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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Woodstock delivery of Red 4 Ed Shirts; April 29th Day of Action; Earn While You Learn; Columbia Store Invitation; Red 4 Ed Shirts; Kids Help Phone; OTIP Retirement Workshop; TVOT's OT Handbook and ETFO's new OT Resource;

 

April 29th is our Day of Action: On this day, all educators from every Union in Ontario will be standing up for public education by wearing red and ETFO's "Smaller Classes" buttons. 

Already more than 1,000 Red 4 Ed t-shirts have been distributed by our Local and the permanent Teachers' Local to the Thames Valley membership to be worn on Mondays at school, and now on the April 29th Day of Action. To get yours, contact our OT Office at mail@etfotvot.com or 519-641-3936 and let us know your size (S - 6X). 

Those living in Woodstock, can pick up a T-shirt after school Monday, March 30th (times and location to be determined.)

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It's worth $145! Spots are still available for the March 31st Paid PD Workshops and Dinner. One session is full but there are still spaces available for two after-school paid PD sessions being held at the Lamplighter Inn on Tuesday, March 31st at 4:30 PM:  - Proportional Reasoning, Grades 3 to 8: the development of efficient mental math skills using visual representations to simplify multiplication, fractions etc.

- Empower Your Multilingual Learners Through Drama: practical strategies to boost student engagement and accelerate language acquisition. 

These sessions count as a half-day of teaching and are hosted by your TVOT Local with a dinner as well. Register in the TVDSB Employee Portal under "Elementary /Dual Occasional Teacher PD" .

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ETFO Provincial Survey: members who identify as women can participate in ETFO's review of Women's Programming. The survey closes on Monday, April 6/26 at 9 AM so here is the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ETFOWP2026  

For more information, contact Zoey Jones at zjones@etfo.org

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Provincial ETFO has just released "Developing an Effective Classroom Environment and Culture" . This is a modern practical guide for Occasional Teachers.  To view and purchase this $15 ETFO Provincial resource, go to https://shop.etfo.ca/collections/resources/products/the-occasional-teacher-s-handbook-developing-an-effective-classroom-environment-and-culture

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Your TVOT Local has an online resource for our Occasional Teachers. The "Daily OT Handbook" is an excellent resource for all members. 

For example you can find info on: - TVDSB policies on Fifth Disease, conjunctivitis/pink eye, and head lice, as well as 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.

Go to www.etfotvot.com and check it out. 

We urge members to open an account for access to our $75 Resource Rebate and our Professional Learning Development Fund worth up to $685 per year.

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The Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, multilingual and confidential support to young people. 

Kids Help Phone has developed a module to be used by elementary educators to support mental health in the classroom - Mental Health and Help-Seeking (Grades 4-12) . Part 1 of the module is a classroom activity while Part 2 includes a 45 minute phone or video call conversation between the class and a Kids Help Phone professional counsellor. The program aims to help students identify how they can seek support and feel confidents doing so. To learn more or to register, go to https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-involved/are-you-an-educator-check-out-counsellor-in-the-classroom

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New Paid PD and Dinner Sessions; Columbia Outlet Invitation; Police Record Checks; Mandatory Online Training; TVOT Office to Close for Spring Break

Additional Paid PD and Dinner Workshops: Your TVOT Local is pleased to host three new after-school paid PD sessions to be held at the Lamplighter Inn on Tuesday, March 31st at 4:30 PM. Registration opens in the TVDSB Employee Portal on Thursday morning at 8 AM and participation counts for all purposes as a half-day of teaching.

Full descriptions can found under "Elementary /Dual Occasional Teacher PD" in the Portal, but here is a snapshot of the workshops:

1) Proportional Reasoning, Grades 3 to 8: Explore the development of efficient mental math skills using visual representations to simplify thinking around multiplication, fractions etc.

2) Assessment and Evaluation with Digital Tools for Elementary Teachers: Find out how Google tools and extensions can help Teachers capture learning in action and strengthen everyday assessment practice

3) Empower Your Multilingual Learners Through Drama: This hands-on drama workshop equips Teachers with practical strategies to boost student engagement and accelerate language acquisition. 

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TVOT Members can bring up to 4 guests! March 20th to April 12th.

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Police Record Checks: TVDSB has now emailed notification to the first 900 employees whose deadline is April 30th for a police record check under the new Ontario legislation. If you received the email from the Board, and have additional questions about the process, please contact TVDSB at policechecks@tvdsb.ca

This is an enormous undertaking for all parties so employees are advised to wait until they receive official notification from the Board, before applying for a new police check.

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April Mandatory Online Training: Just a reminder that retirees must reserve a half-day to complete TVDSB's mandatory online training which will be posted in Mid-April. Those who do not complete the training by June 26th must complete it afterwards on unpaid time in order to remain on the OT List in September.  

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ETFO Provincial has developed a series of podcasts on issues of importance to educators in the public system. Recent topics include:

- Systemic changes and black  mental health

- Artificial Intelligence and climate justice

- How to improve Special Education in Ontario

- The importance of DECEs

Check out these podcasts at  https://www.etfo.ca/news-publications/publications/podcast-elementary

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Offer extended! Get $100* when you open and fund a new RRSP, TFSA, FHSA, or non-registered account with (please tag @Educators Financial Group on Facebook or @EducatorsFG on X/Instagram). This offer is live for a limited time. Lock in your $100 bonus today: https://bit.ly/4sjMvfj. #EFGtips

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Your TVOT Office will be closed after school on Friday, March 13th and will reopen when school resumes Monday, March 23rd.

Please take time to enjoy the break!

ETFO President and Your Collective Agreement; Learn About Your Teachers' Pension; Locking Classroom Doors; Talking Politics in the Workplace;

ETFO President Dave Mastin talks to Members about Bargaining 

https://youtu.be/Ybp8TbH28kg?si=CxgPlgsTJVnOzcqE

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1) Did you know that Your Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan/OTPP is one of your most important financial assets?  Here is the link to two virtual webinars to help you either find out about being a member of the plan or how to prepare for retirement: 

https://www.otpp.com/en-ca/members/news/plan-updates-and-news/upcoming-webinars/

Each session is 1.5 hours in length, with time for a Q&A .  Upcoming webinar dates are: March 5/26 at 6 PM; March 26/26 at 6 PM; March 31/26 at 5 PM; April 9/26 at 6 PM; April 21/26 at 5 PM; May 6/26 at 5 PM and May 13/26 at 6 PM.

2) Did you know that Occasional Teachers must have the ability to lock and unlock classroom doors? It's in the Central Collective Agreement so please let the TVOT office know if you find that a school does not provide you with a classroom key. Email: mail@etfotvot.com or call: 519-641-3936.

3) Were you aware that the minimum pay for a daily assignment as a TVDSB elementary Occasional Teacher is a half-day? After that, assignments can be pro-rated according to the FTE of the absent Teacher they are replacing.

4) Did you know that every TVOT Occasional Teacher can apply for the Local's $75 Resource Rebate? Application forms can be found in the Membership Area of www.etfotvot.com 

5) Want info on MOABs and SSIRs or need to know how to access TVDSB resources,? It's all there in our TVOT Handbook for Daily Occasional Teachers at www.etfotvot.com

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Want the truth? Rather than taking guidance from chatter in staff rooms, unauthorized Facebook groups or well-meaning friends and peers, call on your TVOT Local. We are the ones who have negotiated the terms and conditions of your working relationship with the Board. Your livelihood is too important to settle for incorrect interpretations so please never hesitate to contact the TVOT Office at 519-641-3936 or mail@etfotvot.com . 

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OTIP (the Ontario Teachers' Insurance Plan) offers four life insurance plan options, each with a range of coverage amounts and term lengths. Find the coverage that’s right for you.. Apply online: https://bit.ly/4tYmvrk  

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