Claire Bruno

About Claire Bruno:

Claire was born in McAllen on the Texas border, where her father worked as a border patrolman. Two years later, Claire’s father moved the family to Mexico City to take on the position of Attaché of Immigration. Claire’s first language was Spanish, and she attended a Mexican school there until her family moved back to the United States for three years. When the family returned to Mexico City, Claire finished high school at The American School in Mexico City. To this day, she thanks her daddy often for the gift of the Mexican culture and the Spanish language which she holds so dear to her heart.

Claire received a degree from the University of Texas in Austin in Latin American Literature. She and her first husband joined the Peace Corps and were stationed in Belize the year it became independent. Belize is an English speaking country formerly known as British Honduras. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Belize, Claire taught high school Spanish. She became pregnant with her first child and proceeded to educate herself about natural birth, birth without violence, nutrition, breast feeding and all that is incorporated into the word “family.” After a short visit to Mexico City for the birth, Claire returned to Belize and was reassigned to Guatemala. In Guatemala, Claire worked for the University of San Carlos collecting soil and plant/seed samples for a protected biotope. She lived in Coban, at the end of the road in the north end of the panhandle, and worked with a Mayan woman who taught her how to use a backstrap loom. Claire loves handiwork of all kinds, and owing to the inspiration of her very talented grandma and mother, has been using a sewing machine since high school.

Claire became pregnant with her second child and returned to Austin to have a home birth. She continued to educate herself about natural childbirth, and soon after the arrival of her second child became a midwife. Claire practiced as a midwife for 10 years and feels blessed to have been present at hundreds of deliveries.

When she met her soul mate, Joe Bruno, everything changed for Claire. Life took on a new focus. She became an assistant in a Montessori classroom and decided to take AMI Primary Montessori training. Soon after that the Parkside seed was planted. Joe and Claire took a true “leap of faith”when they created it as a non-profit school. They were very involved in the building and construction of the school from December of 1990 through September of 1991. Then the dream became a reality!

Parkside Community School opened with 75 students in four classrooms: Toddlers, Primary, Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary. Claire was a Primary teacher at Parkside for nine years, and later took on the role of director.

Singing has always been an important part of Claire’s life. In 2006, she joined the Hilde Girls, a women’s spirit song circle which continues to touch her heart and soul today.
In recent years, Claire and Joe have become proud grandparents. Claire says, “It just doesn’t get any better than this. I am so blessed. My life has been dedicated to children and families!”