The Draw is Friday; Workplace Violence Survey; Donations during Ukraine Crisis

On Friday -

Five lucky TVOT members will each win $100 each for completing the Local's Membership Survey which guides us on how best to serve your needs.

Take a few minutes and click TVOT Membership Survey for your chance to win!

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TVDSB's Workplace Violence Survey - 

Register for Edvantage, your Exclusive Savings Program! Stay up to date with exclusive discounts, new contests, partners and more! https://bit.ly/3JzDnMX #OTIPUpdate

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- Your Columbia Sportswear Outlet Store invitation expires on April 10th (see Blog of March 9th)

- TVDSB will allow daily OTs and those in LTOs of .5 or less, to use a half-day of the paid PD entitlement, to complete OCT's Sexual Abuse Prevention Programme (Blog of March 23rd)

- Every TVOT member can apply for the Local's "$60 Resource Rebate" to purchase items relevant to their elementary assignments, such as: books for classroom or AQ support, Teachers Pay Teachers resources; manipulatives etc. Application forms are available to those registered on the ETFOTVOT website and the deadline to apply is May 31, 2022.

- If you have been a TVOT member for one year, you can apply for our $400 Professional Learning Development Fund (PLDF) for AQ courses or other professional conferences. Applications must be received in advance of the course to ensure that funds are still available and the forms are available to those registered on the ETFOTVOT website

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ETFO provincial, locals donate $100,000 to Canadian Red Cross- Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal

March 11, 2002

TORONTO, ON - The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) donated $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal. This amount represents provincial and local donations. The ETFO Executive appreciates the support and generosity of its locals in response to humanitarian needs generated by the crisis in Ukraine..."Money raised through the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal will be used to respond to humanitarian needs generated by almost eight years of conflict, as well as preparedness and response efforts due to heightened tensions in Ukraine. The support could include preparedness, immediate and ongoing efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency, and other critical humanitarian activities as needs arise, both in the Ukraine and surrounding countries, including supporting populations displaced."

 

 

8 Days until the Draw; Payment to complete OCT Sex Abuse training; Did you Know?

$100 Gift Cards for 5 Members of TVOT

These are great odds!  

Your ETFO TVOT Local is holding a random draw from those members who complete our Membership Survey.

Five lucky members will each win a $100 gift card so please take a few moments to participate. 

The survey closes at the end of the month  with the winners to be announced on Monday, April 4/22.

Help us to serve your needs. 

Click on TVOT Membership Survey or access the survey with this QR code.

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OCT and the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program (SAPP)

OCT has been clear that they want all Teachers/Occasional Teachers to complete OCT's Sexual Abuse Prevention Program/SAPP. To that end, TVDSB will accept completion of SAPP as eligible for a half-day of the four half-days of paid PD OTs can access each school year. (Reminder that retirees must reserve one half-day in June for completion of the mandatory online modules that will be posted in a month or so.)  

To request payment, log into the Employee Portal >  Conference Session Registration > Elementary Occasional Teacher PD 2021-2022 and register for the OCT Abuse Prevention Program. Once you have finished, submit the online reflection form to Staff Development along with a screen shot of the accreditation noted on your OCT. This will confirm your successful completion. Members who have already completed SAPP and have not used all of their paid PD, can follow the same steps and will be eligible for the half-day of pay. Those who still have not competed SAPP by next school year can use a half-day from the 2022 -2023 allotment and the Board will accept their completion for the first few weeks of September. NB: Those who are in LTOs next September can complete the program on the first PD  Day at their schools. 

ETFO Provincial assures the Local that government officials have reiterated that completion is not mandatory for those who were certified before January 2022 however the OCT website will reflect that this training is "incomplete" for members who chose not to participate.

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Does my car insurance policy cover rental cars?

You’ve got the keys to your new rental car and are excited to put it in gear to officially mark the start of your vacation. But before you drive off into the sunset, ensure you have the coverage you need. We’ll walk you through each insurance option to help you find the coverage that’s right for you and your next trip.

Read more at https://otip.com/article137.

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1) OTs who accept a prep payback assignment shall be assigned no more than 1 supervisory duty AND shall have a 40 minute prep period at the beginning of the assignment to prepare. (NB: only for full day assignments) L18.03 of Collective Agreement

2) TVOT members only need to teach 10 full days to remain on the TVDSB elementary OT List however, Teachers' Pension Plan requires more than 10 days of teaching for it to count towards your pension retirement factor.  Nobody wants to have to stay an additional year at the end of their career for the sake of one day they could have put in at the start.

3) By law, Teachers/OTs must be present at least 15 minutes before the commencement of classes in the morning, and at least 5 minutes before the commencement of classes in the afternoon.

4) If there is an absent EA or ECE at the school, an Occasional Teacher may be asked to step in however we will only act as an additional Teacher in the classroom.

5) The TVOT Local is in discussion with the Board regarding compensation for OTs being asked to give up their prep periods because there is nobody to available to provide coverage so please continue to track each occurrence and we will notify members when we come to an agreement.

6) The "Quarantine" code is still available for LTOs who fail the Covid screening or who are experiencing Covid symptoms or who test positive for the virus.

7) Neither permanent Teachers or LTOs are paid for statutory holidays as we are exempt from that part of the Employment Standards Act. Our rights have been achieved from negotiated agreements Employment Standards Act - Professionals  NB> LTOs receive 4% vacation pay and are paid the same as a permanent Teacher with similar previous teaching experience and QECO Rating so be sure to submit these to HR no later than the end of July. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, check our recent blogs to find out about::

• The $450 daily Occasional Teacher retention stipend
• Columbia Sportswear Outlet Store invitation
• TVDSB's $650 Math AQ subsidy
• The TVOT $60 Resource Rebate
• The TVOT $400 Professional Learning Development Fund 
• Y@home
• TVDSB's Employee Assistance Program

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BIG NEWS - $450 Bonus Pay! Columbia Outlet Invitation; Win $100; New LTOs with benefits; New Paid PD

BONUS PAY of up to $450! 

Your TVOT Local is pleased to announce that we have signed a Letter of Understanding with TVDSB that will provide daily Occasional Teachers with a stipend of up to $450 for daily OTs who meet the following teaching requirements before June 30/22:

CONDITION	BONUS PAYABLE
Thirty-five (35) daily occasional assignments or more from March 21st , 2022 to June 30th, 2022 with a minimum of two (2) days worked in each month.	$250 less statutory deductions
Twelve (12) daily occasional assignments or more on a Friday or a Monday from March 21st, 2022 to June 30th, 2022. **  Thursday April 14th, Tuesday April 19th, Tuesday May 24th and Thursday June 3rd will be considered for this condition	$100 less statutory deductions
Twelve (12) daily occasional assignments or more worked at a rural school location (please see the attached schedule for identified rural school locations).	$100 less statutory deductions

It is noted that in order for the above conditions to be met, the assignment must be actively worked. Participation in paid PD is not considered a day worked for the purposes of this letter of understanding.

Should a daily occasional teacher meet more than one condition as outlined above, they would be eligible to receive both bonuses for a combined total of no more than $450 less statutory deductions.

For this purpose, these are the schools in a rural location:

A. J. Baker PS                          Adelaide - W.G. MacDonald PS

Aldborough PS                         Annandale Public School

Blenheim District PS                Caradoc North PS

Caradoc PS                              Centennial Central PS

Davenport PS                           Delaware Central PS

Dunwich-Dutton PS                   East Williams Memorial PS

Ekcoe Central PS                      Emily Stowe PS

Hickson Central PS                   Innerkip Central PS

Kettle Creek PS                         Mary Wright PS

McGillivray Central PS               McGregor PS

Mosa Central PS                        New Sarum PS

Northdale Central PS                 Oxbow PS

Parkhill-West Williams PS          Parkview PS

Plattsville & District PS               Port Burwell PS

Port Stanley PS                          River Heights PS

South Dorchester PS                  South Ridge PS 

Southwold PS                             Sparta PS            

Springfield PS                             Straffordville PS 

Summers' Corners PS                Tavistock PS                        

Thamesford PS                          Valleyview Central PS         

West Elgin Sr PS                        West Nissouri PS                 

Westfield PS                               Westminster Central PS      

Wilberforce PS                            Zorra Highland Park PS

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Win $100 

Five Lucky Participants will each win $100 for taking a couple of minutes to complete the TVOT Membership Survey.  Members have until the end of March to participate and winners will be drawn randomly so help us address your needs and click on TVOT Survey . The odds are good that it could be  your lucky day!

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Unfortunately - Not All Members Are Registered 

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Now Hiring -  Additonal TVDSB Itinerant LTO Positions, with Benefits

TVDSB is hiring 17 additional Itinerant LTOs to help alleviate the fail to fill crisis being experienced in the elementary panel. Those who are successful will qualify for access to benefits as these assignments meet the criteria of being longer than 90 calendar days in length.

To find out more about the benefit plan click on ETFO Employee Life and Health Trust/ELHT Benefits

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Before, during, and after: driving through a Canadian blizzard

There’s no denying that Canadian winters are beautiful. But when you have to get in your car and hit the road, that picturesque snow globe we call home can start to look a little less sparkly. Take some practical precautions before, during, and after each winter drive or road trip to make sure you (and your vehicle) arrive safe and sound.

Read more at https://otip.com/article139.

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Additional Paid PD Sessions

Check out the TVDSB Employee Portal under "Conference/Session Registrations" for 2 new paid PD options now available:  

1) Developing Foundational Numeracy in the Primary Division: Monday, March 28/22

2) Developing Foundational Numeracy in the Junior Division: Tuesday, March 29/22

Along with the sessions listed that can be completed anytime before June 30th, these 2 new sessions count towards the 4 half-days of paid PD that are open to daily OTs and those in LTOs of .5 or less. (Remember to reserve 1 half-day for the mandatory training that will be posted this spring.

                        You can Earn While You Learn!

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Take a Deep Breath - 

You Deserve It!

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Please note that your TVOT Local Office 

and the Wednesday Blog will be 

enjoying the holidays next week too.

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Win $100! In Case of an Allegation; International Women's Day; Y@Home; Solidarity with Ukraine

What is This About?

Your ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local is holding a random draw from those members who complete our Membership Survey.

Five lucky members will each win a $100 gift card so please take a few moments to participate and help us to meet  your needs.

The survey closes at the end of the month. Winners will be announced on Monday, April 4/22.

To participate click on TVOT Membership Survey or access the survey using the QR code above.

 $$  Good Luck!  $$

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If you are ever contacted regarding an allegation or if you feel unsure about a situation, please contact:

• Your Local ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local at 519-641-3936, or 
• The Provincial ETFO Office at 1-888-838-3836.

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Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Celebrate women's social, economic, political and cultural achievements!

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How to choose the right vehicle

When it comes to finding the right car for you, there are pros and cons to both new and used vehicles. Ultimately, your decision will likely come down to budget and your driving habits. 

So how do you choose the right vehicle for yourself? Consider these factors before deciding. Read more at - www.otip.com/article138.

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Many are not aware that Canada is home to the world's third largest Ukrainian community, only surpassed by the Ukraine and Russia. What has been taking place in the Ukraine is of great concern to the world but especially to those in our community with personal ties to the region.   ETFOTVOT condemns this violence and stands in solidarity with those in the Ukraine who are suffering and those who are fleeing for their lives.

  As events unfold, we urge community members to seek out the support they may need during this trying time and remind members that Occasional Teachers have free access to TVDSB's Employee and Family Assistance Program so check out these resources in your Employee Portal. 

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