@ETFO/FEEO eNewsletter

Over 6 hours so far and counting...  If you've been to www.etfo.ca in the past week or so, you've probably noticed something new.  Rather than our home page, the first thing you'll see at our site is a new splash page displaying the ETFO Instructional Time Counter.  This counter calculates how much longer a typical elementary teacher has taught than a secondary colleague in the current school year.  Last year's total was 115 hours and 19 minutes--and that doesn't even take into account the preparation and assessment time associated with this extra instructional time! 

For more information on the funding gap and the impact this has on your working conditions, please visit http://closethegap.ca [dead link removed 16 Jan 2012]. 

Danny's On the Road Again

For the second year in a row, ETFO is sponsoring a province-wide tour of the award winning play Danny, King of the Basement. Danny is a funny and touching play about a boy whose spirit and imagination triumph over the challenges posed by poverty and homelessness.

The play will be presented in 70 host elementary schools in 16 school districts across Ontario and will be viewed by students from over 180 schools. The ten-week tour, funded by the Ministry of Education, is being undertaken in partnership with Roseneath Theatre.

The play is one component of ETFO's Education and Poverty Project, which also includes the DVD One in Six: Education and Poverty in Ontario, and The ETFO Poverty and Education Symposium to be held November 6-7 in Toronto.

The new tour of Danny, King of the Basement opens in Orillia on September 22nd.  A tour schedule is available on the ETFO website.  For more information, please contact Patterson Fardell, Director of Education at Roseneath Theatre, (416) 686-5199 Ext. 222.

Given today’s high gas prices, members of the York Region Occasional Teachers’ Local were ahead of their time a number of years ago when they bargained a $15 per day premium for teaching at a distant school. 

Look for more 'bites' of information on collective bargaining in future editions of @ETFO/FEEO.

10th Anniversary Retrospective Video

ETFO turned 10 on July 1, 2008.  To commemorate this milestone, a video was created which looks back on the Federation's first decade: its history, its accomplishments, and its leadership.  This video can be streamed from the ETFO Website on the home page or from About ETFO > History.  High quality WMV and MOV versions can be downloaded from the ETFO Multimedia Podcast page.

Resources and Events of Interest

• The Educational Computing Organization of Ontario (ECOO) 29th annual conference: Inspire, Connect, Teach takes place November 12 - 14, 2008 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel.
• ETFO PQP Part 1 [dead link removed 16 Jan 2012] is being offered again this fall in York Region (Newmarket) and Halton (Burlington).
• A new template is available in the Resources > For Teachers database on the ETFO website.  The Student Needs Template can be used by classroom teachers to inform occasional teachers about the students in their classrooms with special needs.
• iAccess Web from the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) is a secure member site that lets you see what your pension is worth...any time, anywhere.  Sign up for iAccess Web today.
• The Anger Within is an ETFO workshop for women designed to help them understand and deal with anger both internal and external.  The registration deadline is September 30th.