Taking Care of Yourself; Government Contacts; Inclement Weather

It's Today! 

"When it comes to mental health, now more than ever, every action matters." (#BellLetsTalk" website.) 

Find out how you can recognize stress, take care of yourself, take care of others and how to fight the stigma around mental illness,  visit  Ways to Help . 

For information on how to engage in supportive conversations go to Bell Let's Talk Toolkit .

The additional stress of uncertainty due to Covid, can at times, be overwhelming.  OTIP has prepared a list of resources that are available to assist you during these challenging times. Please do not hesitate to click on OTIP links for Mental Health Supports during Covid . You are not alone - there are supports available.

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TVDSB's Employee Assistance Provider, Homewood Health offers Wellness Wednesday workshops and support programs, available free of charge to all TVDSB Occasional Teachers on Wednesdays via TEAMS from 3:45 - 4:45 PM. 

Upcoming groups will focus on:

• Covid-19 & Your Mental Health (Feb. 2/22)
• Anxiety, Depression and Covid-19 (Feb. 16/22)
• Calming Your Mind (Mar. 2/22)

Log into the Human Resources - EFAP SharePoint page or TVDSB Well Being Workshops for more details.

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You Have A Voice

What are your thoughts about the current state of affairs? 

Here are the contact numbers for your provincial representatives at Queens Park:

Progressive Conservative Members of Interest:

• Doug Ford (Premier) Etiboke North:  416-325-1941
• Stephen Lecce (Minister of Education) King Vaughn: 416-325-2600
• Ernie Hardeman (MPP) Oxford: 519-537-5222
• Monte McNaughton (MPP) Lambton Kent Middlesex: 519-627-1015
• Jeff Yurek (MPP) Elgin Middlesex London: 519-631-0666 (N.B. after Feb. 28/22, this riding will be represented by Ted Arnott (MPP, Speaker of the House) Wellington Halton Hills: 416-325-3880

Opposition Members who have supported public education:

• Peggy Sattler (MPP) London West: 519-657-3120
• Terence Kernaghan (MPP) London North Centre: 519-432-7339
• Teresa Armstrong (MPP) London Fanshawe: 519-668-1104

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Should be this week...

Your TVOT Local is excited that we are transitioning to a new website later this week. Members will receive a blast email when all is in place so please be ready to register with us for what we hope will enable us to provide you with even better service - 

Inclement Weather and TVOT Occasional Teachers

Occasional Teachers are advised to check the TVDSB Website to see if schools are closed in times of bad weather. TVOT members should always put their personal safety first.

Your TVOT Collective Agreement has the following provisions: 

L10.08 Term Occasional Teacher or a Short-Term Occasional Teacher who is delayed by local weather conditions but arrives at school as soon as possible during the regular school hours of that day will not have a salary deduction made. “Local” means within the geographic area between the Occasional Teacher’s home address and the school or worksite of said Occasional Teacher.

L16.05 b) In the event of inclement weather, Occasional Teachers will receive information on the status of school closures or delays in openings by the normal Board communication process. Notice of closure due to inclement weather will be deemed to meet the minimum notice requirement of Article L15.05 (a).

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Renting out your basement is a great way to test the waters and make some extra money without the upfront cost of purchasing a rental property. We are here to provide you with some helpful tips that may encourage you to take on the initiative. #OTIPUpdate

Read more at OTIP Insurance Article131          

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Return to Schools; New TVOT Website coming; Employee Wellness Sessions; ETFO workshops; ETFO Award Opportunities

The Return to In-Person Learning

Understandably, TVOT members have been anxious about returning to school sites this week. 

As we reported last post, the Board assures those OTs in daily assignments who opt to use a non-fitted N95 mask, that these will be made available at school sites, one mask per member per day.  Please take a few minutes to review the video on how to use N95 masks, posted in the TVDSB Employee Portal under "Employee Training" where it is listed near the end. Medical masks will still be provided for those who prefer them.

LTOs who fail the screening process because they are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, are to enter their absence as "Quarantine" which is paid time without deduction of sick days. Once free of symptoms and able to pass the screening process, you are to return to teaching. Please contact us at the TVOT Local Office or by phone at 519-641-3936 with any questions.

Unfortunately, the Local is still awaiting information on how Rapid Antigen Test kits will be made available to our daily members. (LTOs will have access at their schools.) Be assured that the Board is aware of how important these are to our OTs who have an increased risk of  exposure with each class/cohort.

Finally, we draw attention to the services provided by the Board's Employee Assistance Program/EAP. To check out these confidential supports, log into "View My Employee Assistance Program" in the TVDSB Employee Portal.  Members may also consider participating on one of the sessions being offered by Homewood Health, highlighted later in this post. 

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OT Shortage and Reassignment

As you are aware, there are not enough elementary Occasional Teachers in our Board to cover all permanent Teacher absences, a situation worsened by the complications of the pandemic.

The TVOT Collective Agreement provides that an Occasional Teacher who accepts a non-classroom assignment can be reassigned to fill any in-person classroom vacancy (Article L16.07 b).  This does not  apply however, to OTs who have accepted a classroom assignment. If an OT accepts a classroom assignment, then the expectation remains that the school follow our "Job Integrity" clause and the OT teaches in that assignment and follows the timetable of the permanent Teacher they are replacing. (Article L16.07 a) This includes following the Teacher's supervision schedule and prep periods.  If this does not happen, we ask that you notify the Local either by calling us at 519-641-3936 or by emailing us at etfotvot@gmail.com so that we can track infractions and address these with Human Resources.

For the sake of continuity, TVOT members are reminded that at the end of the assignment, they should try to leave behind comments that include " progress of lessons taught, problems encountered and where appropriate, successes achieved and marks for work completed by students within the occasional assignment." (Article L18.01) 

Please note that the System Staff Development team will be posting a link to K-8 Week-at-a-Glance activities for daily Occasional Teachers who need lesson plans for short-term virtual learning so check Outlook later this day for details and instructions regarding these supports which will be in place January 24/22.

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                      LATER THIS WEEK...

Your TVOT Local is pleased to announce that we are transitioning to a new website later this week. Members will receive a blast email when all is in place so please be ready to register with us for what we hope will enable us to provide you with even better service - 

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Employee Wellness

All TVDSB Occasional Teachers have free access to well-being workshops and support groups offered by the Board's Employee Assistance Provider, Homewood Health, each Wednesday via TEAMS from 3:45 - 4:45 PM. 

Groups will focus on:

• Mindfulness and Mitigating the Response of Stress (Jan. 19/22)
• Covid-19 & Your Mental Health (Feb. 2/22)
• Anxiety, Depression and Covid-19 (Feb. 16/22)
• Calming Your Mind (Mar. 2/22)

For more details, log into the Human Resources - EFAP SharePoint page or TVDSB Well Being Workshops

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OCT Sexual Abuse Prevention training; Last chance to earn money on Friday; Boosters for Teachers; N95 Masks

 

Ontario College of Teachers' Sexual Abuse and Prevention Program/SAPP

ETFO Provincial has advised Locals that the government will extend the deadline to September 15, 2022 for Teachers to complete OCT's Sexual Abuse and Prevention Program (SAPP).

Permanent Teachers and those Occasional Teachers in LTO assignments will be provided with half of a Ministry PA day prior to the start of the 2022 school year to allow for the training. Unfortunately, there is no such provision for daily OTs.

N.B. Completion of SAPP is not mandatory for existing members and will not result in decertification. A notation of "incomplete" will appear on the registry but the member will continue to be in good standing. 

Completion of SAPP is mandatory for applicants who submitted their applicatoin to OCT after January 1, 2022.

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Registration Closes on Wednesday

TVOT members have until the end of Wednesday, January 12th to register for Friday's paid PD sessions. 

Spots are still available for the full day Indigenous Resource session.

Other options include these half day morning sessions:

• Literacy Skills for the OSSLT Gr. 7&8 Teachers
• Online Platforms for OTs
• Teaching Literacy in a Pinch J/I
• French Strategies for the FSL Classroom
• Introduction to Thinking Classrooms (high engagement, rich tasks and intentional teaching)

Registration is via the Employee Portal > Conference Session Registrations  under "Elementary Occasional Teacher Professional Development 2021-2022". For more information contact TVDSB Staff Development Specialist, Terri Manning .

Participation counts for all purposes as time taught for TVOT members!

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Booster Vaccinations for Educators

As of January 12th, educators can book booster appointments at:

• Middlesex London Health Unit and Southwestern Public Health mass vaccination clinics - book through Gate 4 "Targeted Population" at Vaccine Registration
• GO-VAXX bus on Wednesday, January 12th from 11 AM - 5 PM at the East Elgin Community Complex by appointment at  Aylmer GO-VAXX 
• Pop-up clinic at the Straffordville Community Center on Thursday, January 13th from 11 AM - 6 PM

Six clinics in London, Strathroy and Lambeth will also give priority to educators. For registration details for these clinic, log into TVDSB Outlook and refer to the "Communications Memo" called "Vaccine Appointments for Education and Child Care Staff" that was posted by the Board on January 10th. 

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ETFO's latest COVID FAQ

Your TVOT Local highly recommends that members register at ETFO News so as to receive the latest information from the Provincial ETFO Office.

For example, today ETFO released its fifth Covid-19 FAQ document where it answered questions such as:

• What will make it safer to return to in-person learning?
• How can I stay safe in a Special Ed classroom?
• What information is available from ETFO to support members teaching virtually?
• What should I keep in mind when perparing for Term 1 Report Cards and Kindergarten Communication of Learning?
• What should I do if a student arrives at school displaying Covid-19 symptoms?

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Archived Resource for Virtual Teaching

As the pandemic persists, virtual teaching assignments will continue to be part of the occasional teaching landscape, since a variety of factors could cause any classroom to become virtual.

If you missed TVDSB's recent session on "Introduction to the Google Classroom and Brightspace" or if you want to become more familiar with the technology, please note that the Board recorded this latest session. Now TVOT members can access this support at their convenience.

For further details as well as the link, just log into your TVDSB Outlook account, and go to the "Occasional Teacher Group" where you will find an email  titled "Intro to Google Classroom and Brightspace Optional PD Update". 

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N95 Masks to be Available

Once in-person learning resumes, Teachers and Occasional Teachers will have a choice of using the medical mask that the Board has been providing (up to 2 per day), or a Board provided N95 non-fitted mask (1 per day).

TVDSB has posted a video module on how to wear a N95 mask properly. Look for this in the Employee Portal under "Employee Training" where you can find it  third from the bottom of the list of modules.

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Payment for Cancelled Jobs Jan 3-4; Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit; Limits lifted for retirees; Assistance with Virtual Assignments et al

Cancelled Daily Assignments Jan. 3 - 4

Daily Occasional Teachers who had pre-booked assignments in TVARRIS for Monday, Jan. 3 or Tuesday, Jan. 4 can apply to TVDSB for up to $200 compensation per full day job under the provisions of Ontario's Paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave/PIDEL program.  (LTOs are already paid for those 2 days.)

To access the Board's form, log into the TVDSB SharePoint site > Human Resources Staff Team and type in the search bar at the top Paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave. This will provide you with the both the memo explaining PIDEL and with the application form. N.B. The government has extended the program so please ignore the dates on the form and memo.

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NEW Federal Benefit During Lockdown

Now that Ontario has been recognized by the Federal government as being in lockdown, those who cannot work due to a Covid-19 lockdown can apply for $300/week under the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit/CWLB.  For more information go to Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit

Those who are not eligible for this assistance plan, may want to check these other Federal benefits at Canada's Covid Emergency Benefits

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More Opportunities for Daily OTs to Reach 10 days and be Paid

Just a reminder that there are still spaces available for Occasional Teachers to register for the virtual professional development sessions being held on the January 14th PD day. This is a day that normally daily OTs could not work but participation in these sessions counts for all purposes as time worked.

Log into the Employee Portal and under "Conference/Session Registration" and click on "Elementary Occasional Teacher PD 2021-2022".  Sessions include topics such as:

• - Online platforms for OTs
• - Relationships in the Kindergarten Program
• - Interactive Coding K - 8
• - Teaching Literacy in a Pinch J/I
• - Exploring TVDSB's Indigenous Education Resources
• - French Strategies for the FSL Classroom
• - Literacy Skills for Gr. 7 - 8

Also listed there under the deadline of Thursday, June 30, 2022 are sessions that OTs can complete anytime (including evening and weekends) so we urge TVOT members to avail themselves and "Earn while you Learn"!

(Please do not take up spots unless you plan to attend as being a "no-show" leaves a bad impression with your employer.)

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Retirees Can Again Teach up to 95 Days!

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Virtual Teaching Assistance for Daily OTs

As we enter another uncertain winter term, TVDSB would like you to be aware of  the new online, asynchronous information posted on their Learning Technologies Professional Development page.  Click and log into the New January 2022 Virtual Learning Supports. 

As well, we remind daily OTs of information on how to navigate virtual classrooms that is available by logging into the TVDSB's Brightspace and Google Classrooms . 

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