The Woods Academy News vol 26, iss 1

SUMMER 2019  VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 1

A PUBLICATION FOR THE WOODS ACADEMY COMMUNITY

Where curiosity and confidence thrive.

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

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An inclusive Catholic community preparing boys and girls to lead lives of significance.

The Woods Academy News is published by the Office of Marketing & Communications twice a year for families, alumni, and friends of The Woods Academy.

6801 Greentree Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 (301)365-3080 woodsacademy.org Cover photo of Varsity Baseball Team with Coach Bob Kalas taken by Meredith Kleykamp, mother of Owen Basso, Class of 2019.

Special thanks to Rebecca Drobis Photography and Freed Photography for many of the photos included in this issue.

Field Day 2013 Field Day 2019

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In this issue:

HEAD OF SCHOOL’S MESSAGE

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT 4 CLASS OF 2019

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CLASS OF 2015

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FAITH LIFE

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WORLD LANGUAGE

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ATHLETICS

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COMMUNITY MATTERS

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FACULTY

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CLASS NOTES

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SPECIAL EVENTS

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Dear Woods Community,

The summer always seems to pass more quickly than the busy school year.

By the time you receive this edition of The Woods Academy News it will be over. With every summer comes the excitement of “being off.” Well, as a school leader, I am not exactly off in the summer, rather I work at a slower pace that allows for some rest, relaxation, renewal, and recharge.

As you read through this edition of The Woods Academy News, whether you are an alum, current family, or friend of the school, I hope you will take great pride in the traditions that continue at The Woods and the excitement that comes with new initiatives. From our successful athletics teams to a magical production of The Wizard of Oz, to more alumni returning to teach at The Woods, we cherish all that is good about the well-rounded program we provide our students. It is also so important to evolve and build on the traditional with new and innovative opportunities like our world language exchange program. Advancing the traditional to meet the needs and wants of the day is not an easy task and it is vital to affording our kids the best of our past while keeping an eye on the future.

In essence, The Woods has been balancing tradition and innovation from the very beginning. Daily language instruction, technology, and athletics are just three traditions that have remained at the core of The Woods experience and have developed into robust programs that have students traveling the world, using personal devices in Grades 1–8, and competing against the area’s best schools at a high level. We are true to our mission yet know we must progress to serve our students and families.

As we continue to evolve, we will continue to stay in touch and seek your input, share our successes, and design amazing programs for the best kids.

You all have been and remain an integral part of all that happens at The Woods. Thank you for your continued support.

Peace,

Joe Powers

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

TAKING

STEPHANIE CLARK CLASS OF 2005

CHANCES

“Take a deep breath,” I told myself. These words

would become my mantra each and every time I boarded a plane to start the next chapter in my life. Living thousands of miles and countless time zones away from my family and friends was both daunting and exciting. Without my foundation from The Woods Academy, I may not have been open to taking the chances in life that I have.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

As I think back on my time as a student at Woods, memories flood my consciousness and remind me of all that I learned – not just to further my education but also, to nurture my soul. The Woods planted the seeds that would teach me to stand up for myself, to be my own advocate, to roll with the punches, to own up to my mistakes instead of trying to hide them. The list goes on but the one that stands out above all the rest – to take chances in life – was truly at the foundation of my Woods Academy experience.

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… those seeds from Woods took root and grew.

Throughout the following eight years of high school and college, those seeds from Woods took root and grew. After college, I wanted to challenge myself to move somewhere I didn’t know a soul. I moved to South Korea to teach English. Although I only planned to stay for a year, I fell in love with the city and stayed for three.

Then I moved to Prague, where I started over again, not knowing anybody in the Czech Republic. One year later, I left Prague for Granada, Spain.

Throughout my five years abroad after college, I travelled to 17 new countries. I gained a new appreciation for many drastically different cultures.

I grew empathy for people who are very different from myself. Now that I’ve returned to the US, I recognize just how vital it is to have compassion for those who are different from you. We each have a chance to make our part of the world more welcoming to those who need a helping hand or even a hug.

Even as I stood at my eighth grade graduation as a Woods Lifer, a small part of me knew I would return to The Woods someday. Almost fifteen years later, I’m back.

As a Woods Academy teacher, I know that now it is my responsibility and privilege to instill in my students the same confidence that my teachers instilled in me.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

CLASS OF 2019

GRADUATION CEREMONY AND AWARDS On Friday, May 31, we celebrated and recognized the Class of 2019 for their outstanding contributions to The Woods community.

4 Legacies 2nd Generation Woods Graduates 17 “Lifers” attended The Woods since Montessori Preschool Awarded $295K in Merit-based Scholarships

Will attend 13 different high schools 6

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

Martin Gaszner, Student Council President, shared the following reflection with his classmates and all those in attendance. The Alumni Reflection was delivered

by Molly Shriver, Class of 2012 and sister of Emma.

During the commencement ceremony on May 31, the following Graduation Awards were given to the Class of 2019.

The Athletic Director’s Award which recognizes model Woods Academy athletes for outstanding academic achievement, sportsmanship, teamwork, dedication, and sacrifice for the program was given to Owen Basso, Alice Harper, Andrew Powers, and Sofie Stewart.

The Twelve Season Award is given to students who participated in The Woods Athletic Program every season during their four years in Upper School.

The following students received special recognition for this accomplishment: Owen Basso James Cohen

Grace Sarafidis Sofie Stewart

The Woods Award for Academic Honors is given to the eighth-grade students who have earned either Honors or Honors with Distinction for at least half the trimesters from seventh grade through the second trimester of eighth grade. The following students were recognized for this accomplishment: Kevin Aldridge Lila Amirkhalili Owen Basso Julia Capuano James Cohen Gracie Cooper Martin Gaszner Alice Harper Chas Lackey

Will Lankenau Gonzalo Marina Alonso Mateo Mwendwa Jack Powers Kevin Reese Grace Sarafidis Leila Sarkarzadeh Emma Shriver Sofie Stewart

The Woods Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts, given to the eighth-grade students who have excelled in the fine and performing arts, was awarded to Kevin Aldridge and Jack Powers for Fine Arts and to Grace Sarafidis and Chas Lackey for Performing Arts.

The Serviam Award, for the eighth-grade students who have given outstanding service to The Woods community, was received by Alice Harper and Martin Gaszner.

The Celestine Award was given to Emma Shriver and Mateo Mwendwa as the eighth-grade students who have demonstrated the effort and hard work that characterizes the ideal Woods Academy student.

The Award for Academic Achievement, given to the eighth-grade student who has demonstrated excellence in academics, was awarded to Julia Capuano, Martin Gaszner, Will Lankenau, and Natalie Yang.

Quinn Farland and Natalie Yang were recipients of The General Excellence Award, given to the eighth-grade students who have demonstrated the ideals of The Woods Academy Mission Statement, including academic, athletic, spiritual, social excellence and emotional well-being, a respect for others, a spirit of equality and commitment to community service.

The Joanne Gerber Lifer Award is given annually to a Lifer, a student who has been at The Woods since preschool, who embodies the ideals of a Montessori education. This year’s recipient was Kevin Aldridge and Leila Sarkarzadeh.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

CLASS OF 2019

The Woods Academy Congratulates the Members of the Class of 2019 Kevin Aldridge Sophia Alves Lila Amirkhalili Miguel Barrenechea Arana Owen Basso Brooke Beebe Isabela Campanario Julia Capuano James Cohen Gracie Cooper Mia D’Augostine

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Charleston DeCain Quinn Farland Martin Gaszner Alice Harper Chas Lackey Will Lankenau Trevor Lynch Gonzalo Marina Alonso Shay McMickle Noah Moody Mateo Mwendwa

Claudia Podpierova Andrew Powers Jack Powers Kevin Reese Grace Sarafidis Leila Sarkarzadeh Teddy Seitz Emma Shriver Sofie Stewart Eleanor van der Does de Willebois Natalie Yang

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

The Woods Academy Class of 2019 has been accepted to the following high schools: ■ Academy of the Holy Cross ■ Connelly School of the Holy Child ■ Georgetown Preparatory School ■ Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School ■ Gonzaga College High School ■ Landon School ■ MCPS Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School ■ Our Lady of Good Counsel High School ■ Peddie School (NJ) ■ St. Albans School ■ St. John’s College High School ■ Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart ■ The Heights School

The class was awarded $295,000 in merit scholarships.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

CLASS OF 2015

CLASS OF 2015

COLLEGE MATRICULATION* We are proud to share the list of colleges and universities chosen by the Class of 2015.

Inés Andrés Georgetown University María Ascanio Aliño Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nicole Briscuso Auburn University Henry Campbell Savannah College of Art and Design Alexandre Crepin École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland Patrick Dolan University of Notre Dame Zubin Eimen University of Maryland Ify Eze LaSalle University Ugo Eze LaSalle University Muriel Fayemi Syracuse University Bobby Foose Colgate University David Giannini Villanova University Catherine Heming Northwestern University

From left to right: Grace Yang, Molly O’Connor, Catherine Heming, and Inés Andrés have been classmates since their early days at The Woods Academy. That is more than a dozen years including their time in high school at Stone Ridge. Now they are off on separate adventures this fall.

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* Reported to The Woods Academy as of August 1, 2019.

David Hobart University of Vermont David-Jem Jimenez West Virginia University Briana Lantuh University of North Carolina Margaret Maloney Providence College Bryan Nickerson University of Miami Devin Nickerson Boston College Molly O’Connor University of Wisconsin Will Pappert Villanova University Ricky Samayoa York University in Toronto Sidra Swift James Madison University Alex Toner Gap Year Jean Tostain Let us know.

Georgia Tsianakas Let us know.

María Velasco Basterra Syracuse University Grace Yang Villanova University

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

FAITH LIFE

BUILDING LASTING BONDS

A Look at Prayer Partners at The Woods

BY KATYA PILONG CURRICULUM & MEDIA SPECIALIST Prayer Partners, the pairing of older mentor students with younger students, has been a long-standing tradition at The Woods. The idea originated decades ago with the intention of having our older students model moral and spiritual guidance to our younger students.

As years have passed, the School has found that this relationship served both our younger and older students in numerous ways. The Prayer Partner program is one of the ways that we fulfill our mission of being an inclusive Catholic community. We strive to offer opportunities for all school community members of various ethnic

heritages, cultures, races, faith traditions, and economic backgrounds to interact with and learn from one another.

The Woods has carefully noted that fostering these relationships as special and memorable provides students the chance to create lasting connections across grade levels. Opportunities for these bonds, between senior and junior partners, to grow happen all throughout the school year. Some of the activities include chapel services, reading buddies, sports events, and even math games. In addition, what resonates even more among our students are the service projects and holidays that they celebrate and share.

We find that there are four main reasons why Prayer Partners will always be ingrained in The Woods culture. The program:

■ Provides our students the opportunity to create a deep relationship with a fellow student who can serve as either a mentor or a mentee.

■ Helps create a culture of connectivity among our students from all types of backgrounds.

■ Allows our students to give back to the community through activities like praying for others around the world during chapel services and service projects for local organizations.

■ Gives students learning experiences outside of the classroom setting and helps our students lead lives of significance.

There is nothing more heartwarming than a Woods graduate returning to campus and not only seeking out favorite teachers to visit but also seeking out his/her prayer partner.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

WORLD LANGUAGE

BUILDING INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS

BY KIMBERLEY JIBLADZE, FRENCH TEACHER

Le partenariat entre Collège Vauban et la Woods Academy (The Partnership between Vauban Middle School and The Woods Academy)

In March and April of this year, middle-school students from the Section Internationale Américaine de Collège Vauban and The Woods Academy participated in a full exchange program. Woods Academy students traveled to France in March for some tourism in Paris and then a homestay with their correspondent from our partner school. During the homestay, they spent time with

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their families, explored Belfort, went on an excursion to Alsace, and attended classes. Then, in April, Vauban students came to Bethesda to do some tourism in the capital and participate in a homestay, during which time they explored DC, went to Mount Vernon, spent time with their Woods host family, and attended classes.

That sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?

In fact, the program that officially “started” on March 19th when we left for France and “ended” on April 12th when the Vauban students returned home has been years in the making. I first met Benoît Didier, a French Histoire-Géographie teacher, in 2015. Friends of his family have ties to The Woods, and Joe Powers forwarded me an email from him inquiring about a possible partnership. I was still in Texas preparing for our move to the DC area, but was immediately

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

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The language program is one of our favorite things about The Woods. It is history, and storytelling, and culture. Even cuisine.

Current Parent

Eiffel Tower © r.nagy/shutterstock.com

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

WORLD LANGUAGE

interested in a program that would potentially lead to an exchange. Benoît visited the U.S. in October of that year, and we talked about our goals and ideas for such a program. We were on the same page about what we wanted to establish and the objectives we had for our students, so we decided to work together towards an exchange by starting to have students interact electronically. Then, in 2017, Woods Academy students traveled to France to see the sites in Paris and then stay with our Vauban friends for the first time. We had an amazing trip, and students came back saying that although it was hard to be away from home and live with a French family they had just met, the experience was transformative and made them want to continue traveling in the future. We were very sad that Vauban students were not able to come see us that year to complete the exchange, but we began to prepare to host them in 2019.

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Along with Vauban’s English teachers, Maria Fidalgo and Hélène Dubail, Benoît and I began preparations for a full echange that would take place in the Spring of 2019. We all exchanged tons of emails and sent personal profiles, family profiles, messages, and information back and forth to help prepare our students to meet and live with one another. Amazing families from both Collège

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

Vauban and The Woods volunteered to host students they had never met, and teachers from both schools volunteered to host each other as well. In anticipation of our trips, we planned itineraries, made arrangements, helped students correspond, and did everything we could to ensure the success of the program.

Both trips were quite busy but full of fun, discovery, and learning. The host families planned so many fantastic activities and welcomed students into their homes with open arms, and teachers from both schools were wonderfully flexible in including students in activities and lessons. As the students said goodbye to each other outside of The Woods on a rainy Friday in April, the tears cried by students from both schools spoke volumes. They had made true connections and been exposed to ideas and perspectives different from their own. They had experienced firsthand the benefits of learning another language and stepping outside of your comfort zone. They had opened their hearts and minds and grown in the process. As I teared up watching them sing, hug, wave, and say goodbye, I felt so grateful because because this is why I became a teacher; this is why I love what I do. I look forward to many more exchanges in the future and feel so lucky to be able to help my students have the type of experiences that changed my own life in high school, inspired me to want to teach French in the first place, and have made me into an avid traveler and cultural enthusiast.

Thank you to the teachers, staffs, administrations, students, and families of Collège Vauban and The Woods Academy for making this exchange possible. You’ve honestly changed lives in the process and I could not be more grateful for everything that you all did to help throughout the entire process. Thank you in particular to Benoît: working with you to help our students have these beautiful experiences was a true joy.

Je vous remercie mille fois encore, à toutes et à tous!

(I thank you again one thousand times, all of you!)

If you’d like to see even more pictures, check out my Twitter travel blog: twitter.com/mmejibladze

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

ATHLETICS

2019 SPRING SPORTS

BY THE NUMBERS 1 Community

12 Teams

8 Teams with Winning Records

2 Second Place Finishes in Track & Field – Boys Shot Put & Boys 1x400

6 Sports – Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Boys Tennis, Golf, Track & Field 16

1 Undefeated Team – JV Softball

3 First Place Finishes in End of Season Tournaments – Varsity Baseball, Varsity Softball, Varsity Girls Lacrosse 2 First Place Finishes in Track & Field – Girls Shot Put & Girls 1x400

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

Award Winners Congratulations!

Varsity Softball

JV Baseball Owls

Coaches Award Andrew Powers (8) & Owen Basso (8) Hustle Award Charlie Wooters (7) & Kevin Reese (8)

JV Softball

Coaches Award Alice Harper (8) & Sofie Stewart (8) Hustle Award Brooke Beebe (8)

Varsity Baseball

Varsity Boys Lacrosse

Coaches Award Sean Kenny (7) Hustle Award Kevin Reese (8) Most Improved Award Miguel Barrenechea Arana (8)

Varsity Girls Lacrosse

Coaches Award Lila Amirkhalili (8) & Mia Priest (7) Hustle Award Skyler Thomson (7) Most Improved Award Alice Harper (8)

JV Baseball Green

Coaches Award Christian Gaffney (6) Hustle Award Dylan Fay (6) Most Improved Award Johnny Fields (5)

Coaches Award Griffin Lydon (6) Hustle Award Billy Sarafidis (6) Most Improved Award Max Bakelar (5) Coaches Award Sami Framer (5) & Ana Paula Campanario (5) Most Improved Award Izzy Martelli (5)

JV Boys Lacrosse

Coaches Award Sean Steis (4) Hustle Award John Thorsen (6) Most Improved Award Jason Obido (5)

JV Girls Lacrosse

Coaches Award Raina Andrew (5) Hustle Award Abby Sullivan (5) Most Improved Award Alessandra Chiaramonte (5)

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

COMMUNITY MATTERS

COMMUNITY MATTERS Father-Daughter Night Out

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Nearly 100 fathers and daughters joined us for the 15th Annual Father-Daughter Dance and Night Out on Friday, April 27. Both fathers and daughters had a great time dancing to classics such as “My Girl” and “Brown Eyed Girl”, and more recent hits such as “Happy” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” The dads and daughters even enjoyed a photo booth. We are so grateful for Lina Carmona, Ines Vega, and Eunice D’Augostine and all the volunteers that made the evening so special.

Field Day The school year would not be complete without the ultimate ending – Field Day! On Friday, May 3, Green and White took to the fields for a morning of friendly competition and snow cones. Thank you to Athletic Director Erin Ricca and PE Teacher Tom Parker for organizing the fun.

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

Prayers & Pizza

On Sunday, May 5, the Class of 2015 (now high school graduates) and their families gathered at The Woods for an intimate Mass celebrated by Father Raymond Kemp from Georgetown University. Everyone was thrilled to meet and greet old friends and former teachers while enjoying a casual pizza dinner.

Class of 2016, save the date for your Prayers & Pizza event – Sunday, May 3, 2020 at 4:30 PM with Fr. Kemp at The Woods.

Arts Celebration On May 16 and 17, The Woods Academy presented its 15th Annual Arts Celebration. This annual event is a culmination of the year’s work by all students throughout the entire school. Many thanks to Lina Carmona, Ines Vega, and the host of volunteers who made this event possible.

In addition to having our multi-purpose room transformed into an art gallery – showcasing hundreds of paintings, watercolors, pastels, ink drawings, prints, sculptures, and weavings– the exhibition spilled into the hallways of the school.

Student musicians from every grade performed in the Art Gallery on both days.

This year’s drama production was The Wizard of Oz. Our 7th and 8th grade actors enchanted the audience on stage. The Arts Team led by Charmaine Taverner worked their magic once again.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

COMMUNITY MATTERS

Spirit Week

From Pajama Day to Tropical Thursday, Spirit Week 2019 sure did shake up the monotony of the school year. It is always fun to see the classes come together with common themes for the last day of freedom from uniforms.

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Woods is a great place with the most wonderful community feel.

Current Parent

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US Choir Performs at Kings Dominion Choir Festival On May 24, our Upper School Choir, under the direction of Music Teacher Sharon Pabon, performed at the Kings Dominion Festival of Music, which provides band, orchestra, and choral students the opportunity to perform and be evaluated by adjudicators. This year the choir earned another Excellent rating from the adjudicators!

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

First Communion Mass

On May 22, The Woods celebrated the second graders who made their First Holy Communion earlier in the spring. The whole school attended Mass prepared by the First Communicants, their classmates, and teachers, Christina Phelps and Lori Camalier. Music Teacher Sharon Pabon led the students as they performed a special Communion hymn, “Jesus, You are Bread for Us.” The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. John Enzler, President and CEO of Catholic Charities. Congratulations to our First Communicants!

Comfort Cases Packing Party At the end of the school year, The Woods collaborated on a special project with Comfort Cases, a charity founded to support kids in foster care. Upper School students collected the supplies needed to create backpacks for children who often do not have anything to call their own.

On May 28, after the campaign to collect supplies ended, a “Packing Party” was held in the gym to assemble the cases. Rob Scheer, the Founder of Comfort Cases, joined the students and parents for the event at which over 170 backpacks were completed. Thank you to all who made this event such a great success.

Montessori Preschool Program and Graduation

Ready to move on to new classes and uniforms in the Lower School, the Kindergarteners graduated on May 31 in a ceremony full of songs and poetry in English, French, and Spanish. There is no doubt the students will miss their Montessori preschool teachers and friends, but we are sure they are going to enjoy First Grade!

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

FACULTY

FACULTY & STAFF

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YEARS

Anniversaries

At the completion of the 2018–2019 school year, the following faculty and staff members celebrated milestone anniversaries at The Woods.

Raymond Briscoe Assistant Head of School

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20

YEARS

Charmaine Taverner Art Teacher 22

YEARS

Erin Ricca Athletic Director

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

NEW FACULTY Profiles

Michele Bernard Montessori Preschool Assistant Teacher Michele is a local. She grew up in Potomac.

Prior to being “officially” hired by Woods and working as a Substitute for the past 1.5 years, Michele worked at Manor Montessori School in Potomac for 10 years and then at Apple Montessori School in Bethesda for five years.

When Michele is not at Woods you can usually find her at one of two places – the beach or at a music event/concert! She has always loved music and was even a DJ at her University Radio Station! She has attended hundreds of live music shows and has even met some of the musicians up close and personal.

Randall Bednar US Religion Teacher

Randy grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson New York, which he considers his hometown.

Prior to The Woods, he was the Lower School Headmaster at the Landon School.

Randy enjoys reading, fishing, spending time with his family and two German Shepherd dogs and coaching baseball.

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THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES 1970s Send us your news.

Sarah Bash (2013)

1980s Send us your news.

1990s Send us your news.

2000s

It has been an eventful two years for Catherine (Robertson) Herman (2004)! After graduating with her MBA from Harvard Business School, and marrying Alex Herman in the summer of 2017, the two recently welcomed Elle Susan Herman on May 7, 2019. Catherine now lives outside Philadelphia and is still best friends with Woods classmate Katherine Farrell.

Catherine Robertson Herman (2004)

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2010s

David Pitts (2011) just graduated from Washington College and is working full time at Baltimore Washington Medical Center as a Scribe while he prepares to take the MCATs and apply to medical school.

Sarah Bash (2013), a rising junior at Colby College majoring in Physics and Philosophy, recently hiked 70 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail with her mom, Margaret. (Margaret went on to complete the first 200 miles of the trail.) Sarah is enjoying life in Maine as a member of the Colby Woodsmen Team, a Community Advisor, and a member of Multi-faith Council.

Briana Lantuh (2015), a now graduate of Bishop Ireton, was named to The Washington Post 2019 Spring All-Met 1st Team for Girls Lacrosse.

Briana, an Under Armour allAmerican and North Carolina signee posted 66 goals, eight assists, 100 draw controls and 16 groundballs to lead the Cardinals to their fourth straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.

Maeve Dolan (2016), a rising senior at Stone Ridge, was named to The Washington Post 2019 Spring All-Met 2nd Team for Girls Lacrosse.

Elisa Terman (2016), a rising senior at Holy Cross, was recognized as a 2019 Students of the Year Candidate for her depth of support and dedication to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Her team raised over $35,000 for LLS.

Elise Terman (2016) Patrick Gaul (2016), a rising senior at Georgetown Prep, has committed to play lacrosse at Williams College.

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

Former Montessori Teacher Anu Iyer (1987–2015) and former Art Teacher Carol Dyer (1977–1997) ran into each other at Home Depot in June. They were so excited to see each other and share a photo with The Woods community.

Katherine Farrell (2004) was the Maid of Honor in classmate Catherine (Robertson) Herman’s 2017 wedding. This fall, Catherine will return the favor as a Bridesmaid in Katherine’s wedding.

We were delighted to see so many members of the Class of 2018 at the Arts Celebration this year.

Remember Alumni, your tickets to attend this annual event are always free.

Ify (right) and Ugo (left) Eze (2015) returned to campus just before the end of the school year to greet former teachers and share their college plans. In May, both boys graduated from Christchurch School in VA where they played Varsity Lacrosse. They will continue their studies at LaSalle University.

Share your news

Please send in your notes for the next issue of The Woods Academy News to keep your classmates and other Woods’ friends up to date. Photos are always welcome!

Email your updates to Jodie Shoemaker, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Alumni Relations, at alumni@woodsacademy.org 25

THE WOODS ACADEMY NEWS SUMMER 2019

SPECIAL EVENTS

GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY SAVE THE DATE! FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2019

The day begins at 8:30 AM with a welcome reception and continental breakfast.

Other highlights include: ■ Prayer Service, Musical Performances, and Classroom Visits ■ (Early Dismissal for all students.)

■ Postcard invitations will be mailed to all grandparents and special friends; international guests are welcome!

For more information, please contact Traci Grigg, Director of Development: tgrigg@woodsacademy.org or 301-365-3080 or visit woodsacademy.org/grandparents

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Super-Easy Ways You Can Promote The Woods

Like us on Facebook…

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facebook.com/thewoodsacademy.

It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Wear…

your Woods gear proudly.

We have yoga pants, Adidas pullovers, Under Armour hoodies, Vineyard Vines ties and totes, and even golf umbrellas. Shop Owlcove today!

Invite…

family, friends, and neighbors to the Arts Celebration.

Not only is it quality, family-friendly entertainment, it shows off all the great talents and features of our school!

Spread the word…

about our Open Houses.

And volunteer if you can — there is always coffee!

Read…

Window on The Woods, the Official Blog of The Woods Academy and share the stories with your friends, family, and neighbors. You just might learn something new and interesting.

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Follow us on Twitter…

and retweet us.

We may not be quite as entertaining as some celebrity tweet-ists, but you’ll be up-to-date with all things Woods AND help promote the school.

Follow us on Instagram… and comment on our posts.

Only on Instagram will you see our trendy #MasterpieceMonday posts.

Don’t forget…

about Summer at The Woods — for your own kids, or for someone else’s. It’s a great option for visiting relatives or neighborhood pals.

Embrace…

the idea of legacy: make a referral and bring one new student or family to be your “successor.” They’ll do the same, and so on.

Think of all the lives you’ll change!

Take a minute…

to express what The Woods means to you, whether you are an alum, a current parent, or a former parent. We use testimonials in different ways in our marketing efforts, and they bring a smile to our faces. E-mail us anytime at alumni@woodsacademy.org.

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The Woods Academy 6801 Greentree Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301 365 3080 www.woodsacademy.org

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Bethesda, MD Permit No. 5578

Save the Date!

Save the Date:

OPENING MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Thursday, May 16 & 15th Annual Arts Celebration TUESDAY, AUGUST 27 featuring The Wizard of Oz Friday, May 17, 2019

FAMILY FUN DAY Montessori Program and SATURDAY, SEPTEMBERGraduation 14

Friday, May 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

GRANDPARENTS SPECIAL Friday, May 31, 2019 at 5:00& pm 8th GradeFRIENDS Graduation DAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

Please visit woodsacademy.org/artscelebration to purchase tickets to The Wizard of Oz and support the Arts at The Woods.

woodsacademy.org