Halton Highlights. Oct ober 2014 Volum e 1. Happy World Teachers Day

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1 Halton Highlights Oct ober 2014 Volum e 1 Happy World Teachers Day POPE FRANCIS "I remember my first teacher, that woman, that teacher I had when I was six years old, in first grade. I have never forgotten her. She is why I loved school. I visited throughout her life, until she passed away, at 98." Thank you to all teachers: educating is an important mission, which draws young people to what is good, beautiful and true

2 Welcome to all our new Members! Employee Assistance Program: EAPService Providers BAYRIDGE FAMILY CENTER 1295 North Service Road Burlington CATHOLIC FAMILY SERVICES Main St. E. Hamilton LIZ HOPKINS Bronte St. S. Milton x 223 NATALIE BUCHOK 1364 Roylen Road Oakville EILEEN BELTZNER 38 Forsythe St. Oakville Hour Information Hotline: CARA GROSSET 86 Homewood Ave. Hamilton DR. LINDA JOHNSTON Guelph Line Bur lingt on DEBRA CAVANAGH 2075 Walkers Line Burlington JIM HARKINS 2441 Lakeshore West, Unit 7B Oakville DR. MARTIN SMITH 501 Plains Rd. E., 2 nd Floor Burlington SONIA PANCHYSHYN 100 Mat heson Blvd. East Suit e 204, Mississauga CALENDAR OF EVENTS HEU Executive October 9, 2014 HEU 4:30 p.m. PA Day Faith Day October 10, 2014 Stress Management October 16, 2014 Corpus Christi 4:30 p.m. H&S Reps Meeting October 21, 2014 HEU 4:30 p.m. Pension Workshop October 22, 2014 HEU 4:30 p.m. Faith Meets Pedagogy October 23-25, 2014 International Plaza TLLP Workshop October 28, 2014 HCDSB 4:00 p.m. General Meeting #1 October 30, 2014 Corpus Christi 4:30 p.m. In Memorium Our sincere sympathy and prayers go out to the following members, as well as to their family and friends: Courtney Anderson, an Occasional Teacher with the HCDSB on leave from the Board to take a teaching position in Calgary, died on February 14, 2014 Michael Banks, an Elementary teacher on leave with the Board, died on Saturday, July 26, Madison Maddie Constantini, daughter of SAUNDRA COSTANTINI, Itinerant Special Education Resource Teacher at the Catholic Education Centre, died on Saturday, June 7, Xavier Cormer, grandfather of CAROLYN BERTRAM, Teacher of the Arts at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary School in Milton, died on Monday, September 1, 2014.

3 Anthony Tony D Arcangelo, father of DANIELLE JONES, Early Childhood Educator at St. Mary Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, died on Tuesday, August 5, 2014 Karen Dean, mother of COLLETTE AGRO, Special Education Resource Teacher, at both Lumen Christi and Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Elementary Schools, Milton, died on Saturday, July 26, 2014 William Robert Bob Lee, father of JENNIFER YUST, Principal at Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School in Burlington, died on Friday, August 22, 2014 Alfonso Di Pietro, father of GABRIELLA VAN HOOYDONK, Office Assistant at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Elementary School in Burlington, died on Tuesday, August 5, Donald J. Miller, Sr., father of DIANE FERNIE, a Guidance Secretary at the Thomas Merton Centre for Continuing Education, Milton Campus, died on Thursday, June 26, Gloria Rosemarie Paron mother of ARLENE IANTOMASI, Burlington Trustee and Vice Chair of the Halton Catholic District School Board died on Thursday, July 24, 2014 Alina Sawzdargo, mother of AREK SAWZDARGO, a teacer at Assumption Catholic Secondary School, Burlington, died on Tuesday, June 3, Lou Skeoch, father of LINDA CALLAGHAN, a clerk at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary, Burlington, died on Monday, June 23, Barbara Smelko, mother of JANIS MARTINI, a teacher at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Elementary School, Milton, died on Monday, June 9, Jim Uniacke, father of PENNY UNIACKE, a teacher at St. Luke Catholic Elementary School, Oakville and Tara Herod, a Child and Youth Counsellor at St. Mary Catholic Elementary School, died on Wednesday, June 4, Theresa Lois Williams, mother of MARY ANNE WILLIAMS, teacher at St. John Catholic Elementary School, Oakville, died on Saturday, July 12, Kieran Kick O Sullivan Griffin Sr., father of BASIL GRIFFIN, Secondary Teacher at Christ the King Catholic Secondary School in Georgetown, died on Tuesday, September 9, Thomas B. Radigan, father of PAUL LAPORTA, Teacher at Lumen Christi Catholic Elementary School in Milton, died on Monday, September 15, Matthew Edward (Ted) Graham, father of KATE GRAHAM-O BRIEN, Elementary School Teacher at St. Michael Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, died on Sunday, September 21, John Jack Horan, father of CINDY HORAN O BRIEN, Literacy & Basic Skills Instructor at the Thomas Merton Centre, died on Friday, September 19, Patricia Ellen Rolland, mother of SUZANNE ROLLAND, Business Department Head at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School in Oakville, died on Sunday, September 28, Leslie Joseph Otto, father of MARIA JONES CSIKESZ, Elementary School Teacher at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, died on Tuesday, September 30, Carol Rideski (Rydzewski), Retired Itinerant SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher) and member of the HCDSB Retirement Club and sister of ROSEMARY O KEEFE(MANNING), Purchasing Clerk at the Catholic Education Centre in Burlington and sister in-law of LARRY O KEEFE, part-time custodian at St. Mary s Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, died on Thursday, September 25, 2014.

4 Life Member 2014 Catherine Ross AWARDS For Outstanding service to Catholic Education in Halton Region and the aims of Education in the Province of Ontario Catherine has been an active member of OECTA, as a Staff Rep, Executive Councillor, Committee Chairperson and AGM Delegate. She became the chairperson of the HEU s first Human Rights committee which was instrumental in developing awareness throughout our system of the issues around bottled water use. This committee continues to be active and is currently working in conjunction with the Status of Women Committee. She has been a past chairperson of the Young Author s Committee and continues to serve as a committee member. Catherine has devoted many hours to serving the members of the Halton Elementary Unit and is very deserving of this award. Presented by Brian MacDonald, Life Member 2013 Educator of the Year 2014 Connie Rowles For outstanding service to the teaching profession, the community, Catholic Education and the aims of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Connie Rowles has worked for Halton for the past 30 years, as ESL, SST and FSL teacher. She became a SERT, itinerant SERT and then a Special Ed consultant. In these roles, she supported students, parents and teachers dealing with special needs students in a caring, compassionate way and strived to help families and teachers bring out the best in exceptional students. An expert in Autism Spectrum disorders, she has been a presenter at OECTA PA days giving presentations on Learning Disabilities and providing professional development opportunities. Our Educator of the Year has been on many committees and was a regular attendee at unit meetings. Connie was awarded a $200 honorarium that she asked be donated to her charity of choice, Community Living Burlington. Presented by Catherine Ross, Life Member 2014 Life Member - Catherine Ross Educator of the Year - Connie Rowles

5 President s Forum Teaching is an incredibly rewarding and demanding profession. Sometimes during times of stress you may feel alone. Please remember that we are here to assist you. Don t contact us last, contact us first. Most members will not require OECTA s representation for disciplinary reasons throughout their careers. OECTA is able to assist and create opportunities for members in a variety of ways throughout their professional lives. Locally and Provincially Some of the supports that OECTA is able to provide to members: 0. the bargaining agent for our members: negotiates Collective Agreements. 1. professional development opportunities for both individuals and groups. 2. subsidies for funding for conferences. 3. workshops and seminars for members of all experience levels. Please see the weekly information update and the website for coming events. 4. offers AQ courses, both face to face and online. 5. training for Staff and CBC reps. 6. information meetings for Staff, CBC and Health & Safety reps. 7. provides information throughout the Leave process (medical, Maternity, unpaid). 8. advocates for and supports members through through: return to work, accommodations and attendance meetings. 9. support teachers with LTD and WSIB claims. 10. when the Collective Agreement has been violated, if resolution cannot be achieved otherwise, grievances are filed. 11. represent members throughout potential discipline/discipline meetings. 12. support and OECTA legal representation for: College of Teachers complaints, Children s Aid investigations, police investigations (related to teaching) Have you ever calculated the salary that you leave on the table by delaying the attainment of your A4 QECO rating? You can determine how to best achieve your QECO Program 5 A4 rating at or by contacting QECO directly. Halton Grid for Q & E A1 A2 A3 A

6 A3 to A4 at max times Total plus Diff Our current salary grid illustrates the difference between A3 and A4 at the top of the salary grid is $6690. per year. Over the next 20 years, assuming the grid is static and the teacher does not move from A3 to A4, the amount of unrealized salary is $ When teachers receive percentage increases, the increases in dollars are greater at the higher grid level. The average teacher draws a pension for 32 years. A teacher at A4 will receive a higher pension at retirement, than a teacher at A3 on the grid. There is a huge benefit to attaining your A4 grid category as early in your career as possible. Currently the HCDSB pays for the successful completion of OECTA Religion AQ courses, Part I, II & III. Thanks to a Ministry of Education grant, successful Math AQ participants will be eligible for a tuition subsidy of $400 from OECTA bringing the course fee down to just $150. For more information registrar@oecta.on.ca OECTA now offers AQ courses in modules. Five modules are equivalent to one AQ. A module can be completed in six weeks and costs $120. For more information go to or Please provide your QECO documentation to the Board as soon as you receive it. Always keep copies for yourself. Wishing you and yours a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving. Sincerely, Nina March, President, Halton Elementary OECTA