Shayna Sharma and Sydney Norrie | June 25th, 2021 Despite online restrictions, many extracurriculars were still able to run many exciting events and activities for its members. Whether those events included weekly meetings, exciting competitions, or social media initiatives, these clubs were able to use the online setting to reach students and find a sense of community that cannot come from just the classroom. If you are interested in learning about some of the clubs at The W

Aarian Bhakoo & Saraniya Raveendra | June 18, 2021 To see our previous article on Prefects, click here. Despite the obstacles presented by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many clubs have displayed adversity by running uplifting and engaging events. One of these clubs is Prefects, a club centered around advocacy and leadership. Throughout the past years, this club has represented the ideals and values of our school by giving back to causes, selected by the Woodlands student bod

Naya Sharma | June 14, 2021 Recently, students at The Woodlands competed in the ICDC Conference, bringing their business and problem solving skills to an international level. Despite the virtual format, students excelled at both their exams and case studies and brought back a large number of awards. There are huge congratulations in order for not only the ICDC award winners, but all DECA participants for their achievements this year. DECA is an organization that prepares stud

Mitchell Fox | June 7, 2021 Sometimes, when it comes to school clubs, we forget about the greater impact that they can have beyond raising school funds or boosting student life. We fail to remember that the fun events that we attend are being held not only for our own pleasure, but for a greater purpose. Of course, it does not help that during this crazy, lockdown-filled year, all events seem to lose their meaning. A rare chance to see our friends and fellow students? Yes. Bu

Sanesha Hajiyanee | May 28, 2021 "This year has been a crazy one, and it has been even more difficult for students to find different opportunities to help sculpt their futures. It’s hard to find help for all of these aspects of high school, but with the help of this information session, students were able to figure out some pieces of the puzzle when it comes to what is next." On Friday, May 7, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. the Student Activity Council held their final event for this whi

Shayna Sharma | April 30, 2021 This is the second edition of a two-part series of interviews with the Woodlands' Student Activity Council's Grade Representatives. This edition comes with the grade 9 and 10 students. To take a look at our grade 11 and 12 interview, check out this link. The Student Activity Council plays a huge role at The Woodlands. However, COVID-19 and distance learning have greatly affected the way SAC has run this year. To gain an insight into this and som

Interview with Grade 11 and 12 Reps - Geffrey Chu & Julia Issa Sanesha Hajiyanee | April 10, 2021 This interview has been edited and cut down for clarity. The interview was conducted in advance to some current situations, such as the third wave of COVID-19. The Student Activity Council is a huge part of The Woodlands community; they play an important role in getting students involved in school life, and helping them to enjoy their high school years. The SAC is made up of a co

Aarian Bhakoo | April 15, 2021 Some answers have been edited or cut down for clarity. This new club at The Woodlands brings a unique mix of educating, raising awareness and holding events, all for the cause of homelessness and related social problems. They will continue to bring forth new events and new ideas, all with the goal to "pass it on, pass it on., pass it on...". My first touchpoint with the Hot Potato Initiative was an Instagram post that happened to cross my eyes o

Olivia Hendrikx | Feb 3, 2021 At The Woodlands, equality is highly valued and students fight every day to create change in their community. The Black Students Association is just one example of how our school raises awareness for important social issues. The Black Students Association (BSA) is a group of grade 7-12 students who are ambassadors of the Black community at The Woodlands. They share a passion and commitment to spread awareness of racism in the local and global com

Om Shanbhag December 11, 2020 The Woodlands Secondary School was imposing and intimidating when I first visited. The Grade 8 Open House was painfully scripted. Once I got bored, I checked the bag of flyers that we were given at the door and pulled out a copy of the Woodlands Woodstock. In those 10 pages, I saw life at the Woodlands. Pages full of information on Prefects, SAC, and International Bazaar flooded my vision. I saw students, teachers, and a Ram, all happily

By Olivia Hendrikx December 10, 2020 While the title “prefect” can sometimes seem authoritative and disciplinary - even threatening - it means something different at The Woodlands. It represents a leader; an ambassador; and most likely, a student looking for an opportunity to make a difference. And in the world we live in, that is something truly special. The Prefects are a student-led group at The Woodlands Secondary School that function as ambassadors for the st

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Woodlands debate led the way in a new technological age of extracurriculars. Brendan Lin @WoodsClubs | December 8, 2020 Unlike most pursuits popular among the academically inclined, debate requires neither physical implements nor stiff, formal attire. Indeed, the 2018 Woodlands In-House tournament was won by a team clothed solely in pyjamas. (One half of that team, Nyla Syed, is now co-president of the club.) These factors make debate almost un

Mitchell Fox November 5, 2020 Released December 7, 2020 **This is the first article of The Woodlands Woodstock Returns** On many occasions, I have been asked by parents and students the same perilous question: “What is Woodstock?”. While I would like to make a sarcastic quip about the music festival held in the summer of 1969, I tend to revert back to the same basic answer; “It’s the school newspaper!”. And that it is. We are a club dedicated to

Tamanaa Hotaki January 2020 From creating spirit days to organizing dances, VOICE is all of the high school’s clubs put together as one. This Student Activity Council (SAC)-like club organizes spirit events, such as “we rule the school day”, in which the elementary students take charge of the cafeteria due to the absence of the high school students as a result of exams. They raise

Ali Al-Hanaswi December 2019 “You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” proclaimed Greta Thunberg in her passionate speech before world leaders at the UN in New York, “and yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying.” The 16 year-old Swedish activist gave her speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, where plans to prevent the average global temperature

Olivia Hendrikx and Shiao-Tang Guo October 2019 Through the months of September and October, the Be Like Terry crew at The Woodlands Secondary School worked diligently to ensure that their 15th year of donating towards the Terry Fox Foundation would be better than any previous year. This year, aside from the annual Terry Fox barbeque hosted by Prefects and the Terry Fox walk, the Be Like Terry committee h

By Minhah Amin Each year, Voice awards a deserving grade 12 student with The Voice Legacy Award. Throughout the entire year, Voice fundraises money for the Legacy Award, so they can assist their older peers with the next steps of their education. Any grade 12 student can apply for The Voice Legacy Award, if they meet all the terms and rules of the award. This includes that the grade 12 student needs to have attended Woodlands for both their elementary and secondary school ye

By Ridhi Gopalakrishnan “One, we are Ontario! Two, a little bit louder! Three, I still can’t hear you! Four, more, more, more!” The iconic Team Ontario cheer was sung loud and proud by all members of the DECA Ontario delegation; among them, members of DECA Woodlands. This year’s DECA International Career Development Conference (ICDC) saw 37 members of DECA Woodlands travel to Orlando, Florida to compete at the highest level of competition that the organization has to offer. W

By Brendan Lin It is difficult to describe debating to those outside of the tight-knit debate community. Contrary to what many people believe, “debate” is not a synonym for “yelling at people who disagree with you”. Rather, it is a highly structured team competition with all the fun of DECA but none of the mind-numbing rote memorization. Woodlands debate has contributed to this underappreciated art form far more than most people at our school realize. Last year was one of our

By Anna Nasirzadeh Mental illness has been a problem we’ve faced for centuries but now, it is more prominent than ever. The suicide rate in North America has increased by a staggering 25% in the last twenty to thirty years, making it account for 24% percent of deaths of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 as well as 16% of all deaths among people ages 25 to 44. Yet, there is still an incredible amount of stigma and shame associated with mental illness as it is often seen