Turner Fenton Secondary School

Turner Fenton offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grade 9 and 10 students (MYP Year 4 and 5) and the IB Diploma Programme (DP) for grade 11 and 12 students. The MYP, based on similar principles as the DP, is offered as preparation for the DP, requiring students to engage in the study of languages, sciences, mathematics, and humanities all in an attempt for them to recognize not only the individuality of each of the disciplines but also to understand the co-relation between them. The DP is a globally recognized program that prepares students for university. From 2009, Turner Fenton's DP students have displayed considerable academic excellence with some students topping in the Peel District School Board nearly every year with a 100% average.[6]

The admission process into the IB program at Turner Fenton Secondary School is highly selective. Students from more than 100 elementary schools all over Brampton apply for the rigorous high school program. In 2014, the application includes basic identification information, previous report cards and an online written response about an extracurricular activity and its demonstration of an IB Learner Profile attribute.[7] Students from across the Peel District School Board apply to be a part of the program but only around 165 students are accepted each year. MYP students feed directly into the Diploma Programme in grade 11.

CultureFest,[8] called Diversity Celebration until 1996, has been an annual event held at Turner Fenton Secondary School since the founding of the school. It was started by students at J. A. Turner SS and was inherited by Turner Fenton after the merger.[9] The festival is entirely student-run and consists of live performances, educational booths and workshops, as well as a marketplace of international foods spread over two days and one performance night.

Turner Fenton also has clubs pertaining to cultural diversity and identity, including the Sikh Students Association (SSA)[10] and Turner Fenton Tamil Association.[11] These groups enlighten students about cultural diversity and hope to empower youth in becoming active cultural members in school and in society.

Throughout the school year, many students are actively involved in a variety of different leadership conferences. Turner Fenton students run the annual START (Students: The Active Risk-Takers) conference, a 2-day event open to all Peel high school students. Moreover, the IB (International Baccalaureate) students of the school run the annual one-day Mentorship Conference (IBMC) in September of every year, introducing the new Grade 9 MYP (Middle Years Programme) students to the high school atmosphere.[12] Turner Fenton students are also recognized for their high involvement in the Peel Student Presidents' Council, whether students are executives on the council itself or take part in the yearly leadership conference as delegates, security or leadership developers.

The SOAR (Suddenly Opportunities Are Reachable) conference, which is a leadership conference held at the end of May for Peel middle-school students in grades 7 and 8, is also organized by Turner Fenton students.[13] Due to lack of positive response from teachers, the conference temporarily stopped taking place. However, in 2012, the conference was restarted and took place at W. G. Davis Sr. Public School, a feeder school for Turner Fenton. Because Ontario high school teachers protested against Bill 115 by not leading extracurricular activities, the conference did not take place in 2013 either. Since 2014, the SOAR conference has been taking place again at Turner Fenton.[13][14]

In December 2014, Turner Fenton hosted its first French conference Imaginons le Français, promoting francophone culture.[15]

Since 2015, Turner Fenton HOSA has been one of the largest extracurricular activities offered at Turner Fenton S.S., providing opportunities for motivated students to develop their scientific knowledge and their leadership abilities in a fun and engaging manner. Just as laboratories in science classes allow students to put theory into practice, the HOSA lab lets members test their personal and leadership skills in real life. HOSA members have the opportunity to participate and/or compete in area, state and international leadership conferences. Motivated students polish their skills and receive a sense of self-accomplishment as well as recognition. Through those leadership experiences, HOSA provides students with opportunities to become the best they can be as they pursue rewarding and challenging careers in the vital health professions. HOSA provides opportunities for the student to make a well-informed career choice among the many health occupations, which in turn aids the students in making a more realistic career goal.[16]

Turner Fenton also has an elite DECA chapter with members ranking highly in the Regional, Provincial, and International levels. The DECA Regionals take place in November. Students who succeed in the Regionals move to the next stage which is known as DECA Provincials. Provincials take place in February and in downtown Toronto. Each year, students representing TFSS DECA attain top places in their respective chapters and move to the final stage; the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) where they represent Team Canada. TFSS DECA prepares its students by providing the essential skill sets to perform at each stage of DECA.[17]