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Meet the Team
The teachers and staff of Doris Hancock Elementary School are committed to the success of our students. Our diverse team is not afraid of trying new things and making school effective, safe and fun.
At Hancock, we are not afraid of adapting with time. That is why we are utilizing the latest teaching trends and technology. Our entire student body is 1 to 1. That means every single student has either a Chromebook or an iPad, giving them access to digital resources like Canvas, Clever and more.
MISSION
All students achieving exceptional academic growth in a collaborative learning environment.
MOTTO
“Soaring High on the Wings of Excellence”
Administration

Sarah Payne
Principal
Principal Payne has had the honor of serving as the principal of Doris Hancock Elementary since July of 2019. Before coming to Hancock ES, Principal Payne served students in CCSD as an assistant principal, learning strategist, and classroom teacher for over 14 years. Principal Payne is committed to working closely with the teachers, parents, and students to ensure that all of the students at Hancock ES make exceptional academic growth.
Sandra Zurbriggen
Assistant Principal
Mrs. Zurbriggen has been in education for over 13 years as a classroom teacher and learning strategist. Mrs. Zurbriggen joined the Hancock team in 2018 and is excited and honored to now serve as assistant principal. She is already connected to the students and staff at Hancock ES and is dedicated to ensuring that our students have access to the education they deserve.

Our Faculty
Administration and Staff
Sarah Payne
Principal
I don't just love teaching, I love leading. I genuinely enjoy working with my amazing student body and faculty everyday!
Favorite Drink: H2O
Fave. Fast Food: El Pollo Loco
Fave. Snack/Candy: Crumbl Cookies
Supplies I could use: Tul Pens
Debbie Graham
Office Aide
I was born & raised in upstate NY. I am married & have 1 son( in the Navy) & 2 stepdaughters(1 is a HS English teacher). One adopted daughter who is 10. I have a dog name Iggy. I am a huge Vegas Golden Knights fan. Go Knights Go!
Favorite Drink: Starbucks Mango Dragonfruit, Coca Cola or water
Fave. Fast Food: Canes
Fave. Snack/Candy: 3 Musketeers, Mint Kit Kat, popcorn or ice cream/fryo
Supplies I could use: Pens
Brian Zawid
Social Worker
This is my 10th year year working for CCSD and my third year at Doris Hancock ES. I am originally from NJ, but I have lived in Las Vegas for 10 years. In my spare time I enjoy movies, concerts/ shows, and the beach. Wishing everyone a safe and productive school year!!!!
Favorite Drink: Lemonade, Gatorade
Fave. Fast Food: El Pollo Loco
Fave. Snack/Candy: Cookies
Supplies I could use: Pens
Cameron Laidlaw
CTT
I have been teaching for over 10 years and enjoy helping students achieve their academic goals. I moved to Las Vegas 4 1/2 years ago from Breckenridge, Colorado. Dogs and hippos are my favorite animals. Cycling is my daily "to do" and I love to laugh :)
Favorite Drink: Water
Fave. Fast Food: El Dorado Cantina
Fave. Snack/Candy: Peanut M&Ms
Supplies I could use: dry erase markers
Sandra Zurbriggen
Assistant Principal
I am originally from Florida where I began my teaching career and have been a part of CCSD since 2013. I am dedicated to our students' education and improving the lives of children. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and daughter and cheering on the Florida Gators and Vegas Golden Knights!
Favorite Drink: Dutch Bros. Golden Eagle Freeze
Fave. Fast Food: Anything with fries or chips
Fave. Snack/Candy: Chips or Chocolate
Supplies I could use: Papermate flair medium pens
Karen "Ria" Bangayan
Nurse
I started working for CCSD Health Services Division in 2006. This is my 13th year as Hancock ES school nurse. As in previous years, my goal is the seamless provision of health/nursing services to Hancock students and staff to ensure their safety and well-being on campus.
Favorite Drink: Starbucks Salted Caramel Frap (non fat milk)
Fave. Fast Food: Cafe Rio/Zuppas
Fave. Snack/Candy: Chips
Supplies I could use: Gel pens
Wendy Acevedo
Safe Schools Professional
I love working with families and children. During my off time I love traveling.
Favorite Drink: Sparkling water
Fave. Fast Food: Chipotle
Fave. Snack/Candy: Kit kat chocolate
Supplies I could use: Pens and pencils
Melanie Tascione
CTT
I have lived in Las Vegas for 21 years. I am into art, poetry and writing. I love the summer nights, they fuel my creativity! I am excited to get to know everyone this year!
Favorite Drink: Pineapple sparkling water
Fave. Fast Food: Chipotle
Fave. Snack/Candy: Cashews
Supplies I could use: #2 pencils, colored pencils, hand soap
Pre-Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Zuko (Woody) Garcia
Pre-K Teacher
I love being a teacher. I am so excited to begin the 2021-2022 school year.
Favorite Drink: Coke
Fave. Fast Food: Five Guys
Fave. Snack/Candy: Trail Mix
Supplies I could use: Lysol Wipes
Paula Melo
Kinder Teacher
Welcome to Kindergarten! I'm happy to be starting my 8th year of working with Kinders! I have spent 16 years working in the Clark County School District both as a substitute teacher and regular classroom teacher. Prior to teaching, I have three grown children: two are teachers and one has just finished medical school. Mr. Melo and I have two new additions to our family! Their names are Lola and Alfie and they are 6 pound chihuahuas! I enjoy exercising and reading when I'm not busy with school. I'm looking forward to having a great school year ahead!
Favorite Drink: Diet Coke
Fave. Fast Food: McDonalds
Fave. Snack/Candy: Popcorn
Supplies I could use: dry erase markers
Nathaly Landa
1st Grade Teacher
I graduated in December 2020 from UNLV with a Bachelors of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. I have been married to my husband for over six years and I have 1 son. I am also a fur-mom to two dogs. I love being creative and artsy. I am a very proud Latina that enjoys listening to Latin Music.
Favorite Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper
Fave. Fast Food: Sonic
Fave. Snack/Candy: KitKat
Supplies I could use: Expo Markers, glue sticks, pencils, erasers, hand sanitizer, lysol wipes
Alonzo Dean
1st Grade Teacher
I am a very vibrant easy going person that loves to laugh and have fun. I enjoying doing outdoor activities in my spare time, such as hiking and longboarding. When I'm not working hard in education, I am spending time with my family.
Favorite Drink: Apple Juice
Fave. Fast Food: Rubio's Costal Grill
Fave. Snack/Candy: Gummy Bears
Supplies I could use: Highlighters and Post it Notes
Robin Salisbury
2nd Grade Teacher
Hello, I am Mrs. Salisbury. I am so excited to be your teacher for this school year. Let me tell you a little about me. I have been teaching for 17 years. Most of teaching experience is in the primary grades. I have been married for 22 years and my son just turned 21. I have a pet beagle named Mickey. In my free time I like to read and go to the beach.
Favorite Drink: Diet coke
Fave. Fast Food: Zabas
Fave. Snack/Candy: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Supplies I could use: Copier Paper
Sarah Green
3rd Grade Teacher
I have lived in Las Vegas since I was 9 and I completed my public education in CCSD schools. I am happy to be able to teach in the school district I grew up in. I enjoy building positive relationships with students and hope to make a difference in their lives.
Favorite Drink: Coffee
Fave. Fast Food: Five Guys
Fave. Snack/Candy: Rice Krispies
Supplies I could use: Clorox Wipes, binders, white board markers, crayons, scissors.

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Dawnielle Floyd
4th Grade Teacher
Sara Dolson
5th Grade Teacher
I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and received my bachelor's degree from UNLV in Anthropology. I started teaching in 2017 when I enrolled in the ARL program at UNLV and obtained my teaching license in 2020. I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and rock climbing.
Favorite Drink: grapefruit juice
Fave. Fast Food: In n Out
Fave. Snack/Candy: Dark chocolate
Supplies I could use: expo markers
Cathy Scott
5th Grade Teacher
I have been teaching for 20 years now, and it is my passion. I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, reading and playing games on my phone. I have lived in Las Vegas since 2013, and before that I lived in Texas.
Favorite Drink: Ice Tea
Fave. Fast Food: Cane's
Fave. Snack/Candy: Chocolate and Fruit
Supplies I could use: Earbuds for the students, books, spirals
Kelsey Grill
Pre-K Teacher
I am new to Las Vegas, after living in various places across the county. I am very excited to be here and spend another year teaching prekindergarten! Outside of school I love walking around and exploring, cooking, relaxing, and talking to my family.
Favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi
Fave. Fast Food: Jimmy Johns
Fave. Snack/Candy: Snickers
Supplies I could use: Markers, liquid hand soap, and cleansing wipes
Candy Lowery
Kinder Teacher
I grew up in Las Vegas and California. I love sports: Baseball and Basketball are my favorites. I love reading and camping with my family and our 2 dogs. I am pursuing my Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Favorite Drink: Dutch Brothers or Bubbly
Fave. Fast Food: Chipotle or Canes
Fave. Snack/Candy: Butterfinger or Chips and Guacamole
Supplies I could use: Cardstock and Glue Sticks
Hannah Aguilera
1st Grade Teacher
I graduated from UNLV with a bachelors of science in Early Childhood Education. I enjoy being creative and love to paint. In my free time I love to cook and try new foods, and spending time with my dogs Charlie and Clementine.
Favorite Drink: Lemonade
Fave. Fast Food: In-n-out
Fave. Snack/Candy: Popcorn
Supplies I could use: Dry erase markers, glue sticks, magnets, Kleenex
Ann Lehner-Marra
2nd Grade Teacher
I’m originally from AZ, and I’ve been married for 36 years. My husband and I have two grown children. We’ve lived here in LV for 9 years. I’ve lived in 7 different towns/cities in the US, and 3 towns/cities in Chile and Peru. I love: teaching 2nd Grade, spending time with family and friends, my 2 dogs, gardening, swimming, cooking/entertaining, reading, and traveling.
Favorite Drink: An iced skinny latte with 2 pumps of sugar free vanilla.
Fave. Fast Food: Freddy’s Custard and Steakburgers
Fave. Snack/Candy: Plain Lay’s Potato Chips
Supplies I could use: Gel pens, Clorox Wipes, and brightly colored copy paper.
Kat Banks
2nd Grade Teacher
My name is Mrs. Banks. I am so excited for this school year! I have been teaching for 15 years and absolutely love my job. I was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan. I received my Bachelors degree from University of Hawaii and my Masters from Touro University. I also have a TESOL endorsement. I am happily married to my wonderful husband, Reuben and together we have four grown children and four beautiful grandchildren. When I am not planning lessons, I love to cook. Lets work together to help your child succeed!
Favorite Drink: Green Tea
Fave. Fast Food: Burger King
Fave. Snack/Candy: Kit Kat
Supplies I could use: Facial Tissues
Veronica Dannaker
3rd Grade Teacher
I speak Tagalog. I have travelled around the globe! I have a masters degree in Education from Lesley University in Cambridge Ma. I love my job - teaching your child.
Favorite Drink: Dutch Freeze or Cold Brew from Dutch Bros
Fave. Fast Food: Canes
Fave. Snack/Candy: Veggie chips
Supplies I could use: Dry erase markers
Torion Rojas
3rd Grade Teacher
Teaching students has been in my family for many generations. I became an educator to educate and inform our future leaders. I enjoy sharing my knowledge with students and I like learning from my students.
Favorite Drink: Gatorade
Fave. Fast Food: Sonic
Fave. Snack/Candy: Skittles
Supplies I could use: Colored dry erase markers
Roxanne Wilson-Malone
4th Grade Teacher
I am from Houston, Tx but have lived in Las Vegas for 6 years now. I love the mountains and the dry weather. In my spare time, traveling and reading are my favorite things to do. We have an RV and hope to do a lot of traveling this summer and anytime I have a couple days off. Alaska is my favorite place to visit.
Favorite Drink: Mocha Coffee
Fave. Fast Food: Cane's Chicken
Fave. Snack/Candy: Nuts
Supplies I could use: wipes, paper and pencils
Special Education
Carla Whitaker
SEIF
I am honored to be a part of Hancock as the Special Education Instructional Facilitator. We look forward to serving you!
Favorite Drink: Green Tea
Fave. Fast Food: In and out burger
Fave. Snack/Candy: Chocolate
Supplies I could use: Pens
Kat Mehocic
Psychologist
This is my fourth year at Hancock, and I love the team here! Most students will probably know me from my rabbits; I bring them to visit classes throughout the school year. I also enjoy dressing up, so Halloween week and spirit week are some of my favorite times of school year. I look forward to getting know our students again now that we are all back on campus!
Favorite Drink: Coke Zero
Fave. Fast Food: Del Taco
Fave. Snack/Candy: Snickers & Pringles
Supplies I could use: Post-its
Nanette Vitug
SPTA - KIDS
I like kids and I have 4 grown up/adult (37, 34, 33 and 24) kids of my own. Music is my happy medium. I love to sing, it helps me get through the day and makes me feel good too. Summer Hats are always a part of me and I wear it everyday.
Favorite Drink: Young coconut juice
Fave. Fast Food: In and out burger
Fave. Snack/Candy: Macadamia or Pistachio nuts
Supplies I could use: Facial tissues, baby wipes and ziploc bags
Harold Sullivan
Primary Autism Teacher
Hi I'm from Newport RI. I am a US Army veteran. I studied and lived in Japan for about twenty years. I love to cook and travel.
Favorite Drink: Ice tea
Fave. Fast Food: Its rare for me to eat fast food.
Fave. Snack/Candy: Potato chips
Supplies I could use: Tissue and wipes
Katrina Baesa
Intermediate Autism
Adaptable because classroom is unpredictable. Dedicated and compassionate teacher. Collaborate and communicate with parents for the success of their child. Find multiple ways to meet the varied needs of students along with different learning styles.
Favorite Drink: Diet Coke, Sweet Tea
Fave. Fast Food: Chick-fil-A
Fave. Snack/Candy: Hershey with almond
Supplies I could use: Dry erase markers and post it notes
Candy Callender
Primary Resource
I currently work with students in grades K-3. This is my 5th year at Hancock Elementary and also my 5th year with CCSD. Prior to moving to Las Vegas, I lived and worked as a Special Education Teacher in Texas.
Favorite Drink: Coke
Fave. Fast Food: Canes
Fave. Snack/Candy: Twix
Supplies I could use: Hand Sanitizer, Sanitizing Wipes
Marlene Medina Nero
Speech Therapist
Hello/Saludos! I am the speech/language pathologist working with kindergarten to 5th grade students. Yo soy la terapeuta del habla/lenguaje que trabaja con los estudiantes de kinder a quinto grado. It's my 4th year at Hancock and I couldn't be happier to be working with your children this school year. Este es mi cuarto ano an Hancock y estoy tan agredicida estar aqui trabajando con sus hijo/as este ano.
Favorite Drink: Dutch Bros Iced Carmelizer
Fave. Fast Food: Sonic
Fave. Snack/Candy: Chocolate and original Lays potato chips
Supplies I could use: Blue ballpoint pens
Sloan Navarro
KIDS Program Teacher
This is my 20th year teaching and I look forward to coming to work every day! I enjoy my time with family. We like to attend sporting events and concerts.
Favorite Drink: Coffee
Fave. Fast Food: Del Taco
Fave. Snack/Candy: Nuts
Supplies I could use: dry erase markers
Nadi Pagaduan
SPTA - KIDS
I am Ms. Nadi. I am married and we have a son named Lucas. I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Special Education. I always believe teaching is a work of heart.
Favorite Drink: Coconut Juice
Fave. Fast Food: In and Out
Jelly Bean
Supplies I could use: Colored pen
Dana Delario
SPTA - Autism
I enjoy traveling with my husband and son, we try and visit a different baseball stadium every summer. I love to cook, shop, and decorate.
Favorite Drink: Starbucks iced white chocolate mocha
Fave. Fast Food: Chipotle
Fave. Snack/Candy: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
Supplies I could use: Wipes, tissues, and ziploc baggies sandwich size
Specialists
Lisa Riley
Music Teacher
I'm a violinists. I've been playing since I was real young. I love animals and I love to go camping and fishing.
Favorite Drink: Sparkling water. Any flavor.
Fave. Fast Food: Panda express
Fave. Snack/Candy: Fruit
Supplies I could use: Dry erase markers for my white board.