History of Riverside Life at Riverside Faculty and Staff Board of Trustees

Desiree Hertz, BA, University of Vermont When you walk in to Des's classroom, you might see her 4th-5th grade students working independently at three square tables, or the class gathered around her for a focused conversation about examples of empathy on the Fall Field Trip, or pairs of students spread out in to the hallway around the stairs building models of castles, or a few silent readers curled up on pillows stitched with Herons while she meets one-on-one with a student for a reading assessment. Des strives to develop a class of students who are curious, excited to learn, and have the skills to be life-long learners and responsible citizens. Des has a remarkable talent for designing engaging lessons that help children to develop skills and comprehension simultaneously. She loves her class as a group, and knows and cares for individual students and their needs as well. Des grew up in the Northeast Kingdom, graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Environmental Education, and is a certified elementary educator in Vermont. She practiced outdoor education at Shelburne Farms, and has ten years of teaching experience in Vermont public schools. Des lives in Burke with her husband Chris and two daughters. Their family loves to explore Vermont's landscape in all seasons: paddling, hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing or running.