Team — Benvenue Children's House

About The Staff

DIRECTOR/ Head TEACHER - IRIS DESERIO. IRIS WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, AND GREW UP ATTENDING CAZ FAMILY CAMP WITH HER FAMILY. SHE IS A MUSICIAN, ATHLETE, AND ENVIRONMENTALIST. SHE ATTENDED BERKELEY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PLAYED COMPETITIVE SOCCER, SOFTBALL, AND FIELD HOCKEY. IRIS STUDIED CELLO UNDER THE LATE MILLIE ROSNER AND PLAYED IN VARIOUS ENSEMBLES AND QUARTETS WITH THE OAKLAND YOUTH ORCHESTRA (OYO), YOUNG MUSICIAN’S PROGRAM AT UC BERKELEY, AND SAN DOMENICO HIGH SCHOOL’S VIRTUOUSO PROGRAM. AFTER GRADUATING UC SANTA CRUZ WITH A DUAL-DEGREE IN EARTH SCIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, IRIS TAUGHT GARDENING AT WILLARD MIDDLE SCHOOL IN BERKELEY AND AT HUNTER’S POINT BOYS & GIRL’S CLUB IN SAN FRANCISCO EACH FOR TWO YEARS. IN 2013, SHE COMPLETED A THREE MONTH INTERNSHIP AT GREENSTRING FARMS IN PETALUMA, CA WHERE SHE LATER SERVED AS A TEACHING ASSISTANT. IRIS FINISHED UP HER TWO YEARS OF TEACHING 4th/5th GRADE AS A MEMBER OF THE BAY AREA TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTE (BATTI), AND TAUGHT IN SENEGAL DURING THE SUMMER OF 2012. IN BATTI, IRIS EARNED BOTH HER CALIFORNIA TEACHING CREDENTIAL AS WELL AS A MA IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION FROM UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC IN STOCKTON. SHE IS COMING TO BENVENUE CHILDREN’S HOUSE AFTER TEACHING KINDERGARTEN FOR TWO YEARS AT THE BERKELEY SCHOOL.

Teacher - patrizio Pellouchoud was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Berkeley. Patrizio is an artist, musician, and actor. He has lived all over the world and studied in Peru and Indonesia. He earned a BA in Art at UC Santa Cruz before pursuing a career as a visual and performing artist. Patrizio has appeared in feature films as well as on stage and his art has been featured across the United States. In 1999, he furthered his studies in early childhood education and has been working as in early educator for the past 25 years.

Assistant Teacher - John DeSerio was born and raised in Berkeley. He has traveled and lived around the world but is proud to call the Bay Area his home. An athlete, artist, and student, he is proud to come from such a culturally rich community and has never stopped creating and learning. John earned a BA and MA from Columbia University in New York City and completed a MA in Education/ Credential through the Bay Area Teachers Training Institute (BATTI) at the University of the Pacific in Stockton. John has worked in primary education for the past 14 years.

founding director (1949-2020) - Rosemary Richie our beloved Founder, Friend, Mother, and community Activist passed away in 2020. ORIGINALLY FROM AKRON, OHIO, Rosemary EARNED HER BA FROM LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. AFTER STUDYING AND WORKING ABROAD IN ROME AND TOKYO, SHE MOVED TO BERKELEY TO PURSUE TEACHING AND RAISE HER FAMILY. ROSEMARY completed her Montessori training with Ursula Thrush in San Francisco. She was certified in both the Kodaly Method and the Orff levels of teaching principles of music to young children. ROSEMARY worked for many years under master children’s folk musician Nancy Raven. She founded Benvenue CHildren’s house in Berkeley over 40 years ago.