White Oaks Secondary School
Encyclopedia
White Oaks Secondary School (WOSS) is a Secondary School
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

 located in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 suburb of Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...

, in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

.

The school has both north and south campuses, across the road from each other. The north campus was formerly known as General Wolfe High School, and used to be attended by students who had different levels and types of learning capabilities than those of the south campus. The school now acts as a whole, and students can take classes at North or South campus - the old division between the schools is gone. The north campus offers hands on technical programs such as hairdressing, child care, autobody and carpentry, as well as classes for students with a wide range of disabilities and English Language Learner programs (ELL). It is also the location for recognized Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs (OYAP) and the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences (FAMS). White Oaks also offers French at the immersion level. White Oaks also now offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme. White Oaks Secondary School is one of the most widely known schools in Ontario because it offers many different courses and programs.

Co-curricularly, White Oaks has had many accomplishments in both the arts and athletics, however in recent years the arts have been building momentum. The school hosts an annual craft sale on the first Saturday in November to raise money for its student Art Council. Annually since 2009,the Art Council and Art Club have designed and built a float for the Oakville Santa Claus Parade. In 2010, their float won a first place award from the town of Oakville. In 2009, the Art Council helped raise money to bring art to Africa, an initiative designed to allow a small group of African highschool students the opportunity to experience visual art - painting to be specific - for the first time. Art students at the school also participate in an annual Halton gallery show with high-calibre artworks being created.

The Art, Music, and Drama Councils are all very active within the school and host a wide range of activities and events throughout the year, bringing much pride to the school. Drama Council supports the numerous productions put on every year. The fall production is a musical or drama every alternating year. White Oaks has been known to win many awards of Merit and Excellence in Acting, in Directing, Stage Management, and for the Ensemble in the Ontario Sears Drama Festival. In the past decade, White Oaks has also won many Outstanding Production Awards, enabeling them to compete at the regional level in the festival. Additionally, White Oaks Drama hosts an annual Fringe Festival, which allows students to direct and even write their own one-act plays. Over a hundred students get the opportunity to become involved in the drama program every year.

Other clubs, such as the Awareness and Activism Association, and Free the Children, have contributed greatly to student life and awareness of significant issues in our global society.

Notable alumni

  • Chris Hadfield
    Chris Hadfield
    Chris Austin "Chris" Hadfield, O.Ont, MSC, CD is a Canadian astronaut from the Canadian Space Agency who was the first Canadian to walk in space. Hadfield has flown two space shuttle missions, STS-74 in 1995 and STS-100 in 2001. He has served as CAPCOM for both Space Shuttle and International...

    , the first Canadian to walk in space, spent four years at White Oaks Secondary School before attending Milton District High School for his OAC
    Ontario Academic Credit
    The Ontario Academic Credit or OAC was part of the curriculum codified by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior and its revisions. In common parlance, the term is used to describe the fifth high school year that used to exist in the province of...

    . (Source: The Spectator. Hamilton, Ont.: Oct 16, 1999. pg. N.6)
  • Mike Vanderjagt
    Mike Vanderjagt
    Michael John "Mike" Vanderjagt , is a professional American and Canadian football placekicker and punter who has played in the Arena Football League, the Canadian Football League and National Football League...

    , ex-NFL kicker, graduated from White Oaks Secondary School.
  • Shane Told, the lead singer of the Post-Hardcore band Silverstein
    Silverstein (band)
    Silverstein is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 2000. Their band name is a reference to the famous children's author Shel Silverstein, whom the band had admired and read the stories of as children. They have released a total of five studio albums, three EP's, a...

    .
  • Benjamin Tran, bassist of the band Recovery Child
    Recovery Child
    Recovery Child is a four-piece alternative rock band from Toronto, Ontario.Formed in early 2006, the band frequently played Southern Ontario before releasing their independent EP On Being And The Affect later that year...

    .
  • Ray Mysterio, real name Randy Shaw, WCW/WWF/WWE Professional Wrestler.
  • Tony Mandarich
    Tony Mandarich
    Ante Josip "Tony" Mandarich is a former football offensive lineman of the NFL. He was the first round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1989, second overall behind quarterback Troy Aikman, and ahead of the third selection, running back Barry Sanders, the fourth selection, linebacker Derrick...

    , NFL Green Bay Packers #1 Draft Pick graduated from White Oaks Secondary School
  • Geri Hall, actor on Canadian comedy show "This Hour has 22 Minutes", popular TV commercial actor. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1275869/
  • Arda Ocal
    Arda Ocal
    Arda Ocal is a Turkish Canadian TV personality, announcer and writer, currently with The Score Television Network...

    , Host of "Right After Wrestling" on The Score Television Network.
  • Simcoe Street Mob, Hip-hop ensemble - See song General Wolfe\
  • Scott Wilson , Draft Pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Assistant Captain of Team Canada East in the 2011 World Jr.A Challenge , http://ojhl.pointstreaksites.com/view/ojhl/news-21/news_28156

Diana Matheson, midfielder for Canada's women's soccer team. Has played in the Women's World Cup in 2003,2007 and 2011. Played for Canada in the 2008 Olympics in China. Has made 125 national team appearances, scoring 10 goals.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK