Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Register now for April 24 full day Paid PD at the Lamplighter; OCT Fees due Today! Retirees and Mandatory Training; ETFO All-Member Meeting Registration; About Elected Positions on TVOT Executive;

 

April 24th Paid PD at the Lamplighter: You Got This! Classroom Management for the Daily Occasional Teacher (Repeat) -  If you didn't get in the first time, here is our very popular full-day workshop addressing the daily challenges OTs face when managing students, time, curriculum and resources. Learn strategies to motivate and engage students at all levels. To register and find out more, log into the TVDSB Employee Portal.  Lunch is included and participation counts for all purposes as a day of teaching.

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Teachers including all TVOT members must pay their annual $200 OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) fee today in order to be in good standing and remain eligible to teach in Ontario. This is a mandatory condition of employment with no grace period as fees are actually due in January.  Fees can be paid online  at https://sc.oct.ca/eservices/home/amf.aspx

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Retirees and Mandatory Training - Retired Teachers can no longer back date their mandatory training as this does not meet the restrictions of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP). This means those retirees who will have used their 50 days before June but want to remain on the OTE list in September, will have to complete the mandatory online training during the summer months, after the deadline and without payment. ________________ 

Registration for ETFO's Spring AQ Courses has been extended until Monday, April 20th at 1 PM to allow additional time for members to consider their needs and secure a spot. Remember that your TVOT Local offers a subsidy through our Professional Learning Development Fund (PLDF) to cover the registration costs of AQ courses offered by ETFO to those members who have been with us for a full year and who are registered at www.etfotvot.com .  
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WANT TO LEARN ABOUT TVOT ELECTED POSITIONS? 

Considered running for a position on the ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers’ Executive?

It is the members at the TVOT Spring Annual Meeting who select their Local Executive.  

Why not join your Executive team and find out what is going on – you can make a difference!

Meetings are held one afternoon a month at our TVOT Office (release time provided).

 

Elections to be held May 21, 2026 at the Lamplighter Inn for the following positions:

President – two-year term, full-time position; legal spokesperson and representative of Local; Grievance Officer; liaison/ member of all committees; signing officer; attends all Provincial Rep. Councils, ETFO Annual Meeting, other ETFO meetings in Toronto Local Constitution 7.2.1  Candidates for President must have a minimum of two (2) years Local Executive experience Local Constitution 9.1.2

First Vice-President – two-year term; assists the President; coordinates preparation of the newsletter; attends committees Local Constitution 7.2.2 Candidates for President must have a minimum of two (2) year of Local Executive experience Local Constitution 9.1.2

Second Vice-President – two-year term; assists the President and First Vice-President and acts as liaison to the P.D. Committee Local Constitution 7.2.3 Candidates for President must have a minimum of two (2) year of Local Executive experience Local Constitution 9.1.2

Secretary – two-year term; records, prepares and circulates accurate minutes of past and present Executive and General Membership Meetings Local Constitution 7.2.4

Treasurer – two-year term;  maintains financial records; pays expenses of the Local as signing officer; drafts budget and reports to Executive and membership Local Constitution 7.2.5

Health and Safety Officer – two-year term; acts as liaison with the Board’s Joint Health and Safety Committee, the Local Executive and general membership; conducts annual audits of schools and participates in all applicable training Local Constitution 7.2.7

Executive Members at Large (4) - great learning opportunity with duties as determined by the Executive Local Constitution 7.1.1 – 7.1.13

ETFO Provincial Annual Meeting Alternates (5) – pool from which delegate vacancies will be filled; Toronto Westin Harbour Castle, August 17-20, 2026 (all costs paid) Local Constitution 10.1 – 10.3

 

Candidate Forms are posted on the Local website: www.etfotvot.com

The deadline for receipt of Candidate Forms is 5 PM April 30, 2026 Local Constitution 9.2.2


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Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Red 4 Ed Shirt delivery to St. Thomas; Correction to last week's Blog; ETFO AQ Courses; OCT Fees due by next week; Mandatory Training Modules

 

TVOT members living in St. Thomas, can pick up a Red for Ed t-shirt on Thursday, April 9th between 3:45 - 5:00 PM at the CASO Railway Station, 750 Talbot Street in St. Thomas. We are working on our second order as more than 1,000 Red 4 Ed t-shirts have been distributed to the Thames Valley membership by our Local and by the permanent Teachers' Local. Wear yours on Mondays at school, and definitely on the April 29th Day of Action. For those members not in St. Thomas, please order one at our OT Office: mail@etfotvot.com or 519-641-3936 and let us know your size (S - 4X). 
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We made a mistake.
For those members who are considering running for Local President or Vice President positions, the TVOT Constitution clearly states that "For the position of President, First Vice President, and Second Vice President, candidates must have a minimum of two (2) years of Local Executive experience." Article IX - Elections, 9.1.2
Elections will be held at the TVOT Spring Annual Meeting on May 21, 2026 at the Lamplighter Inn.
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If you have been a TVOT member for 12 months, you can apply for the Local's Professional Learning Development Fund (PLDF) and have your ETFO AQ course paid for by the Local. Course registration closed April 14/26. Here is the link to the courses being offered this spring https://etfo-aq.ca/catalogue/ 
PLDF Applications can be found in the Member's section of the TVOT website www.etfotvot.com
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OCT annual fees must be paid by April 15th in order to remain on the OT List. The penalty for late payment is $130 in addition to the $200 OCT fee. The onus to pay is on the Occasional Teacher so here is OCT's link https://www.oct.ca/members/college-fees
Only those in a long-term assignment in January will have their fees deducted from their pay, and this will is recorded on the LTO's TVDSB paystub.
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The Mandatory Training Modules
 for elementary Occasional Teachers, will be posted on April 13th in the TVDSB Employee Portal under "Employee Training".  Once there, scroll down to "2025 - 2026 OTE Required Training" and complete the following modules by 4 PM on June 26th for a half-day of salary to be paid on July 12/26.  The location code "HR 1" in your TVARRIS calendar verifies that you will be paid, so do not edit that entry.
If these modules are not completed by the deadline, then they must be completed without payment in order to be remain on the OTE List for September, 2026.
Below are the mandatory modules for this school year -













Wednesday, April 1, 2026

TVOT Elections for Local Executive; How to Find the TVDSB Reflection Survey for paid PD; Mandatory OCT Fees due April 15th; OTF Webinars

It's an Election Year for the TVOT Executive!

Have you considered running for a position on the ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers’ Executive? Members select their Local Executive each year at our TVOT Spring Annual Meeting. 

Why not join your Executive team? Find out what is going on and make a difference!

Meetings are typically held one afternoon a month at our TVOT Office with release time paid. (LTOs are released from their assignments to attend.)

Nomination Forms will be posted on our website next week. 

Elections will be held May 21, 2026 for the following TVOT Executive positions:

Looking for the TVDSB Reflection Survey? Here is the link - https://stafflearninghub.tvdsb.ca/d2l/home
Once you click on the link, log into your TVDSB Outlook account. Select "Elementary / Dual Occasional Teacher 25-26". Click on "Surveys" at the top. OTs can participate in 3 half-day paid PD sessions and must reserve a half-day for mandatory online OTE training which will be posted soon.
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OCT annual fees must be paid by April 15th in order to remain on the OT List. The penalty for late payment is $130 in addition to the $200 OCT fee. The onus to pay is on the Occasional Teacher so here is OCT's link https://www.oct.ca/members/college-fees
Only those in a long-term assignment in January will have their fees deducted from their pay, and this will is recorded on the LTO's TVDSB paystub.
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Upcoming OTF Webinars - Click here for free effective professional learning -  https://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/otf-connects/webinars/

  • The World with AI - Explorations through Drama - April 16/26 from 5:00 - 6:30 PM
  • Diving Deeper with Google's AI Tools - April 21/26 from 4:30 - 5:45 PM
  • STEM on the Land: Exploring Metis Harvesting in Grades 4-8 - April 28/26 from 4:30 - 6:00 PM
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Reminder that TVOT members have until April 12th to use their Columbia Sports Outlet store shopping invitation.  Check out last week's Wednesday Blog for invitation details.

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How technology can reduce distracted driving on our roads


Think about the last time you were in your vehicle. Did you swing by a drive-thru and eat your breakfast behind the wheel? When your phone rang, were you tempted to pick it up? How often did you reach over to change the music or adjust the temperature? Multitasking has made its way into nearly everything we do, including driving. However, multitasking behind the wheel, also known as distracted driving, can quickly turn a safe trip into a fender bender. Let’s explore some technology and tools that can help you keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Read more at www.otip.com/article203. #OTIPUpdate 

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You dedicate your life to helping others, and we dedicate ours to protecting you with complete insurance solutions built for the education community. Get a quote or call 1-888-892-4935 and mention this offer to receive a $20 gift card!

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