I would highly recommend attending one of the special days they have (like grade 8 day) or the special parents day. The school does a good job of outlining the process, what to expect, and providing lots of take home info. The application process was clear. The school also has a specific person you can contact to come and do a personal meeting. It's a comfortable school to enter. We felt really comfortable to ask questions. We had the opportunity on the parents night to attend classes with the teachers (you had to choose a couple to attend from a list) where a presentation was given and an opportunity to ask questions. This was probably the most helpful night to help us ensure this was the right fit. There was also a special meeting once school started for parents new to this school. That was also fairly helpful. I would not change anything yet, it seemed pretty organized although I'm sure they can keep refining that process.
As part of my admissions process, I got the opportunity to be a shadow student for a day. This means that, as a grade eight student, I got to be paired up with a grade nine student for a day and go to their classes with them and see what the school was really like on a day to day basis. I remember I was paired with a student who was a lot like myself and had a similar personality to mine which really helped ease my nerves for the day. I got to meet the teacher who then taught me over the next four years and meet students who would be in the grade above mine and who I would get to connect with again over the coming years. Being a shadow student for a day at Woodland really helped to calm my anxieties about going to high school the following year.
