When Dr. Jessica Palladino began serving as the Head of School at The Woods Academy in Bethesda, Maryland in July 2023, the veteran public school administrator and teacher said it felt like a homecoming to lead a Catholic school. The Woods Academy is an independent Catholic school serving about 320 students from age 3 to the eighth grade.
“It does feel very much like coming home,” said Dr. Palladino, who attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Silver Spring. She added, “There’s a comfort for me in being able to focus on the foundation of Catholicism as a basis for progressing through childhood. The connection between the academics and faith is so powerful for children.”
In an interview shortly after she started working at The Woods Academy, and then in a follow-up interview this summer about her first year there, she emphasized how she felt at home leading a Catholic school after the impact of her own Catholic education.
Dr. Palladino noted the “loving teachers who pushed me” at St. John the Baptist School and gave her the “opportunity to grow both academically and spiritually.”
She also pointed to the example of her mother, Kathryn Raisch, who served as the librarian at St. Jerome School in Hyattsville for 28 years, helping inspire in her “a love of reading and the importance of putting forth your best effort.”
The Woods’ Head of School, who in addition to serving as a principal and teacher over the years, also worked as a reading specialist and prepared other teachers for that role. “Reading is the foundation. Reading opens all the doors to other worlds for children,” she said.
Before leading The Woods Academy, Dr. Palladino served as the principal of Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Silver Spring, leading 750 students and 120 staff members there, after earlier serving as the school’s assistant principal.
After graduating from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Dr. Palladino earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland in College Park, where she also earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. “I’m just a Terp through and through,” she said, referring to the University of Maryland’s Terrapins nickname.
She began her education career as a fourth and fifth grade teacher in Howard and Montgomery counties, first at Ilchester Elementary School in Ellicott City and later at Farmland Elementary School in Rockville.
In addition to serving as a teacher, reading specialist and in staff development over the years, Dr. Palladino also worked for several years as an instructional specialist in Montgomery County Public Schools’ Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs with a focus on reading and writing, and she was an assistant professor at Towson University in the master’s of reading program, preparing teachers to be reading specialists.
Dr. Palladino – who attends the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington with her family – said what drew her to The Woods Academy was the opportunity to combine her experience as an educator with her Catholic faith, and foster students’ academic potential and their spiritual growth. That was the foundation she had attending Catholic school, she said.
Entering The Woods, she never felt lost. A year ago as she began her work, Dr. Palladino noted the warm welcome she received.
“Everyone is very committed to the development of the whole child, and creating this nurturing, caring community,” she said, adding, “…We are really dedicated to living out our faith in service to others.”
Dr. Palladino also returned to the classroom, teaching a service leadership class to fifth graders there. “I told students yesterday our goal is to change the world. It’s a modest goal!” she said, laughing. Students’ service projects included outreach to senior citizens and to families in need. “We’re trying to empower students to give back,” she said.
Originally the Ursuline Academy, the school was re-established as Our Lady of the Woods Academy in 1975 by a group of parents. Later its name was shortened to The Woods Academy, and the school moved to its current location, a six-acre campus in Bethesda. The Catholic school – with morning prayer led by students and with all-school Masses throughout the year – welcomes students from all faith backgrounds. Older students pair with younger students as prayer partners.
The hallmarks of The Woods Academy include its Montessori program serving students ages 3 to 6 years old from preschool to kindergarten and engaging them in a variety of creative and hands-on learning experiences. The Woods’ students from preschool through the eighth grade receive daily instruction in French or Spanish.
The Woods Academy has an Innovation Lab providing students with a foundation in technology, and Dr. Palladino said that lab is a place “for kids to create and have fun.” Students in its Montessori program have iPad learning stations, and students from the first through the eighth grades have their own devices.
The school’s arts program offers students opportunities to develop their talents in music, the visual arts and performing arts, including in a school musical. Middle school students participate in sports including soccer, lacrosse and baseball, competing on teams for The Woods Academy Owls.
Dr. Palladino praised the teachers at her school for their “innovative and creative” work with students, and she said the small class sizes there help them get to know each student personally. Reflecting on the education being offered there, she said, “We come at it with an open heart and an open mind.”
This summer, the Head of School at The Woods Academy reflected on her first year there. “Being a leader at a Catholic school was a natural fit for me, and one that I found to really reflect a more comprehensive educational experience for students,” she said.
She noted how eighth graders in their Capstone Projects reflected on their time at the school and on their faith journeys. “How they were able to deepen their faith and grow as Catholics was powerful,” she said.
Woods’ students engaged in a variety of service projects, including volunteering at the SHARE Food Network, raising money for Catholic Charities and preparing Cup of Joe packages for homeless shelters. Fifth graders in her service leadership class identified their talents and linked them with service projects that they planned and organized for the charities of their choice.
“This first year was amazing, and I feel so blessed to be a part of this community,” Dr. Palladino said. “The Woods Academy is fortunate to have experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated faculty and staff who truly care about the whole child.”
Praising the teachers’ work in the school’s curriculum and programming, she added, “Perhaps more importantly, they are committed to being partners with families to also make sure they (the students) are good people.”
Dr. Palladino noted how a visiting priest commented, “The kids are so happy at The Woods.”
“The smiles, laughter and joy that our students display at all times reminds me of the importance of childhood and is a great reminder to take some time to enjoy the journey,” she said.
A special aspect of The Woods Academy, she said, is that students have the opportunity to attend the school from the age of 3 through the eighth grade, which she said “has so many benefits to learners, teachers and families.”
“The value of having students here at The Woods for potentially 11 formative years of their childhood is priceless. Not only do they get a top-notch education and a solid grounding in their Catholic faith, but they are able to form lasting friendships and connections with fellow students and staff,” Dr. Palladino said, adding, “This longevity and consistency helps students face challenges and take risks because they feel loved and supported. Faculty and staff’s deep knowledge about each student allows teachers to personalize their approach to learning to meet the needs of students.”
She said that at the eighth graduation ceremony this spring, families of “lifers” – students who had been at the school since they were three years old, said those caring connections at the school would help them as they moved on to high school.
Dr. Palladino said her favorite place to be at The Woods Academy is probably the Montessori classrooms there, where the young children are busy and happily engaged in different learning experiences. “There is joy in those classrooms, which comes from meeting challenges and exploration,” she said.
This year, The Woods Academy will be launching a strategic plan, guided by the four pillars of academic excellence, Catholic identity, character development and community engagement.
“This year is our 50th anniversary, so it is the perfect time to look back on the strong foundations and traditions that have shaped The Woods Academy as well as set a course for the next 50 years as we prepare our children for the future,” Dr. Palladino said.
