favorite things are gardening, thrifting, organizing, and relaxing with my husband and kitty cat.

This is my second year with PPS, and I love working in an elementary school. My background is in the travel industry, which allowed me to see the world before settling in Portland. Living and traveling abroad has given me a unique lens to view the world. My hobbies include gardening, hiking, arts and crafts, reading, camping, and exploring with my husband and son.

As someone who has worked with children, youth, and families in the Portland area for over 20 years, I am driven to see people succeed in offering any help I can. I am here to advocate, promote change, listen, and work diligently for our community. Even if you are unsure if a social worker can assist you or your family, I encourage you to reach out as I would love to hear your story. When I am not enjoying time with our staff and students, I am usually spending time with my family, fly fishing, rafting, watching the Blazers, or napping.

My name is Dan Zelazek, and I have been a school counselor for about 20 years and here at Capitol Hill for over ten of those years. I love this school so much that I moved into the community. I grew up in a town in the midwest about 30 miles left of Chicago. I am a sports weirdo, but also love the arts, music and all kinds of foods. In my free time I love to read or you may see me walking my dog or riding my bike through the neighborhood. I truly believe we all have the ability to be better versions of ourselves and make this a kinder world.

I have been a special education teacher at Capitol Hill for 5 years, and all together, I have taught for 24 years. I live with my partner, Jim, and my kitty, Buzz. I love to read cookbooks and feed people. I love working in the dirt and watching all the activity in my garden. I love exploring new places and discovering hidden gems. I love spa and sauna activities of all sorts. Coming from a Finnish background, one of my favorite places is Helsinki. I lived on the island of Iona, Scotland for a season. And despite all its shortcomings, I still love Portland and am deeply appreciative of my life here.

I'm Niki Marienburg, Capitol Hill's Instructional Coach. I have also taught Kindergarten and Third Grade here at Capitol Hill. I grew up in Ohio and went to college in Wisconsin making me a Mid-Western girl. Prior to moving to Portland, I lived in Japan and China. Family for me is my husband, son and three cats. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, hiking, paddle boarding, gardening, cooking and reading.

Hi there, I'm Ceryiss (Kare-iss) Caron. I've been a teacher for 20 years and at Capitol Hill for 9 years. Most of my career has been at upper grades, but now I'm teaching Kindergarten, and LOVE it! I love spending time with my family traveling to National Parks, camping, or just hanging out in our backyard.

I was born & raised on Oahu & came to Oregon to attend the University of Portland. This is my first year teaching at Capitol Hill, but I have worked for almost 25 years in other PPS schools. I spent 5 years at the Oregon coast teaching in beautiful Garibaldi. I love teaching in the primary grade levels; the little ones just warm my heart & make me laugh.

My favorite things in life are my husband, family, my dachshund Bucky Roo-Roo, bright sunshine, pecan pies, pumpkin pies, creamy fettuccine, happy people, and good vibes. If I had a few wishes, I would love to have a big, red barn on a farm full of animals that need homes: cats, dogs, chickens, donkeys, cows, pigs. I would love a fast metabolism to continue to enjoy all of the "ono" or scrumptious foods listed above!

I have been part of the Capitol Hill family for 3 years. My husband and I moved to Oregon with our son Eddie 6 years ago. Eddie is a student at our school. In my spare time I love to craft, thrift/vintage shop, travel and attend concerts.

I've been working in PPS since 1998 and have been back at Capitol Hill (my third time here!) for 8 years. I have been with my husband, Chris, for 25 years. We live in the Parkrose neighborhood where we are raising our 10-year-old niece and 2 cats. I love spending time with my family, traveling, watching movies, cooking and gardening.

I was born in Portland and have lived here most of my life. Teaching is my second career, and this will be my 9th year teaching, but my first at Capitol Hill. I am excited to move up from Kindergarten to First Grade this year. My husband and I met at Wilson (now Wells) High School and have been raising 4 beautiful children, 2 who have now graduated college and the younger 2 who attend high school in Beaverton. When not teaching you can probably find me at a swim meet or the baseball field with one of the boys.

I was born and raised in California and moved to Portland 15 years ago. Before becoming a teacher, I was a full-time nanny for 13 years working for families all across the Portland-Vancouver metro area. I was with one family for 8 1/2 years and I helped homeschool their kids. In April 2022, I received my Master of Arts in Teaching with an ESOL endorsement. This is my second year teaching! I love to cook, grab happy hour with friends, and travel. I've been to 21 countries!

Carl Jung once said that “Warmth is the vital element for the growing of the child.” After twenty years of teaching in regular education classes with many students from diverse backgrounds and learning needs, I have found that the most powerful tools in educating all children are kindness and encouragement. Over the years, I have taught Kindergarten, second, third and fifth grades. I find all of them very rewarding in very different ways.

I live in SE Portland and am originally from the Midwest. This is my 11th year teaching at Capitol Hill and my 2nd year teaching 2nd grade. I have been married for 23 years, and we have 2 amazing daughters, one in college and one graduating high school this year! We also have an adorable labradoodle named Poppy. I love to hike, travel, and cross-country ski. When I am not teaching you can find me either cooking, gardening, reading, or planning my next big travel adventure.

I have been happily working at Capitol Hill for 12 years now and love being part of this school community! During my time at Capitol Hill I have taught Kindergarten, 2nd grade and 3rd grade. I also have experience with pre-school aged kids, grades 1st, 4th and special education. Outside of work, I have a beautiful 3-year-old, (Ayla) and enjoy the wonders and challenges of being a mama. I live in Milwaukie with my family, enjoy gardening, travel and hiking.

I have been a third grade teacher for over 25 years and have also taught second and fourth grades. I live with my 19-year-old daughter and my kitten, Beans, in Multnomah Village.

Originally from California, I moved to Oregon 16 years ago and have been teaching at Capitol Hill for the last 9 years! I've taught kindergarten, 3rd grade and 4th grade which has allowed me to get to know a lot of students and families here! I'm married to a Portland FireFighter and we have a daughter named Piper who goes to Capitol Hill and also a dog named Gunner. In my spare time I like to paint, cook, exercise, go to the movies and spend time with family and friends! I love working with children and feel very lucky to be a teacher at such a wonderful school like Capitol Hill.

I joined Capitol Hill in 2014. Devoted dad and husband, aspiring windsurfer, love being outside, and learning new things.

I love teaching! I have taught in Portland Public Schools for 20 years, 18 of those in Room 202 here at Capitol Hill. I'm passionate about writing and am an active member of the Oregon Writing Project. My second favorite subject is math, and I quote Keith Devlin: "Math is the science of patterns." I am a lifelong violist and played in the Portland Youth Philharmonic in 1987.

2023-24 will be my 10th year teaching fifth grade, and it is the best grade ever! I live in Portland with my rabbit Oreo. I grew up in Montana and Oregon, and I graduated from the University of Oregon in Eugene with my Masters in Elementary Education! In my spare time I love performing, singing, crafting and painting, and reading in my hammock. I take joy in education that is playful, project-based, and growth- & justice-oriented!

I have been teaching ELD at Capitol Hill for the last 2 years. I have 20+ years of experience as a classroom teacher and ELD Teacher. I have taught at International Schools and lived around the world- including the Czech Republic, England, India, and China. I love cooking, traveling, and sharing days with my 7-year-old daughter.

After 21 years in Beaverton schools, I am thrilled to be the new music teacher at Capitol Hill where my three kids attended, and I also coach wrestling for Wells HS & Jackson/Robert Gray MS programs. I hold 2 Bachelors degrees from Pacific University/2 Masters degrees from University of Montana, both in music and philosophy. I have been a stage manager for The Crystal Ballroom, performer for several companies including Portland Opera & Mock’s Crest Productions, a long-time musician/director with Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and have performed in several bands around the Pacific NW over the last 30 years. I like spending time with my wife & kids, playing music together and fishing.

This is my ninth year at Capitol Hill and my 18th year overall. My wife and I moved to Portland in 2013. We enjoy hiking with our dog on the fantastic trails located in and around the Portland metropolitan area. In my free time, I enjoy watching sports, playing board games, and reading.

I began teaching High School English in 1995 in California with 200 students and learned to love my husband’s Harley, because you can’t grade papers on the back of a motorcycle!

Next was High School Dance (those kids were so talented) and following the move back to Oregon, Elementary Dance. Due to increasingly creaky knees, the next credential was to teach in the library, and I consider myself oh so fortunate to be at Capitol Hill. (When not at Capitol Hill, I can be found at Annie Bloom’s Books in Multnomah Village:)

I am so excited and grateful to be joining the Capitol Hill Team as the new art teacher! Before moving to Oregon, my husband and I spent two years teaching in Madrid, Spain where I fell in love with all the joys of elementary education. My passions include creating and viewing art, traveling, reading, and exploring the outdoors. I believe that every child is an artist and I look forward to a creative and colorful year!

My preferred title is Bell, and I have been at Capitol Hill since February of 2020. This has been my favorite job I have had in my life. I love working with the children and their families. My favorite vacation spot is Maui.

I come from a large family with five brothers and one sister. I like playing video games and am into generally nerdy things. I also happen to be interested in playing soccer, watching American football.

I'm so excited to be at Capitol Hill! I am a recent graduate from Pacific University, where I studied education and learning, and ran Cross Country and Track. I am a Portland local and grew up as a student in PPS, so it's interesting to be on the other side now as an adult. This will be my second year as a paraeducator and I have a deep passion for supporting students in Special Education succeed to meet their goals. When I am not at school I am reading, giving lots of attention to my kitty, or hanging out with a close group of friends.