Columbia Store Invitation; Earn over the Holidays; TVOT Office holiday closure

Earn over the Holidays

Once the festivities have passed, you may find yourself with time to "Earn while you Learn" by participating in TVDSB's paid online PD opportunities, available in the Employee Portal, under Conference/Session Registration. Once there, select "Elementary Occasional Teacher PD 2022-2023" and learn at your leisure. Payment for these half-day sessions, is triggered on completion when Staff Development receives your Reflection Form.

If you need to verify what you did in 2021/2022 or before, you can view past professional development sessions by logging into the Employee Portal,  and under Personal Information, selecting “View My Professional Development”.  This option opens a full list of past portal registrations/PD session completions -

To see what you have registered for this school year, log into in the Employee Portal, under Conference/Session Registration, and then - 

NOTE:  Registrations stay in view there until the main conference closes.  For example, the entire OTE PD conference closes at 4pm on June 30^th.  When the conference registration closes, items will move to View my PD as listed above.

Reflection forms are located on the System Staff Development website (OT Elementary PD in Sharepoint) or on the top of the OT PD registration page in the portal - 

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Opportunity for TVOT MEMBERS -

For Friends and Family of TVOT Members -

Your TVOT Office will be closed during the TVDSB Winter Break and will re-open when school resumes January 9, 2023.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Lost prep periods; ETFO AQ courses; Your Mental Health; ETFO opportunities

 

The Occasional Teacher shortage in TVDSB is expected to persist for the remainder of this school year. As a result, both daily and Long-Term Occasional Teachers will find themselves losing scheduled prep periods. This is a violation of our Collective Agreement, and so your TVOT Local urges members to keep track of the dates and how many minutes are lost each occurrence as we work to ensure that this matter is resolved. 

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DEADLINE: January 10, 2023.

TVOT members looking to advance their credentials, may wish to register for a Winter AQ courses being offered by fellow ETFO educators and based on sound pedagogical principles. Winter term begins January 16/23 and concludes March 31/23.  As well, members may apply in advance for up to $400 from the TVOT Local's Professional Learning Development Fund (PLDF). Check out ETFO-aq.ca for further information.

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Holidays can be difficult for many of us. To access the support available on a confidential basis to all TVDSB staff, log into the Employee Portal and click on "View My Employee Assistance Program". As well, ETFO Provincial provides to members and their familes (16 years of age and older) access to self-guided digital support for members. This is available at member.starlingminds.com where you will enter ETFOMEMBER. 

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Resisting rust: How to protect your vehicle from rust damage

While road salt helps drivers get safely from one place to the next by keeping streets clear of ice and snow, repeated exposure can leave your vehicle vulnerable to rust. If not correctly taken care of, rust can cause significant damage to your vehicle and pose serious safety risks. Here are 5 things you can do to protect your vehicle from rust damage this winter.

Read more at www.otip.com/article156.

Deadline Dec. 30/22; What's the Difference: Emergency Supplies, Uncertified OTs and Interim Certificates? Fifth Disease

 

What's the Difference?

Our TVOT members should have as much work as they wish since each day there are unfilled Teacher absences due to the OT shortage. (If you are not receiving calls, then log into TVARRIS and ensure you have completed your school selection and that your availability and contact information there is accurate.)

To address this shortage, for the first time in the history of the Board, TVDSB has hired hundreds of non-teachers to cover classroom assignments. The Education Act allows them to do so: "Where no teacher is available, a board may appoint, subject to section 22, a person who is not a teacher or a temporary teacher."

In TVDSB, this means an absent Teacher may be replaced in the following order by a:

1. OTE/OTS - an Occasional Teacher certified by OCT or Occasional Teacher with an OCT interim certificate (these are TVOT members with the rights and protections of our Collective Agreement);

2. UOTE - someone currently registered in a Faculty of Education; UOTEs can only be used when no OTE is available (they are not members and their salary reflects this); 

3. Emergency Supplies - someone with a university degree but no teaching education; only to be used when no OTE is available (they are not members and are paid the least).

As certified Teachers, our TVOT members must always have the first opportunity to teach in Thames Valley classrooms. If this does not happen then please contact your TVOT Local at etfotvot@gmail.com or 519-641-3936.

TVOT members are fully certified - 

We are indeed, real Teachers!

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Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre wishes to pass along their sincere gratitude for the generous support of those who attended our Fall General Meeting on November 30th at the Elm Hurst Inn in Ingersoll: "Your gifts and donations help ensure Merrymount's critical supports reach children and their families when they have nowhere else to turn. We are so grateful to have supporters like you in our community...Your contributions will truly make a difference..."

Here is just a sampling of the generosity of those who attended - 

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DEADLINE: December 30, 2022

Under the terms of our Collective Agreement, members can take up to two (2) years leave of absence from the elementary panel by logging into the Employee Portal and clicking on Laserfiche - Electronic Forms (in the blue border on the left hand side). There you can access the HR Leave Request Form for a "A leave of absence for one (1) year" as provided by Article L10.16. The form will ask for the name of your supervisor. This is Clare MacMillan (even for LTOs) and the email is clare.macmillan@tvdsb.ca. 

The deadline to request a leave of absence for the 2022 - 2023 school year is December 30/22. N.B. TVOT members who are not on a Board approved leave, are required to teach 10 days in elementary in order to remain on the OT List.

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FIFTH DISEASE, also known as erythema infectiosum (EI) or “slapped cheek syndrome,” is a very common viral respiratory infection that is contagious even before the rash appears. Fifth Disease occurs in child care settings, schools, and in the general community. It can lead to health problems for pregnant employees and for persons with chronic blood disorders or depressed immune systems. These employees should consult with their health care provider about the risks of Fifth Disease.

Schools with outbreaks are to post a notice to this effect at all entrances. TVARRIS calls will also note the outbreak at a site.

High risk TVOT members are urged to check for immunity to Fifth Disease before becoming pregnant as LTOs will need to use sick leave days as they await such test results. 

For more information, check TVDSB's Policy and Procedure document regarding Fifth Disease, available onlie at tvdsb.ca.

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Shop Safely Online This Holiday Season

Online shopping has become a big part of many Canadians' lives.  As an online shopper, you get to avoid checkout lines, scout for the best prices and shop whenever you want – all from the comfort of your home. Here are nine online shopping safety tips to help prevent scams and protect yourself and your family this holiday season.

Read more at www.otip.com/article157.

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Continue to Keep Track!

Your TVOT Collective Agreement provides that a daily OT assumes the schedule of the absent Teacher they are replacing, including scheduled prep periods and supervisory duties. Your TVOT Local is again advocating that members who lose prep periods, be compensated for this violation of the Agreement. We urge members to note each occurence and how many minutes were lost and we will advise members if we reach an agreement.

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Only Twelve More Teaching Days Until Winter Break!

Court Challenge Succeeds; ETFO's Early Learning Website; Union Representation; To Remain on OT List;

 

Court Upholds Challenge by Unions

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and other unions have won a major court victory at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The Court found that the Ontario government’s decision, under Bill 124, to impose a three-year wage freeze for ETFO members and other public service workers was unconstitutional and violated workers’ collective bargaining rights. The decision does not address a remedy for this Charter violation. “

Given the content and timing of the legislation in 2019—in the midst of negotiations for the renewal of collective agreements in the education sector—Bill 124 was a direct attack on teachers and education workers,” says ETFO President Karen Brown.

“Today’s decision reinforces what we have known all along: Bill 124 violates the democratic rights of all workers in Ontario’s public sector and is a clear violation of ETFO members’ freedom of association as guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Bill 124 unilaterally imposed a one per cent cap on annual compensation increases in the public sector for a period of three years. For the education sector, this three-year period started in 2019.

In his ruling, Justice Markus Koehnen ruled that the passage of Bill 124 infringed upon union members’ right to freedom of association under the Charter. He stated that, “(t)he Charter protects not just the right to associate, but also the right to a meaningful process in which unions can put on the table those issues that are of concern to workers and have them discussed in good faith. Legislation that takes issues off the table interferes with collective bargaining.” 

Justice Koehnen also noted in his decision that the Ontario government was imposing a limit of one per cent on wage increases because it feared that taking that position at the bargaining table would lead union members to exercise their constitutionally protected right to strike. He noted that, “Although inconvenient, the right to strike is a component of a free and democratic society.”

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Your TVOT Executive is really looking forward to seeing all those who registered for the Fall Meeting tonight at the Elm Hurst Inn!

Always a good time getting together will colleagues!

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TVOT members are entitled to Union representation at any meeting or informal ‘chat’ with Administration, especially if you suspect the meeting might result in discipline. NB: School stewards represent the permanent Teachers at the site, not OTs/LTOs.

Whether the meeting is to take place during the school day or immediately after school, if you feel uncomfortable in any way, you may ask for a delay until the Local can be contacted. PH: 519-641-3936 or email etfotvot@gmail.com .

If the meeting entails contact in any way with the CAS or the Police, do not say anything except “I am willing to cooperate but I am unable to comment until I contact the Federation and legal counsel.” Then phone ETFO at1-888-838-3836, state that your call is urgent.  An “on-call” counselor will assist you.

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Did you know that ETFO has a website that provides resources, videos etc. for those working in the early years?

To explore more, visit ETFO's  Professional Learning in the Early Years

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Remember: Daily Occasional Teachers/LTOs will be removed from the OT List in TVDSB unless:

· They teach 10 full days/school year in an elementary school (N.B. Daily OTs may take a 1 year leave by Laserfiche application no later than December 30^th for the current school year per Article L10.16. When members take leaves taken after that deadline, the required number of days is pro-rated to an average of one day per month).

· Pay their OCT fees by April 15^th (only those in LTOs on January 1^st have their fees deducted by payroll automatically)

· Complete mandatory online training modules posted in the Spring

· Complete Annual Offence Declaration, WHMIS review etc. posted in the Spring

· Notify the Board of any changes to name, address or telephone number

December 1, 2022

Dinner at the Elm Hurst Inn; About LTO Pay; Cancelling Daily Assignments; Teaching After Retirement

 

Win one of 3 Gift Cards of $100 each!

All members are invited to attend our upcoming Fall General Membership Meeting.

Those who register to attend will enjoy a lovely festive dinner prepared by the chefs at Ingersoll's Elm Hurst Inn.

Take this opportunity to meet some of your OT peers and your Local TVOT Executive. We look forward to seeing you there! 

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As an LTO, you are eligible for salary that reflects your qualifications, however the onus is on you to provide the Board with a QECO / Qualifications Rating Statement or a card indicating your rating is in progress, prior to July 31st for retroactive adjustment.  Note that the process can take several weeks

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.

Once received, submit the results to TVDSB Staffing Officer, Jessica Grison Roeder - j.grisonroeder@tvdsb.ca before the July deadline or forward a copy of the green QECO confirmation card if your application is in progress but will not   be available by the due date.

You may also be eligible for credit for post-certification teaching outside of TVDSB. This includes working as a daily OT in Ontario. The same July 31^st deadline applies to proof of any post-certification teaching experience, outside of TVDSB so be sure to submit those documents to HR so  they will be considered when advancing you on the LTO salary grid.

For further details contact your ETFO TVOT Local  at etfotvot@gmail.com .  

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- Daily assignments, LTO days and paid PD sessions all count toward the requirement that Elementary Occasional Teachers in TVDSB must teach at least10 days in order to remain on the List. 

- If you have cancelled a daily assignment but later become available that day, then email Jessica Grison Roeder in HR to let her know you have accepted another job because OTs are not allowed to cancel one assignment to take on another/better/closer/longer/ daily assignment.

- Daily OTs who teach on Mondays, Fridays, 35 days and at certain schools until January 31st can earn up to a $1000 under TVDSB's Retention Stipend Letter of Understanding (check our Wednesday Blog of Oct. 16/22).

- Your TVOT Local encourages all members to keep track of any lost prep, periods. These are in violation of our Collective Agreement so we hope to negotiate compensation for affected members.

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TVOT Members interested in meeting 2 or 3 times this school year for an afterschool dinner meeting to plan relevant professional development for our members.

Email us at mail@etfotvot.com if you would like to participate.

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Teaching After Retirement

Last year, the decision to increase the number of days that retired Teachers could work (directly or indirectly) for a participating employer, was announced in late December. At this time, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan/OTPP has not changed their limit of 50 days in each school year with no pension implications.

To find out more and to review scenarios that might be helpful, go to Teachers' Pension Plan Rules on Re-employment

Know your
re-employment
limit

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Congratulations Canada, on making it to the 2022 FIFA World Cup!

Parent -Teacher Interviews; Being in the Loop: Meet Marit Stiles; Amendments to Local Constitution; Flourish with French

Friday, November 18/22 is Parent- Teacher Interview Day.

As with the permanent Teachers, the expectation is that:

- LTOs will be responsible for scheduling parent interviews

- LTOs will let their Administrator know when those interviews will be held

- LTOs will let their Administrator know of their expected arrival and departure times as it is flexible on this PA Day

- LTOs will record the time and date of communication related to the interviews in the OSR Communication Log.

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Elementary Occasional Teachers in TVDSB are members of the largest education union in Canada. To keep abreast of information that impacts you provincially, we recommend you register as an ETFO Provincial Member .

Elementary Occasional Teachers in TVDSB are also members of their ETFO Occasional Teachers' Local (TVOT). To avail yourself of membership opportunities, including a $60 resource rebate and our $400 Professional Learning Development Fund/PLDF subsidy, please register on our Local's website as a TVOT Local Member /www.etfotvot.com.

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Elementary: is a regulary updated Podcast from ETFO Provincial which outlines issues in public education and opportunities for ETFO members. Recent posts include a discussion of the School Board's Collective Bargaining Act with prominent labour lawyer, Howard Goldblatt, Educating on Climate Change and Environmental Racism and How Does ETFO Select its Bargaining Goals?

You can listen to Elementary here or find it on most podcast apps. 

Click on Registration to attend this event with Marit Stiles who for the past 4 years has been the Official Opposition Education Critic for the Ontario NDPs.

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Visit ETFO Provincial's Health and Safety  website HERE / etfohealthandsafety.ca for information on your right to refuse unsafe work as a Teacher, workplace hazards, ergonomics, workplace violence and more. 

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Don’t miss out on discounts from Edvantage, your exclusive savings program! Register for your FREE Edvantage account TODAY to access all your favourite discounts. It’s easy! Learn more here: Edvantage Discount Program .

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Amendments to the TVOT Local Constitution moved by the Executive and to be presented to the membership on November 30th (TVOT Members can log into the TVOT Local Website / www.etfotvot.com for exact wording.)

- Housekeeping Amendments (to be moved en bloc) which will correct capitalization, consistent use of numbers e.g., five (5), and consistent use of terms;

- that Article 6.1.1 b) be amended to change "Vice President(s)" to “First Vice President” and “Second Vice President”;

- that Article 6.1.3 a) and b) be amended so that as of July 1, 2024 the term of office for the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Negotiator and Health and Safety Officer would be 2 years;

- that the Outreach Committee be deleted as a standing committee since this work is done by the full Executive; 

- that whenever possible, Local General Membership Meetings shall be presided over by a Parliamentarian from outside the Local;

- that 9.1.2 be amended so that President, First Vice President, and Second Vice President candidates must have a minimum of two years of Local Executive experience;  

 - that Article IX – ELECTIONS, Section 9.2.7 the Returning Officer shall have an additional duty to receive and vet the candidate profiles to be posted on the website and emailed to members according to Local Campaign Procedures;

- that Article IX – ELECTIONS, Section 9.3.2 be amended so that candidates have up to five minutes to address the Local Annual Meeting before the elections;

- that Article IX ELECTIONS, Section 3 Election Procedures, Subsection 9.3.7 be amended so that the vote count for all elected positions shall be announced to the members present and recorded in the minutes; 

- that Article IX – ELECTIONS, Section 3 Elections Procedures, Subsection 9.3.9 be amended so that when the elected position is not contested, the Parliamentarian will declare the candidate acclaimed to the position;

- that Article 11 be amended so that Resolutions to the Federation Annual Meeting shall be passed at the Fall General Meeting and Members shall be notified that submission of resolutions should be forwarded to the Executive of the Local prior to November.

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Looking for a resource that will give you the confidence to accept a daily French assignment when you are not FSL qualified?

Consider using some of your $60 Resource Rebate on this locally published resource. It's available from the TVOT Local at $15.35 plus postage. Contact us by email at mail@etfotvot.com or call 519-641-3936 for further details.

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