Halton Highlights - June Issue

Halton Highlights

June 2017 - Volume 8

Happy Father’s
Day

June 2017

SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT

28 29 30 31 1 2 3
P.D Day

Delegates to AGM
2018 applications
due

HEU OECTA
Committees
applications due

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HCDSB Board
Meeting, 7:30
p.m.

Teacher Transfer Blessing and Deadline for Blue
Round 4 – Closes Dedication of Jays Tickets to be
St. Gregory the picked up and paid
Great CES for

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

HR and SOs HEU Executive Joint Staffing Arbitration
Meet for Round 4 Meeting for Committee
Placements 2016-2017 & Meeting
2017-2018 HEU
Executive Joint PD
Committee
HEU Office @ Meeting
4:30 p.m.

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Happy Arbitration OECTA Annual
Father’s Day! President’s
Dinner
25
26 27 28 29 30 31

Report Cards Arbitration Last Day of
Go Home School
Early Dismissal

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In Memoriam June 2017

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

Lucia “Lucy” Marcantonio, mother of Rosanna McMullan, a Grade 3 teacher at
Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School in Georgetown, passed away on Wednesday,
April 5, 2017.
Thomas McMahon, father of Jacqueline Hart, an elementary teacher at St. Dominic
Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2017.
Jochen Schmitz, father of Kristian Schmitz, an elementary teacher at Canadian
Martyrs Catholic Elementary School in Burlington, and husband of Antoinette
Schmitz, a retired elementary teacher (2004) who taught in elementary schools in
Oakville, and subsequently as an occasional teacher, passed away on Saturday, April
15, 2017.

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Nina March, President, Halton Elementary OECTA

Out of Province/Out of Canada Travel Insurance is
available with your OECTA Bene ts
You are covered in the event of the following Medical Emer-
gencies:
- A sudden, unexpected injury or a new medical condition which occurs
while a covered person (you or your dependent) is travelling outside of
your province of residence, or;
- a speci c medical problem or chronic condition that was diagnosed, but
medically stable prior to departure.
The Emergency Travel Assistance Card is the health card that was mailed to you.
If you turn it over, the bottom right has a square titled: Emergency Travel Assistance and a
Plan Number (5580).
If you incur a claim that is under $200, keep the receipt and submit it when you return.
If your claim is expected to be over $200, call the applicable number for assistance and infor-
mation to ascertain if your claim is eligible for reimbursement.
This will ensure that you are properly refunded. For a complete listing and description of
bene ts, visit www.otip.com; login in; My Claims; My Bene ts; Bene ts Booklet; starts on page
35.

1. President’s Dinner

Thursday, June 22, 2017, will be the Halton Elementary Unit’s annual President’s Dinner. It is an
opportunity to thank our OECTA Sta , CBC, and Health and Safety Reps for their commitment
to our members. I know that these roles are not always easy but they are crucial. Our Reps are
the immediate support persons in our worksites that assist members at the school level and
encourage them to reach out to the Unit o ce for information and advocacy. We appreciate
all that you do and we look forward to this opportunity to recognize your role and the work
that you do on behalf of our members. Reps, please be sure to R.S.V.P. your attendance to
[email protected] on or before June 15, 2017.

2. Registration for OECTA Summer AQ Courses is Now Open

There are several nancial incentives and subsidies available so don’t miss out!
Remember when you move up the grid, you not only increase your salary, you also increase
your pension contributions, and with every percentage pay increase achieved it will mean
more dollars for you. For information about AQs and to register, please use the link below:
http://www.catholicteachers.ca/For-Your-Career/AQ-Courses

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3. WebExperience Online PD is now available for Members

OECTA's Professional Development department has completed its rst round of WebExperience - an
on-line professional development learning platform for Kindergarten to Grade 12 teachers.

A total of 11 di erent ‘experiences’ were o ered, exploring various elements of mathematics educa-
tion. See below for the list of experiences with descriptions, as well as a recording of the session.

https://www.catholicteachers.ca/Members-Area/WebExperience
You will be required to sign in to the OECTA Provincial website to access this valuable PD.

1. Congratulations to our HEU Bursary Recipients

1. Aidan Skinner, child of Leanne Skinner, Holy Rosary
2. Jesse Hudecki, child of Denise Oakie, St Timothy
3. Elizabeth O’Brien, child of Christine O’Brien, St Mary
4. Emma Seese, child of Janet Seese, St. Dominic
5. Patrick Sutton, child of Jane Macaulay, Sutton, St. James
6. Stephanie Fiesser, child of Melissa Fiesser, St. Andrew
7. Laura Anderson, child of Debra Wilkie Anderson, St. Mary
8. Victoria Tokarsky, child of Robert Tokarsky, St. Elizabeth Seton
9. Jordan Hu man, child of Janelle Lanza, St. Gabriel
10. Liam Yethan, child of Catherine McGowan, St. Dominic

2. Your 2017-2018 Halton Elementary Unit Executive

Unit President: Nina March
1st Vice-President: Tara Hambly
2nd Vice-President: Alicia Nunn-Deluca – St. Timothy
3rd Vice-President: Roberta Maggio – St. Dominic
Treasurer: Krista Hutchinson – St. Joan of Arc
Recording Secretary: Anthony Biggs – St. Marguerite D’Youville
Councillors: Jennifer De Meo – Holy Cross

Alberta Erme – Our Lady of Fatima
Victoria Lipinski – St Elizabeth Seton
Jill Mercer – St Mary
Kim Sas - St. Dominic
Occasional Teacher: Sheila DiFelice

We are nally, truly in the homestretch. On behalf of the Halton Elementary Unit Executive I wish you all a summer that is
rejuvenating, full of joy and weather that is worthy of your very well deserved break.

It has been our privilege to serve all of you. Be safe and enjoy every moment.
Happy Summer!

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

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Tara’s Topic of the
Month

The countdown is on! And there are only a few more weeks until the start of summer
vacation.
The summer is the time of year to unwind and refresh, so be sure that you take some
well-earned time for yourself and your family. As much as we need a break, many teachers have a
hard time doing this as it is in our nature to prep, plan, and prepare.
As teachers, we have a hard time putting ourselves rst. For many this is true even in the summer
when numerous teachers take the time to prepare for their incoming students in September. Some
teachers spend multiple hours in their classroom over the summer months cleaning up and prepar-
ing for their next group of students. If you need to go in to your classroom over the summer months
there are a few things you need to remember:
1. It is imperative to seek written permission from the principal. If you are in

school working over the summer months and are injured, WSIB may deny you
unless you can prove you had permission to be in the school on non-working
days. This also goes for the week before school starts, when teachers go in to set
up. If your principal has not sent out an email informing you when the school is
open for teachers to come in to set up, send an email to con rm what days and
times you are able to work in the school.
2. If you need to hang any material on a bulletin board and require a step up, use a ladder. Using a
chair or desk puts you at risk of an injury and if you are injured, you may not be covered by WSIB
as ladders are provided at each school site.
3. If you are moving classrooms or schools and have heavy loads to carry, use a dolly or ask for
assistance.
4. During the summer vacation the air conditioners in the schools are usually turned o so bring a
reusable bottle with you so you can keep your water intake up and avoid dehydration.
5. You are on summer vacation, you are not required to be at school at any time over the summer
holidays. You should not be scheduling meetings with parents or administration after June 30
until the school year starts on September 5.
Although you may be tempted to go in over the summer and prepare, please remember to
take time this summer to unwind, relax, and refresh. Enjoy the sunshine and hot weather as
we only get a few months of this weather. Whatever adventure awaits you this summer be
sure to be safe and have fun!
Tara Hambly
First Vice-President, OECTA HEU

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HEU Celebrates Catholic Teachers

Theresa Merritt – Grade 8 Teacher at St. Marguerite D’Youville School in
Oakville.
Ms. Merritt’s Grade 8 students, along with family and friends, personally
created works of art to be ra ed o with proceeds going to the Gord
Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to bene t Indigenous people in
Canada, speci cally to help rebuild a school lost to re in the Kugaaruk
community of Nunavut (the only school in the area). The class was inspired
after an assembly in the Fall, which raised awareness of the plight of
Indigenous people and pro led their contributions to Canadian society.
As a class, they raised a great deal of money through the ra e and
through popcorn sales at the school.
Ms. Merritt, we appreciate all you do to inspire the students in your class to
make a di erence in the lives of others.
Thank you to Anthony Biggs for making us aware of this great initiative.

Health and Safety Minute

The Homestretch: Tips for Work-Life Balance

June Joint Health and Safety Information

June is the month for the nal Joint Health and Safety meeting for the school year. As with all JHSC
meetings, the following reports must be reviewed and discussed:

- Inspection reports from the period
- Safe School Reporting forms
- Workplace injury or accident reports
- The minutes from the last JHSC meeting

Remember to schedule your next JHSC meeting for September, at which all of the above reports
must be discussed. The water quality report must be discussed at this time as well. Every school
will have their water quality tested over the summer, as well Health and Safety inspections will be
done by someone from facilities. You will want to review those inspection reports upon your
return to school.

Have a happy and healthy summer!

Krista Hutchinson Page 7
HEU Treasurer & Health and Safety Chairperson

Occasional Teachers’
Updates

1. It has been an honour to represent you, the members, at OECTA Halton Elementary. Serving

on the Halton Elementary Unit Executive for the past two years, has been an amazing opportuni-
ty for both personal and professional growth. With that in mind, I wish to welcome Sheila DiFe-
lice as the new Occasional Teacher Representative.

Thank you for your dedication to teaching and your hard work. For those of you applying to
either long-term or permanent positions, I wish you all the very best in your future endeavours.

May you nd both relaxation and adventure in the
summer months.

2. June 2017 Service Canada Reference Code

The Reference Code for Employment Insurance Applications for June 2017 school-related intake
is: 3511012017201706.

E ective: June 16, 2017
Expiry: July 22, 2017

Your electronic Record of Employment (ROE) can be viewed on the Service Canada website
www.servicecanada.gc.ca.

In order to view your ROE, you must register for a Service Canada Account. Service Canada
recommends that it best to have your ROE transmitted before
starting your claim.

The good news for this year is that there is only a one week
waiting period.

T Heytens
HEU Occasional Teacher Rep

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Walking with God

Have you ever prayed to St. Anthony to help you nd your lost keys? Or
do you take a St. Christopher medallion with you on long trips? Perhaps
you thanked St. Rita for her intervention on behalf of the Blue Jays this
season. Maybe you have called on the intercessions of St. Jude in a time
of real need. These saints are men and women who experienced di cul-
ties in their lives and who had the devotion to God to serve him through
speci c miracles that the Vatican vets as worthy for sainthood. But, did
you know that there is a patron saint of just about anything, anyone and
any situation that might need a little extra prayer? For example, we can
pray to St. Agatha for her help while our cookies bake and then St.
Martha because we ate too many. Possibly St. Thomas Aquinas or St.
Tatiana of Rome is who we need on Monday mornings. But at the end of the day, we should nd
comfort in knowing that St. Joseph and St. John are always in our corner! Have a happy summer
everyone and see you (and St. Thomas Aquinas) in September.

Which Saint are you? Take the quiz at:
http://dowym.com/voices/quiz-which-saint-are-you-most-like/
Patron Saint List: http://www.catholic.org/saints/patron.php
Prayer to your Patron Saint: http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=1690

Jill Mercer
HEU Executive Councillor

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Honorees for 25 Years of
Service to OECTA

From left to right:
Sheila DiFelice, (Occasional Teacher)
Irene Erickson, Holy Family
Dawn Lupo, St. Raphael

Other 25 Year Celebrants not in attendance:

Carmen Condo, Curriculum HCDSB
Patrick Durka, Our Lady of Peace
Karyn Kastelic, St. Bernadette
Marcia Leahy, St. Luke

Retirees

From left to right:
Colleen Anderson
Debbie Csernyei, Mother Teresa
Francy Tu ner, St. Gabriel
Cin Johnston, Holy Rosary, Milton
Leslie Houlihan, Guardian Angels
Stan Tavani, St. Anthony of Pauda
Kevin O’Connor, St. Timothy
Mary Anne Williams, St. John, Oakville

Other Retirees not in attendance:

Diane Brennan, St. Dominic
Mairin Brennan-Murray, St. Anne
Christie deSouza, Lumen Christi

Christine Kennedy, St. Anne
Rose Iantorno, St. Peter

Elizabeth Leonard, Sacred Heart of Jesus
Coleen McParland, St. Marguerite D’Youville

Roisin O’Hara, St. Marguerite D’Youville
Teresa Viola-Wilson, St. Raphael
Elsie Kozak
Christine Wing, St. Francis

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Your 2017-2018 Halton Elementary Unit Executive:

Unit President: Nina March
1st Vice-President: Tara Hambly
2nd Vice-President: Alicia Nunn-Deluca – St. Timothy
3rd Vice-President: Roberta Maggio – St. Dominic
Treasurer: Krista Hutchinson – St. Joan of Arc
Recording Secretary: Anthony Biggs – St. Marguerite D’Youville
Councillors: Jennifer De Meo – Holy Cross
Alberta Erme – Our Lady of Fatima
Victoria Lipinski – St Elizabeth Seton

Jill Mercer – St Mary
Kim Sas - St. Dominic
Occasional Teacher: Sheila DiFelice

Page 11

What you need to know about
Airbnb and home sharing this
summer

Many educators cannot wait for summer. It's when we pack our bags and hit the road, travelling
to wherever our hearts desire. With the popularity of Airbnb and home sharing on the rise, you
might be considering taking advantage of one of these services or perhaps renting out your own
home while you're away.
Visit www.otipinsurance.com/article2 to read the full article.

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