Primary Teachers

Jenny Bruni

Jenny Bruni

Transitional Kindergarten Teacher
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Mrs. Bruni has been an active member of St. Theresa Parish since 2002 as a parishioner, a school parent, and parish staff member.
Mrs. Bruni taught preschool and elementary summer school programs in addition to teaching kindergarten at St. Thomas the Apostle School. Since 2017, she has coordinated the HSYM/Confirmation ministry at St. Theresa. She is thrilled to be teaching in a Catholic school classroom at the school that played a formative role in the development of her children.
Mrs. Bruni is a Bay Area native who received her B.A. from the University of San Francisco, a Liberal Arts Certificate from the St. Ignatius Institute, and studied Early Childhood Education at San Francisco State University. In her free time, Mrs. Bruni loves cooking, going on food adventures, and spending time with her family.
Stacey Rodriguez

Stacey Rodriguez

Kindergarten Teacher
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Stacey Rodriguez is thrilled to be joining the staff at St. Theresa and teaching Second Grade. For over the past decade, she taught in Piedmont for their Special Education department with students from kindergarten to 5th grade. Additionally, she frequently taught the incoming Kindergarten summer program and this past year, the 3rd grade.

Mrs. Rodriguez moved to Oakland in 1990 with her husband and has two sons who are graduates of our sister school, Corpus Christi. She likes to sew, complete jigsaw puzzles, and go on vacations with her family. But most of all, she loves to read, and it's her goal to instill that love of reading in her students, as well.
Lucy Akaba

Lucy Akaba

1st Grade Teacher
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Miss Akaba is a graduate of San Francisco State University and received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Saint Mary's College. She is a Bay Area native, attending local Catholic Schools from Kindergarten through High School. She has taught for almost 5 years and loves teaching 1st grade! In her spare time, Miss Akaba enjoys spending time with family, friends, hiking, camping, and being outdoors. She loves exploring with her two labrador retrievers and recently adopted two kittens who she adores. Miss Akaba is so excited for the year ahead and cannot wait to grow and learn with her students!
Karin Honrud

Karin Honrud

2nd Grade Teacher
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Miss Honrud is a graduate of Humboldt State University (CalState Humboldt now), where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development with a minor in Family Studies. She’s continuing her studies at San Francisco State University getting her Masters in Elementary Education. She recently received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. Miss Honrud is a Bay Area native, growing up in Dublin. In her spare time, Miss Honrud enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, scrapbooking, and listening to music (whether it’s at a concert, on her phone, in the car, or on her record player). Miss Honrud is so excited to be a part of the St. Theresa school community!

Intermediate Teachers

Lori Norris

Lori Norris

3rd Grade Teacher
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Mrs. Norris is a native of California and has over thirty years of teaching experience in both Catholic and Public schools. Her experience includes teaching in grades TK through Seventh. Mrs. Norris received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Mills College and her teaching credential from Cal State East Bay. Math, Science and Reading are her favorite subjects and she loves sharing her love of books with the Saint Theresa community. In her spare time Mrs. Norris loves reading, traveling and hiking with her family.
Margaret Ratto

Margaret Ratto

4th Grade Teacher
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Mrs. Ratto has been teaching for 22 years and is excited to begin her second year at St. Theresa's. She loves cooking, reading Harry Potter books, swimming, going to see plays and spending time with her family and friends. Her love of travel has taken her to many places but one of her favorites was Italy. She is adventurous and climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa and walked the wall around the city of Lucca!
Megan Nuti

Megan Nuti

5th Grade Teacher
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Mrs. Nuti is an Iowa native that has been in the Bay Area since 2018. She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University. When Mrs. Nuti is not at school she enjoys taking her two dogs, Gino and Pearl, to explore different hiking trails, beaches, and local dog parks. She also enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family. Mrs. Nuti absolutely loves teaching the 5th grade!

Middle School Teachers

Laura Lynch

Laura Lynch

Middle School Teacher
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A Bay area native, Mrs. Lynch graduated with both undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. Mary’s College of California. She has taught close to 20 years in almost every grade from PK-8th, but loves working with Middle School students. This year begins her 7th year teaching Language Arts at St. Theresa. Mrs. Lynch is also a parent to both a St. Theresa graduate and current eighth grader, and loves this close community! In her spare time, Mrs. Lynch can be found walking her dog, gardening, or reading a novel on her deck.
Denise Ebright

Denise Ebright

Middle School Math Teacher
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Ms. Ebright holds degrees from UC Berkeley (BA) and St. Mary’s College (MBA). After college, she taught high school Economics, Civics, and English then spent 20 years in corporate marketing working with the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA, Disney, and esports. She has returned to teaching feeling blessed to be on the middle school math department team. A former D-I college student-athlete, Ms. Ebright is passionate about women’s sports and coaches our St. Theresa Cross County teams, 6th grade girls Volleyball, and 6th grade girls Basketball. She also coaches boys baseball year-round and is extremely proud of her North Oakland Little League 10U and 11U All-Star District 4 champions.
Ken Maas

Ken Maas

Middle School Teacher
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This is Mr. Maas’ 16th year teaching in the Oakland Diocese and his 10th here at St. Theresa. He graduated from California State University East Bay with a degree in history. Mr. Maas is the owner of a mobile DJ company which allows him to pursue his other passion: music. A father of two grown children, he is a karaoke addict, a self-confessed Disneyland nut (he goes as often as he can), and enjoys rooting for all Bay Area sports teams.
Chris Lynch

Chris Lynch

Middle School Teacher
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This is Mr. Lynch's 3rd year teaching middle school at St Theresa School. After 20+ years working in the financial industry he brings a strong math background as well as financial literacy to the math classrooms to introduce the students to money management. Mr. Lynch graduated from LaSalle University in Philadelphia with a degree in Finance and completed his MBA at SFSU with a focus on international business. He is a father of a 21-year old studying in Cologne, Germany. Mr. Lynch is an avid birder, hiker and winemaker.
Daniel Baer

Daniel Baer

Middle School Language Arts Teacher
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Mr. Baer brings his passion for teaching to his role as Language Arts Teacher for grades 6–8, the grade levels with which he began his career. Mr. Baer earned his BA in English from Marquette University and MA in Theology from St. Louis University and then taught theology in Bay Area Catholic high schools for 19 years. He and his wife live in Albany and have three children, the youngest of which is a junior in high school. In his free time Mr. Baer enjoys reading, rock climbing, skateboarding, biking, and motorcycling.

Support Staff

Jacqueline Berry

Jacqueline Berry

TK/Kindergarten Aide
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Mrs. Berry is a graduate of Samuel Merritt University, where she received her RN. She is a Bay Area native, who grew up in Burlingame. She is a mother to her son Marco and daughter Melia whom she has dedicated her time to over the past years as a stay at home mom. In her spare time she likes to spend time with her family and friends, cook, bake, eat out and explore the many things the Bay Area has to offer. Mrs. Berry is very excited to work at the school alongside the TK and Kindergarten students.
Mariela Kadow

Mariela Kadow

First/Second Grade Aide
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Mrs. Kadow grew up in Oakland, CA. Her desire to make a meaningful impact on young minds led her to become an Instructional Aide for Primary Grade classes at St. Theresa. Her educational background includes a BA in Industrial Arts with a minor in Marketing from San Francisco State University, and an MBA from Golden Gate University. She has a background in Ad Tech, working for industry giants like Pandora and Spotify. Outside the school, she is active in the Greek Orthodox Church, involved with Sunday school and youth ministries. Mrs. Kadow values family time with her husband and children, Sophia and James. She is enthusiastic about the growth of the 1st and 2nd graders at St. Theresa.
Jasmine Navarro

Jasmine Navarro

Instructional Aid
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Ms. Navarro was born in Oakland and has worked at St. Theresa for over 7 years. She loves the wonderful community of St. Theresa and is excited to be working with the TK and Kindergarten classes. In her free time she likes to go to the beach, watch the sunset, and take day trips around the Bay Area to get to know the beautiful hidden gems around us! Ms. Navarro has a daughter named Alena and loves animals!
Mara Fox

Mara Fox

4th Gr. Aide/Instrumental Music
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Ms. Fox holds degrees from Northwestern and San Francisco State and has been teaching music for over 20 years. A musician herself, her passion is to instill an appreciation of music in all of her students. She maintains a busy schedule of performing professionally on her trombone. She plays all around the Bay Area! In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking and bicycling with her son. She is a Grammy award winning artist who gained fame with the Pacific Mambo Orchestra.
Christine Bonavolonta

Christine Bonavolonta

Resource
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Mrs. Bonavolonta has been teaching for over 20 years and earned her Master’s Degree in English from Holy Names University and her Master's Degree in Teaching from USF. She also has her clear Multiple Subject Credential and her clear Single Subject Credential in English. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and continuing her education by participating in professional growth seminars and classes. She enjoys traveling and spending as much time as she can with her family.
Fiona Rhea

Fiona Rhea

Resource
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Mrs. Rhea is a native of Berkeley and attended Catholic schools in Oakland for grammar and high school before graduating from University of California Berkeley. Mrs. Rhea is married with two young girls (Katie and Madie) who keep her busy with coaching and Girl Scouts. Mrs. Rhea has her blue belt in karate and in her spare time, she loves to cook, volunteer and tend to her many pets. There are more animals living in her household than humans!
Debora Rinehart

Debora Rinehart

Math & Science Teacher
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Ms. Rinehart is a graduate of Golden Gate University, received her teaching credential from Holy Names University and holds a Gifted Education Certificate from the Alameda County Office of Education. Teaching is Ms. Rinehart's second career and she has been doing it for over 10 years. One of her favorite things to teach her students is how to gain personal financial skills. She loves listening to audiobooks of all types. In her spare time, she gives back to the Oakland community by volunteernig to help students in inner city schools stay in school. She believes every student can learn at or above grade level. She enjoys getting to know both her students and their families at St. Theresa School and feels like the luckiest person in the world working with St. Theresa students!
Mara Urizar

Mara Urizar

Spanish Teacher
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Mrs. Urizar comes to St. Theresa with over 15 years of teaching experience, both in the private and Catholic school sector. She has a passion for teaching and is looking forward to communicating with our students in Spanish. In her spare time she loves to cook and recreate dishes that she tries at different restaurants. She is a huge sports fan and loves cheering on the Bay Area teams, especially the Warriors, A's, CAL and even De La Salle High School. She is an avid photographer and loves to volunteer at hospitals in her free time!
Ellen Skiles

Ellen Skiles

Technology
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Ms. Skiles is no stranger to Catholic education. She is an alumnus of Catholic elementary and high schools and has worked in Catholic education for 21 years. Having majored in accounting and sociology, she appreciates data, research, and obscure facts. She also enjoys genealogy, walking many miles along the Bay Trail, and taking road trips without a map or a plan. Most of all, she loves spending time with her sons, Daniel and Andrew.
Robert Cakebread

Robert Cakebread

Music Teacher
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Mr. Cakebread holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance, a Master of Music in Vocal Pedagogy, and a Master of Music in Musicology. His love of music came very early in his life when he won a statewide talent contest at age 9, playing both the flute and the piano! In his spare time he enjoys collecting and repairing mechanical clocks, especially cuckoo clocks! He enjoys traveling, especially to his hometown where his family has been for 166 years! He even lived in Scotland for five years.
Katie Corbett

Katie Corbett

Librarian
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Bio coming soon.
Josh Espinoza

Josh Espinoza

Physical and Health Education Teacher/Grades K-8
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Mr. Espinoza grew up in Berkeley and attended Catholic schools from K-12th grade. He received a B.S. in Health Science from Dominican University of California where he also played two years of collegiate soccer. He currently coaches JV high school soccer and plays soccer in an open men's league. Mr. Espinoza enjoys spontaneous cross country road trips as well as traveling to other countries. He is excited to share his enthusiasm for holistic wellness and exercise with the St. Theresa students and is excited to be a part of this supportive community!
JoAnne Layton

JoAnne Layton

School Counselor
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Mrs. Layton is a LMFT and has been a school counselor for seven years and works not only at St. Theresa, but also at St. Agnes in Concord. She has a Master's of Science in Counseling from Cal State East Bay. Before becoming a counselor, she was an Oncology R.N. for 12 years. She has three children that have graduated from De La Salle/Carondelet. In her free time she enjoys art, trying different foods and traveling!
Ra Brown

Ra Brown

Art Teacher
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Mr. Brown joins St. Theresa from MOCHA (Museum of Children Art) and provides art instruction to our TK through 5th grades. Mr. Brown has a B.A. in Fine Arts from SUNY Purchase and an A.A. in Advertising Design from SUNY Farmingdale. For over 15 years, Mr. Brown has taught TK through 12th grades and has facilitated instruction for multiple school districts across the Bay Area. Mr. Brown also specializes in mindfulness, as well as restorative practices, and believes all students have the ability to achieve greatness and academic growth. Mr. Brown is a native New Yorker from Manhattan, but loves the variety in the geographical scenery and natural beauty of California. Mr. Brown’s personal interests include graphic design, music, poetry, cooking and hiking.

Extended Care

Barbara Ulbrich

Barbara Ulbrich

STEP Director
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Mrs. Ulbrich has been working at St. Theresa for 35 years. She is extremely dedicated to the children and the parents who use the STEP program for quality after school care. If asked what her favorite thing to do is while she is at STEP, she'd respond "teaching patience, understanding and compassion to her students". Mrs. Ulbrich has two daughters who are alumni of St. Theresa. In her spare time, she enjoys playing tennis, gardening and hanging out with friends. She loves the Rolling Stones and has been a fan since she was living in the Bronx many years ago.
STEP Extended Care Team

STEP Extended Care Team

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Ann Toy
Pat Fraser
Theresa Harris
Katie Corbett
Julie Groff
Kristine Ulbrich

Administration

Alicia Ortegon

Alicia Ortegon

Principal
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Ms. Ortegon has spent much of her life in Catholic Schools. She attended Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City from first through eighth grades, worked in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Oakland for 18 years, and has attended two Catholic universities. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Cal State East Bay, a Masters in Teaching and a California Teaching Credential from the University of San Francisco, and an Administrative Credential from Saint Mary’s College. She is excited and passionate about Catholic education and loves working with children. She loves her job, but also loves spending quality time with her family and friends. In her free time she likes to hike, practice yoga, adventure out to new places, travel, and read. She also loves Disney+ as it has four of her favorite things: Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic! She feels so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful community here at St. Theresa School!
Karen Raven

Karen Raven

Annual Fund/Tuition Assistance Coordinator
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Mrs. Raven is a graduate of St. Theresa herself and parent of three alumni and considers St. Theresa as her “home away from home.” Mrs. Raven earned her degree in Early Childhood Education from California State University, East Bay. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with her family,, especially her four grandchildren. She absolutely loves being her own travel agent and has been to all 50 states and 40 countries.
Michelle Halligan

Michelle Halligan

Director of Admissions
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As a credentialed teacher, Mrs. Halligan holds her B.S. in Kinesiology with a minor in Recreation from CSUEB and has spent three years teaching Physical and Health Education at St. Theresa School. A graduate of St. Theresa School herself, she has always wanted to serve others and has done so in the nutrition, rehabilitation and education industries. Mrs. Halligan loves hiking, board games, gardening, traveling (she's been to 40 countries and counting!) and exploring new places. She is always ready to hear (or tell!) a silly joke to brighten any day. In December of 2020, she welcomed her first child, Max, into her family and his little brother, August, was born in June of 2022. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to spend time with them as well as serve the St. T community.

Kim Welch

Kim Welch

Administrative Assistant
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Ms. Welch loves interacting with our students and makes a point of knowing all of their names and faces. She is a Berkeley native and graduate of the University of California, Davis. Before raising her children in Michigan, she spent four years adventuring across Asia, and teaching a little English in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. When not behind the main office counter, you will find her at the beach.
Vera Young

Vera Young

Office Manager
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Mrs. Young has been working at St. Theresa for the past 20 years. She loves spending time with her two sons, reading mysteries, watching novellas, and taking her dog for walks.

Parish

Fr. Robert McCann

Fr. Robert McCann

Cathy Brady

Cathy Brady