The Woods Academy is an independent,

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, 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. The school is located on six acres in the Washington D.C. suburb of

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, 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. * 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. * 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.

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 Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, and part of the Washington metropolitan area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City", is a Tree Ci ...

. She retrieved her

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from the University of Maryland specializing in curriculum and instruction.

Affiliations

The Woods Academy is affiliated with the following organizations: * * * * *

Notable people

M. Virginia Rosenbaum M. Virginia Rosenbaum (born M. Virginia Fike) (1921–2005) was Maryland's first female county surveyor and a member of the Maryland Society of Surveyors. For a short time she worked as a copy writer and eventually became the manager of WTBO radi ...

, county surveyor and newspaper editor; attended Ursuline Academy, a predecessor to the Woods Academy.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Woods Academy Catholic schools in Maryland Catholic elementary schools in the United States Catholic middle schools in the United States Catholic K–8 schools in the United States Private middle schools in Maryland Private elementary schools in Maryland Educational institutions established in 1975 1975 establishments in Maryland