President’s Message

CUrrently Speaking Vol. 18 No.20

Upper Grand ETFO Occasional Teachers’ Local

Office: 519-837-0090 Cell: 519-217-2704 Fax: 519-836-9759 www.ugot.org

January 2016

Dear member.

The cold weather has finally arrived. I hope you all had a wonderful, relaxing break. A lot has happened since the last newsletter in November. I think things are getting back to normal as far as workload. Earlier this year I received many calls and concerns about the

lack of work available for our occasional teachers. I think available LTO work has been the same but there was definitely a decline in daily work. I certainly hope the upward trend continues.

I do not know why but there seems to be an increase in allegations and member issues this year compared to the past. Concerns have been raised about student behaviour and how we handle those issues. There have been performance related issues and issues between colleagues. If anything happens that you feel uncomfortable with, take a few minutes to make some notes and then call me right away. Most cases are dealt with quickly with a simple resolution. If they are serious allegations which involve police or CAS, then please follow the advice under Allegations in the newsletter.

Also there have been some health and safety concerns related to Fifth's Disease and concussions, that have come up this year. If you are aware of any cases of Fifth's Disease, contact Linda Forbes at the Board Office. Once she has confirmed this with the principal at the school, there will be a message posted on the Smartfind website and in the call out messages, so all members are made aware and can choose not to accept an assignment at the school with the confirmed case. In the newsletter, I have included some information about concussions of which you should be aware.

Collective Bargaining is continuing. I know it seems endless but it does take time. One reason is that the same Board personnel bargaining our collective agreement is bargaining for many other groups like secondary teachers, custodians,

educational assistants, etc. We finally have all items on the table and we have two dates to bargain. We will be

th ndmeeting on January 29 and February 2 . I will let everyone know where we stand immediately following those days. When we reach an agreement, we will announce the date and location of the ratification meeting.

One last item I want to mention is the LTO list interviews. As you know, traditionally the Board opens the LTO list once a year and, in April, announces their intent for interviews to take place in May or June. You should be planning now for this interview. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have good principal references. It is not good enough to have principals say you are good, they need to have seen you teach. Ask them if they would recommend you for the LTO list. I have heard of several instances where the principal has said the occasional teacher was good. We do our work well, we show up on time, we care for the students in our classes, we perform duties well, etc. However, if they haven't seen you teach and are willing to say yes I like what I have seen in your classes, that recommendation is not a good one.

Make sure the lesson that you are asked to present is well planned. Ask other teachers if they will listen to you performing your lesson. Practice it. The questions you are asked in the interview are scored based on how well they are answered. If you have been through the process before, the questions will be similar so have several points for each and again ask your colleagues for advice. Lastly, attend the workshops we offer. Susan Tyndall, your Professional Learning Chair, and I planned most of the workshops with the LTO list interview in mind. The

stassessment workshop on January 21 is of huge importance for your interview. The assessment of students is a must see for your interview. Other work-shops will be made available to you for that purpose so please sign up. I wish you all the best in 2016.

Sincerely, Andrew

Andrew AloeETFO Office Telephone: 519-837-0090 ETFO Office Fax: 519-836-9759Phone: 519-217-2704E-mail: andrewaloe.etfo@gmail.com

Concussions

Allegations

If you are contacted by the police or the Children's Aid Society (CAS) regarding an allegation made against you:

· DO NOT participate in or consent to an interview. · Make no statement to anyone regarding the

allegation or charges. · Say, “I am willing to co-operate but I am unable to

comment until I contact my Federation and legal counsel.”

· Get the name, title and contact information for the police officer or CAS worker who has contacted you.

· Call Professional Relations Services (PRS) at 1-888-838-3836 or 416-962-3836 and state that your call is urgent.

You will be put in touch with the Professional Relations Services (PRS) counsellor on call who will provide you with the necessary assistance, including legal counsel, if deemed appropriate, and contact information for you to access additional support through your EAP if it is available in your board.

I am pleased to announce, and welcome, our newest executive member. Jeff Turner has agreed to join our team till the end of June. He is replacing Mary-Kathryn Barbier who has accepted a full time contract in Upper Grand. Mary-Kathryn attended her final meeting in December. She has been involved in the executive for three terms. We wish her continued success. We will miss her. Jeff will attend his first

thexecutive meeting on February 9 .

Please keep in mind that, if you would like to attend an executive meeting as an observer, you should email me. I will need to know so that we can have materials ready for you and have food planned for you as well. Meetings are held at our Orchard Park office. They begin at 4:45 pm and we are usually done by 6:00 pm depending on how much we have to cover and how the discussion goes. I would define our executive as being a collaborative one. We welcome all ideas and questions. Upon completion of the meeting, we have a meal planned for everyone. Ralph Rainford has volunteered to prepare the meals. They are delicious and,

because of his well planned meals, he is able to keep costs down.

If you are interested in getting involved, it is a good idea to attend one of our executive meetings to get a feel for what

stgoes on. The term for this executive ends July 1 of this year. If you are interested, you may put your name forth to get involved. I will be sending out a reminder newsletter with nomination forms in April. If you have any questions about what we do, please contact me.

Policy Program Memorandum (PPM) 158 mandates that Boards around the province develop a policy around concussions. Concussions have received a lot of media attention and rightfully so. If not addressed and cared for, a concussion can lead to brain damage and, in rare cases, even death. The OPHEA guideline (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association), which PPM 158 directs Boards to reference and follow, states clearly only a doctor or nurse practitioner may actually diagnose a concussion. You are not required to perform any kind of assessment. A concussion is described as a direct blow to the head, face, or neck, or a blow to the body that transmits force to the head and causes the brain to move rapidly within the skull. Even though falls and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of concussion, there is a heightened risk due to concussion during physical activity which includes physical education classes, playground time or sports activities.

It is ETFO's position that we do not diagnose a potential concussion. It should be reported for a thorough follow-up. ETFO is also advocating for proper training for all employees to ensure policies and protocols are followed.

Our Board's concussion policy 505 and the manual 505-A outline what we should do in the case of a suspected concussion. All of the concussion forms are available on ugshare. I have included the flow chart describing what we should do. This is also on the ugshare website.

If you see a student receive a bump, blow or jolt to the head OR a fall or blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly, act quickly. As occasional teachers, we must be vigilant in this regard. I would follow the protocol even if I didn't observe it. When doing yard duty, we may not see the incident but a student may tell us that they have fallen.

Executive Position

If they say they hit their head, treat it as a possible concussion.

The next step is to let the principal or designate know what you observed or were told. The principal will complete the “Concussion Signs & Symptoms” form and other appropriate forms. The parent/guardian is called. There are other steps to follow. Parents need to monitor and if it is a concussion there will have to a return to school passport that you will have to follow.

The most important message here is not to diagnose but to follow through on suspected cases.

thThe Ontario Federation of Labour held their 13 Biennial rd th

Convention in Toronto from November 23 -27 . I had the pleasure of attending with Marina Howlett, Susan Tyndall from our Local, and many sisters and brothers from ETFO. ETFO was one of the many unions in attendance at the OFL convention. Other unions attending included CUPE (public employees in education, health, municipalities, etc.), OECTA (Catholic teachers), OSSTF (secondary school teachers), ONA (nurses), OPSEU (provincial government service employees), UNIFOR (Canadian auto workers), USW (steel workers), and others. Labour council representatives from across Ontario were also there. About 1 300 members attended. There were some great speakers to motivate and share their passion for unionism. Hassan Yussuff, the Canadian Labour Congress President; John Cartwright, President of the York and Toronto Labour Council; and Sid Ryan, the OFL President, were just a few of those that spoke passionately about equity, social justice, and many labour and political issues.

One of the roles of the convention delegates was to elect a new President, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive VP. We heard speeches on the day of the election. We also had each candidate visit our ETFO caucus room and introduce themselves and their political platform. They were all very impressive. It was a difficult choice. Chris Buckley won the position of President, formerly held by Sid Ryan. The new Secretary-Treasurer is Patty Coates who takes over from Nancy Hutchison and the new Executive VP is Ahmad Gaied who takes over from Irwin Nanda.

We spent most of the time voting on member-submitted resolutions. There were pro and con mikes and members

spoke about their concerns with the resolutions. When speakers concluded their remarks, we voted on whether to adopt the resolution or not.

An example was Policy Resolution #7 titled Protecting Minority Rights. The Resolution read, The OFL will oppose any legislation, political party or movement, or campaign that seeks to abridge or limit any minority right as protected under the Human Rights Code, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or the Constitution of Canada. Delegates debated the motion on the floor and when it was time to vote, a majority of the delegates supported it. There were 94 resolutions in total.

The major theme of the conference was “The Ontario We Want”. There were many issues discussed. The guest speakers also talked about the need to tackle the austerity measures our governments are imposing on us and recently legislated laws which attack unions and affect our standard of living. These topics included:

· the privatization of Hydro One· $15 minimum wage campaign· creation of meaningful employment, especially

for our youth· tackling climate change· health and safety· increased funding for health care· introducing a national pharmacare drug plan· getting rid of insidious anti-union, anti-worker

legislation· tackling the violence against women and a full

inquest in the disappearance of native women· expansion of the Canadian Pension Plan· elimination of racial profiling

The conference was a first for me. I see the connection between what we do here locally, and what happens in the greater labour movement. Your local political action committee will be meeting to discuss our next steps. I thought that our work was over after the Federal election but, after what I learned at the OFL convention, the work has just begun.

The Upper Grand District School Board has revised its inclement weather-no bus day policy. I have included the policy here, in the newsletter, for your convenience.

Please note that a teacher must contact the school of the assigned job to go to a closer school. The original job

OFL Convention Report

Inclement Weather No Bus Days

number and assignment remains on the teachers` timesheet and the signature of the administrator of the school worked at will then go on the timesheet beside that original job number.

ETFO standing committees are a way for any ETFO member to get involved and share their perspective and expertise. Check the ETFO website www.etfo.ca and: Ÿclick on the 'About ETFO 'tab.

ŸSelect Standing committees and there you will find the flyer which details the application criteria and a list of all the committees and the number of vacancies available.

ŸTo apply, click 'Apply online' and follow the directions. It is important to self identify.

ETFO tries to select a diverse group. The selection takes into account geography, experience, gender, diversity, etc. Don`t just give particulars.

Make sure your voice and passion for your subject area comes through. It isn`t always the most experienced candidate who gets the position. If you are keen and passionate and the committee already has an experienced group, then taking on new members is often a possibility so that new members gain experience.

ETFO Provincial Standing Committees

Allan Asselin Siham Caudarella Claire Farquhar Diana Franco Glen Froom Jeanine Holland Christa Howson Susan Hubner Susan Kelly Audrey Lowe Maggie McFadzen

Sandra Roberts Cheryl Wallace Mary Kawash Elizabeth Leibovitz Jeanne Forsythe Carl Meadows Melville Peters Rose DiRenzo Sheila Vinden Carol Harvey

I have heard from a couple of members complaining about SmartFind, specifically around dropped calls. I called Linda Forbes at the Board office to look into this. Listed below are suggestions that may be applied to help with that issue. !· The system needs to hear a voice or key response within

4 seconds, or it will hang up. Say, “Hello” to initiate interaction.

!Do not use speaker phone, it can interfere with the tones getting through clearly.

!Press the star (*) key to have the system wait up to 2 minutes to enter log in information. This will help if family members pick up first or if you need to pull over, etc.

!Make sure you are using the star (*) key and not the pound (#) to enter codes.

!Do not tap too quickly, each tone has to register separately.

!The system will pause when a phone key is pressed. If it keeps talking, it is not receiving your dial tones.

If you are still experiencing problems, please contact Linda Forbes at the Board office at 519 822-4420 ext 716.There may be an issue that needs to be resolved with the provider. Please keep in mind that if you are unavailable to work on specific days or periods of time, book yourself off Smartfind. It will make the system more efficient during call outs. It would also save you from getting a lot of calls.

For more information, check the website.: http://www.ugot.org/smartfind.asp

As you know keys for OTs were negotiated at the Provincial table. Each school must provide the occasional teacher with a key so that the OT can lock the door during a lock-down.

There were many schools that didn't do so and I had been working with the Board for several years trying to get this issue sorted out.

Now there is no excuse. If you arrive at a school and aren't provided with a key, please contact me at 519 217-2704.

SmartFind

School Keys

DATES TO REMEMBERU. G. ETFO Occasional Teachers’ Local

2014-2016

President: Andrew AloeVice President: Marina HowlettTreasurer: Susan TyndallSecretary: Donna HendersonCollective BargainingExecutive Liaison: Barb WalkeyExecutive: Jacqueline Gray

Mark KiddRalph RainfordJennifer SelfJessie SteinbergJeff TurnerCarol Waffler

Website: www.ugot.orgETFO Provincial: 1-888-838-3836

Website

Please visit the website for current information, Professional Development opportunities, an Executive contact list, Executive Meeting Minutes, Currently Speaking (our OT newsletter), and other pertinent information as it becomes available.

We will continue to use the website to communicate with members when it is impossible to contact all members by telephone or through the mail.

www.ugot.org

Provincial Executive 2015-17

President Sam Hammond, Hamilton-Wentworth TLFirst VP Susan Swackhammer, Grand Erie TLVP Nancy Lawler, Bluewater TLVP (Female) Karen Brown, Elementary Teachers of

Toronto OTF Table Officer Diane Dewing, Upper Canada OTL

Executive Members:Nathan Core, Waterloo OTLKelly Holley, Algoma TLDavid Mastin, Durham TLMonica Rusnak, Ontario North East TLGreg Weiler, Waterloo TL

Executive Members (Female):Gail Bannister Clarke, Peel TLTracy Blodgett, Trillium Lakelands OTLAdelina Cecchin, Greater Essex TLDeb Wells, Limestone TL

Pay Dates:

Jan. 15, 2016Jan. 29, 2016Feb. 12, 2016Feb. 26, 2016

Federation Dates:

Thurs., June 02, 2016.............................Annual Meeting4:45 p.m. Marden Community Centre

OT Executive Meetings:

Feb. 09, 2016 Orchard ParkMar. 30, 2016 Orchard ParkApr. 20, 2016 Orchard Park May 18, 2016 Orchard Park June 22, 2016 Ralph Rainford's home

Board Holidays:

Feb. 15, 2016................................................Family DayMar. 14, 2016 – Mar. 18, 2016...................Winter BreakMar. 25, 2016 – Mar. 28, 2016...............................Easter

April 22, 2016May 06, 2016May 20, 2016June 03, 2016June 17, 2016June 30, 2016July 15, 2016

June 3, 2016

Professional Development Dates:

Jan. 22, 2016

Mar. 11. 2016Mar. 24, 2016April 08, 2016

June 30, 2016

Is every bump a concussion?

Every bump is NOT a concussion, just as every sore arm isn’t a broken

arm and most cuts don’t need stitches.

The Concussion ABCs guide staff through the decision process

-Was there a forceful blow to the head or to the body?

-Did something happen that caused a rapid movement of the head?

-Is there a previous history of concussion or other medical problems?

Tripping on the playground or bumping into a table usually do NOT have enough force

or cause a rapid movement of the head so a concussion is unlikely to occur. However,

students with a previous history of concussion, especially during the return to

learn/return to physical activity phase, are more susceptible to a concussion so any fall,

bump, trip etc should be followed up with B and C.

- Provide assistance and comfort (ice, band-aid, reassurance) to the student

immediately after the incident. It often takes 5-15 minutes for someone who

has been hurt to calm down and before any reliable signs and symptoms can

be gathered, unless the injury is severe and obvious.

-Is there any change in the student’s behavior, thinking or physical functioning after that

5-15 minute time? YES - complete Concussion Signs and Symptoms Form and follow

the “Possible Concussion at School” flowchart.

-Is the student showing any of the signs of concussion? Is the student complaining of

any of the symptoms of concussion? YES - complete Concussion Signs and Symptoms

Form and follow the “Possible Concussion at School” flowchart.

-Ask the student how they feel. This is often more accurate than asking questions that

are yes or no answers. Children 10 and under often have a more difficult time explaining

how they are feeling and their actions such as being irritable, or more quiet than normal,

are indicators something is wrong.

-Concussion signs and symptoms can take up to 48 hours to show up. Tell the student

to let their teacher or parent know if they feel anything different in the next 2 days.

-Always contact a parent and explain what happened

-When there is insufficient force, no rapid movement of the head, no previous

history of concussion and no signs and/or symptoms evident or reported by the student,

the student with parental consent can return to all activities

-If the parent has any concerns, complete the Concussion Signs and Symptoms Form

and follow the “Possible Concussion at School” flowchart.

Student does NOT return to physical activity today. Student

may return to academic activities with parental consent.

Advise parent of need for further observation 24-48 hours,

send copy of completed Concussion Signs & Symptoms form

and*Concussion Information Package home with student.

*Concussion Information Package consists of: ( 1) letter to parents about possible concussion; and (2) Concussion Passport

A copy of page 1 of the Concussion Passport, when completed by the parent, is sent to the board office, attention Amanda Creed. When the Concussion Passport is complete the original is stored in the OSR with the Concussion Signs and Symptoms form

Concussion information and forms are in First Class, Public Conferences, Concussion folder

Student does NOT return to any

academic or physical activity while waiting for parent. Advise parent of

need for medical examination, provide copy of completed Concussion Signs &

Symptoms form and *Concussion

Information Package to parent

Possible Concussion

at School

Complete form

original to OSR, copy to parent

Student receives a bump, blow or jolt to the

head OR a fall or blow to the body that

causes the head to move rapidly.

Possible concussion

Principal or designate completes

Concussion Signs & Symptoms and

OSBIE forms; Calls parent/guardian

Concussion Signs &/or

Symptoms present

NO Concussion Signs

&/or Symptoms present

Revised October 29, 2014

Updated November, 2015

Human Resources Department Memo Inclement Weather – No Bus Days

To: Occasional Teachers From: Jennifer Rose, Executive Officer, Human Resources Re: Occasional Teachers on No Bus Days ___________________________________________________________________ On ALL No Bus Days, the occasional teacher that is assigned to a job is expected to be at the school.

1) If the occasional teacher goes to the school as assigned in Smart Find – he/she will be paid.

2) If the occasional teacher contacts the assigned school and is told by the

principal, vice-principal or principal designate not to go – he/she will be paid. 3) If the occasional teacher contacts the school and explains he/she are not able to

get to the school safety, the occasional teacher has 2 options:

1. The occasional teacher can cancel his/herself out of the assigned job in Smart Find – he/she will not be paid.

a) It is the responsibility of the occasional teacher to cancel the job in Smart Find.

b) Please use the following Decline/Cancellation Reason: 3 – Inclement Weather

2. The occasional teacher can go to the closest UGDSB school to his/her home – he/she will be paid.

a) The occasional teacher must contact the school of the assigned job in Smart Find and ask permission to go to the closer school.

b) The original Job # and School assigned in Smart Find will go on the occasional teacher’s timesheet.

c) The school the occasional teacher went to will sign the timesheet.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS When an Elementary School is Closed on a No Bus

Day, the school is closed to students. Occasional teachers are still expected to be at the school for their assignment in Smart Find. Occasional teachers may choose to be at the school they are assigned to for which they will be paid, or they may choose to cancel their assignment and will not be paid.

Updated November, 2015

No Bus Day Notices The decision to cancel transportation is made by 6:30 A.M. School bus cancellation information is posted daily on the following web sites:

Upper Grand District School Board: www.ugdsb.on.ca

Wellington Dufferin Student Transportation: www.stwdsts.ca.

Media School bus cancellation and school closure information is also available by listening to the following radio stations and watching the following news programs: AM 570 News AM 680 CFTR AM 820 CHAM AM 900 CHML AM 920 CKNX AM 1090 OLDIES AM 1150 CKOC AM 1460 CJOY

89.1 CBC KW 94.5 THE BULL 96.7 FM CHYM 98.1 FM CHFI 99.1 FM CBC 101.7 FM CKNX 102.9 FM CKLH 105.3 KOOL FM

106.1 MAGIC FM 107.9 FM CJXY CKCO-TV A Channel News CTV News, Barrie

The announcement on the radio will be one of the two following examples:

1. All school taxis and buses in Division 3 – Pink – North Wellington will not be operating today. All schools, both Public and Catholic, are open with the exception of those schools dependent on transportation. The following schools are closed: Division 3 – PINK – North Wellington: Kenilworth P.S.

2. All school taxis and buses in Division 4 – Green – Dufferin County will not be operating today.

All schools, both Public and Catholic, are closed.

Questions?

Contact the Smart Find Help Desk:

Call (519) 822-4420 ext. 803

Email SmartFind@ugdsb.on.ca