50 Years of Excellence

This past January, we began celebrating 50 years of The Woods Academy.
On January 29, 1975, Our Lady of the Woods Corporation was admitted to record by the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. According to the 1976 Annual Report, “the corporation came into existence as a Maryland non-profit corporation for the purpose of conducting a private Roman Catholic school, now known as Our Lady of the Woods Academy. The School was conceived as a continuation of the Lower School of Ursuline Academy, which had operated in Bethesda, MD for more than twenty years prior to its unexpected closing announcement in November, 1974.” 

Three families came together after this announcement and decided that they would incorporate Our Lady of the Woods to continue to provide a Catholic school in Bethesda, MD. 

The founding families of The Woods Academy, include: 

• George and Pat Reese

• John and Rose Scozzafava

• Robert and Jean Walsh 

Thanks to the three founding families, The Woods Academy continues to thrive in Bethesda, providing a Catholic education for boys and girls ages 3 to Grade 8. We have had many “owlvocates” (a person who gives their significant time, talent, and treasure to transform the lives of The Woods Academy students) over the past 50 years and we look forward to honoring them throughout the 2025 calendar year. 

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