Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of Special Education Supports are available? 

• The Woodlands offers Special Education supports for a wide variety of needs. IEP supports for single or multiple exceptionalities are common. The Woodlands is fully accessible for wheelchairs and the school staff are experienced in dealing with students with a wide range of needs physical and educational needs.   For Special Education Gifted students, there are self-contained  classes available in core programing areas (Math, Science, Social Science and English)  at all grade levels.  

Do you have a Contact Program?

• The Woodlands has a fully supported Contact program to support students on a daily basis. 

•  Our Contact room is fully staffed and has a Behavioural Teaching  Assistant to work with at-risk students.  

• Our Contact Staff further support students with a breakfast program, lunch time activities, and groups such as RamFam, and Girls Group. 

What is the Catchment Area for The Woodlands School? 

• The Woodlands School is the homeschool for elementary students from Hawthorne, McBride and Queenston Drive Public schools. The Woodlands School catchment area for Gifted students has recently expanded to include all of the City of Mississauga, and we welcome our new feeder schools to the Woodlands family.  A complete map of the Woodlands School catchment for non-Gifted students can be found here - https://schools.peelschools.org/_layouts/15/WebCreateManual/maps/boundry/2372.pdf 

Is there Bussing Available? 

• Bussing is available for all Woodlands students living in our catchment area(s) who live over 4KM or farther from the school.  This means that Gifted students from across Mississauga qualify for complimentary bussing as long as they live 4KM or farther from the school. 

What kind of COVID-19 Protocols have you put into place? 

• The Woodlands School is following the best advice of Peel Public Health and the Peel District School Board to protect our students from the current COVID pandemic. Students in the building have strict protocols about which doors, hallways and stairwells each class can use in order to limit contact with students outside of their assigned classes.  Classes entry to and exit from the building are staggered to ensure social distancing. Large gathering areas like our library and cafeteria are closed until further notice.  Many of our washrooms are single person only, but larger washrooms are now limited to single occupancy. Masking and hand sanitizing are mandatory and cleaning regimes have been enhanced. 

What additional Academic Supports does The Woodlands School offer? 

• Counting on You  (Learn More About Counting On You) 

  • Counting on You Numeracy 

  • Counting on You Literacy 

• Math help is run multiple times weekly by volunteer teachers from our Math department to ensure student success. 

Is there an application that must be completed for a student to attend The Woodlands School Enhanced Learning Program? 

• No, there is no application for a student to attend the ELP. All a student needs is to be formally identified as Gifted through the IPRC process. 

Is there a limited enrolment in the Enhanced Learning Program?

• As a Special Education Program, there is no limit on enrolment. We typically run 4 - 5 self contained Enhanced Sections of Core Subjects in Grade 9. 

My child did not attend a Special Education Program for Giftedness in Elementary School, are they still eligible to attend The Woodlands for ELP?

• Yes, as long as a student has been formally identified as Gifted, they can attend the Enhanced Learning Program at our school.

If my child attends a different school in Grade 9 but decides they would like to join The Woodlands in later years, is this allowed? 

• Absolutely! There have been many instances where students have participated in AP, IB, and other programs for Grade 9 and have decided later on the program was not a good fit and requested to transfer to The Woodlands School to join The Enhanced Learning Program. As a Special Education Program, we will always have room for your child. 

We are in the process of seeking testing for Giftedness, what are our next steps to ensure our child can attend The Woodlands School?

• demonstrated need for extensive programming and support. In order to identify a student's enhanced learning needs, a series of assessments and tests must be completed by the student, as well as the In-School Review Committee (ISRC) and Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC). To be identified as an enhanced learner under Tier 1 or 2, the student must undergo a Canadian Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) as an initial screener. Following a review of the CCAT results, the In School Review Committee (ISRC) may recommend completion of the Gifted Rating Scale (GRS). The ISRC and school psycho-educational consultant will analyze the ability test scores and teacher ratings to determine whether a student will be best supported by differentiated instruction within the regular classroom programming (Tier 1) or through the In School Enhanced Learning Program (Tier 2). The degree of differentiation of the content, process, product and/or evaluation will be determined by the learner’s needs and interests. If the ISRC believes the student may qualify as Exceptional Intellectual - Gifted, the students will be asked to complete an individual psycho-educational assessment.

• More information can be found here. 

How are Enhanced courses different than main-stream courses?

• Enhanced-level courses offer an environment where Gifted Learners are evaluated per the Ontario Curriculum, using standard, grade-level-appropriate course expectations. The difference between Enhanced and mainstream courses are that Gifted Learners in the ELP are given the opportunity to explore topics of interest to them in more depth and breadth, allowing them to explore their own creativity and critical thinking while still being evaluated at the same level as students in a mainstream classroom. 

Are students in the Enhanced Learning Program marked "harder"? 

• The marks that Gifted Learners receive in Enhanced-level classes are based only on their mastery of the grade-level curriculum. Gifted Learners are not marked harder. They are given greater opportunities to explore the curriculum and develop their higher-level thinking skills.  

Will my child be in classes with other Gifted students?

• Students must be identified as Gifted to take Enhanced Core Subject classes.  In other courses, classes will include Gifted students as well as students who are not in the ELP.

Are students who attend The Woodlands School for The Enhanced Learning Program entitled to bussing?

• Bussing is available for all Woodlands students living in our catchment area(s) who live over 4KM or farther from the school.  This means that Gifted students from across Mississauga qualify for complimentary bussing as long as they live 4KM or farther from the school.

Can my child take a French Immersion course at The Woodlands School?

• While we do not offer French Immersion, we have many students with a French Immersion background who are interested in pursuing languages. These students may be eligible to  take Grade 10 Academic French instead of Grade 9.

Are AP courses available at The Woodlands School?

• AP courses are not offered, but AP exams are offered at The Woodlands School. Through our Enhanced Learning Program, students have an opportunity to register for and write AP exams in  a variety of subjects. For more information on AP Exams at The Woodlands School, please contact hugh.miller@peelsb.com