Biography:
Mrs. Rina Bados began her teaching career in 1987 in her home country, Honduras. There she taught kindergarten and 1st grade for four years. From 1993-1996 she taught in a after school program for Spanish immersion in Auburn, Alabama from K- 3rd grade and served as a Spanish High School tutor at the Sylvan Learning Center. She also taught Spanish to gifted and talented students in the Netherlands for two years.

Mrs. Bados joined The Woods Academy faculty in 2007 as a substitute Spanish teacher. In 2009 she accepted a permanent teaching position. In her time at The Woods, she has taught various grade levels. Prior to arriving at The Woods, Mrs. Bados held many long-term Spanish substitute teaching positions in Montgomery County Public Schools and also served as a Spanish substitute teacher in different private schools in the area. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Universidad Autonoma de Honduras.

Biography:
Mme Kimberley Jibladze joined The Woods Academy faculty in 2015 as the upper school French teacher. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Kimberley moved to Texas after high school and earned a B.A. in French and English from Trinity University (San Antonio), and an M.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin. She completed undergraduate and graduate academic programs in France, and spent time in many countries around the world in order to learn more about her two favorite subjects: language and culture. After earning certification through UTeach, she worked with the rigorous teacher preparation program as a Mentor Teacher. She spent 5 years at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas as a French teacher and the World Languages department chair.

Biography:

Mrs. Katya Cunnane Pilong (1998) joined The Woods Academy faculty in 2007. She came to The Woods after teaching the fifth grade bilingual program and teaching ESL students ranging from PK-8th grade at Sacred Heart School in Washington DC. She holds a B.S. in French from the Catholic University of America and a M.Ed. from Marymount University in Elementary Education and is also certified as an elementary school teacher. Mrs. Pilong is a certified catechist in the Archdiocese of Washington, Hearts Aflame: Faith and Ministries Program. She is also certified in Phono- Graphix. Mrs. Pilong began her career at The Woods as a second grade teacher and now serves as the school's Media and Curriculum Specialist. She is also has her daughter in Montessori.

Biography:

Mrs. Maricela Santiago joined The Woods Academy in 2018 as a French and Spanish Teacher. She holds a B.A. in Communication with a Second Major in Modern Languages (Portuguese and French) from the Universidad de Puerto Rico. After being awarded the Santander Scholarship, Mrs. Santiago moved to the United Kingdom where she obtained an M.A. in Modern French Studies from the University of Kent. During her time in Europe, Mrs. Santiago tutored kids and adults in both Spanish and English, and spent her free time traveling to different countries to enhance her language skills and cultural knowledge. Prior to arriving at The Woods Academy, she taught Portuguese and French at the Escuela de Ciencias, Matemáticas, Tecnología y Lenguajes in Puerto Rico for two years.

Biography:
Mrs. Lis Sheehan joined The Woods Academy faculty in 2015 as a Spanish teacher. She graduated from the Technical University of Business and Development in Asunción, Paraguay with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Mrs. Sheehan continued her studies at the “Maria Montessori” Teacher Training Institute where she graduated with an Associate Degree in Science in Elementary Education. After moving to the United States in 2004, she taught Spanish in the Upper School at Holy Trinity School in Georgetown for five years and also worked as a volunteer teacher in an immersion Spanish program in Bethesda. Prior to arriving at The Woods, she taught English as a foreign language at SEK International School in Paraguay for five years.

Biography:

A native of Lexington, MA, Ms. Nancy Zachor earned her B.A. in Spanish and Certificate in Spanish Translation at University of Massachusetts, Boston. She completed a year abroad in Bogotá, Colombia and spent a summer as a public health volunteer in Honduras. Ms. Zachor also pursued courses in art (her other passion) at Parsons School of Design and the Art Students League of New York, where she was awarded a travel grant to live in Europe for a year. Upon returning to the US, she completed an MFA in Painting at Boston University and practiced painting for several years while working as a graphic designer and editor. After moving to CT with her husband and taking time off to raise her son, she decided to enter the teaching field, becoming certified in 7-12 Spanish, 7-12 French, and Elementary World Languages through Connecticut's Alternate Route to Certification program. She taught middle school Spanish for 4 years in Connecticut and then moved to Maryland, where she taught Spanish and French at Oneness Family School in Chevy Chase. She currently lives in Bethesda with her husband, teenaged son, and two retired greyhounds.