Strike Pay:
Cheques for strike pay will be mailed to participants as soon as they are processed by ETFO Provincial. We expect this to occur within the next week or two.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY: Withdrawal of Voluntary/ Extra-curricular Activities
The provincial Executive of ETFO has passed the following motions:
"The ETFO members not participate in voluntary/extra-curricular activities outside the 300 minute instructional day."
"That the non-participation of ETFO members in voluntary/extra-curricular activities be reviewed prior to March 1, 2013."
This is nothing new. Since Bill 115 provisions were enacted on January 3rd, ETFO repeated publicly that members should continue their pause on voluntary activities.
Our members were taking a pause on voluntary activities beginning in September. They have continued to ask ETFO to take a strong public stand about voluntary activities and ETFO has responded to that request from members.
The bulletin sent out to members on January 14 is a response to many requests we received from members to clarify what is voluntary activity. Please advise our office if you have not received your mailing. It can also be found on the ETFO website.
This clarification will ensure that every member meets their legislative and contractual obligations to provide instructional duties to students as well as supervisory duties to ensure their safety.
Our provincial executive, elected by the members, will review the situation prior to March 1.
It is unfortunate that this situation is continuing. We gave the education minister an option to end the chaos she created, but she chose not to take that option and instead imposed Bill 115.
The Elementary Provincial Report Card:
The Elementary Provincial Report Card was designed to show a student's achievement of curriculum expectations as well as the student's development of learning skills and work habits at two points in the school year: September to January/February of the school year and January /February to June of the school year.
Consistent with Growing Success, teachers are to use their professional judgement when completing the Elementary Provincial Report Card. Teachers are not expected to comment on every learning skill or strand.
"When appropriate, teachers may make reference to particular strands. The comments should describe in overall terms what students know and can do and should provide parents with personalized, clear, precise, and meaningful feedback." Pg. 64 Growing Success.
The term "personalized feedback" does not mean that every student must have a different comment. A meaningful comment may apply to several students in a class.
Teachers are not required to completely fill the boxes.
In situations where more than one teacher teaches the same student/class, it is recommended that those teachers collaborate on the development of comments.
Teachers are expected to enter a grade for both Social Studies and Science and Technology on both the first and second term report cards. All of the strands in both Social Studies and Science and Technology must be accounted for in instruction, assessment, and evaluation by the end of the year.
Teachers are expected to enter a grade for both Health and Physical Education on both the first and second term report cards. It is mandatory that a grade be entered for each strand at least once over both reporting periods.
- For Language, four strands are reported on in each term.
- For Mathematics, at least four strands are reported on in each term and each strand must be reported on at least once.
- For The Arts, at least three of the subjects are reported on in each term and each subject must be reported on at least once during the year.
If the expectations for a student with an IEP vary from the expectations for the regular program for the grade, teachers must check the IEP box for that subject on the Elementary Provincial Report Card.
In instances where a student's program is not based on the expectations from the Ontario curriculum for Grades 1-8, an alternative form, which may require additional comments, may be used to report the student's achievement.
Kindergarten Observations and Reporting:
The Elementary Progress Report for Grades 1-8 teachers follows the policy guidelines for assessment and reporting under the Ministry of Education's policy for assessment, evaluation, and reporting (Growing Success), for the 2012/13 school year. These policies do not apply to reporting processes in Kindergarten. The Ministry of Education is currently working on a Kindergarten version of Growing Success but it is not complete at this time. As such, the Kindergarten process for assessment, evaluation, and reporting looks different in every district school board across the province.
Some district school boards require Kindergarten teachers and Full Day Kindergarten teams to submit a version of a progress report, some have a parent in class visit, and some require a checklist identifying areas of growth and next steps.
Where written reports are required, the following advice to Kindergarten teachers and Full Day Kindergarten teams is provided:
If a checklist is required, all boxes should be checked and teacher professional judgement should be used for writing comments.
- If a short written report is required, teachers are to use their professional judgement when completing any type of Kindergarten report. Teachers are not expected to comment on every area.
