The Woods Academy

I have so many fond memories from my time as a student at The Woods. I remember the excitement of moving from 4th to 5th grade. Not only did we get to change rooms for each subject, but our uniform also changed from a jumper to a skirt. I always looked forward to The French Festival as a student. After I graduated, I would come back every year with my brother Christopher to see Madame Pelaia, Mrs. Piwko, and Mrs. Ravenscroft. Coincidently, my first year working at The Woods, I taught Claire Ravenscroft who is Mrs. Ravenscroft's granddaughter.

The relationship and connection that I maintained with these teachers led to my return to The Woods as a teacher. Mrs. Piwko was one of my references when applying for jobs after college. She told me about the position at The Woods. I was really excited to come back to The Woods again!

It is amazing how some things stay the same, the lunch tables in the MPR, the uniforms, and the sense of community. Mrs. Piwko was still teaching students how to diagram sentences and helping to make their high school choices a reality.

And, of course, some things have changed since I graduated over 30 years ago. We have larger classes and the name changed from Our Lady of the Woods Academy to The Woods. The sweatshirts used to be navy, not grey and the red brick walls in the hallways are now white.

It is nostalgic that my classmates are now sending their children to The Woods. Even though Mrs. Piwko was my colleague for nearly 20 years, I still cannot call her Kathy. She will always be Mrs. Piwko to me. And, The Woods will always be my second home.