Meet Our Staff!

I am entering my 13th 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.

TBD

Melissa Light is the new School Secretary. Previously she was the EA at Rieke Elementary School and Hayhurst Elementary School. Melissa also works for PDX Parent Magazine. When she is not working, she can be found on the tennis or pickleball court, hiking in the SW & NW hills with her dog Roxy, doing a jigsaw puzzle, baking and spending time with her 16 year old son, 13 year old daughter and husband.

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 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 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'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.

My name is Jessica Jendrzejek (she/her) and I've been teaching first grade at Capitol Hill for twelve years. I live in Tigard with my husband, our two children (4 & 1), and a sweet but naughty Beagle named Hazelnut. I love gardening, kayaking, watching British TV shows, and exploring the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

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.

My name is Caleb Spiegel and I am a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a creator, a brother, an activist, a writer, and an explorer. I spent 20 years playing rock and roll, leading a band and touring the country before switching gears to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Lewis and Clark. Right before the whole world shut down due to covid I enrolled in a Masters in Teaching program at Pacific University which I completed in a coat closet turned into an office while teaching kindergarten online and helping to guide my child through online elementary school. I am quite happy to have those 18 months behind me. In 2024 I was nominated for an Oregon Department of Education Teacher of the Year Award.

When it is warm I like to hike and look at beautiful things outside. When it is cold I like to plan for hikes when it gets warm again. My phone is filled with pictures of my kid, my cats, and sunrises.

My nightstand has a giant pile of books and comics on it. So does my dresser. I probably won’t get to them all, yet I keep bringing more home.

I find cooking to be very empowering. Cleaning up, not so much.

I love being a teacher and working at my neighborhood school with such amazing humans. I am very fortunate.

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.

More to come!

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'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.

More to come soon!

Gina Barnes, OT

Wendy Jones, PT
Josh Palmer, Nutrition Lead

Cindi Swingen, MTSS Coach
Janine Turley, School Psychologist

Rick Waligorski, Head Custodian

Anya Cruz, Night Custodian