The Woods Academy

The Woods Academy
The Woods Academy
Address
	6801 Greentree Road; Bethesda, Maryland 20817; United States
Coordinates	39°00′31″N 77°08′18″W / 39.008633°N 77.138313°W
Information
Former names	Ursuline Academy; Our Lady of the Woods Academy;
Type	Private preschool, lower school, and middle school
Religious affiliation(s)	Catholic
Established	1975; 49 years ago
Head of School	Dr. Jessica Pallandino
Teaching staff	33.6 (FTE) (2019–20)
Grades	PreK–Grade 8
Enrollment	261 (2019–20)
Student to teacher ratio	7.8 (2019–20)
Color(s)	Green & White
Team name	Mighty Owls
Affiliations	National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA); American Montessori Society (AMS); National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS);
Website	woodsacademy.org

The Woods Academy^[2] is an independent, Catholic, preschool, elementary school, and middle school for girls and boys ages three through fourteen, with an enrollment, as of the 2019–20 school year, of 261 students.^[1] The school is located on six acres in the Washington D.C. suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.

History

The school originally opened over a half century ago as Ursuline Academy. In 1975, a group of dedicated parents re-established it as Our Lady of the Woods Academy and subsequently the Woods Academy. In 1977, the school moved to its current location at the intersection of Burdette and Greentree Road in Bethesda.

School organization

Montessori School Children ages 3 to 5 are welcome to participate in the Montessori Program at The Woods Academy. This program is accredited by the American Montessori Society.^[3]
Lower School The Woods Academy Lower School includes grades 1 through 4. Students focus on literacy and math. They also have daily foreign language lessons and experiences in various forms of art.^[4]
Upper School The Woods Academy Upper School includes grade 5 through 8. Students start to rotate to various classes and have content-specific teachers. The academics are rigorous and are designed to prepare students for high levels of success in elite high schools and colleges.^[5]

Head of school

Dr. Jessica Pallandino is the head of school. She joined the school in the spring of 2023 and was previously the principal at the Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park. She retrieved her PhD from the University of Maryland specializing in curriculum and instruction.^[6]

Affiliations

The Woods Academy is affiliated with the following organizations:^[1]

National Catholic Educational Association – Private, professional educational membership association
American Montessori Society
National Association of Independent Schools – Accreditation organization for independent schools
Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools – American nonprofit education organization^[7]
Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington – American nonprofit organizations^[8]

Notable people

M. Virginia Rosenbaum, county surveyor and newspaper editor; attended Ursuline Academy, a predecessor to the Woods Academy.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Woods Academy". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
^ "Woods Academy Website home page". Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
^ "AMS Member Schools". American Montessori Society. Amshq.org. January 30, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
^ "Lower School". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
^ "Upper School". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
^ "Interview with Dr. Pallandino". The Woods Academy Owl Post. June 9, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
^ "AIMS School Directory (as of 121522)" (PDF). Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS). December 15, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
^ "Member Schools". The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
^ "For the Record, Obituaries". Cumberland Times-News. May 6, 2005. p. 11. Retrieved August 31, 2018.

External links

[nces_psch-1] "Search for Private Schools - School Detail for The Woods Academy". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved March 1, 2023.

[2] "Woods Academy Website home page". Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.

[3] "AMS Member Schools". American Montessori Society. Amshq.org. January 30, 2012. Retrieved October 21, 2013.

[4] "Lower School". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.

[5] "Upper School". Archived from the original on April 30, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.

[6] "Interview with Dr. Pallandino". The Woods Academy Owl Post. June 9, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.

[7] "AIMS School Directory (as of 121522)" (PDF). Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS). December 15, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.

[8] "Member Schools". The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington. Retrieved March 1, 2023.

[:0-9] "For the Record, Obituaries". Cumberland Times-News. May 6, 2005. p. 11. Retrieved August 31, 2018.

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