Happy Holidays; Donations; Number of Days to Remain on the TVDSB Roster; ETFO news re Covid-19

Happy Easter 
Happy Passover

In spite of this year's abnormal circumstances, your ETFO Local wishes members a Happy Easter and a Happy Passover. Traditionally many of us celebrate these times with family and friends but we cannot discard all the warnings to maintain physical distancing - our surest safeguard and the only control we have over this pandemic.
Please take time to reach out anyone in your life who may find it difficult being alone over the holidays. I can assure you, this simple act will enrich you both.
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Donations to Food Banks

As someone teaching in Thames Valley, you cannot help but be aware that a number of our students come to school each day, hungry.  Loss of employment because of the Covid-19 crisis has added even more children to those in need.
Because of our arrangement to promote OTIP insurance products, the Local has funds that are not been generated by our members. In this time of great need, your TVOT Executive decided to donate $4000 from those discretionary funds to our local food banks. ETFO members should know that Provincial ETFO agreed to match such contributions for a combined total of $205,000 in donations from ETFO Locals and Provincial ETFO to Ontario Food Banks.




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The Requirement to Teach 10 Days per School Year
Your TVOT Local is very pleased that in light of the Covid-19 school closures, TVDSB has agreed to waive the requirement this school year for elementary Occasional Teachers to teach 10 days in the elementary panel in order to remain on the Roster.
Your Local office was well aware of our members' anxiety and we hope this news will ease some of  your stress.
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ETFO and Covid-19
As you have discovered, what is fact one day, may change considerably as we find our way in this new world. One example of this is the parameters for eligibility for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The federal government has stated it plans to ease these requirements so again, we urge members to subscribe for the Provincial ETFO newsletters in order to keep abreast of such news. Please know  that the TVOT Local is doing our best to advocate for your needs at all levels and that your best way to communicate with the Local these days is via email: etfotvot@gmail.com