Teachers | Jamesigibson

Kindergarten

Mrs. Jennifer Hyde

Hi, I am Mrs. Hyde and I am so excited to join the Kindergarten Team at Gibson Elementary! This will be my seventh year teaching Kindergarten. My goal is to foster a love of learning for every child in a fun and engaging environment. I am a strong believer in building relationships with students, families, and our community to help every child succeed! Outside of the classroom, I am a mom to two boys, a four year old, and a four month old. I love spending time with my family, and enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. I am so excited to be a part of your child’s learning!

Ms. Yaeger

Hi, I am Ms.Yaeger and I am thrilled to be part of the KIndergarten Team at Gibson Elementary! This will be my sixth year teaching KIndergarten here at Gibson. I have taught 2nd grade which gave me some insight into “The Places our KIndergarteners Will Go!” My goal is to help them get there and to have fun doing it! My belief is that every child can be successful. My passion is to provide experiences to not only help them succeed but to develop a love of learning! When I am not “Ms. Yaeger” at Gibson, I am at the gym or spending time with my family. I am looking forward to being a part of yours and your child’s KIndergarten journey!

Mrs. Zuniga

Hello, my name is Ms. Zuniga and I am very excited to join the Kindergarten Team at Gibson Elementary! I have been teaching for 23 years, in both first grade and kindergarten. I am fluent in English and Spanish and have even taught in dual language classrooms. This will be my first year at Gibson Elementary and I can not wait to meet all of you! I strive to have a positive and respectful classroom environment, where children feel safe and loved. I believe that every child can succeed with positive encouragement, patience and guidance. I am excited to teach your child a love for learning through fun and engaging experiences. My classroom highly encourages parent communication and participation. Together we can make the best team for your child's kindergarten experience!

First Grade

Ms. Bisbal

Hello! I’m Jackie Bisbal, and this will be my fourth year teaching first grade at Gibson Elementary School. I have taught elementary school in the Clark County School District for 17 years. I have a masters in education from UNLV and have recently become a National Board certified teacher. I consider teaching to be my passion. I feel so lucky that I get to work in a field that I love where I can impact children’s lives daily. I am originally from Buffalo, NY. I moved to Las Vegas in 2002. I currently live in Green Valley with my husband, 5 children, and 4 dogs. My children range in age from 18 years old to 11 years old. Between my home life and my school life, there is never a dull moment! I enjoy reading, traveling, and spending time with my family. I’m excited to start a new school year and get to know my new students and their families.

Mrs. Damole

I am excited to be a part of the first grade team this year! I am looking forward to a year of learning, fun and adventure. I was born in upstate New York and moved to Las Vegas to attend UNLV. I graduated and taught first grade for 4 years at Cahlan Elementary and then transferred to Gibson 17 years ago. I live in Mountains Edge with my husband, daughter and dog. My daughter attended Gibson and is now in middle school. When I am not teaching, I enjoy being poolside, watching the Golden Knights play, dining out, traveling, and spending time with my family and friends.

Second Grade

Mrs. Bennett

Hello! I’m Darla Bennett, and I am incredibly excited to be teaching second grade at Gibson this coming school year! I have over 20 years of teaching experience which includes teaching both special education and general education students in elementary, middle school, and high school. I’m happy to be returning to an elementary classroom and look forward to investing in the lives of second grade students who are part of the community in which I live. My husband and I have two sons. My youngest son attended Gibson and will be a seventh grader this coming year. My oldest son will be entering his junior year of high school. We have a new kitten named Wendy and a dog we’ve had for many years named Jack. Our house is never boring with these pets running around. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy traveling, playing the piano, decorating my house, trying new recipes, and gardening. I look forward to a great year filled with learning adventures with my second grade Gibson Goldminers!

Mrs. Novak

Hi Goldminers! I am excited to be on the second grade team again this year. I have taught first, second, and fifth grade. I also was a literacy coach, where I shared my passion for reading and writing with other teachers. I have been teaching for 20 years and this is my eighth year at Gibson. I love being a part of the magic in second grade, where students move from learning to read... to reading to learn. I take pride in creating science lessons, where students can explore their world through hands-on activities. My husband and I have one daughter, Hannah, who recently graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in communications. We like to watch movies, spend time outside and go to Disneyland. I love animals and once had two pot belly pigs, named Timon and Pumbaa of course! Currently, I have one very spoiled chihuahua, named Mama. She is mischievous and often the topic of my writing lessons. I can’t imagine doing anything other than teaching. I am looking forward to another year at Gibson, seeing little leaders do big things!

Mrs. Jorjorian

Hello! I’m Jackie Jorjorian and I am so happy to be teaching 2nd grade this coming school year. My family moved to Las Vegas when I was just five years old, and I spent many hours of my childhood playing school with my little brother and my stuffed animals...I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. I love, love, love teaching math and reading and sharing great books with kids. Kate DiCamillo is one of my very favorite authors because she writes beautiful stories about interesting characters that make readers feel all kinds of emotions. My husband and I have two amazing kids - Lucy is 18 and Ethan is 16. We enjoy playing board games together and hiking in Red Rock. We also have a chihuahua mix named Omar. His favorite things are walks and belly rubs. I can’t wait to meet my 2nd graders and watch them grow and learn this year!

Ms. Riedy

Hello! I am so excited to be teaching second grade at Gibson this year. I was born and raised in Henderson, and attended Gibson myself as a child. I always knew Gibson was a home that I wanted to come back to. I graduated from UNLV with a degree in Elementary Education. My classroom has always been a place of collaboration, joy, and creativity all mixed into our learning. I have one dog, a black lab/beagle mix, who loves food and taking naps. In my free time I enjoy going to Disneyland, reading, and being with my family. I am so excited to meet the coming second graders and watch them do big things!

Third Grade

Mrs. Doty

Hi! My name is Mindy Doty. This is my sixth year at Gibson, previously teaching second grade and fifth grade. I am so excited for another year with our third grade team. One of my favorite memories of my third grade year was reading The Boxcar Children, which is still one of my favorite books. I would eagerly imagine myself as Jesse or Violet, traveling with my brothers, finding treasures, exploring, and discovering long lost family! Imagination is a great way to build and make connections to learning. I am passionate about education and absolutely love when my students teach me new things. I believe in teaching the whole child. This means each student is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged in my classroom. This allows me to maximize every child’s learning opportunity. Parent communication is key to our success and you will be an integral part of our classroom environment. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking with my husband and children. We love to explore new places on vacations and appreciate learning about other cultures and traditions. If I had to choose only one activity to do for the rest of my life, it would be swimming! I love to swim. I am looking forward to a wonderful year with your child.

Mr. Pfeiffer

Hello! My name is Patrick Pfeiffer. I grew up half my life in Las Vegas and the other half in Texas, but I went to college in Utah at Southern Utah University where I got my B.A. in Elementary Education with a specialty for K-3. During my time in school, I have learned and adopted a variety of fun and effective teaching strategies that I use to this day. But as a teacher I know that learning never stops, and I am excited to continue to learn each day. This is my 1st year at Gibson Elementary, 1st year being a 3rd grade teacher, and 2nd year having my own classroom. Before Gibson, I taught Kindergarten and was a CTT where I would tutor students on Reading Literacy and Comprehension. I am ecstatic to be working with the Gibson Elementary teachers and students! No where else will you find a group of educators so dedicated to putting kids first. I believe every teacher has the duty of putting their students first and I strive to uphold this philosophy in my own classroom community. I feel that when students have the opportunity to be kids, they learn from each other as much as they learn from my teaching. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy playing and writing music, playing video games, and spending time with my fur family! I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a fantastic year! We got this!

Mrs. Stewart

I am thrilled to be teaching third grade at Gibson and to be part of such a warm and dynamic community. I strive to create a caring, safe, and engaging learning environment, which encourages students to believe in themselves and to do their personal best. I grew up in Michigan, attended Western Michigan University and received my B.A. in Business Administration. I moved to Las Vegas in 2005 and furthered my education at Sierra Nevada University and earned my Nevada Teaching License. I also obtained my master’s degree and have been teaching in Clark County for 14 years. I have taught Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and Computers K-5 . I have served as the coordinator of an Intervention Center, providing small group instruction in reading and math to students in grades K-5. The past two years I supported K-5 classroom teachers as a Learning Strategist and Data Coach. I miss the classroom and children, the #1 reason I became a teacher, so I am eager to return to the classroom this school year! I have been at Ronnow Elementary for the past 14 years and am very excited to be joining the Gibson 3rd Grade Team! Besides teaching I enjoy traveling, cooking, and spending time outdoors with my husband and lab dog, Maci. If you have any questions feel free to reach out and contact me via email at graceca@nv.ccsd.net. Let’s work together to make this the best year ever!

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Amy Hyde

Hi! My name is Amy Hyde and I am honored to be teaching fourth grade at Gibson for the 2021-2022 school year, which will be my fourth year at Gibson. I was born in Las Vegas and grew up in Henderson. My husband and I have 2 sons, Nolan is 15 and attends Coronado HS, and Quinn is 13, he attends Miller MS. Together we love to travel, see professional and college football or basketball games, and spend time camping at the beach. We are most looking forward to tackle football starting back up, both of my boys have really missed practicing with their teams. I’ve learned so much about myself this past year, while teaching online during a pandemic, it amazes me how people adapt and grow when thrown a curveball. I think our kids will need some time and patience in the upcoming year, but also recognition for their strength and tenacity. I’m so excited for the new school year and the chance to get to know a new fourth grade group!

Mrs. Rupe

Hi, I am very excited to be part of the amazing fourth grade team at Gibson this year. I moved to Las Vegas from the San Francisco Bay Area to attend UNLV. After graduating I found my teaching home at Gibson. I have taught at Gibson for 12 years. I look forward to working with your children to teach them the foundation they need to be successful learners. Along the way, we will make friends, build confidence, respect our differences, and enjoy the excitement and fun of learning every day. I look forward to meeting my students and parents as we partner together to begin this exciting journey!

Mrs. Schlaffman

Hi. My name is Mrs. Schlaffman. I am excited to be teaching 4th grade again this year. This is my 20th year teaching in the Clark County School District, and I have taught the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. I am a native Nevadan, having been born and raised in Las Vegas. I graduated with a degree in education from UNLV and also have my Master’s in Education degree. I live with my husband and two children--a twenty-one year old daughter and a twenty-three year old son. They are both alumni of Gibson, Greenspun and Green Valley. I spend a lot of time with my family, and we enjoy exploring the outdoors and going on trips together. I also enjoy reading (historical fiction is my favorite genre), photography and arts and crafts. I have always had cats (and 1 dog), but unfortunately, I do not currently have any pets right now. Some of my favorite books are Bud, Not Buddy, Summer of the Monkeys and Peter and the Star Catchers. I am looking forward to beginning the new year and getting to know each and everyone of you!!.

Fifth Grade

Mrs. Bergquist

Hello! I’m Mrs. Bergquist and I am thrilled to be teaching 5th grade this school year! I have been a Goldminer for six years and I am blessed to be among such a caring community of learners and leaders. I grew up in Henderson, Nevada and attended Estes McDoniel ES, Lamping ES, Bob Miller MS, and Coronado HS. I continued my education and received my Bachelor’s Degree from UNLV and my Master of Arts in Teaching through Sierra Nevada. Aside from teaching, some things that I love to do are: boating on the lake, riding in the sand dunes, hiking, fishing, being outdoors with my family and laughing. I’ve been with my husband for 15 years and married for seven. We have one awesome son named Brody who is also a Goldminer. I cannot wait for an adventurous year ahead!

Ms. Chaney

Hi, my name is Dakota Chaney and I am so excited to be teaching fifth grade for the 2021-2022 school year! This will be my sixth year teaching at Gibson Elementary School. I absolutely LOVE teaching fifth grade. I grew up in Henderson, Nevada and went to Lamping ES, Del Webb MS, Coronado HS, and received my degree in Elementary Education from UNLV. A few things about me are: I love to travel and go to the beach every summer. I grew up in a HUGE sports family. I love attending the Golden Knights hockey games, Angels baseball games, and football games with my family. I love reading and I am so excited to share all my favorite and new books with my students. I am looking forward to another great year as a Goldminer! :)