Now that registration for the April 8th, Designated Paid PD event at Althouse College is up and running on-line, spots are filling quickly. If it is your intention to attend this event as your optional Designated PA Day, it is recommended that you register sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. The plenary session in the morning will feature greetings from the Board, keynote speaker Rob Nickel and a question and answer session regarding cyber-bullying. Registration is being conducted on-line via the TVDSB Employee Portal. Once logged in, click on "Registration Access". Scroll down to Option B - April 8th, 2011 and make your selections. You can click on each selection for more information before signing up. Registration will be denied to those who used their optional day to attend the January 14th, Barrie Bennett workshop at the Ed Centre. The remaining designated PA Day is reserved for completion of the mandatory on-line training modules for which you will be paid as a day of work on June 30th.
All three January Book Clubs have begun and are off to a great start. Registration is closed for the Local's "Evening with the Arts" on January 27, 2011 at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn. Participants are in for an informative and fun evening. For those who are registered and need to cancel, please advise our office by e-mail at tvotpd@gmail.com. There are other members on a waiting list who would like to participate and a meal would not go to waste.
On another note, we are gathering names for a focus group of new Occasional Teachers in their first five years of teaching. We need to know what the challenges are for new OTs so that we can advocate on your behalf with the Board, the provincial federation and with your colleagues.
If you would like to be a part of this project, please send an e-mail with your name and phone number to etfotvot@gmail.com indicating how many years you have been teaching and if you are seeking a permanent teaching position. We will meet February 15th, after school at the ETFO Thames Valley Occasional Teachers' Local office at 521 Nottinghill Road, Suite 8 in South London. A light supper will be provided.
