New Paid PD Opportunities; Taking a job after cancelling one; Records of Employment; Telus Health for all TVDSB Employees; Disconnecting From Work; Closed for the Holidays

Paid PD - Registration opens in the Employee Portal at 8:30 AM on Thursday for dinner and your choice from one of 3 paid after school PD sessions being hosted by your TVOT Local on January 15/26 at the BMO Centre. Details about each session can be found on the registration page of the Portal.

1) Using Abstract Art Expression to Include All Learners: An Indigenous Perspective

2) Exploring Elements of Design through Ceramic Painting

3) Mindfulness: Well-Being in a Busy World

When - Thursday, January 15, 2026 (4:30 - 7:30 PM)

Where - BMO Centre, 295 Rectory Street, London (parking on site)

A buffet dinner is provided. Please direct any dietary concerns to mail@etfotvot.com

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- Article L16.05 (c) states: An Occasional Teacher who cancels a previously accepted assignment may not accept another assignment scheduled for that same day without first contacting the TVARRIS Coordinator up to a maximum of three (3) occurrences per school year.

- The Board will electronically submit your Record of Employment (ROE) to Service Canada within five (5) days of a break in work (Winter Holidays, March Break, and Summer Holidays). You will need to create a My Service Canada Account (MSCA) to access your ROE and to apply for EI benefits.

- Unfortunately, Daily Occasional Teachers do not have access to a benefit plan.

- The TVDSB provides TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available 24/7 to all employees for free confidential counselling, health promotion, and prevention. To access support, call 1 (844) 958-5105, visit https://tvdsb.lifeworks.com/, or download the TELUS Health One smartphone app, and use your TVDSB Single Sign On to log in. Additional information about TELUS Health can be found on TVDSB’s TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program

(EAP) SharePoint page. You will need your

employee login and personal password to access this information).

- Board employees have the right to disconnect from work. OTs can still receive

communication from TVARRIS in order to accept work. However, to the extent reasonably possible, other work-related communications via any medium should only be sent, received, and checked during an employee’s established working hours. There will be no consequence or penalty for those  who do not respond to after-hours communication, subject to the requirements related to emergency communications.

“After Hours” generally means holiday breaks and from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and from Friday 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

- Please use a personal email address when contacting the Local so that we may respond.

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Your TVOT Office will be closed from Friday, December 19/25 until school resumes on Monday, January 5/26.

In an emergency situation, TVOT members should contact ETFO Provincial at 1-888-838-3836.

Enjoy your Holiday Break!

Inclement Weather; Columbia Outlet Invitations; Leaves of Absence; OCT Fees and LTOs;

Daily Occasional Teachers are not paid when schools are closed as there are no Teacher absences to fill.

 LTOs and Snow Days: Just a reminder to those in long-term assignments that if necessary, they can access an "Act of Nature" day if it is unsafe to drive - 

Article L9.04(b) Act of Nature – A Long-Term Occasional Teacher who is unavoidably absent due to a local act of nature over which no one has control may be granted up to three (3) school days leave per school year with no deduction of sick leave. A Teacher may apply in writing to the Superintendent of Human Resources or designate for an increase in the maximum allowable days under this section. It is understood and agreed that a “local act of nature” is an act of nature that occurs within the geographic area between the Teacher’s home address and the school or worksite of said Teacher.

It is understood as agreed to under the Central Letter of Agreement #7 that the combined maximum number of days for care days and act of nature days is five (5) days per school year. The days shall not be used for the purpose of sick leave nor shall they be accumulated from year to year.

Please also note - 

Article L10.01       INCLEMENT WEATHER - A Long-Term Occasional Teacher or a Short-Term Occasional Teacher who is delayed by local weather and/or road conditions but arrives at school as soon as possible during the regular school hours of that day will not have a salary deduction made. It is the Occasional Teacher’s responsibility to notify the Principal, Supervisor or designate of the situation as soon as possible. “Local” means within the geographic area between the Occasional Teacher’s home address and the school or worksite of said Occasional Teacher.

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To remain on the elementary OT List at TVDSB, members must teach 10 full days (not 10 assignments). 
Members who are not going to meet this requirement, have two options for taking a leave from the OT List:

1) A full year leave from the list - TVOT members only have until December 30th to request a full year leave of absence for the current school year. To apply go to Laserfiche (left hand side in the TVDSB Employee Portal). This is a leave under Article L10.16 and the supervisor for this purpose is Roxanne Jones at roxanne.jones@tvdsb.ca 

2) A partial year leave of absence where the number of days needed to remain on the list are pro-rated. There is no deadline for this leave. To apply go to Laserfiche (left hand side in the TVDSB Employee Portal). This is a leave under Article L10.17 and the supervisor for this purpose is Roxanne Jones at roxanne.jones@tvdsb.ca 

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TVOT members in a LTO assignment at the beginning of January, will automatically have their Ontario College of Teachers' (OCT) fees deducted from that pay. Their paystub in the TVDSB Employee Portal will show this deduction. 

The annual membership fee of $200 is due January 1 of each year for all certified Teachers though OCT will maintain your good standing so long as payment is received before April 17th. Please note that OCT charges a late payment fee of $130 on top of the $200 annual fee should a Teacher miss the April deadline.

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Columbia Sportswear has sent the following invitations to our membership to shop for brands such as Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Sorel and prAna at 40% off retail pricing. To access the store, bring the digital invitation (or printout) along with proof of affiliation -  a pay stub will suffice.

Invitees can bring up to 4 guests and the store wants you to know that they are collecting unexpired food items for the Food Bank, all of December. 

For Members - 

 For Friends and Family - 

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Winter-proofing 101: Ways to prepare your home for the cold

As winter approaches, Canadians understand that while the beauty of snow-covered landscapes is enchanting, it also brings the challenge of keeping our homes safe and warm. Cold weather can present significant risks to both property and personal safety. From freezing temperatures to heavy snowfall, it's important to prepare your home for the upcoming season. Here's a handy checklist of cold weather safety tips to ensure you're ready for the winter months.

Read more at www.otip.com/article197. #OTIPUpdate

Celebrate the holiday season with a bonus offer!

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

 

Did You Know that Canada played a central role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

Check out this "Heritage Minute" - 

Thank you! Did You Know; Answers to Questions YOU have been asking; ETFO Conference and Support

It was lovely to meet so many new members at our Fall General Meeting on November 26th at the Stoneridge Inn.  We enjoyed a fine dinner, shared information and visited with colleagues. Thank you to those who took time to show their support for the TVOT Local - We've Got Your Back!

Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre was also very grateful for the generosity shown by those who attended - 

• 
  Should an Administrator ask you to use your prep period to cover a class etc., then members are to keep track of the date, the school, the time of the scheduled prep period and the number of minutes that were lost as the Board will provide a form in June for members to receive compensation for this lost time. Remember - a right gained, is never a right secured - vigilance is key.
• If you are in a LTO assignment with an undetermined end, then you need to wait 90 calendar days in order to become eligible for ETFO Employee Life and Health Trust benefits. For more information go to https://etfo-elhtbenefits.ca/faqs/
• Article L35.00(iii) states: When a long-term occasional teaching assignment is completed prior to the required date for report cards to be submitted, the Occasional Teacher may be assigned to assist with the completion of these report cards. In such an event, the Occasional Teacher shall be paid for the time to complete the report cards up to a maximum of one (1) day. The rate of pay shall be the rate the Occasional Teacher received during the long-term occasional teaching assignment.
• An assignment becomes a LTO on the 10th consecutive day of replacing the same absent Teacher in the same assignment.  
• 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.
• Your rating is personal so it is up to you to sent 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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Your Mental Health & Wellness

Teaching can be a demanding profession. Your mental health is just as important as your students’. ETFO Provincial recognizes that psychosocial hazards, such as workload, the challenging behaviours of students, or workplace violence can cause psychological injury. These should be reported just like any other workplace injury.




ETFO Provincial H&S Website provides excellent resources on identifying and addressing these hazards -





TVDSB Accident / Incident Reporting and Decision Chart -

 





The TELUS Health One Employee Assistance Program offers confidential counselling, Care Now Programs covering topics related to relationships, work, body, mind, and personal finances, and workshops on stress management, resilience, and self-care -



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