Halton Highlights - January Issue

Halton Highlights

January 2017 - Volume 4

"May charity and nonviolence govern how we treat each other as individuals, within society and in
international life." This statement written by Pope Francis in his January 1 World Day of Peace
message - the 50th annual papal peace message to the world - extols nonviolence as an essential

and non-negotiable key to true and lasting peace.

http://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=72809

C January 2017
A SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

L Christmas Break December 24, 2016- January 8, 2017E
8 9 10 11 12 13 14

N 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Enrolment for HEU Executive • Pension Workshop

OECTA Corpus Christi CSS
D Benefits Plan
begins for Wave Meeting - HEU • Women's March on
2 Office Queen's Park at
NOON

A • Health and
Safety Reps -
HEU Office
• Provincial

R Bargaining
22 23 24 25 26 27 28

• Arbitration
• Staff/CBC Reps

Meeting - HEU
Office

• Provincial
Bargaining

29 30 31 1 2 3 4

O Last day for
SunLife Benefits
for Halton Catholic
teachers

F (permanent and
eligible LTO's)
February 2017

E SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
29 30 31 1 2 3 4

Halton Catholic Groundhog Day • Grade 1-8 PA Day -
teachers (Wave 2) Report Card Writing
transition to OECTA • K teachers PA Day
• OT - Paid PA Day
Benefits Plan
• 98th Day
V (permanent and
eligible LTOs)
E 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
N OT Labour-
Management
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Young Author's
Submissions • Happy School Year • Arbitration
Valentine's Day Calendar • HEU Executive
T Entries due to Meeting
Staff Reps • Joint PD Meeting
Meeting
S 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Young Author's Joint Staffing • HEU UGM #3 Young Author's
Family Day Submissions Workgroup Unit Office Submissions
Put in Board Meets Entries due at
Courier Bag • Term 1 Report HEU Office
Cards Go Home

26 27 28 1 2 3 4

Shrove Tuesday

In Memoriam January 2017

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

Giuseppe Montecristo, father of Melinda Montecristo, a Special Education Resource Teacher (SERT)
at both Ascension and St. Patrick Catholic Elementary Schools in Burlington, who passed away on

Monday, November 28, 2016.

Ivan Herciogonja, father of Vesna Uremovich, a retired French Immersion Teacher at St. Bernadette
Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, father-in-law of Peter Uremovich, a retired teacher from
Assumption Catholic Secondary School in Burlington and grandfather of Kristina Gilchrist, an

elementary teacher at St. Mary Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, who passed away on December
5, 2016.

Paul Bondin, father of Andrea Bondin, an elementary Teacher at Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary
School in Milton, who passed away on Thursday, December 8, 2016.

Leonara “Lea” Palango, mother of Linda Savel, an elementary teacher at St. John Catholic Elementary
in Burlington, and grandmother of Mark Savel, an elementary teacher at St. Benedict Catholic
Elementary School in Milton, who passed away on Tuesday, January 10, 2017.

Your board bene ts coverage continues until January 31, 2017
For eligible members transitioning to the new OECTA Bene ts Plan, make sure you
submit your bene t claims before the door closes. All eligible bene t expenses
that you incur up to and including January 31 must be submitted to your current
plan. The time limit for claims di ers from insurer to insurer, so please submit your
claims as soon as possible to ensure you are reimbursed. Contact your board plan
administrator or current insurer, if you have any questions.
NOTE: You may not have access to online claims submissions or your claims
history under your current bene ts plan after January 31. Therefore, before
January 31, you are advised to print o a copy of your claims history and keep track of any outstanding
claims being processed under your current plan.
All eligible expenses you incur on and after February 1 should be submitted under the new OECTA
Bene ts Plan.
NOTE: The new bene ts plan is implemented on a school year cycle. As of February 1, 2017, please
review your entitlement under the new plan and how much of the entitlement you have used
since September 1, 2016. Your bene ts entitlement will reset on September 1, 2017.
REMINDER: It is important that all eligible members enrol as soon as possible. Enroling before the
February 1 plan e ective date will minimize any disruptions to your claims being paid. Visit
www.otip.com/loginhelp to learn more and watch a video tutorial on how to enrol. Your personal
enrolment instructions were recently provided in an email from OTIP to your board email. If you haven’t
received an email with enrolment instructions by January 31, please contact OTIP Bene ts Services at
1-866-783-6847, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. You
must enrol by the March 3 deadline.
NOTE: Long-Term Occasional Teachers who are on an assignment of three (3) months or longer are
eligible for bene ts coverage for the duration of their Long Term Occasional assignment and
coverage will begin on the rst day of the assignment. Coverage will end upon completion of the
LTO assignment.
Teachers on a Long-Term Occasional assignment of less than three months are not eligible for
bene ts coverage unless the assignment is extended to three (3) months or more. Eligibility will
be extended to these teachers once they reach the three (3) month point in the assignment and
the coverage will be retroactive to the rst day of the LTO assignment. Coverage will end upon
completion of the LTO assignment.

As with the current plan, coverage will be prorated to the teacher’s FTE and the member will be
required to top up the bene t premium to 100% of coverage.

NOTE: For teachers who are retiring, please be aware that bene ts coverage will not extend
beyond your last day worked. Please arrange to purchase retiree bene ts before your rst day of
retirement.

If you have questions about who is eligible and what is covered under the new plan, review the Q&As
in the Members’ Area of catholicteachers.ca or contact the Unit o ce from your personal email or by
phone.

2017 OTIP Teaching Awards: Nominations are now open!
The Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan (OTIP) and the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) are proud
sponsors of the OTIP Teaching Awards. For many years, these awards have recognized the excellence of
our teachers in publicly funded education.
There are three categories of awards: elementary school teacher, secondary school teacher and
beginning teacher in the rst ve years of teaching. A teacher may be nominated by anyone –
professional colleagues, students, parents, or the general public.
Winning teachers are hosted at a fall awards ceremony in Toronto where they are presented with a
personal award of $1,000 and a Certi cate of Recognition. Their schools are recognized as well with a
$1,000 prize and a Certi cate of Recognition.
The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2017. For more information, visit www.teachingawards.ca
Blessings,

Nina March,

President | OECTA, Halton Elementary Unit
[email protected]
Toll Free (800)610-4299
Fax (905)335-6684

re key t happier winter

Winter is upon us here in Canada. The days are shorter, the
weather is colder and sunshine is a rare sight. Often, this
can lead to low energy and general malaise, so it’s
important to be proactive about keeping a positive
attitude during the colder months.

Visit www.otip.com/article14 to read the full article.

Tara’s Topic of the Month, January – The Classroom Teacher and the OT

All teachers have their own unique challenges regardless of whether they are a
permanent teacher, LTO or OT. However, the one thing we all have in common is the
desire to teach and to change lives.
Sometimes, in the course of our busy lives, we forget the challenges that other
teachers face. LTO’s and OT’s may forget that classroom teachers have strict
deadlines to meet, while permanent teachers may forget that LTO’s and OT’s have to
build relationships in a short period of time due to their ever-changing assignments.
Everyone has challenges, but teaching is what binds us together.
OECTA has worked hard to negotiate working conditions for both permanent and
occasional teachers to ensure that the rights and working conditions of all teachers are upheld. These
working conditions were put in place to alleviate some of the challenges faced by members and to
ensure the best working conditions possible for all our members.
Permanent teachers have a 40-minute uninterrupted lunch, an 80-minute weekly cap on supervision,
planning time allocation and PA days dedicated to report card writing, to name a few. Occasional
teachers in their assignments, have the same entitlement as permanent teachers to a 40-minute
uninterrupted lunch and planning time and are required to do the “full function” of the absent teacher.
An occasional teacher is to take on the teaching and supervision schedule of the teacher they are
assigned to cover that day. The only person who has authority to make changes to the schedule
(planning time and supervision) is administration. Unless a teacher is directed to do so by
administration, the schedule left for the occasional teacher is the daily schedule of the teacher they
are covering, without any changes being made.
For the permanent teacher, sometimes attending an in-service is seen as an inconvenience and we
want to arrange the day in a way that meets our own needs, however, keep in mind the rights of the
occasional teacher who will be covering your class. If you have a before school supervision on the day
you are absent, notify the o ce in advance so they can arrange coverage for the duty. If you are
directed by administration to attend a half day in-service and your planning time is lost, bank it.
Permanent teachers have the ability to bank lost planning time and supervision over the 80-minute
cap. If you have concerns that your rights and working conditions are being violated, please call the
Unit o ce so Nina and I can help.
One day, you could become teaching partners with the teacher you are covering for or with the
teacher who is covering your class so let’s build positive relationships from the start and respect each
other’s rights. I encourage all teachers to get to know those in the school you are working at, whether
they are an occasional teacher, LTO or permanent. We are all in this together, solidarity goes a long
way.
Yours in solidarity,
Tara Hambly
HEU 1st Vice President

Health and Safety Minute:

Welcome back!

This is the season of germs and indoor recess. We are all looking for ways to keep
those colds and us away, but remember, only board-issued cleaning products are to
be used in the schools. Cleaning products have many di erent chemicals and ingredi-
ents which, when mixed together with other chemicals, can create harmful o gases
that adversely a ect our respiratory system. All products must have an MSDS label
provided by the school custodian.

There are other harmful substances that can also adversely a ect our respiratory systems. Some of us may
also encounter rodent excrement. Excrement should never be swept as it releases harmful toxins into the
air. Be sure to inform your custodian who will follow the proper protocol for cleanup.

When teachers have a safe working environment, it is a safe environment for students too.

Krista Hutchinson
OECTA, Health and Safety Chairperson and HEU Treasurer

Occasional Teachers’ Updates

Please mark your calendars for Friday, February 3, 2017 for our
annual Occasional Teacher Professional Development Day.
It will be held at Bishop P. F. Reding Catholic Secondary School,
1120 Main St E, Milton, ON L9T 6H7 .

Refreshments will be served during registration. The day will
begin at 8:30 am and end at 3:00 pm.

Those attending will receive a full day’s compensation for their
participation. In order to be paid, you must sign in and sign out. Please note that online registration
through the Board’s Event Registration closes on Friday, January 27, 2017.

I look forward to seeing you there.

T. Heytens
Occasional Teacher Representative
Halton Elementary Unit Executive

Making Your 2017 New Year’s Resolutions a Little More Doable
This year, set yourself a New Year’s
resolution that is maintainable. If you
give yourself small, attainable goals
on your way to the BIG one
(sca olding, anyone?), you can
achieve anything! Here are some
ideas to help you on your journey to
the “best you” in 2017:

1. Drink a little bit more water. Just one more glass of water will give your body the hydration it needs
to work even better.

2. Move your body a little bit more. Whether you set yourself a goal of 10,000 steps, start lifting weights
or simply moving with more ‘vigour’ during recess duty, anything that gets your blood pumping is a
good thing.

3. Try something a little bit new. Think about something that you are reluctant to do or that pushes
you out of your comfort zone and give it a ‘no thank you’ helping of e ort. You never know, you might
like it!

4. Take a little more time for you (and your family and friends). Embrace those happy moments when
you can. In the car, at the dinner table, in the pew or on the couch; at the rink, in the park, at the dance
studio or wherever, be still…

5. Get a little bit more involved. OECTA promotes and supports Catholic teachers, so why not choose to
become a little more active? It can be as easy as reading the latest issue of Halton Highlights or as
interesting as attending an HEU function or meeting. Becoming just a little more interested in the
Association means that you become a little more informed. Together we can do great things!

6. Volunteer just a little bit of time. Being mindful of the social justice issues in our communities is the
rst step to making things better for others. There are so many organizations that reach out and help

those in need right in here in our backyards where you can lend a hand. From helping out with St.
Vincent de Paul at your church to volunteering your time with a local organization, such as Open Doors,
Home Suite Hope, Georgetown Breadbasket or Milton Transitional Housing. Small deeds can mean big
di erences.

7. Follow the Pope…. he’s on social media – did you know that? @Ponitex #ItsAThing

Find Volunteer opportunities:
www.halton.ca
http://www.stchristophersburlington.com/opendoors.html
http://www.homesuitehope.org/
http://miltontransitionalhousing.ca/
http://www.insidehalton.com/community-static/4265291-halton-region-shelters-food-banks/

Jill Mercer
Councillor, Halton Elementary Unit Executive

OTaETAIwPCaHIrNdGs2017

Elementary
Secondary or
Beginning
Teacher
Categories

$1,000 each for the
winning teacher
and his/her school

DeadlinDeeatodlinnoe minate
MMaarcrchh 3311,,22001717

wwt ewa.ctehai ncghiangwaawr dasrd. cs.aca

prixD’EdNSuEIGRNEAMEENOT 2017

Catégories :
élémentaire
secondaire
débutant(e)

1 000 $ pour
l’enseignant(e)
recevant le prix et
pour son école

DeMaidselinenectaonndoidmatuinreate
Mlear3c1hm3a1rs,22001717

wf rw. twe .atecahci nhginagwawa radrds .sc.caa

ENROL NOW IN THE

OECTA BENEFITS PLAN

COVERAGE STARTS FEBRUARY 1, 2017
You must complete your enrolment as soon as possible

to ensure you have the full coverage you require.

Watch your board email for your personal enrolment instructions from OTIP.
Enrolment closes March 3, 2017.

PLAN ADMINISTERED BY OTIP Have questions or need more information?

•
Members’ Area at www.catholicteachers.ca

•