LTOs and Sept 29 PD Day; Microsoft Office 365; Next paid PD Opportunity

The LTOs responsibilities on PD Days
There is still confusion regarding LTOs responsibilities on PD Days though the Collective Agreement is clear:
L20.03 A Long-Term Occasional Teacher who is scheduled to work when there is a Professional Activity Day will be paid for the day and will be required to participate in the scheduled professional activity sessions, pro-rated according to the FTE of the assignment.
For example a .5 FTE would stay for half the day and be paid grid rate for that participation. Please do not hesitate to contact the office if you would like further clarification.
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Farewell to First Class
TVDSB is transitioning from First Class to Microsoft Office 365 as a corporate email platform so please review the O365 Tip Sheets posted in the Employee Portal in order to facilitate this transition.
After November 6, 2017, First Class will only be accessible as a digital filing cabinet from which users can print past communications as of November 6, 2017.  Please note that Swap Shop will also cease to exist at that time as well.
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Did you Realize that Missing your Paid PD cost you over $200 each day?
Daily OTs have opportunity to gain a day of pay plus seniority credit, EI credit, and pension credit when they participate in any of the Boards paid PA day opportunities.
- Three days have been negotiated for this year but a half day must be reserved for mandatory training which is posted each spring
- Participation in these days counts towards the 10 full days needed to remain on the elementary OT Roster
- LTOs are eligible to attend if their assignment is less than .5
- Registration is via the Employee Portal under “Conference/Session Registrations” Elementary Occasional Teacher PD (2017 – 2018)
- Sessions are already in place for September, October and November Board PD Days
BE AWARE THAT REGISTRATION IS EXPECTED TO OPEN ON OCTOBER 2nd for the next session!
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Meeting of Provincial Occasional Teacher Local Presidents
Your Local was pleased to have the privilege of hosting the most recent meeting of Provincial Occasional Teacher Local Presidents (POTs) meeting in London from September 24 - 26th. Twenty-three Occasional Teacher Locals from all parts of the province met to discuss matters of mutual concern.  Participants donated almost $500.00 to our Local charity, Merrymount Family and Children's Crisis Center and several of us had the privilege to visit the striking workers of Unifor #88 at the CAMI Plant in Ingersoll.
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PLDF

We are pleased at how well received the PLDF subsidy program has been and all the members who are using it. We continue to receive numerous applications and ask that you pay attention to the requirements stipulated at the top of the Form to avoid disappointment and ensure adequate fund allocation for your course.
 
The 2017-2018 Application Form can be found on the ETFO - TVOT website www.etfotvot.com under Member Services.

As always, do not hesitate to contact the TVOT office should you have any questions or require any further information!

Paid PD Opportunity: Copyright Rules, Professional Learning Development and Book Rebate Subsidy Programs & Pocket Calendars

TVDSB offers first Paid PD Event of the School Year
Registration opens on the Employee Portal Friday morning for the first paid PD event of 2017 - 2018. Participation counts as a day of work and as one of the required 10 days to remain on the OT Roster.  Spots go quickly so if you are a daily OT or in a LTO assignment of less than .5, don't leave this money on the table.
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Unsure about the copyright rules for Teachers in Canada?
Find the answers at http://www.copyrightdecisiontool.ca - a clear easy to use site that will enable you to confidently share information with your students.



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We are very pleased to advise we will be offering the Professional Learning Development Fund and Book Rebate Professional Development Programs to our members this year.
2017-2018 Application Forms can be found on the ETFO-TVOT website:  www.etfotvot.ca under Member Services - Useful Documents.

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2017-2018 Pocket Calendars are at the Printers and will be mailed out to all Thames Valley Occasional Teachers - (the Local does not get access to the mailing list until the middle of September so that is why we included September 2017 in last year's edition.) Please ensure your address is up to date on the Employee Portal, with any unit/apartment/suite numbers listed on the same line as the street address to ensure prompt delivery.
i.e. #8 - 521 Nottinghill Road.

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As always we are here for you, please don't hesitate to contact your Local with any questions or concerns and make certain to register at www.etfotvot.com so that we can keep you apprised of Board deadlines and PD opportunities.

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Welcome Back and the first paid PD Opportunity of the year etal

Welcome back to all ETFO-TVOT members.  We hope you had a lovely summer break and are ready to get back to the classroom.

Your Executive has been busy planning PD for you and further information will be sent out via email.  It is important that you have an account set up on the ETFO-TVOT website so you will not miss out on any important information.  Go to www.etfotvot.com to create your account.  Please use your personal email address as it is inappropriate to use the Board's First Class for Union business nor is it private.  

If you know of anyone who has not yet set up their accounts, please advise them it is in their best interests to stay informed and connected.  

Earn on September 29th: Look on the TVDSB Employee Portal on Friday to register for an extra day of pay for those who participate in paid professional development on September 29th. Check it out! The day counts for all purposes as a day of work.

TVARRIS has undergone some changes over the summer so be sure to check you profile to  update your schedule and school selections.  September is typically slower so now is a good time.

Corissa Parker will be taking over from newly retired Sandi Douglas in Human Resources at TVDSB.  Your Executive wishes her all the best and look forward to working with her this coming school year.

Front-Line Support needed! Sandi Douglas Retirement Announcement and a Note from the TVARRIS Coordinator

More front-line supports to address the classroom violence issue are called for. Please consider participating in ETFO's letter campaign to the Minister of Education.
You can access the letter through ETFO's Building Better Scholls campaign website:
http://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/action_centre
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Your TVOT Local is sad to share the following message from TVDSB:
With mixed emotions we announce the retirement of Sandi Douglas, effective 2017 August 31. Sandi's last day of work will be July 27. Sandi has been the key driver in our Junk Food Friday events and an avid supporter of United Way and Heart and Stroke fundraisers. We wish Sandi loads of health, happiness and the best retirement ever!

Sandi Douglas has been TVOT's invaluable contact with the Board's HR department since the inception of the Thames Valley District School Board and of ETFO.   We will greatly miss her professionalism and assistance.
Congratulations Sandi and best wishes for fun and happiness as you start this next phase of your life!
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NOTE FROM THE TVARRIS COORDINATOR:
Over the summer months maintenance will be taking place in TVARRIS and your Substitute schedule/locations will be cleared out.  To receive a TVARRIS call and to be pre-arranged into a job this must be populated.

Please review the job aids regarding location selection and schedule availability to update your profile including AVAILABILITY and LOCATIONS AFTER AUGUST 7th. Recognizing TVARRIS will begin calling up to two weeks in advance for future dated absences. You will need a schedule for a school to create your LTO/LTA job, or to be pre-arranged.

This is a reminder to maintain an accurate availability in your TVARRIS Substitute profile at all times. You should not be getting a TVARRIS call if you are not able to accept it.  If you are on a leave please delete your schedule. Having an accurate location selection and schedule will allow TVARRIS to match you up more accurately to jobs so that you are not ignoring a TVARRIS call. Please ANSWER WHEN TVARRIS CALLS.
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Until September -
This is our last edition of the WEDNESDAY BLOG for the 2016-2017 school year!
Please note the ETFO-TVOT office will be closed from July 1st - September 5th, 2017.
On behalf of your President, Terry Card and the Executive, we would like to take this opportunity to wish each of you an enjoyable and safe summer break.

Important June 30th Deadlines; National Aboriginal Day; QECO

June 30th Deadlines and Important Information:
- Mandatory online training modules: a condition of remaining active on OT Roster and worth .5 credit as a day of work; Thirteen modules beginning with Fire Code Training and ending with Slips, Trips and Falls. LTOs must also submit these modules and will have completed most of them with the staff at their schools. NB: This year, daily OTs must ensure they are "Available" June 30th so that their pay can be entered in TVARRIS.
- Extra 1.5 day of pay: for daily OTs or those in less than .5 LTO. Check out the Employee Portal > Conference Registration > Elementary OT PD and the online options listed under July 1.  Complete these anytime but make sure to submit a Reflection Form (available on the site) by 4 PM on June 30. Each module earns .5 of a day credit for all purposes including seniority, pay, EI, pension etc.

N.B. - All LTOs with an end date of June 30 are expected to attend school and be paid according to their grid rate that day so long as the permanent Teacher is not attending school that day. LTOs are paid at grid rate for all PA days within their assignment.
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National Aboriginal Day


Today, June 21 is National Aboriginal Day - a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The Canadian Constitution recognizes these three groups as Aboriginal peoples, also known as Indigenous Peoples. Although similar, each group has its own distinct heritage, language, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.
In cooperation with Indigenous organizations, the Government of Canada chose the summer solstice for National Aboriginal Day. Historically, many Indigenous communities have celebrated their culture and heritage on or near this day,  the year's longest day.

Deepen your understanding of FNMI issues and perspectives with ETFO resources available at www.SpiritHorse.ca.
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QECO and Grid Pay
If you are in a LTO and still being paid at the daily OT rate, you need to apply for a QECO rating and submit it to the Board Staffing Officer Sandi Douglas s.douglas@tvdsb.on.ca by the July 31st deadline.  The application process can take several weeks so start the process immediately and submit the green QECO confirmation card if it seems the final statement will not be available in time. 

Good news about your Teachers' Pension & 2 New Schools

The Ontario Teachers' Federation who oversees our Teachers' Pension Plan has just released the following:

Full inflation protection for retired teachers and a contribution rate reduction for active teachers.
The Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF) and the Ontario Government, joint sponsors of the $175.6 billion Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Plan), will use a portion of the $11.5 billion surplus in the Plan (as of January 1, 2017) to complete the restoration of inflation protection for teachers who retired after 2009. As well, the contribution rate for the Plan's active members will be reduced by 1.1%. Both changes are effective January 1, 2018.
"Conditional inflation protection has been proven to be an effective tool for managing Plan deficits and now, for the fourth year in a row, the sponsors will use some of the surplus to finish the restoration of indexing that pensioners lost in recent years," said OTF President Mike Foulds. "In addition, the Plan's active members will enjoy a 1.1% reduction in the contribution rate. The remainder of the surplus will be kept in reserve to provide benefit and contribution rate stability against future funding challenges such as low interest rates and increasing longevity, both of which increase the Plan's liabilities."
Pensioners who retired after 2009 will receive a one-time increase in January 2018 to restore their pensions to the levels they would have been at, had full inflation protection been provided each year since they retired. They will also receive a slightly higher inflation increase next year for the portion of their pensions earned after 2009. Cost-of-living increases for this portion of pension credit will equal 100% of the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), up from the current level of 90%. Pension credits earned before 2010 remain fully inflation-protected.
Active Plan members will enjoy a 1.1% reduction in the contribution rate they pay to the Plan.
Last March, Teachers' reported its fourth surplus in a decade. A preliminary funding valuation showed that the Plan was 105% funded at the beginning of 2017, based on current benefits and contribution rates.
For more information on these changes, please go to www.otpp.com<http://otffeo.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=990c4057179a7ed504464e546&id=4acd72773d&e=3d665608e6>.

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Reminder: 2 new schools will be opening up in September- here is the contact information:

Sir Arthur Currie P.S.
 2435 Buroak Drive
 London, ON  N6G 5B6


Cedar Hollow P.S.
 1800 Cedarhollow Boulevard
 London, ON  N5X 0C5