The Woodlands School (Mississauga)

The Woodlands School is a public elementary and secondary school in Mississauga, Ontario, under the Peel District School Board. It has a diverse student population, with large numbers of students of South and East Asian backgrounds. The school has an English as a Second Language (ESL) program to assist new immigrants, and a Peer Assisted Learning (PALS) program. The school is also a Regional Enhanced Learning Centre for the secondary program.

History
The Woodlands School was opened in the year 1969. While the first phase of its present building was under construction, classes operated within Springfield Public School building. In September 1970, the students and staff moved to the new building, and The Woodlands became a combined elementary and secondary school.

The facility received a major renovation throughout 2016. This renovation implemented a new open concept design to the front of the school, and also removed the old library building attached to the school, replacing it with a new elementary classroom wing. An elevator was later built near the front of the school.

Elementary students
Students in grades 7 and 8 are in a full-year schedule of two terms per year.

Secondary students
Courses are offered at the Enhanced, Academic, Applied, and Locally Developed levels. The Woodlands also offers a gifted education program. Students currently residing in Mississauga who are identified as gifted through the Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test are given the option of attending Woodlands, with transportation provided by the Peel District School Board. Enhanced courses teach the same material as Academic courses, but the manner of teaching and style of evaluation vary based on the needs of the students. There is a relative lack of windows for classrooms as the school was made with open concept architecture.

There is also a Developmentally Delayed Program within the school, where small numbers of students receive intensive support from classroom teachers and educational assistants.

The Woodlands School consistently places among the top academic schools in the Peel District School Board and in Ontario. Students also have the option to participate extracurriculars such as Debate, Chess, FRC (First Robotics Competition) and DECA. A music program also exists, with students placing at national & international festivals. In addition, the school has a high Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test pass rate, averaging over 95% since its inception.

Athletic
The Woodlands Rams compete within the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association (ROPSSAA). ROPSSAA is made up of over 60 schools from across the Peel Board of Education and the Dufferin Peel Catholic School Board. Below are some of the leagues and championships that ROPSSAA organizes:
 * Archery (boys, girls – spring)
 * Badminton (boys, girls – early spring)
 * Baseball (boys – spring)
 * Basketball (girls – fall / boys – winter)
 * Bocce ball (boys, girls – fall)
 * Cricket (boys – early spring)
 * * Cross Country Running (boys, girls – fall)
 * * Field Hockey (girls – fall
 * Field Lacrosse (boys – spring)
 * Flag Football (girls – fall)
 * * Football (boys – fall, program cancelled as of 2015 season
 * Golf (boys, girls – fall)
 * * Rugby (boys, girls – spring)
 * * Slopitch Softball (girls – spring)
 * * Soccer (boys, girls – spring)
 * * Tennis (boys, girls – fall)
 * * Track and Field (boys, girls – spring)
 * * Ultimate Frisbee (boys, girls – spring)
 * * Volleyball (boys – fall / girls – winter)

Notable alumni

 * Angela Bailey - Canadian Olympic track and field athlete
 * Darcy Brown - CFL player
 * Darwyn Cooke - Comic book writer and artist
 * Kyle Jones - Plays for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League
 * Dontae Richards-Kwok - Canadian sprinter
 * Cam Stewart - Media/radio personality for The Score
 * Sven Spengemann - MP for Mississauga-Lakeshore
 * Kat Teasdale - professional auto racing driver