Turner Fenton Secondary School
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Turner Fenton Secondary School (nicknamed "TFSS"; "TFC", for Turner Fenton Campus) is Canada's only campus-based high school, located in Brampton, Ontario. The principal is Bob Garton. It operates under the Peel District School Board.
As of September 2004, the school consisted of 757 first year students, 630 in their second year, 497 in their third, 418 in their fourth, and only 3 in their fifth. Of that, 143 students were in Extended French and 200 took the bus.
Feeder schools include IndEC North Education Centre, Cherrytree Public School, Derry West Village Public School, Fletcher's Creek Sr. Public School, Helen Wilson Public School, Hickory Wood Public School, Parkway Public School, Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School, and William G. Davis Sr. Public School.
Programming
Turner Fenton is a diverse school, even by Greater Toronto Area standards, due to the varied array of programs it offers. At least eleven educational programs are available:
- Vocational, Special Basic Level Program
- Vocational, Basic Level Program
- Applied and college level course
- Academic, university and university/college-level programs
- International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
- English as a Second Language, English Learning Development
- Extended French
- Chef Training Program, dubbed "Recipe for Success", a dedicated hospitality/chef training program
- Section 19, based out of the Cuthbert House (open Custody program for young male offenders) and Invictus (closed custody program for young female offenders, closing fall 2005)
- Store Front, an alternate work-based program
Sports, Clubs, and Traditions
Turner Fenton participates in Model UN events, in 2005 representing Cambodia and Kenya. In previous years, the school represented China, France, and Somalia. Turner Fenton consistently places high among Ontario schools for fundraising for the Terry Fox Run, although its totals are often eclipsed by one of its "feeder" schools, W.G. Davis Senior Public School, which, in 2005, raised over $23,000 from a school population of just over 550.Due to its proximity to the recently constructed Powerade Arena, the OHL's Brampton Battalion hockey team members who have not yet completed high school are assigned to this school during the hockey season, returning to their home schools afterwards.
Athletic achievements
The Turner Fenton cross country team, winners of twelve straight ROPSSAA championships in the "overall team" division, pulled out another stellar performance October 25, 2003 at the Heart Lake Conservation Area . A solid showing that provincial OFSAA championships was highlighted by Santa hats for the Senior Boys team. The badminton team is quite decent, having won a total of four medals in the 2005 season. During the Late 80's and early 90s, the Trojan football teams dominated the Peel Gridiron.Music
The music department is thriving at Turner Fenton Secondary School, with silver medal achievements at the renowned Music Fest in 2003, and an invitation to the Nationals for 2004. As the department continues to conjure its much deserved recognition, sheer numbers of enrolment have allowed the school to introduce the very popular IB MYP program as well as standard IB level music courses. After school, students participate in the Junior and Senior Jazz bands, Senior Wind Ensemble, and Music council. Turner Fenton is home to every imaginable sports team from field hockey to swimming to cricket!Culturefest
An annual two-day celebration of cultures at the school, Culturefest multiple pavilions: Canadian, South Asian, European, West Indian, and Pacific Rim. The festival is primarily focused on two major entertainment-based assemblies. The North building cafeteria hosts displays from the pavilions presenting that day, and South cafeteria offers up ethnic foods from each region.Conferences
Turner Fenton students are renowned for their commitment to not only the school community, but also the community at large. Each year, scores of students and staff collaborate their efforts to plan leadership and skills development conferences. Noted conferences include the annual START leadership conference (where students from all over the GTA have the opportunity to make new friends, learn new skills and 'start' their behinds), and the upcoming International Baccalaureate Mentorship Conference. Students of TFC are also noted for high involvement in the Peel Student Presidents' Council and the OSSSA.Turner Fenton Robotics Team
Turner Fenton's active robotics team has participated in Canada and US FIRST competitions.
- 2001 - 17th place
- 2002 - 1st place, winner of the last SPAR Aerospace Award
- 2003 - 13th place out of 26 teams, disqualified
- 2004 - 4th place out of 75 teams at US First Robotics, eliminated in the quarter finals
Trojanfest
Turner Fenton's annual joining of local and aspiring bands in a one night performance for the school. Providing an effective media for aspiring bands, and a convenient venue for those who wish to see their favourite acts, Trojanfest is a Turner Fenton tradition that serves both audience and participants.History
Turner Fenton Secondary School is composed of two buildings, dubbed North Hall and South Hall. Until 1992, the two buildings were each schools in their own right, the North being J. A. Turner SS, and the South being W. J. Fenton SS. W. J. Fenton was the first of the two to open in 1972, built by Val Mitchell Construction. C.A. Smith built J. A. Turner Secondary in 1974. Both buildings were designed by architect Don E. Skinner.The rooms of the "new" North Hall are numbered 100s and 200s on the first floor and second floor, respectively; the South Hall rooms are numbered 300s on the first floor and 400s on the second floor. The portables are 500s. Each faculty department generally has its own section of the school. English, Math, Science, Business/Tech, the Library and Main Administration are in the North building. History, Moderns (French and other language studies), Geography, Arts (Dramatic, Visual, Digital, Culinary and Cosmetic), and Biology are in the South Building. Also, the cafeteria in the South Hall's servery allows students to volunteer to make/serve food.
The school was named Turner Fenton Campus until the early-2000s. The school board forced Turner to standardise its name, because the school had not filed the proper forms upon its creation in 1992.
Violence and threats
Over the past few years, violence at Turner Fenton has escalated, causing permanent police presence for one semester in 2001.On the afternoon of Monday 20 March 2006, a group of five or six young males severely beat a 16-year-old boy. They used a crowbar to inflict head injuries, according to police reports. The attack took place in the parking lot of a Sears furniture store next to the school, in the Orion Gate mall, and it is as of yet unknown whether the victim knew his attacker, or if any were Turner students. The student is currently (21 March 2006) clinging to life in hospital.
An Atlanta-resident looking to know how to removed Tobasco stains stumbled across a web page of "instructions", on how to blow up a school, specifically Turner Fenton. The website creator, know only as "DiLiTHiUM", is supposedly a yearbook committee member and AV club member, thus having access to the boilerroom.[The Star: Website tells how to blow up school] School and police officials didn't take the threat seriously at first. The site, whose [text] appears on many sites, has not been updated since 2001, and was 10-15-years-old when discovered. Acting Inspector Gary Martin of the Peel Police told The Brampton Guardian "It was a high school prank between him and a couple of buddies in a computer club. He doesn't know how it ended up on the Internet." The business-owner drove directly to the police station to apologise for the "fuss", and police were satisfied enough not to charge him."[1990s prank ends up on the Internet]", The Brampton Guardian, 18 June 2006.
Lanyards
The school was a part of a test project for the Peel Board, regarding the usage of ID lanyards. The card and lanyard combination was introduced in 2002, as an optional garment. However, by the time they were enforced in 2003, most students and faculty had had enough of the practice, even if they had initially supported it. During the 2004-2005 school year lanyards were enforced starting in November, 2004. Any student who was caught not wearing a lanyard would be issued a sticker which would identify them as a student. In addition, the student would be written up as 'forgetting lanyard'. After 5 times of being written up, the student would be suspended.
References
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