Video Message from ETFO; Keep Informed; Message from Director Tucker; Upcoming Deadlines; Columbia Store Invitation; OT Office

 

To Members from ETFO Provincial - 

__________________________

Keep Informed! Make sure Provincial ETFO has an updated non-work email and a mobile or home phone number so that you can receive information about our central bargaining and details of any strike votes or job actions. Use the QR code below or this link to ensure you are kept in the loop - https://www.etfo.ca/resources/update-member-information-form or - https://bit.ly/ETFO-member-update

______________________________

Dear Thames Valley Staff, 

You may be aware of recent incidents involving the theft and vandalism of Pride flags at schools in our region, including schools within our own board. These are not isolated acts of mischief. They are targeted, hate-motivated acts. I am writing this message to let 2SLGBTQIA+ staff know you are seen, you are valued, and you belong here fully. 

 

Thames Valley's commitment to every student and employee who walks through our doors is unwavering. That is true on the easiest days, and it is equally true now.

 

We know that for many of you, this moment may have stirred up feelings that go well beyond these specific incidents, and we do not take that lightly. Our responsibility is to keep working to make Thames Valley a place where you do not have to carry that weight alone. 

 

If you or a colleague feels unsafe or targeted, please reach out. You are not alone in this. Incidents can be reported to your supervisor, and if for any reason that does not feel like the right path, you can also contact your superintendent or Jeff Beynon, Superintendent of Safe Schools and Wellbeing. If you need personal support, please remember that we have the Employee Assistance Program. All reports will be taken seriously and escalated appropriately. Law enforcement is actively investigating the incidents that have occurred.

 

To support students, please continue to check in with them. Some will be watching closely to see how the adults around them respond. Your calm, affirming presence matters. If students bring it up, name it honestly, acknowledge that these acts are harmful, and affirm that our schools need to be safe and welcoming spaces for everyone.

 

Pride Month is about visibility and belonging, and those things are alive in our schools because of the people in them. Thank you for the care you bring to students every day, and especially right now.

 

Sincerely,

Bill Tucker

_________________________

Don't Forget These Important Deadlines -

• June 26, 4PM - mandatory online training modules are due. Here are the 16 modules that must be completed:

• July 4, 4 PM - claims for missed prep periods must be submitted for payment
• July 31 - QECO ratings must be submitted for retroactive salary adjustment for LTOs in 2025 - 2026
• July 31 - deadline to submit proof of post-certification teaching experience for grid placement for LTOs in 2025 - 2026 
• August 31 - deadline to submit annual Offence Declaration (regardless of whether you submitted a vulnerable sector check)
• September 2,3 - PA Days: LTOs will attend; N.B., there may be paid PD opportunities for daily OTs those days so check your TVDSB emails for more information
• September 8, classes begin

_______________________

___________________________________

CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER: A reminder that your Local ETFO TVOT Office will be closed after Friday June 26th and will re-open when school resumes in September. We do however check our etfotvot@gmail.com emails on a weekly basis.

Should an emergency occur where members require assistance from ETFO Provincial, you can contact them at 1-888-838-3836.

________________

Time to Say Farewell - 

It was more than twenty-five years ago, when I stepped into the role of your Local President.  The Thames Valley District School Board had just been created by amalgamation and this new Local was negotiating its first Collective Agreement. As a former Middlesex OT, I had not been unionized so my days would be filled with additional duties for a daily rate of $137 whether I replaced the same Teacher for 1 day or for 30 days. The prospect of bargaining for better (and in my case, any) terms and conditions of employment was irresistible.  It was an ordeal but with only eight minutes until the strike deadline, we reached our first Collective Agreement with TVDSB.  What had seemed unachievable, became reality because of the collective determination and support of our membership. (And our daily rate increased to $155.)

As President, I have been the public face of our Local, but incredible teams have been working here on your behalf, two of whom will also be retiring this month:

• Many of you recognize that Nancy Springer has been with our Local since 2003, serving as your Vice President for most of those years, before taking on the duties of Treasurer and now, Executive at Large.  Nancy has been an unwavering advocate for our members, a passionate supporter of LTOs experiencing difficulty in their assignments and always empathetic to the needs of our membership. In short, Nancy has been instrumental to every success this Local has achieved.
• Hard to believe but Debbie Laxer has been our Administrative Assistant for 15 years. It has been Debbie’s kind and patient voice that greets you when you call or visit the office, and Debbie who registers members at our events and responds to inquiries about our Resource Rebate and PLDF programs. Behind the scenes, it has been Debbie who has organized our events, helped us manage our books and generally kept the affairs of this busy Local in order.

TVOT has been fortunate to have had two such devoted and competent people, committed the needs of our membership. On your behalf, I thank both Nancy and Debbie for their dedication and I wish them both much happiness as they embark on their next chapters.

So this is my final Wednesday Blog. I never imagined the profound impact this experience would have on my life but I will treasure the memory of these years and the friendships I have made along the way. Thank you to the members for the trust you have placed in me for it has truly been an honour to serve you and I wish the incoming team, tremendous success. 

Sincere regards,

Terry Card, Local President

_______________

 

LTOs and Permanent Positions; Balanced Days; Important Deadlines; Columbia Store Invitation; Message from ETFO Provincial President

 

- You may be aware that there are not likely to be permanent elementary teaching positions posted this summer as TVDSB is still facing declining enrolment. Hopefully things will improve once registration is complete in September.

- For LTOs where interviews will be required, posting will be available from June 29 until July 2nd with interviews from July 3-7.

- For LTOs that will be filled by central placement, the posting period will be from August 4-10 with placements taking place the week of August 11. HR will make these calls from 8:30am - 12:30pm and from 1:30pm - 4:00pm.

- Elementary OTs must teach a total of 10 days and complete the annual Offence Declaration and the mandatory online training in order to remain on the OTE List for September

- All schools in TVDSB will be on a balanced day schedule this coming school year

- Keep these important dates for TVOT members in mind: 

• June 26, 4PM - mandatory online training modules are due
• July 4, 4 PM - claims for missed prep periods must be submitted for payment
• July 31 - QECO ratings must be submitted for retroactive salary adjustment for LTOs in 2025 - 2026
• July 31 - deadline to submit proof of post-certification teaching experience for grid placement for LTOs in 2025 - 2026 
• August 31 - deadline to submit annual Offence Declaration (regardless of whether you submitted a vulnerable sector check)
• September 2,3 - PA Days for LTOs to attend
• September 8, classes begin

____________

___________________________________

As I clean out my files, here is another perspective for consideration - 

___________________

A Message from your ETFO Provincial President

_____________________

LTO Postings; International Travel; Six Important Deadlines; Teaching Strategies for OTs;

If you have been following the local news, you are aware that TVDSB has been facing declining enrolment. For that reason, the TVOT Local does not expect a large number of postings for permanent positions, unless there is a boost in attendance come September. 

That being said, here is the information from TVDSB regarding LTO postings (also available in TVDSB Outlook): 

_________________________________________

If Travelling Internationally -

Be aware that employees of TVDSB who travel outside of Canada generally cannot access their Board emails. To ensure access, employees must notify the Board's IT Help Desk at least 7 days in advance in order to minimize complications with TVDSB's multifactor authentication. 

To do this:

1) From the TVDSB Employee Portal log-in page, select "Help Hub Help Desk"

2) Log-in with "Sign-in Using Office365 (SSO)"

3) You may be asked to sign-in with your Board Outlook account, TV#####@tvdsb.ca

4) Once in, type into the search bar: Request login access for travel outside of Canada

5) Select appropriate link for cellphones and enter the required information (Supervisor for this purpose is

Important -

- This must be done at least 7 days prior to leaving the country.

- If you are already outside of the country, call the Help Hub at 519-452-2005 but you must be able to receive texts to your Board registered cellphone.

______________

1) Mandatory Training: In order to receive a 1/2 day of pay for the Mandatory Training found in the Employee Portal, it must be fully completed by Friday, June 26th, 2026 at 4pm. Your Annual Offence Declaration and all Mandatory Training modules must be completed by August 31 prior to returning to work. Completion will be unpaid if the modules are submitted after 4PM, June 26/26. 

If you are a teacher-retiree working as an Occasional Teacher and the Board's paid mandatory training may affect your pension, then it is suggested that you complete the mandatory training (a condition of employment) on your own time during the summer months.

2) Annual Offence Declaration - Even if you have been contacted by TVDSB about completing a vulnerable sector check or criminal and judicial matters check in the 2025-2026 school year, you are required to complete the Offence Declaration by August 31st, 2026. Look for the link in the TVDSB Employee Portal - 

  

3) Submit Your Claim - Occasional Teachers in daily and long-term assignments "...who are not able to receive their preparation payback period in the course of their assignment will be entitled to money in lieu." (per Letter of Understanding #5)

The deadline to submit a claim for this current school year is July 2/26 at 4 PM. Here is the link that was also sent via TVDSB's Outlook - https://forms.office.com/r/AG8wNG36YJ

TVOT members can also claim for lost prep where an Occasional Teacher is hired for a vacancy for preparation time or meeting coverage, and that Occasional Teacher does not receive a forty (40) minute preparation time period. The forty (40) minute preparation time will be scheduled as early in the day as possible based on the schedule of events requiring coverage. (per Article L18.03 (b))

4) July 31st is the deadline to submit a QECO (Qualifications Rating Statement) rating to HR, if you were in a LTO this school year and want to be compensated retroactively to properly reflect to your qualifications. QECO accepts online applications at www.qeco.on.ca . The process can take several weeks so send your receipt to Jessica Fox in HR at j.fox@tvdsb.ca to show that the process is underway. 

5) The deadline for LTOs to submit a claim for other post-certification teaching is July 31. For proof of post-certification teaching experience outside of TVDSB, the Board requires a letter on official letterhead, stating the nature of your employment, the dates of employment and notes of any leaves taken during that time. The TVOT Collective Agreement provides that international teaching and daily OT work in Canada are recognized for grid placement. 

6) To remain on the TVDSB elementary OT List, members must teach a total of 10 days per school year. This number is pro-rated for those who were on leave for part of the year or who were recently hired to the list. Participation in paid PD and the completion of the mandatory training module, count as time worked for all purposes including pension and Employment Insurance.

___________

Special Strategies Just for OTs - Ronald Morrish, Educational Behaviour Consultant

• Speak, walk and teach with confidence. Act like you have been teaching for 10 years using a firm voice, not a loud voice.
• Approach each lesson with enthusiasm. No student gets excited about learning something that the Teacher is not excited about teaching.
• Remember that students engaged in learning are not engaged in misbehaving. Engagement is your single best prevention technique.
• Assume the absent Teacher has left no activities or plans. Come prepared to teach all day with your own materials - an "emergency" kit covering different grades and subjects. Many activities can be integrated to include multiple subjects and topics. Be over-prepared.
• Start with an intriguing activity that captures the attention of the students.
• Reinforce appropriate behaviour far more than you scold inappropriate behaviour.
• Effective Teachers use their voice primarily to maintain the flow of the lesson. Behaviour is dealt with mostly through non-verbal techniques: prompts, cues, active supervision, redirection etc. The classroom environment tends to break down when the Teacher's voice is constantly on student behaviour rather than on learning.
• As much as possible, keep your problems in the classroom. You want to present yourself in a way that creates a positive opinion with Administration. Sending every misbehaving student to the office won't get you where  you want to go.

Celebrate the end of the school year with a bonus offer from (please tag @OTIP on Facebook, @OTIP_Insurance on X, or @otip_insurance on Instagram here)! For the month of June, receive a $30 gift card of your choice when you get a car, home or leisure insurance quote. Get a quote: https://bit.ly/4uVH1cp

___________

_______________________

Dates for LTO Postings; June 27 PA Day; Mandatory Training; Prep Payback; H&S Training by ETFO and WHSC; Pay Errors; Summer Academy

 

- When applying for a LTO, if you save a draft of an application and come back to it at a later date, the posting will seem to have disappeared when in fact, it has just moved over to your application drafts section.

- For LTO positions to begin in September: 

1. If the Administrator plans to interview applicants, then  TVDSB will post those assignments from June 29 - July 6; 
2. If the position will be filled by central placement, then TVDSB will post the assignment from August 4 - August 10.

- LTOs and June 27th PA Day - Unless the absent Teacher is returning and being paid for the last day of school, LTOs are expected to attend and be paid for that day.  (Article L20.03). Itinerant LTO assignments end on June 26th - they do not participate that day. (Letter of Understanding #6)

- Mandatory training must be completed by 4PM on June 26, to qualify for a half-day of pay. Otherwise it will need to be completed without pay as completion is a condition of employment.  The Board reminds members to not delete entries in TVARRIS for June 26 as you will be deleting your payment for completing the modules. For further information, contact Terri Manning t.manning@tvdsb.ca in Staff Development. 

- Miss Your Prep Period? Occasional Teachers in daily and long-term assignments "...who are not able to receive their preparation payback period in the course of their assignment will be entitled to money in lieu." (Letter of Understanding #5)

The deadline to submit a claim for this current school year is July 2/26 at 4 PM. Here is the link that was also sent via TVDSB's Outlook - https://forms.office.com/r/AG8wNG36YJ

- ETFO Provincial along with the Workers Health and Safety Center (WHSC) is offering Level 1 of Labour Activist Training - Focus on Violence. This is a week long course in Toronto covering H&S legislation, advocacy strategies and exercising your rights for a safe workplace.  The deadline to register is 5 PM today. Visit http://events.etfo.org/ to register.

- TVOT members only have 12 months to recover any underpayments of salary. Article L7.12: An Occasional Teacher shall only be required to reconcile an overpayment for the twelve (12) month period prior to an error being discovered. The Board shall only be required to reconcile an underpayment for the twelve (12) month period prior to an error being discovered. Any overpayment reconciliation plan shall be with the mutual agreement of the Union and the Occasional Teacher. An overpayment plan shall commence within two months of the discovery of the error. Any underpayment shall be made on the next possible pay date or in a manner mutually agreeable to the Union and the Occasional Teacher.

Your guide to summer road trip travel safety -

There’s a special kind of magic to hitting the open road in the summer: the sun is shining, your favourite playlist is playing, and endless possibilities lie ahead. Whether you’re escaping to cottage country, visiting loved ones, or discovering hidden gems across Canada, road trips are about adventure and making memories at your own pace. Before you set out, a little preparation goes a long way. By checking your vehicle and ensuring you’re properly covered, you’ll spend less time worrying and more time enjoying every mile.

Read more at www.otip.com/article207. #OTIPUpdate

Celebrate the end of the school year with a bonus offer!

For the month of June, receive a $30 gift card of your choice when you get a car, home or leisure insurance quote. Get a quote or call 1-888-892-4935 and mention this offer!

2026-2027 TVOT Executive; Legal Support in case of Allegations; Last Call for Resource Rebate; Grid Pay for LTOs; ETFO Postcard Campaign: More T-Shirts;

 

Your TVOT Local wishes to thank all the members who participated in our Spring General Membership Meeting at the Lamplighter Inn on May 21st.

Though the process took longer than anticipated, we can announce the new TVOT Executive for 2026 - 2027:

President - Vivek Nath

First Vice President - Krisanne Nunes

Second Vice President - Ruth Ann Morley

Secretary - Sharon Pinylo

Treasurer - Farida Makhani

Health & Safety Officer - David Griffith

Executive Members at Large - Allison Joseph, Rupinder Kaur, Keri Kok, Meera Merchea

Chief Negotiator - Kevin Utley

Your Representatives to the ETFO Annual Meeting at Toronto in August will be: Vivek Nath, Krisanne Nunes, Ruth Ann Morley, Sharon Pinylo, Farida Makhani, David Griffith, Kevin Utley, Allison Joseph, Rupinder Kaur, Keri Kok  and Meera Merchea.

Congratulations all!

 

May 31st is the last  opportunity for TVOT members to submit a claim for their $75 dollar Resource Rebate. Members may use this claim to submit receipts for professional book(s) or resources related to their elementary professional needs. (One claim/school year).  Forms are available to members who register on our Local website www.etfotvot.com . Applications and accompanying receipts can be submitted electronically. 

Attention!
 Are you in a LTO? If so, our records show that many of you are not receiving adequate pay for this year's long-term assignment(s). As an LTO, you are eligible for salary that reflects your qualifications and teaching experience, however the onus is on you to provide the Board with a QECO / Qualifications Rating Statement (or a card indicating that your rating is in progress), prior to July 31st for retroactive adjustment. N.B. The QECO application process can take several weeks.

1. 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.
2. Once you have received your rating, submit the results to TVDSB Staffing Officer Jessica Fox at j.fox@tvdsb.ca before the July deadline or forward a copy of the confirmation card if your application is in process but will not be available by the due date.

The same July 31st deadline applies to proof of any post-certification teaching experience outside of TVDSB. Be sure to submit those documents to HR so that you can advance on the salary grid. 

Do not hesitate to contact the ETFO TVOT Local at etfotvot@gmail.com for further details.

___________

Be a Part of the Campaign - Fill out a postcard and send it to:

ETFO

136 Isabella St.

Toronto, ON

M4Y 9Z9

(Copies with return postage are available for pick up at the TVOT Office) 

_____________________________

Free Red 4 Ed T-shirts are still available for TVOT members to pick up. Contact us at 519-641-3936 or mail@etfotvot.com and wear yours to school each Monday.

_________________________

_______________________________