3rd Grade Team
Laura Gallagher
Hi Cubs! I’m Mrs. Gallagher and I’m thrilled to be a part of the Vassiliadis team! I was born and raised in Las Vegas and knew that I wanted to teach way, way back when I was a 1st grader. I have been teaching in CCSD since 2005. Over the years, I have taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. I also earned a master's degree in teaching reading and literacy.
Teaching is my passion and I love helping kids realize their potential. I like to think of my classroom as a family. If I am lucky enough to have you in my class, I hope you feel at home. We will work together as a team to help everyone achieve.
​ When I’m not teaching, you may find me hiking around the mountain in my backyard with my husband and our kids. During the summers, we like to go visit our family living in Australia. The native kookaburra is my favorite animal. Look it up if you’ve never heard of it!
I am looking forward to getting to know you. Get ready for an amazing year!
Email: gallala@nv.ccsd.net
Kristen Luque
Hello! My name is Kristen Luque, and I am excited to be your child's 3rd grade teacher for the 2024-2025 school year! This is my ninth year teaching for the Clark County School District, and my third year teaching 3rd grade at Vassiliadis Elementary. Go Cubs! I look forward to having a successful year with you and your child.
I was born and raised in Peoria, Arizona. I moved from Peoria to Las Vegas about 12 years ago. I love living and teaching here. I have a daughter Emma, who is six years old, and a fur baby named Zoey. In my free time, I love being with my family, and going on adventures. Some of my hobbies include cycling, trying new foods, baking, and watching sports.
I have my Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education, which I received from UNLV. It has always been my dream to be a teacher, and to make a difference in my students' lives.
I believe in teaching each student at their instructional level and will frequently assess them in order to best meet their needs! I believe in creating a fun, engaging student-centered environment for my students. Here is to a wonderful year in 3rd grade full of success and growth!
Email: luquekm@nv.ccsd.net
Patrick Minney
Hello! My name is Patrick Minney, and I will be teaching 3rd grade at Vassiliadis this coming school year. I joined the staff last year and did I ever choose the right place to be. Little do they know that I’m like the pomegranate stain on their carpet: they can never get rid of me now. This will be my 20th year in CCSD, with most of my years spent teaching a mix of third and fourth grades. I did spend one year teaching fifth grade and one year teaching seventh grade math because I, too, did like to live dangerously every once in a while.
I am originally from St. Louis, but grew up in Central California (Fresno and Madera). I am a lifelong fan of the reigning, defending back-to-back Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Blues, and St. Louis Cardinals. This year also marks fifteen years of marriage to my wife, Colette. While my wife and I have no kids at home, we do have four cats who just freeload around the house napping all day like lazy bums. I’m a very boring person in my spare time. When I’m not watching the Chiefs, Blues, or Cardinals, I’m usually complaining about my terrible fantasy football teams. I’d much rather talk about my wife’s exciting job. Every day, she gets to (REDACTED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES). Amazing, huh? I mean, can you believe that she (REDACTED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES)?? I can go on and on about (REDACTED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES), but I’m sure I’ve embarrassed her enough!
This year I will partner with Coach Cimini again to help defend our flag football championship title that we won in overtime last year. If you want to join us in defending the title, get yourself ready for tryouts in August!
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We have a great team in 3rd grade this year, and I am glad to be a part of it once again.
I look forward to working with you all this year!
Email: minnepj@nv.ccsd.net
Jaclyn Gambino
Hi, my name is Jaclyn Gambino and I love being a part of the Vassiliadis Team! This year will be full of new experiences as we build our classroom community. I am originally from Michigan and moved to Nevada in 2013. I attended Purdue University and graduated with a degree in Psychology and Child Development. I received a Masters in Social Work at the University of Michigan with a specialization in school counseling and child development. Before working in the Clark County School District, I was a school social work counselor in Michigan and Connecticut. I also received my Masters in Elementary Education from National University.
In my free time I enjoy yoga, staying active, and going to any sports game! I like to relax by going to the beach and spending time with family and friends. I work to create a warm, respectful, and safe learning environment for my students. Being a teacher is more than teaching academic skills; teachers leave a lasting impression on a child’s inner voice and confidence. Some of my favorite class activities include working on growth mindset and developing leadership skills that can extend outside the classroom. This will be a positive year for your child as we build on past successes and learn new things in third grade!
Email: gambij@nv.ccsd.net
Brittany Dickinson
Hi families! I am so excited to be returning to Vassiliadis this year!! The 2024-2025 school year will be my 15th year teaching. We moved to Spring Creek, NV for 3 years and now we are back in Las Vegas where I was born and raised. After attending school in CCSD, I later went to study at the University of Nevada Reno, where I received my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. GO PACK! I also have a Master’s Degree in Curriculum Instruction with an emphasis in e-Learning/Technology and Teacher Leader certificate from UNLV. I have taught 1st-3rd grades and found 3rd grade to be my favorite!
My passion is teaching and inspiring students to be lifelong learners while having fun at the same time. We will work hard and play hard all year to ensure we learn the curriculum at a high level in engaging ways.
When I am not teaching and spending time with the amazing students that I get to work with daily, I am spending time with my husband and 2 kids. We have a 10 year old daughter (Charli Mae) who is as spunky as they come and an 8 year old son (Rhett) that really keeps us on our toes with his wild stunts and fiery personality! When I am not teaching, you can find me reading a good book, working out or spending time outdoors with my family. I cannot wait to meet all of your smiling faces and have an awesome year together!
Email: frankbl@nv.ccsd.net
Emily Hutchins
Hello Cubs! My name is Emily Hutchins and I am thrilled to start another year at Vassiliadis!
I was born and raised in Southern California. I grew up in a very small town in the San Bernardino Mountains. I got my B.A in Liberal Studies and Studio Art from Sonoma State University in 2015. Followed by my Masters in Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential in 2017 from the University of California at Riverside. I taught 3rd grade for 4 years in California and moved to Las Vegas in the summer of 2021, where I have taught 3rd and 2nd grade.
In my classroom I strive to create a fun and encouraging environment where kids can be successful academically and socially. I truly feel lucky to teach and get to know my students each year.
In my free time I like to cook new recipes, work in the garden and eat my way through Las Vegas! I also love to travel and eat my way through new cities! I have a passion for film photography and graphic design which I use in my classroom quite often.
I am so excited to get to work with you and your child this year. See you soon!
Email: hutchee@nv.ccsd.net
Janel Lazootin
Hi! My name is Janel Lazootin and I am thrilled to be a 3rd grade teacher at Vassiliadis Elementary! I have taught for CCSD for the past 12 years. I have taught 2nd, 6th, and 3rd grade. I am originally from Oregon but moved to Las Vegas in 2000 to attend UNLV. I later graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. I moved straight into earning a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership.
My husband Shaun and I have three daughters: Addison , Mikaela , and Alana. My youngest is at Vassiliadis. I love to cheer on my favorite teams- Seattle Seahawks and, of course, Go Knights Go! I also enjoy hiking, reading, movies, trying out new restaurants, and traveling with my family. My goals as a teacher are to build relationships with my students and inspire them to love school, set and achieve their goals, and work towards achieving their absolute best! You are never too old to stop learning. I am delighted to be a part of the Vassiliadis family!
Email: lazoojl@nv.ccsd.net
Jennifer Trumble
Hello Cubs! My name is Jennifer Trumble and I am thrilled to be back for my third year as a member of the Vassiliadis family!
A little about me… I was born and raised on Long Island in Woodbury, NY. After finishing high school, I moved to Tucson and earned my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Arizona. Go Wildcats! I earned my Master’s of Science degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Educational Technology from Nova Southeastern University. This will be my 15th year teaching and 13th for CCSD where I have taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. I absolutely love teaching 3rd grade because I am confident that I will thoroughly enrich and prepare my students for what’s to come and have some great times along the way! I integrate technology and hands-on activities in the classroom in order to meet the needs of all students and to make learning engaging. In addition, I differentiate for all students to ensure every student is successful on their own learning pathway in order to grow and reach their maximum potential.
For fun, I enjoy vacationing with my amazing husband Kyle to new (preferably warm) destinations and visiting friends and family all over the country. I also like to attend concerts, sporting events (GO KNIGHTS GO!), shop and spend time by the pool. My students would say I appreciate anything nautical, coffee or college sport related.
I have always wanted to be a teacher because of the fantastic teachers I had growing up. I want to continue to inspire my students every day. It is my hope that my students will think of our classroom as their "home away from home." Teaching is my passion and I am honored to be a part of the Vassiliadis community. I look forward to another wonderful and memorable school year.
Email: trumbjl1@nv.ccsd.net
Meredith Trochenski
Hi there, Cubs! My name is Meredith Trochenski and I absolutely LOVE teaching and challenging young minds!
I was born in Morristown, NJ, spent most of my childhood living in a suburb of Philadelphia, PA and moved to Spartanburg, SC for high school. After finishing high school, my parents moved out West to Las Vegas and my twin sister and I attended Arizona State University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education in 2003. Go Sun Devils! After graduating, we both moved up to Las Vegas to be closer to family, as our parents have now retired here. In 2008, I earned my Masters of Science degree in Literacy from Lesley University.
I have been teaching for a total of 21 years! I taught fourth grade for 11 years at Katz Elementary before teaching third grade accelerated at Staton Elementary for 8 years. Lastly, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching third grade here at Vassiliadis for the past 2 years!
My goal as a teacher has always been to make learning fun through integrating technology, proposing skill-based challenges and real-world scenarios, and using project-based learning!
In my leisure time, I love spending time with my husband, Steven, and our identical twin daughters, Ava and Chloe. I also enjoy vacationing to new destinations, particularly beaches! Hobbies of mine include hiking, attending concerts and sporting events, and relaxing by the pool.
Looking forward to a wonderful and memorable school year! Go Cubs!!!