The OSSTF PD day is scheduled for October 18th this year.  Responding to the feedback from our members this year the PD Day is split to offer programs at three different locations in our board.  Programs are offered at Crestwood, East Northumberland and Courtice secondary schools, so that many of our members will not have to travel extensively.   We have also elected to forego a keynote speaker, so that there is more time for the workshops and meaningful interaction between our members.  

Due to the early date scheduled much earlier in the school year registration for options must begin immediately.  The Educational Services Commitee has been working hard to put together a fantastic array of workshops that will enrich your teaching practice and provide you with ideas and support for the new teaching year ahead.   The PD Day options are available on our website for your perusal.   Note registration opens at 6pm on September 8th.

OSSTF is hosting a conference entitled Tools and Toys - Technology in Education on October 28-29, 2010.  The conference will be in Toronto at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel on Dixon Road.  The conference will feature workshops on using various technologies in the classroom, as well as issues surrounding using those technologies in our everyday teaching practice.

More information about the workshop is available on the OSSTF Provincial Website, as well as registration forms.  The registration fee is $150.00 for OSSTF members and the hotel is offering a conference rate of $125.00 per night.  Members are encouraged to consider attending this great professional learning opportunity that has been put together by the OSSTF Educational Services department.  Deadline for registration is October 4.

OSSTF/FEESO Comité des services en langue française / French Language Services Committee is seeking nominations for its annual Award of Merit.  The award recognizes an OSSTF/FEESO member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in contributing to the growth and the promotion of the French Language within OSSTF/FEESO. Ideal candidates will also have demonstrated exceptional contributions to French Language activities in their workplace and/or in their community.

The recipient of the Award of Merit must meet the following criteria:

• (i) Be an active member in good standing in accordance with the provision of By-law 2, Section (1).
• (ii) Demonstrated exceptional leadership in the growth and promotion of the French Language within OSSTF/FEESO.
• (iii) Demonstrated exceptional contributions to French Language activities in their workplace and/or in their community.

Nominations close on November 12, 2010.  The award criteria and nomination form are available in the Documents section, Forms page.  

The Peterborough and District Labour Council will be hosting their 20th annual Labour Day Picnic on Monday, September 6 at the Pavillion at Nicholl's Oval Park.  The Park is located at the corner of Parkhill Road East and Armour Road.  The Picnic will run from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.

Over the years, local unions and organizations have attended the event and District 14 members are encouraged to attend.  

The International Day Against Homophobia, May 17, 2010, celebrated the launch of a new resource for staff and students created by Egale Canada (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere). Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale officially launched the new website myGSA.ca / monAGH.ca .

This website provides a wealth of information for youth and educators who are committed to the establishment and continued existence of Gay-Straight Alliances in Canada. Recent Egale research to be released fall 2010 has shown that schools, which have established GSA groups, have “a much higher rate of acceptance and a lower rate of homophobic incidents”.

There is still much work to be done to eliminate homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in Ontario schools. Egale offers information on the 10 basic steps staff needs to consider when starting a Gay-Straight Alliance in any school. The information found in this website will provide our members with solid, research based strategies to assist in the creation of a GSA.

The District 14 Teacher Bargaining Unit (TBU) Executive elections were held at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, May 11.  This Executive will commence their duties as of July 1, 2010.  Until that time, the current 2009-2010 Executive will continue in their current roles.  As a result of the elections, the TBU Executive for 2010-2011 will be:

• President - Janie Kelly (Adam Scott)
• First Vice-President - Dave Warda (Kenner)
• Second Vice-President - Stephen Helleiner (Clarke)

• Third Vice-President - Daniel McLean (Lakefield)

• Secretary - John Hargraft (Clarington Central)
• Treasurer - James Matheson (Cobourg East)
• Provincial Councilor - Dave Nickle (Thomas A. Stewart)
• District Officer / Chief Negotiator - Gary Fenn (Thomas A. Stewart) 
  

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) has introduced new rules concerning the number of days that a teacher who has retired to a pension may work as an occasional teacher in the future.  The new rules, that will be fully in effect as of September 2012, are outlined in the latest issue of Communiqué from the Ontario Teachers' Federation (OTF).

The new rules will limit the number of days that retired teachers can work as teachers to 50 days per school year irrespective of your number of years of retirement.  These changes are to be phased in until they take full effect in September 2012. 

Members can access past editions of Communiqué publications by clicking on the link on the side of our District 14 website under "Other Important Links"

There will be some changes to some of the rules concerning Certification of teachers in OSSTF that will take effect on September 1, 2010.  These changes are outlined in a number of publications, including the most recent edition of Update and on the OSSTF Provincial Website in the Certification Section .

Please remember that Certification Regulation 5 states:
5.2 It is the RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MEMBER to be cognizant of the latest changes in Certification Regulations and to submit, using the current application form, to the Certification Department for a re-examination of their academic record based on announced changes.

Some of the upcoming changes include, but are not limited to:

• Master’s degrees awarded on a Pass basis from a number of overseas jurisdictions will be recognized for Group placement. Previously these graduate degrees were not seen as equivalent to Ontario Master’s degrees.

• Members with a 4 year undergraduate degrees at the Pass level will only require completion of any combination of two Additional Qualifications courses taken from an Ontario Faculty of Education or University courses (second class average) in order to move from Group 2 to Group 3.

Members are encouraged to contact the Certification Department at OSSTF by calling 1-800-267-7867, or check out the Certification page on the Provincial website if they have questions.