Halton Highlights - December Issue

Halton Highlights

December 2017

December 2017

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

1 2 3 4 51 2

3 4 5 6 OECTA’s Annual
13 Floor Hockey
Skating and 3:45 p.m. 3:45 p.m. Tournament
Santa Meeting with Meeting with
1st Sunday of consolidation consolidation 7 89
Advent schools schools
OT PA Day HEU Executive 15 16
10 11 Prep. Meeting Meeting

12 14

2nd Sunday of
Advent

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

3rd Sunday of 1st day of Early dismissal Christmas holidays
Advent Winter

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

4th Sunday
of Advent

Christmas
Eve

New Year’s Merry Christmas!
Eve

31

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January 2018

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

31 1 23 45 6

Happy New Epiphany
Year!

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

First day back to Pay period #10 Arbitration Due date to
school All deductions RSVP for OECTA
resume & OCT Halton Pension
HEU office fee deductions Workshop
reopens

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Arbitration HEU Executive Halton OECTA
Meeting Pension
Workshop

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Pay period #11 Arbitration
OCT fee deductions

Arbitration

28 29 30 31 1 2 3

Arbitration Arbitration

Page 2

Nina March, President
Halton Elementary OECTA

Keeping Christ in Christmas Contest

All student submissions are due by December 4, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. and
soon the initial deliberations over the hundreds of wonderful faith-filled artistic
expressions of Christmas submitted by our students will begin.

The Halton Elementary Unit is very pleased to once again partner with the HSU and the board in this contest.
Once the finalists have been chosen, online voting will begin sometime between December 8–11. There will be
several days of online voting where the winners will be chosen.

At the December 19th Board meeting, all finalists will be recognized and the winners will be awarded prizes.

We would like to thank all teachers and families who encourage
the children to participate in this Christmas event, and we would
like to congratulate all of the students for their beautiful
expressions of our faith.

Christmas Break begins on Friday, December 22, 2017

Early dismissal for December 22nd is 90 minutes prior to the end of the school day. The HEU office will be
closed from 2:00 p.m. on December 22, 2017 - Sunday, January 7, 2018. The office will reopen on Monday,
January 8, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.

If you have an emergency during the Christmas break that involves the College of Teachers, police, or CAS
related to your duties as a teacher, please contact OECTA Provincial at 1-800-268-7230 and speak to the duty
officer. If there is a voicemail recording, please leave a message stating your name, that you are a member of
the Halton Elementary Unit, your reason for calling, and a phone number where you can be reached. The
duty officer checks messages regularly and will call you back.

Like you, Tara and I will be taking much needed breaks over Christmas with our families. We will have limited
access to email but will check it as we are able.

Please do not send emergency emails or leave phone messages at the HEU that require prompt attention
over the Christmas break. If you have an emergency, please contact OECTA Provincial as noted above. There
is a duty officer assigned to assist members over the break.

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Timely – Ministry of Education Public Engagement Sessions on Education
Assessment in Ontario

Please note the sessions closest to the Halton Region are in Hamilton on December 5th and in Toronto on
December 8th. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please see the details and resources provided below.

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Note: Advance registration is not required. During registration, there will be an opportunity to advise
of any accommodation needs that will support your ability to fully participate in the engagement
session in your region.

Resources:

1. PPM 155 – Diagnostic Assessment of Student Learning:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/ppm155.pdf
2. The Learning Exchange with Dr. Carol Campbell:
http://thelearningexchange.ca/videos/carol-campbell-technology-and-assessment/
**Note 2:00-minute mark and 3:00-minute marks.
3. Ontario Teachers’ Federation A New Vision for Large-Scale Testing in Ontario 2011:
http://www.otffeo.on.ca/wpcontent/uploads/sites/2/2013/09/new_vision.pdf
4. EQAO Twitter Account Tweet June 14, 2017:
https://twitter.com/eqao/status/875046467416854529
LS/Ip

On behalf of the Halton Elementary Unit Executive, we hope that you and your family enjoy a blessed
Christmas season filled with peace, joy, and love.

Be sure to take a little time for some rest and relaxation for yourself, if you can.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Blessings,

Nina March, President, Halton Elementary OECTA
[email protected]

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Tara’s Topic of the Month

Giving Tuesday, the global day of giving, is a day dedicated to giving back on
Tuesday, November 28, 2017, which falls after Black Friday and Cyber
Monday. Although by the time this edition goes to print it will be over, we
can continue to carry on the spirit of Giving Tuesday all through the Advent
season. Giving Tuesday encourages individuals and businesses to donate
and/or volunteer for local charities and organizations. It is to kick start a season of giving
to local causes. I challenge each of you to keep the spirit of Giving Tuesday strong all
Advent season so that we can help make our community stronger.

More information on this day can be found at www.givingtuesday.ca.

December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Each December 6th, Canada commemorates the day that 14 women were murdered at École
Polytechnique in Montreal as a tragic act of gender violence. On this day, please take some
time to remember those women who have been victims of gender-based violence.

If you are looking for lessons that can be incorporated into your classroom, OECTA has established prayers
and announcements as well as the resource “We Remember Through Action,” which is a collection of
lessons that can be used in classrooms. The document was written for intermediate students, but with
modifications it can be applied to other grade levels. Please use your discretion when modifying lessons for
a younger audience.

The resources can both be found at www.haltonoecta.ca/human-rights-status-of-women-committee.

I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy 2018!
Be sure to take some time this holiday season to spend time with your loved ones.

Tara Hambly
HEU First Vice-President

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Page 8

Occasional Teachers’ Update

We know that you've all been working very hard and many of you have also been preparing for upcoming
LTO List interviews. We would like to wish you all the very best throughout this process. There are many
resources, including Growing Success, that can be accessed on haltonoecta.ca.

If your LTO List interview is successful and you're placed on the LTO List, you will then have the opportunity
to apply for all LTO assignments that you are qualified to teach. If you are awarded an LTO assignment of at
least three months, you will have access to EHLT OECTA paid benefits. The board will submit your name to
OTIP and they will contact you so that you can enrol. If you are currently a member of the OECTA OT bene-
fits plan, your participation in this plan will be suspended for the duration of your LTO assignment. Your
OECTA OT benefits participation will then resume once your LTO assignment is completed.

If your LTO List interview is not successful, you have the right to a debrief. You must ask for this in writing
(email) and it must be provided to you in a timely manner. The purpose of the debrief is to allow you the
opportunity to improve for your next LTO List interview.

We hope that you enjoy this season of Advent with your family, friends, colleagues, and students. As you
prepare for the Christmas break, please note that the Employment Insurance code for this time is effective
for the period of December 15, 2017 - January 13, 2018 and is found below.
The reference code for EI applications for December 2017 school-related intake is
3511012017201712
Effective: December 15, 2017
Expiry: January 13, 2018

Wishing you all a very blessed,
Merry Christmas.

Nina March, President

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HEU

Top Ten Reasons to Submit Safe Schools
Reporting Form 1 (SSRF1)

10. The SSRF1 takes less than 30 seconds to complete.

9. The SSRF1 must be completed by the end of the school day or as soon as it is safe to do so.

8. If you refuse to complete the form, you are a part of the problem.

7. The SSRF1 must be completed when one has responded to suspendable behaviours: acts of violence,
threats of violence, bullying, swearing at a teacher or another person in a position of authority,
vandalism, etc.

6. The SSRF1 must be completed when one has responded to expellable behaviours: possession of alcohol,
giving alcohol to a minor, bullying (under some circumstances), possession of a weapon, hate speech,
hate crimes, etc.

5. The Safe Schools Act and OCT Act are clear: verbally informing your administrator is insufficient. The
SSRF1 must be completed and submitted.

4. Anyone who advises you NOT to complete and/or submit the form is advising you to break the law.

3. Ministry of Labour inspectors require and rely on these forms and other written documentation in
their investigations.

2. This is the only form that addresses your safety in the Education sector.

1. Completing the SSRF1 is not optional; it is a legal requirement and non-compliance
puts you at risk of penalty and discipline.

Many of you may have read news stories about education workers (including teachers) in Durham Region
being provided Kevlar suits that covered them from the neck down in an attempt to protect them from
violence in schools. The suits are largely ineffective because they do not address the violence.

Page 10

I’m sure that you’ve also now heard or read news stories about the beloved Catholic teacher from Ottawa
who was violently assaulted by a student. The assault took place mere weeks before the teacher was
scheduled to retire. Instead of retirement, he has faced surgeries, ongoing therapy, constant physical pain
and mental suffering since the assault. Although the student had a history of violence, the teacher was
never made aware and in the blink of an eye his life changed forever.

It’s no surprise that administrators and board personnel hand out SE17s and Accident Incident Reports like
they are candy. They are forms that are internal to the board and they remain with the school board.

The Safe Schools Reporting Form 1, however, comes from the Ministry of Education. Completion of this
form is the legal obligation of every school board employee once they’ve responded to an incident where
the behaviours displayed by any student are required to be considered for suspension or expulsion by the
principal. The age of the student or whether a student has documented exceptionalities are irrelevant
factors in the completion of the SSRF1. The behaviours displayed and responded to are the only deter-
mining factors regarding the completion of this form. These obligations are codified in both the Safe
Schools Act and the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

Any person who advises an employee of a school board NOT to complete or submit the SSRF1 is advising
that employee to break the law.

Something that OECTA Provincial has brought to the attention of the Ministry and is advocating the remov-
al of is the inclusion of the disclosure of the number of SSRFs that have been submitted in the administra-
tor’s school on the Administrators’ Performance Appraisal Form. This is perceived negatively rather than as
an administrator effectively fulfilling his/her duties to ensure the safety of staff and students in his/her
school. This is counterproductive and must change to encourage the willing participation of all education
partners in creating and fostering safe schools.

We recognize that there are many school administrators who faithfully ensure that the SSRFs are complet-
ed and that they are effective tools in addressing safety and violence in schools. You will recognize them.
They are the administrators who ensure that all staff is regularly and properly trained in the completion
and purpose of the forms. They are the administrators who hand the SSRFs out to the staff who responded
to incidents and are required to complete the form (or remind them to complete the form). These same
administrators complete their investigations in a timely manner and meet with the “responder” to discuss
the investigation, next steps, and to provide the “responder” with a copy of the administrator’s SSRF2.
These administrators also inform all staff who may come into contact with a student who has a history of
violence: the student’s name (photo), possible triggers, appropriate responses, staff who can support, and
access to the safety plan.

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While professional repercussions for not completing the SSRFs may be one reason to complete the form,
there are many others, including that it is the expectation of your family that you will return home at the
end of your work day at least as well as you were when you left for work. Violence in schools is a growing
and pervasive hazard that education workers face every day across the province.
The SSRF1 is the only form that addresses the safety of the employee in the Education sector. Employees
who refuse to complete this form are not only at risk of discipline by the school board and the College of
Teachers, but they are also neglectful in creating the necessary documentation (paper trail) in the event
that a critical injury occurs or an employee exercises his/her right to refuse unsafe work under the Occupa-
tional Health and Safety Act. The Ministry of Labour investigator will be expecting to see all documentation
regarding the student, including completed SSRFs and minutes of the school’s quarterly Joint Health and
Safety Committee meetings where all completed SSRFs, Safety Plans, Risk Assessments and Reassessments,
Accident/Incident Reports, WSIB forms, etc. are to be reviewed. This documentation is critical, and if you
are not completing the forms you are an enabler in this growing epidemic: violence in schools.
If you are at risk of being a victim of violence in your workplace, it is very likely that your students are also
at risk of becoming victims of that same violence. “In loco parentis” has nothing to do with providing
personal care to your students; it has everything to do with ensuring the safety of your students.

For more information and a link to the SSRF1 and a copy of the form, please use the following links:
http://www.haltonoecta.ca/safe-schools-reporting/
http://www.haltonoecta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Safe-Schools-Reporting-Form.pdf

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Page 13

The Meaning of Christmas

Christmas time is here, happiness and cheer
Fun for all, that children call, their favourite time of year

Do these lyrics make you think of poor Charlie Brown and his little Christmas tree?

Not unlike many of us, Charlie Brown thinks that the world has lost sight of the true
meaning of Christmas and spends the season trying to find it. Instead of having fun
and being filled with happiness and cheer, we can feel stressed out and disheartened.
What is the meaning of Christmas and how do we find it?

Snowflakes in the air, carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes and love and dreams to share
Sleigh bells in the air; beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside and joyful memories there

At Christmas time, we often think back to what Christmas was like for us as children. I remember snowy treks to
mass on Christmas Eve, candles, good food, and music – a lot of music. As adults, we search for the meaning of
Christmas by keeping old traditions and by creating new ones that are real to us. Like Charlie Brown choosing his
little Christmas tree because it is real, and not artifical, maybe the world can start to see the true meaning of
Christmas by choosing the simple and the real again.

Christmas time is here, we'll be drawing near
Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year

It is Linus that helps Charlie Brown, and ultimately us, in his search for Christmas. He quotes the Gospel of Luke
(2:8-14):

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men."

And that, I believe, is where we and the whole world can find the meaning of Christmas: Peace on Earth and
good will to all.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Jill Mercer
HEU Executive Councillor

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Ontario Federation of Labour Biennial Convention

During the week of November 20-24, 2017, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) held their 14th
Biennial Convention in Toronto. There were more than 800 delegates in attendance from unions all over
Ontario. OECTA’s participation included 111 delegates.
Roughly 800 OFL delegates marched to Queen's Park for the Convention’s energetic and peaceful "Power
ON for Fairness, Unity and Justice Rally" on Wednesday, November 22nd .

At the start of the rally, Chris Buckley, President of the OFL announced that Bill 148 had passed! Bill 148
improvements to labour include the $15.00 minimum wage provision and five paid leave days for victims
of violence and/or sexual violence. There will be more information to come on Bill 148 in a future
Information Update.
Labour advocates from across the province, including Ontario English Catholic Teachers, who have
worked tirelessly for justice and fairness for all workers in Ontario were very pleased to hear that the
improvements to the Labour Relations Act would now be law. This is an excellent start. During the
conference, OECTA Provincial President Liz Stuart and HEU President Nina March spoke to the assembly
about the importance of the need for changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act that will ensure
specific provisions to protect teachers and all education workers from violence in schools.
On Thursday, November 9, 2017, HEU President Nina March was awarded the Linda Jones Women's
Activist Award at the Oakville District Labour Council Activist Dinner. Nina works tirelessly for over 1,700
teachers in Halton, but also supports numerous community programs. Congratulations, Nina, on winning
this award. You deserve it!!!!
Alicia Nunn-De Luca
HEU 2nd Vice-President
HEU Political Action Chair

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In Memoriam Dec 2017

Our sincere sympathy and prayers go out to the following members,
as well as to their family and friends:

Gail Kennedy, a retired itinerant SERT of our Board (2009), wife of John Kennedy, a retired teacher of our Board
(2009), mother of both Kathleen Edgar, a secondary teacher at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School in Oakville
and David Kennedy, a secondary teacher at Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School in Burlington, and
mother-in-law of Sara Kennedy, a kindergarten teacher at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Elementary School in
Burlington, died Monday, October 30, 2017.

Piero “Peter” Corradetti, father of Jennifer Shkopiak, Teacher of the Arts at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic
Elementary School in Burlington, died on Thursday, November 2, 2017.

Stephen John Hudson, father of Katherine Hudson, an elementary teacher at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary
School in Oakville, died on Saturday, November 11, 2017.

Wanda Danicka, mother of both Joanna Danicka-Garbacz, a Lead Instructor of International Languages at
Queen of Heaven Catholic Elementary School in Milton and of Dorata Danicka, an International Language
Elementary Instructor also at Queen of Heaven Catholic Elementary School in Milton, died on Thursday,
November 16, 2017.

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HEU Celebrates Catholic Teachers

Joseph Brant Hospital’s Join the Joy holiday campaign initiated a new
program this year engaging schools, students, and community members
to come together. This program invites students to decorate a tree that
will be publicly displayed throughout the hospital during the holiday
season. At the same time, it allows students to bring joy and holiday
cheer to hospital patients and visitors.

Long Term Occasional Teacher Lindsay Tarbutt put forth an application on behalf of her class. She saw the
desire they have to do good for others and their large caring hearts. A few weeks later during their math
lesson, they received a knock on the door from the school principal. She was holding a Christmas tree in
her hands that had been delivered by the hospital! It was then that they realized that their class had
been chosen to showcase their artistic talents in this new and exciting spin on traditional Christmas tree
decorating!

The classroom was buzzing with excitement as students began brainstorming ideas on what to do with
the tree. “It didn’t take long before we decided as a class to decorate the tree based on the novel
Wonder. The class read this novel as a read aloud and deeply connected with the message in the book;
therefore, it was an easy decision to have the theme ’Choose Kind’ glow from our tree,” explained
Lindsay.

Collaborating as a team, the “Tarbinators” worked to bring this theme to life. They used blue tissue paper
and bulbs to match the colour of the book’s cover. Next, each student created a tag to hang on the tree
that promoted kind messages and words of encouragement. Messages such as, “Respect all,” “The
golden rule,” and “You are awesome” can all be seen hanging from the tree’s branches. Next, students
drew the face of the main character, Auggie, and placed him on the top of the tree. Auggie inspired them
with his story and they felt he deserved the spot on the top of the tree. Finally, a quote from the book
was posted at the base of the tree that reads, “Everybody deserves a standing ovation once in their life.”
All of the students agreed with their classmates that this quote could provide inspiration to those at the
hospital.

Their pride, excitement, and hard work can all be seen in the picture below. “I am so proud of our grade
3/4 team for collaborating with one another, showing respect and being inclusive to everyone’s thoughts
and ideas throughout the entire decorating process. We would like to thank Ms. Weigel and our Principal
Mrs. Balogh for helping us with our tree and allowing our ideas to shine within the community. We hope
patients at Joseph Brant Hospital make a connection with our tree throughout the holiday season and
walk away with the message to ‘Choose Kind’ everyday.”

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We would like to thank Lindsay for sharing her story of community outreach. Congratulations to her class
for being chosen to share their beautiful and inspirational Christmas tree with the Joseph Brant Hospital
community.

Last year, we shared some inspiring stories about how our colleagues reach out, share their gifts, and
often inspire others, and how their actions have helped to facilitate positive change for others.

We look forward to sharing more of these stories with you and highlighting the great initiatives that
Halton Elementary Catholic teachers are involved in relating to social justice and community outreach.
These can be activities that are conducted at school or on personal time.

To send a submission, please email the following details to [email protected].

• Name of Teacher
• School Location
• Personal email or personal phone number to contact
• Is this a school or personal initiative?
• The details of the social justice/community outreach project
• If possible, a picture

Please provide submissions no later than the 15th of each month.

If your submission is chosen for publication, both you and the celebrated teacher will receive a $25 gift
card of your choosing for one of the following: Chapters Indigo, gas, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, LCBO,
movies, or grocery.

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‘Tis The Season

The Christmas season is full of hope and joy. Our schools and homes are decorated
with sparkle and lights that bring illumination into this dark time of year. As we
decorate, we need to still be vigilant about our health and safety. Be sure to inspect
lights for frayed cords that could catch fire and use proper ladders when decorating
up high. If you have a real tree, remember to keep it well watered to avoid a fire
from the lights. Last but not least, there should always be working fire extinguishers
in the home. Be sure to inspect fire extinguishers regularly to make sure they are
in proper working order and are properly charged. Yearly inspections of your home fire extinguishers are
advisable. At your worksite, your Worker Health and Safety Rep ensures that all fire extinguishers have
been checked monthly to ensure they are in proper working order.

In related news, more than 40 million fire extinguishers that may not work have been recalled. The
affected brand is Kiddie (134 push button and plastic handle models manufactured from 1973 through
August 15 of this year). To check to see if your extinguisher has been recalled and to get a free
replacement, contact Kiddie at 855-271-0773 or through the website at www.kiddie.com.

Here’s to a happy and safe Christmas season!

Krista Hutchinson
HEU OECTA Health and Safety Chair
HEU Treasurer

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Sponsorship of School Projects and Initiatives

At OTIP we recognize that not all worthy causes are linked to registered charities. Within the education
community, there are many member-led school projects or initiatives that support learning, provide an
enriched experience or help those in need. OTIP Sponsorship of School Projects and Initiatives is an
opportunity for our members to submit a video application to win $5,000 toward their project.
We received an overwhelming response to this program last year, and the 2017/2018 program will be
even better. This year, we are very excited to announce that there will be eight prizes of $5,000
available to be won.
Click the link to learn more and see who can apply: https://www.otip.com/school-initiatives

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2017-2018 OECTA Events

Blue Jays Game Saturday, September 9, 2017

Halton OT Welcome and Social Monday, September 18, 2017

Paint Night Thursday, October 12, 2017
Getting Hired Workshop Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Unit General Meeting Thursday, October 26, 2017

Volleyball November 2017
Floor Hockey November 2017

Maternity and Parental Leave Workshop Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Unit General Meeting Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Skating and Santa Sunday, December 3, 2017

Pension Workshop January 2018

Unit General Meeting Thursday, February 22, 2018
Coldest Night of the Year Walk Saturday, February 24, 2018

Bowling in the North April 2018

3 on 3 Basketball April 2018

Maternity and Parental Leave Workshop Wednesday, April 11, 2018

OTIP Retirement Workshop Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Unit AGM Thursday, May 24, 2018
OECTA Recognition Night Thursday, May 24, 2018

Come Out and Get Involved in YOUR OECTA!

More Iinformation can be found in Halton Highlights and on the
website under Information Updates at www.haltonoecta.ca.
Follow us on Twitter @oectaheu.

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OECTA HALTON ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY UNIT
TEACHERS‛ PENSION PLAN WORKSHOP
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2018

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School Cafeteria
5150 Upper Middle Road
Burlington, ON

TIME: 9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION
9:30 a.m. WORKSHOP BEGINS
12 NOON - LUNCH
2:00 p.m. WORKSHOP CONCLUDES

COST: $25 per person (cheque) must accompany your
registration and will be returned when you arrive. This
means no charge!
Snacks, refreshments, and lunch will be provided.

This seminar will be presented by Mary Lachapelle from the OECTA Provincial Office.
Registrations are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

***Please register by January 12, 2018***
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REGISTRATION

Name:___________________________________________________
School: __________________________________________________________________________

Email address:_____________________________________________

No. attending __ X $25 = $_____ Cheque made payable to OECTA Halton
Elementary Unit

Dietary Restrictions:____________________________________________

Return registration form, including your cheque, by Board Courier to
Barbara Bentley, Halton Elementary Unit OECTA or mail to 1182 Blair Road, Burlington, ON,
L7M 1K9. Your registration confirmation will be sent by email. Thank you.

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