Paid PD - Registration opens in the Employee Portal at 8:30 AM on Thursday for dinner and your choice from one of 3 paid after school PD sessions being hosted by your TVOT Local on January 15/26 at the BMO Centre. Details about each session can be found on the registration page of the Portal.
1) Using Abstract Art Expression to Include All Learners: An Indigenous Perspective
2) Exploring Elements of Design through Ceramic Painting
3) Mindfulness: Well-Being in a Busy World
When - Thursday, January 15, 2026 (4:30 - 7:30 PM)
Where - BMO Centre, 295 Rectory Street, London (parking on site)
A buffet dinner is provided. Please direct any dietary concerns to mail@etfotvot.com
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- Article L16.05 (c) states: An Occasional Teacher who cancels a previously accepted assignment may not accept another assignment scheduled for that same day without first contacting the TVARRIS Coordinator up to a maximum of three (3) occurrences per school year.
- The Board will electronically submit your Record of Employment (ROE) to Service Canada within five (5) days of a break in work (Winter Holidays, March Break, and Summer Holidays). You will need to create a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) to access your ROE and to apply for EI benefits.
- Unfortunately, Daily Occasional Teachers do not have access to a benefit plan.
- The TVDSB provides TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available 24/7 to all employees for free confidential counselling, health promotion, and prevention. To access support, call 1 (844) 958-5105, visit https://tvdsb.lifeworks.com/, or download the TELUS Health One smartphone app, and use your TVDSB Single Sign On to log in. Additional information about TELUS Health can be found on TVDSB’s TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) SharePoint page. You will need your
employee login and personal password to access this information).
- Board employees have the right to disconnect from work. OTs can still receive
communication from TVARRIS in order to accept work. However, to the extent reasonably possible, other work-related communications via any medium should only be sent, received, and checked during an employee’s established working hours. There will be no consequence or penalty for those who do not respond to after-hours communication, subject to the requirements related to emergency communications.
“After Hours” generally means holiday breaks and from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and from Friday 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.
- Please use a personal email address when contacting the Local so that we may respond.
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Your TVOT Office will be closed from Friday, December 19/25 until school resumes on Monday, January 5/26.
In an emergency situation, TVOT members should contact ETFO Provincial at 1-888-838-3836.
Daily Occasional Teachers are not paid when schools are closed as there are no Teacher absences to fill.
LTOs and Snow Days: Just a reminder to those in long-term assignments that if necessary, they can access an "Act of Nature" day if it is unsafe to drive -
Article L9.04(b)Act of Nature – A Long-Term Occasional Teacher who is unavoidably absent due to a local act of nature over which no one has control may be granted up to three (3) school days leave per school year with no deduction of sick leave. A Teacher may apply in writing to the Superintendent of Human Resources or designate for an increase in the maximum allowable days under this section. It is understood and agreed that a “local act of nature” is an act of nature that occurs within the geographic area between the Teacher’s home address and the school or worksite of said Teacher.
It is understood as agreed to under the Central Letter of Agreement #7 that the combined maximum number of days for care days and act of nature days is five (5) days per school year. The days shall not be used for the purpose of sick leave nor shall they be accumulated from year to year.
Please also note -
Article L10.01INCLEMENT WEATHER - A Long-Term Occasional Teacher or a Short-Term Occasional Teacher who is delayed by local weather and/or road conditions but arrives at school as soon as possible during the regular school hours of that day will not have a salary deduction made. It is the Occasional Teacher’s responsibility to notify the Principal, Supervisor or designate of the situation as soon as possible. “Local” means within the geographic area between the Occasional Teacher’s home address and the school or worksite of said Occasional Teacher.
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To remain on the elementary OT List at TVDSB, members must teach 10 full days (not 10 assignments). Members who are not going to meet this requirement, have two options for taking a leave from the OT List:
1) A full year leave from the list - TVOT members only have until December 30th to request a full year leave of absence for the current school year. To apply go to Laserfiche (left hand side in the TVDSB Employee Portal). This is a leave under Article L10.16 and the supervisor for this purpose is Roxanne Jones at roxanne.jones@tvdsb.ca
2) A partial year leave of absence where the number of days needed to remain on the list are pro-rated. There is no deadline for this leave. To apply go to Laserfiche (left hand side in the TVDSB Employee Portal). This is a leave under Article L10.17 and the supervisor for this purpose is Roxanne Jones at roxanne.jones@tvdsb.ca
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TVOT members in a LTO assignment at the beginning of January, will automatically have their Ontario College of Teachers' (OCT) fees deducted from that pay. Their paystub in the TVDSB Employee Portal will show this deduction.
The annual membership fee of $200 is due January 1 of each year for all certified Teachers though OCT will maintain your good standing so long as payment is received before April 17th. Please note that OCT charges a late payment fee of $130 on top of the $200 annual fee should a Teacher miss the April deadline.
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Columbia Sportswear has sent the following invitations to our membership to shop for brands such as Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Sorel and prAna at 40% off retail pricing. To access the store, bring the digital invitation (or printout) along with proof of affiliation - a pay stub will suffice.
Invitees can bring up to 4 guests and the store wants you to know that they are collecting unexpired food items for the Food Bank, all of December.
For Members -
For Friends and Family -
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Winter-proofing 101: Ways to prepare your home for the cold
As
winter approaches, Canadians understand that while the beauty of snow-covered
landscapes is enchanting, it also brings the challenge of keeping our homes
safe and warm. Cold weather can present significant risks to both property and
personal safety. From freezing temperatures to heavy snowfall, it's important
to prepare your home for the upcoming season. Here's a handy checklist of cold
weather safety tips to ensure you're ready for the winter months.
For the
month of December, receive a $30 gift card when you get a car,
home, or leisure insurance quote. Get a quote or call
1-888-892-4935 and mention this offer.
Did You Know that Canada played a central role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
It was lovely to meet so many new members at our Fall General Meeting on November 26th at the Stoneridge Inn. We enjoyed a fine dinner, shared information and visited with colleagues. Thank you to those who took time to show their support for the TVOT Local - We've Got Your Back!
Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre was also very grateful for the generosity shown by those who attended -
Should an Administrator ask you to use your prep period to cover a class etc., then members are to keep track of the date, the school, the time of the scheduled prep period and the number of minutes that were lost as the Board will provide a form in June for members to receive compensation for this lost time. Remember - a right gained, is never a right secured - vigilance is key.
If you are in a LTO assignment with an undetermined end, then you need to wait 90 calendar days in order to become eligible for ETFO Employee Life and Health Trust benefits. For more information go to https://etfo-elhtbenefits.ca/faqs/
Article L35.00(iii) states: When a long-term occasional teaching assignment is completed prior to the required date for report cards to be submitted, the Occasional Teacher may be assigned to assist with the completion of these report cards. In such an event, the Occasional Teacher shall be paid for the time to complete the report cards up to a maximum of one (1) day. The rate of pay shall be the rate the Occasional Teacher received during the long-term occasional teaching assignment.
An assignment becomes a LTO on the 10th consecutive day of replacing the same absent Teacher in the same assignment.
As an LTO, you are eligible for salary that reflects your qualifications, however the onus is on you to provide the Board with a QECO / Qualifications Rating Statement or a card indicating your rating is in progress, prior to July 31st for retroactive adjustment. Note that the process can take several weeks.
To obtain a QECO Rating, follow the instructions at www.qeco.on.ca or call QECO at 1-800-385-1030 and request an application form.
Your rating is personal so it is up to you to sent the results to TVDSB Staffing Officer, Jessica Grison Roeder - j.grisonroeder@tvdsb.ca before the July deadline or forward a copy of the green QECO confirmation card if your application is in progress but will not be available by the due date.
You may also be eligible for credit for post-certification teaching outside of TVDSB. This includes working as a daily OT in Ontario. The same July 31st deadline applies to proof of any post-certification teaching experience, outside of TVDSB so be sure to submit those documents to HR so they will be considered when advancing you on the LTO salary grid.
For further details contact your ETFO TVOT Local at etfotvot@gmail.com .
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Your Mental Health & Wellness
Teaching can be a demanding profession. Your
mental health is just as important as your students’. ETFO Provincial recognizes
that psychosocial hazards, such as workload, the challenging behaviours of
students, or workplace violence can cause psychological injury. These should be
reported just like any other workplace injury.
ETFO Provincial H&S Website provides excellent resources on identifying and
addressing these hazards -
TVDSB Accident / Incident Reporting and Decision Chart -
The TELUS
Health One Employee Assistance Program offers
confidential counselling, Care Now Programs covering topics related to
relationships, work, body, mind, and personal finances, and workshops on stress
management, resilience, and self-care -
TVOT's new "Daily OT Handbook" is an excellent resource for all members.
Here are just a few of the topics and links:
- Highlights of TVDSB policies on communicable diseases including Fifth Disease, conjunctivitis/pink eye, and head lice
- TVDSB policies regarding copyrights, footwear, technology, disconnecting from work, harassment and discrimination
- Info about Brightspace, Brightspace Classroom and Brightspace Staff Learning Hub (where the PD reflection survey is found)
- Links to all the above and other resources such as accessing Outlook from outside of Canada, completing an Employee Incident Reporting and Investigation form, how to register for TVARRIS texts and much, much more.
Be sure to open members' account as well so that you have access to our $75 Resource Rebate and our Professional Learning Development Fund worth up to $685 per year.
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Smaller Classes Matter!
We all want the best start for our children but class sizes are too big in Ontario schools and students are paying the price with unmet needs.
Are you Immune to Fifth Disease?
The TVOT Local urges members who may become pregnant to check in advance to see if they have immunity to Fifth Disease as women in the first half of their pregnancy are most vulnerable to complications if they become infected.
Schools with outbreaks will post notices at the school and on TVARRIS but the disease is contagious well before the symptoms become apparent. In TVDSB, employee absences due to an outbreak of Fifth Disease are deducted from your sick leave entitlement.
A Threat to all Teachers in Canada and to all Public Sector Unions!
The Alberta government has used the "notwithstanding" clause to override Charter rights and legislate Teachers in that province back to work.
"Teachers are being forced back and saddled with the very collective agreement that 90% of them rejected only a month ago - an agreement they said, loudly and clearly, does not meet the needs of their students, their classrooms or their profession." - Jason Schilling, President of the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA)
Because this is a fight similar to the Ontario situation we face in 2022, your TVOT Local donated $1,000 to assist the ATA during their recent strike.
The Canadian Labour Congress urges all of us to stand with Albertans and defend the rights that protect workers throughout our nation. Sign the petition and tell Danielle Smith's government to stop attacking workers' rights and freedoms now! Sign here www.workerstogether.ca/alberta-workers/ and share the link with your networks.
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Meetings with Human Resources (HR)
There are a variety of reasons that an OT can be called to meet with someone from HR but know that your Local will always provide representation at these meetings.
For instance:
- HR follows up on concerns brought to their attention by a school. It is HR's responsibility to identify if someone is having difficulty across the system or just at one site. This doesn't mean that the matter has escalated but a school Principal only knows what goes on at their school and cannot provide system oversight.
- Before TVDSB had TVARRIS, if a Principal no longer wanted an Occasional Teacher at the school (for any reason), they would simply direct the staff not to call that OT again and the OT would wonder why they were never called back. With the switch to an automated system which defaults to random calls, if an Administrator wants to ensure that a certain OT doesn’t return, the Principal must ask Human Resources to block that person from receiving TVARRIS calls from their site and submit rationale. Since notice now comes to the attention of HR, the Local has argued that members have a right to know that such a request has been made so that they have an opportunity to provide their perspective.
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TVARRIS BLOCKS -If a TVARRIS block is put in place, then any Teacher from that school trying to pre-book the OT will find that the OT is “not available”. Such requests to block typically do not go into the OT’s personnel file nor do they result in any discipline. However if the OT becomes blocked from a growing list of schools, then progressive discipline may commence.
Ultimately, most members see the wisdom in not returning to a school where Administration has lost confidence in them - there are so many other opportunities in TVDSB.
As always, please contact your OT Local for further guidance at the first sign of difficulty. We are here to support you at 519-641-3936 or etfotvot@gmail.com
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- Full Year Leaves: Daily TVOT members have until December 30th to request a full year, retroactive leave of absence from TVDSB's elementary Occasional Teacher List. This leave per Article L10.16, would release them from the requirement to teach 10 days in the 2025 - 2026 school year.
- Part of a Year Leaves: Daily TVOT members can request a leave of absence at any time, however the number of days they are required to teach would be pro-rated to 1 day per each month they were active on the elementary list that school year.
Contact your TVOT Local for further details at 519-641-3936 or etfotvot@gmail.com
Being an Occasional Teacher is an isolating experience so your TVOT Local invites
members to spend an evening with your colleagues enjoying a lovely dinner.
We look forward to meeting you there!
Donations of new items for Merrymount Children's Centre will be gratefully accepted!
Looking to become more involved with Provincial ETFO? Check out last week's Blog for upcoming Provincial workshops where your travel, accommodations, meals and salary (release time) will be provided!
Q. Can I resign from my part-time LTO to take a full time LTO position?A. To maintain continuity in the classroom, TVDSB will release an LTO to take a permanent position but not to take another (better) long-term assignment. A member may leave their current assignment after providing 2 weeks notice per Article L5.07(c). They must leave behind all assessment data etc., and they can apply for another LTO to begin after that end date.
Q. What does TVDSB report as the number of hours worked?A. For purposes of Employment Insurance (EI), the Board reports a full day of teaching as 8 hours per Article L7.07. Part-time assignments are pro-rated accordingly. N.B., Participation in paid PD also counts as time worked for these purposes.
Q. How many days does the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) require for it to be counted as a pensionable year of teaching? A. OTPP credits any year with more than 10 days of teaching, as a year for pension purposes. N.B., Participation in paid PD also counts as time worked for these purposes.
Please note that TVOT annually collects donations to Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre at this Fall General meeting. Merrymount is an accredited children's mental health centre supporting the well-being of the children we teach across Thames Valley.
Possible donations include new items such as:
waterproof insulated gloves and mittens
bubble bath, shampoo and conditioner
brushes, combs, ponytail holders and toothbrushes
pajamas and items for older children
new or gently used winter jackets, boots
snow sleds, boogie boards etc.
Register by email - mail@etfotvot.com
Register by phone - 519641-3936
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Does
home insurance protect my possessions while they’re with a moving company?
The
process of moving from one home to another can come with a certain amount of
stress, some very long to-do lists, and a lot of work. One of the biggest
efforts is packing up and moving your belongings, often with the help of a
moving company. But how protected are you when it comes to putting your
furniture and other household goods in the care of a mover? We've got the
answers to some common questions about protecting your stuff during a move.
Complete insurance solutions for the Ontario education community
Get
personalized service and exclusive discounts for all your insurance needs.
Plus, get a $20 gift card of your choice when you get a car or home
quote! Get a quote or call
1-888-892-4935 and mention this offer.
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November 15th is "Wear Purple Day" in support of the London Abused Women's Centre (LAWC) campaign to remind us of how much work remains to be done to end the violence against women. Here is a link to more information and resources - https://www.lawc.on.ca/shine-the-light-on-woman-abuse-campaign
The province of Ontario has designated the third week of every November as "Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week" in order to raise awareness of bullying-related issues and to make a difference in our school communities.
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