“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER”—AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. PALLADINO By Dylan Manrique-Johnson
It is fitting that for the first ever issue of the Owl Post, we feature an interview with our new head of school, Dr Jessica Palladino. Currently she is the principal of Rolling Terrace Elementary School in Takoma Park. She is an amazing person who began her career tasked with writing the Montgomery county language arts learning curriculum. She received her PhD from the University of Maryland specializing in curriculum and instruction. The main thing that stood out to me during our interview was her love of challenges. She enjoys being pushed to become the best by searching out new opportunities and thrives on learning new things in different fields of work. One of favorite quotes came from one of her old principals, “You don't have to be sick to get better.” She sees this as an inspiration for her time at the Woods. She can strive to make it better while trying not to completely change the school in the process. When asked about why she wanted to take the position she replied that the Woods has a reputation as a very strong school with a welcoming community. Since accepting the position as head of school she has heard many great stories about the Woods from colleagues, friends and neighbors.
One thing that I have been wondering about was the fate of our business class that Mr. Powers has taught to upper school students. Dr. Palladino has not yet made a final decision about the course but she talked about the important lessons learned in a business class, especially leadership skills. Dr. Palladino has a strong interest in leadership training and plans to continue to make sure this is part of our curriculum. Some traditions won’t change. At her current school she greets every student upon arrival just like how Mr.Powers greets us every morning. She is looking forward to bringing her own new traditions to the Woods and developing new ones with us. For my final question I asked her what kind of legacy she hoped to leave at the Woods. She answered this by again referencing the sense of strong community at the Woods. Dr Palladino wants to add to this community by helping the students to become more involved in the voice of the school, creating a place where students can feel heard and can appreciate the importance of other opinions. Overall I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Dr Palladion better. She brings a wealth of experience and energy to our school and I am definitely looking forward to seeing her next year.
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