The President's Message - Dufferin Peel Occasional Teachers ...

Dufferin-Peel Occasional Teachers’ Bargaining Unit
Spring 2010 tel: 905-206-9200 fax: 905-206-9204 email: otbunit@dpeel-ot.org volume 13 Issue 3
With June fast
approaching, I would
like to thank you for
your commitment
and har d work
throughout the year
to ensure that caring professionals are in
the classrooms.
As occasional teachers, we do not
have the benefit of having OECTA Reps
at each school to inform you of the latest
news. By pointing your browser to the
OTBUnit’s website, www.dpeel-ot.org ,
you will be able to find late-breaking
news affecting us as educators. If you are
not doing so on a regular basis, you are
missing an opportunity to pick up such
helpful topics as Classroom Management,
Accusations of Misconduct, Defensive
Teaching, and Success Tips as well as
updates relating to Unit, Professional
Development, Board and Education
news. A link to WebTracs, School
Directory, Jobs in Education and Ontario
Teachers Pension is also readily
accessible. Resource sites such as
OECTA, teaching ideas and plans,
QECO, Ontario College of Teachers,
Ministry of Education, E.I., Dufferin-Peel
C.D.S.Board, and more are just a click
In this issue...
• Summer Professional Development
• Employment Insurance (E.I.)
• Profile Changes
• School Information Package
• Criminal Offence Declaration
The President's Message
Jean Smylie
away. Please visit the web site to
download our newsletters, General
Meeting notices and agendas, and
teaching fillers. A good idea would be to
add www. dpee l- ot. or g to your
Bookmark/Favourites list.
Should you not yet have access to a
home computer, you might want to visit
your local library or utilize the one
available for public use at the Dufferin-
Peel Board office (located in the foyer
behind the reception desk). In this era,
many people and companies are using
electronic devices as a means of
communication, and going “green” by
saving trees. Don’t miss out on
information affecting your livelihood (see
Spring newsletter article “School
Information Package for OTs”).
Remember, we need to stay in touch!
Members are strongly encouraged to
check our web site, www.dpeel-ot.org ,
regularly, if not daily, to get up-to-the
minute information! Be an informed
member!
Whatever your plans are for the
summer, do it safely and enjoy the welldeserved
rest. See you in September.
Local Executive
2009-2010
Jean Smylie
President
Lesia Teply
Vice President
Bernetta Thistle
Treasurer
Teresa Kolk
Secretary
Councillors
Elementary:
Mike Rahal
905.803-0499
Valerie Longo
416 818-1346
Secondary:
Roman Vynyarchuk
416.621-7113
Michael Farrugia
905-567-9423
Editor
John Horemans
webmaster@dpeel-ot.org
On the web
dpeel-ot.org
GENERAL M EETING — ELECTIONS
Wednesday, May 26 th , 2010
at the OECTA Office Aud itorium
(6435 Edwards Blvd.) at 4 :30 p.m.
Refreshments served fro m 3 :30 p.m.
Please come! Bring a Colleague!

Summer Professional Development
Summer Institute 2010
The Dufferin-Peel Board will be offering courses from August
17th to August 26th at Philip Pocock Secondary School, 4555
Tomken Road, Mississauga. These courses are open to all
Dufferin-Peel teachers for a cost of $50 per day.
All registration information, including registration forms and
sessions will be available on the Board’s web site
(www.dpcdsb.org/si) and booklets will be available at the
schools by mid May. Please apply early to ensure that you get
your desired courses.
OECTA Summer Program 2010
Once again, OECTA is offering summer professional development
courses on a broad range of topics designed to meet the
needs of their members - elementary, secondary and occasional
teachers – across Ontario. Each course is 15 hours in
length over a 3-day period at schools and unit offices across
Ontario during July and August. Courses are available at NO
cost, FREE, to OECTA members on a first-come, first-serve
basis. As members, you are able to apply to any of the courses
offered across Ontario. You are, however, responsible for
your own travel and lodging expenses. Upon completion of a
course, participants will receive an OECTA P.D. certificate for
their Professional Teaching Portfolios.
Complete booklets will be available at each school with a description
of the course, date and location. On-line registration
begins in May at www.oecta.on.ca Please apply early to avoid
disappointment.
School Starts Early Again This September
The Education Act, Regulation 304, requires 194 school days
between September 1st and June 30th each year with a maximum
of 6 P. A. Days. Once again this year, there will not be
194 teaching days between September 7th, 2010 and June
30th, 2011.
Since the Ministry does not want to disrupt parents’ plans and
bring students in before Labour Day, our Board has selected
to start school on Thursday, September 2nd, 2010. This will
be a Ministry Professional Activity Day for teachers, including
LTOs, who are required to be at school on September 2nd
2010 as this will be a paid and compulsory workday in compliance
with the Education Act - no students will be attending
and no classes operating. Please adjust your plans for the last
week of the summer holidays accordingly. Schools will reopen
to students on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010.
Criminal Offence Declaration - 2010
Since the Dufferin-Peel Board is required by law
to have all employees complete an annual Criminal
Offence Declaration (COD) form, occasional
teachers who did not attend the Professional Development
Day on April 17th , or did not complete
and submit the form, will have the declaration
forms mailed to them. The 2010 COD form
is also available on WebTracs’ Home page, click
on O T Website/General Information/Forms to
download.
You MUST complete and return the declaration
by June 1st or you will be unable to teach in the
next school year. If you do not receive a form,
please call Agatha deLemos at 905-890-0708
Ext. 24189.
You can NOT TEACH if you do not comply!
Employment Insurance (E.I.) On-line!
All occasional teachers who have worked enough
hours may qualify for E.I. benefits over the summer
months due to ‘shortage of work’. Currently, the
number of qualifying hours for the GTA area
(includes Mississauga) is 910 hours or 130 teaching
days. Please check the back of your last Pay Statement
in June and the OTBUnit’s website (www.dpeelot.org)
for procedures and the special reference number
needed to file your application.
Applications for benefits should be completed on-line
at http://www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ei-ae If you do not
have access to a computer at home, you can visit any
Human Resources Canada Centre and use the computers
located there or your nearest library. Make sure
to record the confirmation number given to you upon
successfully completing the application.
Although it is necessary to file an E.I. claim within 3
weeks from the last day worked in June, HRDC will
not actually process the claim until they receive your
Record of Employment (ROE). Again, the Board will
automatically be sending all ROEs electronically to
HRDC after the last pay date. For example, if you
work June 14 – 25, you will be paid July 8th. Therefore,
your ROE will not be sent to E.I. until after July
8th.

Professional Development Day
Our annual Professional Development
Day was held on Saturday, April 17th at
St. Marguerite d’Youville Secondary
School in Brampton. Upon arriving,
the occasional teachers confirmed their
registration, were given OECTA lanyards
and name tags to wear in the
schools, and given the opportunity to
complete their 2010 Criminal Offence
Declarations. Just Catering Services
provided the delicious continental
breakfast to the OTs while they socialized
with friends and colleagues.
We began the morning with the occasional
teachers joining Fr. Jim in the
celebration of the Mass. By the end of
the liturgy, we felt spiritually uplifted
by his meaningful and memorable homily.
Nick Milanetti, the Superintendent
of Human Resources, brought greetings
from the Board, and presented the Service
Recognition certificates to occasional
teachers for their 5, 10,15 or 20
years of service. Congratulations to all
our OTs on their awards!
Our motivational guest speaker, Lesley
Andrew, spoke about “Beating the
Odds” – taking the responsibility for
personal change and growth, overcoming
obstacles, facing fears, and attaining
goals. Her refreshing presentation was
a mixture of stories, memories, and humour
with excellent use of props.
Through her presentation she demonstrated
how anyone can triumph in the
face of adversary. It was a great reminder
to teachers that everything we
say and do can have a lasting impact on
our students so be positive and caring.
She also demonstrated her musical talent
by performing a medley of songs for
us. She was one captivating, thoughtprovoking,
dynamic speaker!
What an amazing, and extraordinary
day!
Committee News
WebTracs Profile
According to Article 13.03 b), an occasional teacher may request changes to
their profile during the months of September and February by sending written
notice to the clerk according to their surname:
Alpha Letters: A to G - karen.tanner@dpcdsb.org
Occasional Teachers' Statistics
(as of March 10 th , 2010)
LTO - elementary 327
LTO - secondary 196
Daily 1144
Certified Emergency 109
Total 1776
LTO Summer Postings!
LTO Assignments for September 2010 will be posted on WebTracs
from July 5th – August 1st, 2010. If you are interested in LTOs, go to
WebTracs, click “Internal Job Opportunities”, select Available Jobs,
then either Group ‘LTO – elem’ OR ‘LTO – sec’ and click on ‘query’.
This will allow you to review and apply to any or all LTO positions that
are you are qualified to teach and NOT filled. LTO positions MUST
BE APPLIED for on-line! Keep a record of the LTO job postings you
have applied to by clicking on “Jobs Applied to” and printing the page
(s). Remember, you will ONLY be contacted by the Board or school
administrator if they want to invite you for an interview, or offer you
the position.
Any new LTOs will be posted as they become available. It is recommended
that you check WebTracs “Internal Job Opportunities”
throughout the summer.
H to N – cathy.deichsel@dpcdsb.org
O to Z - marie.rodriques@dpcdsb.org
Since this written request could take up to 10 working days to accommodate,
you are encouraged to submit your request early in September while available
work is slow.
Reminders:
a) If you move over the summer, please
send your change of address and phone
number in writing to: Lucie Baptista,
Manager of Teacher Personnel or email
her at lucie.baptista@dpcdsb.org and
copy the clerk that corresponds to your
surname:
Alpha Letters:
A to G - karen.tanner@dpcdsb.org
H to N – cathy.deichsel@dpcdsb.org
O to Z - marie.rodriques@dpcdsb.org
b) Please remember to complete your
Customer Service Training session available
on WebTracs’ home page.

School Information Package
for OTs
According to Article 7.03 in our
Collective Agreement, all pertinent
information for the 2010-2011 school
year regarding school hours, school
calendar, pay schedule, WebTracs
(access, Tracs call-out times, and
available jobs), and forms will be
posted the Thursday before school
starts on the Board’s website -
WebTracs’ Home page, by clicking on
Occasional Teacher Web site (General
Information, Forms, or WebTracs
Information).
Should you require a paper copy, the
request must be made in writing on an
annual basis no later than June 30th,
2010. Your written request can be
m a d e t o K a r e n T a n n e r
(karen.tanner@dpcdsb.org ) Requested
copies will be available for pickup at
the Board office on Thursday, August
26th, 2010.
You are encouraged to keep an updated
copy of the school information in a
binder/duo tang in your car/school bag
should you need it for reference.
A Note of Appreciation!
Kudos!
I would like to extend my personal
gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the
dedicated ‘team’ of the OTBUnit
Executive - Lesia Teply, Bernetta
Thistle , Teresa Kolk, Mike
Farrugia, Valerie Longo, Michael
Rahal, and Roman Vynyarchuk who
have worked exceptionally hard on
your behalf throughout the school
year. Kudos also to John
Hore mans , our Editor a nd
Webmaster, for his committed
efforts in publishing our newsletters
and in keeping the OTBUnit’s web
site up-to-date!
You Asked Us....
Question: I have been an occasional teacher doing LTOs
with this Board while waiting to be hired for a permanent teaching
position. What is the Board’s hiring procedure? Should I continue
applying for LTOs postings during the summer?
The Board only hires according to its needs. In Dufferin-Peel, there is a
projected decrease in enrolment in the elementary panel, and an anticipated
increase in enrolment in the secondary panel for next year.
The Board informed the Local that when they hire for permanent teaching
positions, they include a mix of OTs who:
1. received ‘outstanding’ interviews when originally hired; and
2. have the required qualifications (teachables); and/or
3. have completed at least one LTO during which they were evaluated
and recommended for permanent hire by the school administrator.
New graduates who have received ‘outstanding’ interviews and have required
qualifications are also considered in the mix.
The names of individuals who have met the above conditions are placed on
the “preferred list” which is available to school administrators who select
candidates and recommend them for hire.
It is, therefore, highly recommended that you apply to any and all LTOs
for which you are qualified and interested in teaching. If a permanent position
becomes available before the LTO starts, the Board can offer the
position to you. But, if a permanent position becomes available after the
LTO starts, the Board is reluctant to offer the position to you as it will disrupt
the students you are teaching, unless the position is in the same
school.
Beginning Teachers’ Conference 2010 - By Kasie Moniz
I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the annual Beginning
Teachers’ Conference hosted by OECTA. This two-day conference was
a great place for beginning teachers to obtain information that will help them
throughout their career.
Premier Dalton McGuinty spoke on his appreciation for teachers, and their
hard work. Other guest speakers included Damian Cooper who offered information
about assessment and evaluation, and provided many suggestions for
beginning teachers in these areas; and Lesley Andrew who spoke on behalf of
students with disabilities informing teachers how difficult it can be for a student
with a disability, as she was one herself. From the many workshops offered,
I was able to choose three workshops: NTIP, Special Education, and
Building Inclusive Communities. Each workshop provided me with a great
foundation to expand my knowledge in these areas.
This conference was a great place for beginning teachers to ask questions, discuss
ideas, and obtain information in different areas of the profession. I recommend
this conference for all beginning teachers as it provided a great foundation
of resources and ideas that can help facilitate the profession learning
networks amongst all Catholic educators.

Bill 157
The latest Safe Schools initiative, Bill 157 – Keeping
Our Kids Safe At School Act, came into effect
on February 1st, 2010. It requires teachers and
other workers in the schools to report serious student
incidents, such as bullying to the principal.
The Bill was designed to address gaps in communication
between principals, teachers, and parents
about serious student incidents that could lead to
suspension or expulsion. As well, this ensures that
parents are kept informed and principals are aware
of serious incidents in the school so they can respond
appropriately. The Act also requires all employees,
“to address inappropriate and disrespectful
behaviour among students, such as racist or sexist
comments that are unacceptable in our schools.”
Teachers and other school workers are required to
complete a copy of the new Safe Schools Incident
Reporting Form and sign it. Do not include your
personal phone number on the space provided at
the end of the form – this should be the school’s
phone number. Teachers should retain a copy of
the form for their records. Any employee who fills
out this form w ill rec eive a receipt
(Acknowledgement of Receipt form) verifying the
submission of the reporting form which must be
retained by the employee as well as an indication of
whether or not any action was taken. The form will
also be placed in the student’s OSR if any action
was taken.
The Ministry of Education has directed that a team
of three staff from each school must be trained in
the expectations of staff regarding this new legislation.
This plan does not provide any information or
training for daily OTs. A request has been made
through Staff Liaison Committee – when or how
will this training be provided to OTs. We have not
heard yet.
Professional Teaching Portfolio
OECTA supports voluntary, self-directed professional development
that is meaningful to teachers. It recommends that all members develop
personal teaching portfolios to document their growth.
In developing your portfolio you need to:
• Choose a way to store your documents that is easily accessible,
expandable, manageable, organized and conveniently stored;
• Determine your portfolio’s purpose or theme;
• Set your own goals and priorities for your collection;
• Select a series of appropriate activities and venues to achieve
these goals;
• Document participation in these activities; and
• Reflect upon and assess their success in achieving these goals.
Teachers should obtain and keep documentation of all their professional
development activities. A professional portfolio is composed of
a combination of the following kinds of items:
1. Professional Learning Log – conferences, workshops, committees,
in-service and their corresponding certificates of participation and
dated records of attendance.
2. Reflections – personal journal/notes that describe the activities.
3. Examples of Professional Practice such as units or lessons, student
work, and photographs of classroom layout.
During the summer, take the time to develop your own portfolio.
Maintaining a personal, professional portfolio will allow you to develop
a concrete record that demonstrates your commitment to lifelong
learning. The portfolio is a good management strategy for keeping
your records in one place.
Chicken Soup for OTs
Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest
abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream
which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and
greater strength for our nation.
By: President John F. Kennedy

AGM 2010
ATTENTION OCCASIONAL TEACHERS, WE
CAN ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM!
By: Bohdanka Hontar
Many of us occasional teachers wait around hoping to get a
phone call to supply teach for the day, or better yet a contract to
teach in a school which ranges from a few weeks to an entire
school year. We are always trying to get our ‘foot in the door’,
and feel that the only way we can make a difference in education
is if we are in the classroom teaching.
I was definitely one of those teachers – I had accepted that I
would be getting LTO positions and daily occasional teaching
for the next few years and would have to wait until I could start
to make changes in schools, and prove to people that I was good
enough to be a full-time teacher. I say was, because I had the
opportunity to see a whole new side of our association at the
Annual General Meeting (A GM) from March 12-15, 2010, when
I was chosen to go as a delegate for the Dufferin-Peel Secondary
Unit. Did I have any idea what I was getting myself into? Definitely
not! The only thing that stuck in my mind was – free accommodations
at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto,
all meals and some drinks were included, and free items would
be handed out throughout the weekend. It wasn’t a bad way to
start my March Break off, I thought. After very little contemplation,
I agreed.
Before the actual weekend came I had to attend two meetings,
and although it did take up some of my evenings, I am really
happy that the secondary unit was organized in this way because
it gave me the opportunity to meet the other delegates from our
unit, to learn more about the role of units in our board, and to
become more familiar with what would happen during the
AGM. Everyone at the meetings was so friendly and supportive
towards us newcomers, EVEN though we were occasional
teachers. It was also interesting to see that some people had
been attending this annual meeting for over 20 years!
And so, the weekend for the A GM came. I had my new bag, the
three inch binder with all of the books filled with last year’s
minutes, resolutions, details of the weekend, etc., our Dufferin-
Peel Secondary unit clothing and my badge to get me in to all of
the meetings. Looking around after registering, I felt prepared
for what was to come.
The meeting officially began on Saturday morning. The speakers
were very good at informing us of Robert’s Rules (the rules
of debating), maintaining the flow of the questions, concerns and
debates and giving some humour when it was needed. And as
we may already know, teachers love to talk and share their opinions
with everyone. Yet, during the debates, I realized just how
influential my voice and vote would be. It was interesting hearing
both sides to different problems, and listening about how
passionate some people were regarding their view. I also realized
that there is so much more that goes on throughout the year
that I had no idea about, as well as how many people play a key
role in making Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association
so successful. During the meeting I wanted my vote and my
thoughts to count and it made me motivated to stay focused and
ask questions to those who were more experienced with these
issues. I even went up to the microphone to ask a question! I
forgot to let everyone know that I was a first time speaker,
which is apparently a big deal at these meetings. After sitting
back down, I felt so important, not because I had gone up to the
microphone, but because I had so much support and excitement
coming to me from my unit, as well as others for bringing a
question forward.
We also had guest speakers who came to give speeches to us
which were also very beneficial to opening my eyes on how we
as teachers can have an even greater influence on society. People
such as: Phil Fontaine, the Former Grand Chief of the Assembly
of First Nations spoke about the importance to inform
and appreciate the history of our Natives of Canada, and shared
some tragic stories about the treatment of the First Nations people
even in recent times; Liz Papadopolulos, the Chairperson
from the Ontario College of Teachers informed us of the
changes that have taken place throughout the past year at the
college; The Honourable Leona Dombrowsky who is the Minister
of Education came to speak about how proud she was of
OECTA and also shared more insight about Bill 242, the Full
Day Learning Statute Law, which would be implemented in
September 2010; and Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian
Labour Congress, came to speak about the importance of supporting
one another and the benefits that could be made for both
CLC and OECTA if we support candidates and trustees who are
labour-friendly and support Catholic Education.
Elections were another aspect that I found interesting. At every
AGM a new executive is chosen to represent OECTA provincially.
It was extraordinary to see how much work is put into
supporting a candidate, preparing the ballots and informing the
delegates of who won in such a short period of time. This was
an area that interested me most because I wanted to learn more
about who these people were, find out more about their experiences
and their reasons for running and also wondered why
more people do not run for these positions. Most of these questions
did not get answered, but I have told myself that I will take
more interest, and become more informed before I attend another
AGM.
Go again? Of course I would go again! Why? I had a great
time and I enjoy being informed. What did I not enjoy? Knowing
that I represented 75 teachers in our unit and having to vote
on their behalf knowing that many do not take the opportunity to
become more informed! What will I change? Educate my colleagues,
read all of the newsletters that come out, go onto our
OECTA website as well as our Dufferin-Peel Occasional Teachers’
website, and ask questions before the AGM.
I recommend all of you to do the same! Understand what
OECTA is as well as why and how it represents all of us. So,
why not start now!
I also encourage you to volunteer to attend the next Annual General
Meeting in 2011. Some words of advice I can give for future
AGM attendees: make sure you know where your voting card is
at all times, take advantage of all the evening programs, get
ready to be swarmed with free things, be ready to collect a lot of
election pins, don’t hesitate to ask a lot of questions, and make
sure you let everyone know when it is your first time at the microphone!