srta newsletter october 2015

7/17/2019 SRTA Newsletter October 2015

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SEINE RIVER TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER

October

2015

Volume 11.1

Dear valued members of the associa on,

It’s hard to believe that October isalready upon us. It seems like onlyyesterday that the doors opened foranother new school year. I am se linginto two new roles — one as thedivisional Technology Integra on SupportTeacher, and the second as a proudmember of the Manitoba Teachers ’

Society Provincial Execu ve. So, inaddi on to all of the great things I get tobe involved in as your president, I amnow fortunate to be working with a greatdeal of you as you integrate iPads in yourclassrooms. I am also pleased to beliaising with many of our colleaguesacross the province, as this year I am the

chair of the MTS Workplace Health &Safety Standing Commi ee, as well as anew Ad-Hoc Commi ee established tolook at how technology is a ec ngteacher workload. Su ce it to say, I ’venever been busier, but at the same me, Iknow that the work I’m doing on behalfof all of you is well worth the e ort.Teachers deserve the best from theirleadership, and I take those

responsibili es very seriously.

So, what’s been happening in theAssocia on since September began?

Well, for one, we a empted somethingen rely new, and that was the September8th school visits, where I managed to visitevery school and workplace over thecourse of the day to bring gree ngs fromthe SRTA and to remind you all of a fewimportant things. I was generally pleasedabout how the day went, and I ’m alreadythinking about how to make it evenbe er and more e cient next year.

At the most recent council mee ng, the2015-2016 budget was passed and notonly are your member dues stayingexactly where they were last year, but wemanaged to move some funds around tohave money available for our very owno ce space in Ste. Anne! I movedeverything in last week, and while it’s s llin need of some organiza on, I have beenworking in the new space since October1st. Once I have things presentable, I will

be invi ng you all down for a grandopening of sorts, so watch your emails forfurther details.

This newsle er is out early in Octoberthis year so that we can make sure topass on some great informa on aboutthe upcoming federal elec on. TheCanadian Teachers Federa on has somegreat informa on and materials at

vox.c -fce.caand the Societyheld its rst evervirtual townhallon September20th. I washelping screencallers thatevening but I hope many of you wereable to listen to MTS president NormGould talk about our profession and theimpact our vo ng might have on shapingthe poli cal landscape for the next fouryears. It is very important for all of us to

vote, and if you found me over theThanksgiving long weekend to visitadvance ballots, then thank you! Forthose that are vo ng on Monday,October 19th, when you mark that ballot,remember to vote with teachers andstudents in mind.

Beyond the elec on materials, thisnewsle er is JAM PACKED with amazingar cles from your colleagues within and

outside of the SRTA. A big, big thank yougoes to our new Public Rela ons chairSandy Turco e (EIDCS) who did anamazing job with this edi on of thenewsle er, our rst of the 2015 -2016school year.

In solidarity, for each of you and foreach other,

Jona h W ite

President ’s

Message



FEDERAL ELECTION 2015




Teachers Believe A strong publicly funded public educa-tion system, rooted in the principles ofuniversality, equity, responsivenessand accountability, is essential to sus-taining and promoting our democraticsociety working for the good of all.



SRTA EXECUTIVE 2015-2016

Get Involved on SRTA Commi ees We have many commi ees which can use your help and e orts. If you are someone

who wants to help your colleagues by discussing and shaping the work of the associa-on, contact the chair of the commi ee to see how you can get involved. They are:

Dan Lagace, Collec ve Bargaining Chair: [email protected]

Jason Sparling, Educa on Finance Chair: ed [email protected]

Ashley McKague, Employee Bene ts Chair: bene [email protected]

Rebecca Brown, Equity & Social Jus ce Chair: [email protected] Leslie Bu e, Health & Wellness Chair: [email protected]

Kaitlan Robertson Professional Development Chair:[email protected]

Sandy Turco e, Public Rela ons Chair: [email protected]

Pat Liss, Workplace Safety & Health Chair: [email protected]

Jonathan Waite

President Cindy Mason

Secretary Eric Lindquist

Treasurer Jason Sparling

Educa on Finance Rebecca Brown Vice President /

Equity & Social Jus ce

Ashley McKague

Employee Bene tsLeslie Bu e

Health & Wellness Kaitlan Robertson

ProfessionalDevelopment

Sandy Turco e

Public Rela ons Dan Lagacé

Collec ve Bargaining/Resolu ons

Pat Liss Workplace Safety &

Health



NEWS FROM THE EXECUTIVE

EI Rebate and Member Fees by Eric Lindquist, Treasurer

SRTA membership fees for this year will again be $150. MTSmembership fees have increased to $956 (up from $939 in2014-2015).

SRTA membership fees are “subsidized” par ally from an EIRebate that the school division receives due to SRTA havingnego ated Short Term Disability. Basically what that means is,SRTA members pay EI premiums like“regular workers”, butbecause SRTA members cannot collect EI, the en re amountcollected by SRSD is refunded back to SRTA members. Therefund is used to reduce SRTA fees.

This agreement is not standard across the province, with someTeacher Associa ons receiving anywhere from 50% of theamount collected to 100%. So the next me you see aCollec ve Bargaining Commi ee member, thank them for that.Or shoot the Chair of the Commi ee an email [email protected].

Employee Bene ts

by Ashley McKague, Employee Bene ts Chair

Did you Know? -You can now submit your claims online! No need tond a stamp and envelope. Simply head towww.mb.bluecross.ca and register for an account.Once your account is created it is easy to uploadinforma on and have your reimbursement directlydeposited into your banking account.

-You can claim up to $850 per person per calendar yearfor licensed massage therapy! Massage therapy is a

great way to help for back/neck/any type of pain, and isalso great for stress relief. Di erent massage therapistshave di erent styles (deep ssue, relaxa on, etc.) nd aprac oner that is right for you!

-You can see a registered die cian and claim up to $850per calendar year per person.

(cont ’ d on page 7)

Collec ve Bargaining by Dan Lagacé, Collec ve Bargaining Chair

Welcome back fellow members. I hope everyone is well restedand ready for another great year! This past summer I had thepleasure of a ending my rst Bargaining Summer SchoolSeminar at Hecla Resort. This experience has shown manythings in regards to my role as YOUR Collec ve Bargainingchair. I’ve had some conversa ons with other locals aroundthe province and we are a very select few in Seine River tohave a good rela onship with our board of trustees. Many ofyou may not be aware but in June of 2014 all of theassocia ons across the province were in nego a ons withtheir boards. Since then, the latest numbers show that 24 of38 locals (63%) have se led their agreements and 2 locals are

at an impasse. This means that 14 locals are working without acontract.

At this me, we are in our 2 nd year of our contract and will bein nego a ons come June 2017. Planning for the upcomingcontract isn ’t done quickly. I’m now in the process of askingour membership two things:

1. Are you interested in joining the commi ee for the nextround of nego a ons? If yes, you can email me [email protected].

2. What are some issues you would like added or changedwithin our collec ve agreement? I would like to hear yourvoice and your ideas.

Thank you for your me!

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.mb.bluecross.ca/



http://www.mb.bluecross.ca/





(Employee Bene ts, con nued from page 6)

-You can see a clinical psychologist and claim up to $850 percalendar year per person

-You can see a chiropractor and claim up to $850 percalendar year per person

*All of these services will be reimbursed at 80% of eligibleexpenses. For example, if the massage is $80.00, you will bereimbursed for $64.00.

TRAF ReportNote: All school divisions will be deduc ng based on numberof days paid in a month by September 2016 (requiredcontribu ons)

Voluntary Contribu ons Operates like a separate re rement savings account Subject to limits under the Income Tax Act (Canada) Deducted from salary through school division Accumulate with interest at fund rate of return (last

year rate of return was 13.68%) Can be converted to a monthly annuity at re rement,paid as a lump sum before re rement or used topurchase eligible service Calculator and Applica on are available on TRAFwebsite

For more detailed info from Glen Anderson at theMTS, see the back page of this newsle er

Considera ons TRAF’s investment strategy is focused on TRAF’s long-term funding objec ves and may not be consistent withyour investment objec ves and risk tolerance With an RRSP contribu on, you can tailor yourinvestments to meet your personal investmentobjec ves and risk tolerance RRSP contribu ons are available for other uses such asHome Buyers’ Plan and Lifelong Learning Plan Consult with a professional advisor prior to makingdecision

SRTA PD Fund 2015 -2016 By Kaitlan Robertson, PD Chair

You know what’s be er than professional development,professional development sponsored by your friendly SeineRiver Teacher Associa on! As a member of the SRTA, you areeligible to funding towards a number of di erent PDopportuni es. We sort PD into 4 separate categories: In -Area,Out-of -Area, University Courses, Group Projects, and ClassroomVisits.

Everyone in the division who pays full associa on fees is eligiblefor In-Area, Group Projects, and Classroom Visits.

In-Area: is any form of personal development that anindividual seeks out to be er their individual prac cewithin 100km of our school division, excluding SAGE, alsoknown as MTS Professional Development Day.

Group Project: is an opportunity for a group of Associa onmembers who wish to work together on a common point ofinterest.

Classroom Visit: is an opportunity for Associa on memberto observe other professionals to enhance their classroomprac ce. This does not have to be within the division, youare encouraged to observe colleagues in other divisions aswell.

Professionals who pay associa on fees and are employed with apermanent contract may also apply for Out -of -Area andUniversity Courses.

Out -of -Area: is an exci ng opportunity to seek outdevelopment over 100km from our division perimeter.

University : Just as it sounds, this funding allows you toapply for some funds towards your university coursework.

For more informa on on how you can apply for some nancialassistance towards your professional development, please referto the SRTA website and refer to the PD Guidelines.

Lastly, don’t forget on October 23 , we will all be a ending ourMTS Professional Development Day. Sessions ll up quickly sotry to register as soon as possible to get the most out of thisday. Can’t wait to hear about your MTS PD Days!!



FOR YOUR INFORMATION

(The Health Benefits of Dogs cont ’ d from page 9)

Dogs and the health bene ts for

children

Not only do children who grow up with pets have less riskof allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility,compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat.

Unlike parents or teachers, pets are never cri cal and don ’tgive orders. They are always loving and their mere presence athome can help provide a sense of security in children. Having anever-present dog can help ease separa on anxiety in childrenwhen mom and dad aren ’t around.

Having the love and companionship of a loyal dog can makea child feel important and help him or her develop a posi veself -image.

Kids who are emo onally a ached to their dog are be erable to build rela onships with other people.

Studies have also shown that dogs can help calm

hyperac ve or overly aggressive kids. Of course, both the dogand the child need to be trained to behave appropriately witheach other. Children and adults alike can bene t from playing withdogs, which can be both a source of calmness andrelaxa on, as well as a source of s mula on for the brainand body. Playing with a dog can even be a doorway tolearning for a child. It can s mulate a child ’s imagina onand curiosity. The rewards of training a dog to perform anew trick, for example, can teach kids the importance ofperseverance. Caring for a furry friend can also o er

another bene t to a child: immense joy .

Professional Development of Teachers By Jim Partaker, President, Prairie Spirit Teachers ’ Associa on

As teachers and members of the Manitoba Teachers ’ Society we are bound by the Code of Professional Prac ce and eachmember ’s professional behaviour must re ect the spirit as well as follow the le er of the Professional Code of Prac ce.

In the Code of Professional Prac ce it clearly states, “A Member makes an ongoing e ort to improve professionally; ” this meansthat every school year a teacher/member must make every e ortto improve their prac ce through professional learning.

Professional Development or learning is a means of achieving thisrequirement and allows teachers to gain valuable knowledge intheir eld or elds of interest.

When we a end PD events in our Divisions or outside theDivision, we are professionally bound to a end the session to theend, and acquire informa on from the sessions that will help usgrow professionally.

We also have to respect the me and e ort put in by our fellowteachers who prepare and present material that will help us in the

day-to-day duty to our students.

Contactus!

www.seineriverteachers.com

Twi er: @seineriverteach

Facebook: .me/seineriverteach




October 23 rd : The Teacher Becomes the Student By Marcela Cabezas, Vice -President Professional Development, Louis Riel Teachers ’ Associa on

My six-year old son, who is in Grade 1, was very disappointed on our last PD day. You see, my husband and Iare both teachers and he thought no school for him meant no school for mom and dad; ergo a day to spendmore me with him. I explained to my son that on PD days, we teachers get to switch roles, be the studentsand learn all day long, just like he gets to do every day with his classmates. With that explained and hisconfusion alleviated, he replied, “That sounds like fun, Mom. Have a great day at school!”

While the October PD Day has undergone many name changes in recent memory, much like entertainersPu Daddy, Snoop Dog, and the ar st formerly known as Prince, the very nature of the day remains thesame. The 44th Annual MTS Professional Development Day (formerly known as SAGE day, formerly known aSAG day) will take place on Friday, October 23rd. With thirty special area groups o ering over 800workshops, there truly is something for everyone to par cipate in and to enjoy!

The MTS Professional Development Day is similar to any other professional development day, except that itis on a much grander scale. On this professional development day, teacher autonomy is at the forefront aswe are able to select which of the many SAGE Co-ordinatedConferences or ÉFM sessions we wish to a end thatday. An added bonus is that, through a ending theseconferences, we are provided the opportunity to meet,network, learn with, and learn from colleagues from

across the province. The following Monday in ourclassroom could fundamentally change as a result ofsomething we learn, someone we meet, or somethingwe see that day. That is what I personally love abouta ending the MTS PD day.

In any case, I hope that your par cipa on in the MTSProfessional Development Day proves bene cial to youand what you do in the classroom. Join thousands ofother teachers, including the President and VicePresident of the Society, by par cipa ng in thisvaluable professional development opportunity. OnFriday, October, 23rd, “You’re the student, stay theday,” and on behalf of my son and me, “Have a greatday at school!”

Wan ng to switch up your SAGE Day experience?

Bilingual Bonus – Why not a end a session o eredby ÉFM this year to brush up on your French? Ou

pourquoi ne pas assistez à une session d ’ un des

groupes de SAG ce e année ?

50/50 – Do you have more than one teachable area?Hit up two conferences; one in the morning and onein the a ernoon! Some Special Area Groups o er ahalf day rate if contacted ahead of me.

Think Outside the Box – Just because you don ’tteach a certain subject area doesn ’t mean you can ’tgo to that conference. Take a look at the programo erings of other SAG groups that could connect toyour professional assignment and related ac vi esor addresses needs in your school. Hearing/seeingthings from a di erent perspec ve might be ratherinspiring.

It’s a Date! – A ending sessions with a friend issome mes easier than going alone. Chat with friendsto nd out where they are going in order to see ifyou’d be interested in tagging along.



PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Summer Ins tute: Engaging in theories and prac ces of human rights

educa on: a partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

by Amanda Schnell, SAE

This summer I took a course at the University of Manitoba called Summer Ins tute: Engaging in theories and prac cesof human rights educa on: a partnership with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The course ran from July 2ndto 15th and was facilitated by professors Dr. Melanie Janzen and Dr. Jerome Cranston. The course took place at boththe University and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and featured lectures from the professors and guestspeakers from all over the country.

Through the span of 10 days many topics on human rights where covered. Lectures included topics such as ‘What areHuman Rights?’, The Danger of a Single Story’, ‘The Rights of a Child’, ‘Globaliza on and Schooling’, and ‘Educa onabout, Through and for Human Rights”. There were also a variety of guest speakers who spoke on topics such as thearchitecture of the human rights building, teaching human rights controversy, indigenous rights at the human rightsmuseum, and the human rights dimensions of food sovereignty. We were also privileged to take 4 tours of theCanadian Museum of Human Rights. On our tours we were educated on the architecture and design of the Museum,an overview of all of the galleries in the Museum, and took two school tours called ‘When Rights are Denied’ and‘Perspec ves on Human Rights in Canada/Deba ng Rights ’.

For anyone taking their post bach or masters this is a great course. The professors and guest speakers were bothhighly intelligent and inspiring. The course is 6 credit hours in 10 days so it is very intense (so if you do decide to takeit, do not plan to have life for those 10 days). It was however well planned out with days both at the University andthe Museum. I was able to explore and learn more about the Museum than the general public due to this course

which was an added bonus since I was a rst me visitor to the Museum. We also had a nal taking ac on project thatinspired us to create an ac on plan for bring human rights educa on to our schools. I would highly recommend thiscourse to anyone.

2015 Na onal Conference for

Kindergarten Teachers

by Vanessa Villing, ELI With 6,500 other educators from around the world and

200 experts, I a ended the “I Teach K” conference in LasVegas for 3 days put on by Sta Development forEducators. I have never been to a conference this largebefore and it was very rewarding.

All sessions were presented by various educa onalleaders -seasoned classroom teachers, K -teachers, formerK-teachers, educators, renowned speakers and award -

winning authors.

Not only were there educa onal sessions to choose from

such as hands-on, technology, make and take and see it inac on sessions, but there were also conference add -onssuch as Meet and Greet with your peers and educa onalexperts, a “Pinterest Party ”, numerous book signings andmore.

Make and Take sessions o ered hands -on projects andac vi es you could bring back to your classroom.

Hands-on sessions were highly interac ve sessionso ering a wealth of strategies and techniques.

See it in Ac on sessions used videos to show you how toapply what you learn.

In addi on to all the sessions to choose from, theconference also had 133 exhibitors and a book store lled

(cont ’ d on page 17)




(2015 Na onal Conference for

Kindergarten Teachers con nued from

page 16)

with a wide variety of items to ful llany teacher ’s shopping list forstudents, classroom, teaching andmore.

The conference was held in the hotelthat I was staying at, so it made iteasy to get to the sessions. It is hardto explain the amount of educatorsthat I saw each day. You knew youwere seeing educators by the red bagthey were carrying which read “Neverstop being a Student ” and the lanyardwith the logo “I teach K!”.

Each day I a ended 2 sessions in themorning and two sessions in thea ernoon. I obtained many newideas, games, strategies,manipula ves, songs and newlearning from a ending this “I TeachK” conference. I really enjoyed thatthe sessions were unique toKindergarten teachers. It is not o enthat I a end a P.D. for Kindergarten

teachers only. I enjoyed all thesessions that I chose and will makewhat I learned from these sessionswork in my classroom. The sessionswere in English but the ideaspresented could be transferred to theFrench classroom se ng.

One idea that I found relevant to myteaching was the idea of how the

brain learns by pa ern but seeks andis simulated by novelty. Content bethe hook not the game. For example,one can have the same game to teachmany concepts but make it a noveltyfor children by changing one aspect ofthe format of a game eg. changing thepicture or characters of the game.

The Keynote speaker was Todd Parr,the author of “The Peace Book”, “It’sok to be Di erent ” and many otherbooks. During that session, Todd Parrsaid that he was told that he wouldnever make it as an ar st by a teacherand yet he creates the art in hisbooks. “Teachers words are verypowerful” says Todd. I 100% agree.

Never underes mate our students!Todd Parr also talked a lot aboutreading and ge ng children at a

young age to read. Read, read, read!He was a very inspira onal speaker.Todd Parr signed my book “J’aime la

Terre” and I got to speak a li le bitwith him and of course take a picturewith him. There were also otherauthors and cd signings.

Aside from K-teachers, this na onalconference was also foradministrators, 1 st and 2nd gradeteachers, Di eren ated Instruc onand Singapore Math Strategies.

I would like to thank the SRTA PD fundfor allowing me the chance to a endthis conference. Without theirassistance and support, I would nothave been able to a end theconference that was truly a wonderfulexperience and an opportunity forfurther learning to enhance myteaching.

I would also like to thank my principalin suppor ng the idea of me a endingthis conference.




Go Play! Course Completed: Or Level III ( nal level for Or Specialist cer ca on)

Course Date: July 2nd – 15th, 2015

Course Loca on: University of Manitoba By Michelle Mielniczek -Loboz

Beginning on the 2nd un l the 15 th of July of this past summer in 2015, I was immersed in the nal level of cer ca on of a certainapproach to music educa on for children developed by Carl Or . Anyone who has taken a 6-credit hour course in the summermost likely understands the intense experience that the two week me frame can bring to the table! Once I completed the course(Or Level III) though and my extreme zombie-like exhaus on was cured by some much needed catch -up sleep over the followingfew days, the intensity was looked upon as pride and joy in that I was able to overcome all the struggles that naturally presentthemselves in such a fast -paced course. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, I felt …well, “Or ” the wall! …but let ’s start at thebeginning…

Or . Or instruments. SRSD Annual Or Day. These are terms that many classroom teachers might have heard theirstudents and/or the music teacher use at their schools. What exactly is Or ? Now that I am o cially cer ed as an Or Specialist(there are three levels to complete for this cer ca on) as of this summer, I should be able to share some insight or at least clarifythe basics for you!

He went by the name of Or . Carl Or . He hailed from Germany in the 20 th century (b.1895; d.1982) and was a famous musician and composer. Does CarminaBurana ring a bell to anyone? That is really his most well-known piece of work butthat is okay if you don’t recognize it by its name as I’m sure if I could a ach a soundclip to this ar cle you would say that it sounds familiar!

In any case, aside from composing, he is also famous for educa ng the

young in musicianship and skill sets which then led him to developing an approach tomusic educa on for children (and hence the basis of the course I completed). Heintegrated some known approaches to music educa on into his own ideals in orderto create a more holis c approach that includes speech, singing, body percussion,instrument playing, movement, and drama – plus, the child’s natural playfulness.With these elements in mind and along with his colleague Gunild Keetman, hecreated a set of ve books that contain many models of musical inspira on in crea ng and composing. The volumes includemostly original composi ons (melodic and rhythmic) with a focus on speech and rhythm as the cornerstone of musical explora onand skill building. The lessons build upon each other throughout the progression of the volumes and even a growth ofinstrumenta on is witnessed in the books since Or , along with another colleague, developed and created what we know today

as the typical the classroom xylophone (aka “Or instruments ”) in various sizes and mbres (wood and metal – the la er knownas metallophones).

These volumes are important elements to learning about his approach as a teacher and so each level of the Orcer ca on program explores the volumes but this third and nal level that I completed had us closely examining the role andpedagogical planning behind these volumes. We really had the chance to understand the inner workings of Or ’s approach tomusic educa on for children but not through listening to lectures or reading endless pages of historical books. Instead, we playedthrough the music and created our own lesson plans based on his ideals on sequences, including several of our own composi ons.The teachers involved us in this learning process and, well, that really encompasses what the Or process is all about as he oncesaid: “Tell me, I forget; Show me, I remember; Involve me, I understand ” (Or ). (cont ’ d on page 19)




(Go Play! con nued from page 18)

In addi on, he rmly believed that children learn best through “play” and explora on. This natural way oflearning should be applied to how they learn music as it will become a part of them and their music skill

sets will develop though this crea ve explora on: “Since the beginning of me, children have not liked tostudy. They would rather play, and if you have their interests at heart, you will let them learn while theyplay; they will nd that what they have mastered is child ’s play ” (Or ).

Of these workbooks lled with wonderful musical composi ons for children of all ages Or himself said,“The ve volumes contain the experiences from nearly thirty years ’ work. Nevertheless this rst a emptto lay the founda ons in print can only include a fragment of the inherent possibili es. To avoid thedanger of di usion, and in order not to disturb the structural unity of the work as a whole, many ideas have been barely suggested,and countless sources of material have had to be omi ed. May this be a s mulant and star ng point for those teachers that follow. Ithas been wri en for the young and to them it is dedicated ” (Carl Or , Schulwerk –Vol. V, preface ).

Or , like most ar sts, never felt like his work on these books was ever a nal product - it seems as there is always more to edit andchange – but yet he knew of their value. These were released in the mid -20th century and even published in di erent languages. Theyhave been used by various teachers in various countries around the world since then and s ll today. Even a er all that me, a er all thechanges in music educa on programming, his approach s ll re ects the core of how children learn best: through play and explora on.His approach to music educa on has stood the test of me and with high -quality cer ca on programs like the one I completed,prominent Or -based workshops for teachers led by experienced Or Specialists, and student music days based upon the Or approach(in our school division, we hold an annual Or Day that was ini ated by myself and another music colleague in 2010) in various ci esaround the world, his approach the music educa on for children will con nue to uphold its true value.

So, Carl Or who was from Germany and a musician/composer in the 20 th century, is the reason why you might hear the term “Or ” or“Or instruments ” (or even “SRSD Annual Or Day” on a more local level) but now you know that people that use these terms aren ’ttalking nonsense and aren ’t “Or ” the wall. You now know that they speak of a wise man and his approach to music educa on thatembodies the spirit of the young learners and young musicians, who are just “kids at play”. Children may seem “o the wall ” at mes but

it is through this playfulness that they learn about the world around them and Or recognized this natural yet profound means ofexplora on. The three levels of these courses, along with my teaching and PD experiences, has helped me to gain perspec ve into thiswonderfully appealing approach to learning (speci cally, music educa on) so enough talk then - go play !

EY & MY School Counselling(University of Winnipeg)

by Eric Lindquist, DTS

This summer I had the opportunity to takeEY & MY School Counselling at the

University of Winnipeg. The course isrequired for everyone enrolled in theSchool Counselling Stream and waso ered as part of the “Summer IntensiveProgram”, where roughly three monthsare condensed into four days. While thiscourse is directed towards counsellors, itgives all educators some insight into manyof the problems our students deal withand provides some strategies to help cope(both for students and teachers).

I don’t think the 35 par cipants in the

course had any idea just how “intensive”this week would be. Through a researchpaper, we were required to nd our“counselling style” based on theore calapproaches to counselling. We were toinclude at least 5 ac vi es to supportwhole schools, classrooms, small groups,

and individuals. A small group presenta on was also partof the workload. We were asked topresent on a par cular popula on thatwould require counselling interven on.Some examples were behaviour, anxiety,children of divorce, anger, and low self -esteem.

Perhaps the most bene cial assignmentwas the development of a year plan/resource binder for a school counsellor.

We were to include monthly and weeklyschedules outlining what our year wouldlook like. Just about every form possiblefor a counsellor to ll out was alsoincluded. SRSD Sharepoint was my bestfriend for this assignment.

Stress levels were running quite highduring the week and we thought theworkload would nally get to us. Manywere rethinking future career goals andwondering if it would really ma er if wewalked out and con nued our teaching aswe did before. But then something crazyhappened: the assignments got done, theweek ended, and we all survived with abe er understanding of what a schoolcounsellor does and who they are helping.Thank you to the PD commi ee forproviding the funding.




Educa onal LeadershipProfessor: Dr. Jon Young July 2 -24, 2015

by Joanne Comte, CSNC

Educa onal leadership in a new course o ered at the University ofManitoba. It is a requirement for obtaining the leadership cer cateas part of your post baccalaureate. This course focusses at issues thatleaders face on an everyday basis. It addresses both theore cal andprac cal skills that leaders may nd useful to use to overcome theseissues. Throughout this course, we analyzed and discussed ar clesfrom various authors who specialize in educa onal leadership suchas Leithwood and the Wallace Founda on. As a class, we wereable to re ect on what research deems to be an e ec ve andsuccessful leader. Various speakers and superintendents cameto discuss their school and division models in regards toleadership. They created conversa ons of what works for themand why. This provided lots of insight on viewing problems andsolu ons through di erent eyes.

Outside teacher instruc on, leadership in a school most in uencesstudent success. This course focusses on how leaders can bemore e ec ve so that students can be more successful.Educa onal leadership can occur in a variety of methods.Distributed leadership amongst vice -principals, instruc onalleaders and teachers has demonstrated very posi ve e ects to aschool environment. An emphasis was also placed on howleaders can be more e ec ve when they are more involved inthe instruc on that occurs in schools, not simply the schoolbureaucracy. The problem that arises with this is memanagement.

Overall, this was a course which created a lot of insight and re ec onthrough meaningful conversa ons on e ec ve leaders.

DTS Grade 7/8 Group Project

The purpose of our PD request was to have the opportunityto meet in order to further provide rich, authen c andrelevant tasks to a diverse group of students at varyinglevels. Research shows that to be successful teachers needto have intense prepara on and collabora on to explorenew ideas and re ect on past prac ces. As a group wewanted to be sure to emphasize the interrelatedness ofthinking cri cally, crea vely and re ec vely. Within this wefeel our role is to nurture students ’ social responsibility bothculturally and personally while communica ng these ideasorally, digitally and in wri en form.

With the release me provided we approached our goal in

the following way:

1) Re ect on Past prac ces

We discussed what prac ces we currently employ in theclassroom as well as what we emphasized in thecurriculum. The majority of our me was spent on coming toa common belief surrounding the essen al outcomes invarious subjects and how certain outcomes t into otherareas of instruc on.

2) Cross -Curricular Planning

Our group incorporated constructed learning and strategiesthat focused on a number of areas. With our cross-curriculargoals/outcomes set (see above) we began to plan authen clearning tasks that leant themselves to higher level thinkingand problem solving. Once done our group objec ve was tobring this back to our classrooms to be implemented,re ected upon and improved.

While this is an ongoing process where we have alreadymade adjustments and improvements, the me we receivedwas invaluable to our growth as professionals. Theopportunity to discuss points of view and absorb others ’

ideas has enabled our group to grow as a learningcommunity. This was impera ve as it allowed us to explorehow to plan cohesively, implement new strategies, andevaluate formal and informal feedback as group. Eventhough we are s ll in the beginning stages of thisprofessional learning process we are already seeing some ofthe desired results in student performance with regards tounderstanding the essen al outcomes, rather than simplybeing taught the informa on.




Suppor ng Writers in French Immersion:Second Language Research Ins tute of

Canada (Group Project) by Marie -Josee Morneau, Shannon Philippe,

and Holly Sorenson

As leaders of the divisional French Immersion wri ngcommi ee, it seemed a natural t for us to a endthe na onal conference Soutenir les auteurs en

immersion at the University of New Brunswick thispast July. It was especially en cing considering that

the main presenters at the conference are thepioneers of the recent launch of the na onal wri ngcon nuum for learners in the French Immersionprogram. This referen al is one of many ini a ves ofthe French Immersion Teachers Associa on (ACPI),and is the driving force behind the work we are doingwith our divisional professional learning commi ee,focused on wri ng in French Immersion.

Some of the highlights of the conference included:

The Wri ng Process

Planning Instruc on

The Gradual Release of Responsibility

Iden fying Needs

Goal Se ng

Forma ve Assessment

The Wri ng Traits

Self -Assessment

Di eren ated Instruc on

As the week progressed, we were able toshare some of our early successes with theresearchers and gladly accepted an invita on topresent our experiences with the par cipants on thenal day of the conference. Following ourpresenta on, a number of par cipants approachedus and commented on how useful and prac cal thesharing of our journey was, and how much theyenjoyed seeing photos and hearing comments fromthe students ’ point of view. As we re ect on ourprofessional growth, we can say with con dence thatwe are most certainly heading in the right direc onand look forward to our con nued work with ourawesome team!



Aboriginal Games and Ac vi es / Conceptsof Recrea on and Leisure

by Graham Bodnar, RCH

This summer, I was given the opportunity to begin my Post-

Baccalaureate Diploma in Educa on through the Universityof Manitoba. With the help of funding from our Seine RiverTeacher’s Associa on, I completed two University courses,“Aboriginal Games and Ac vi es ” and “Concepts ofRecrea on and Leisure ”. Some courses in the Post -Bacprogram can be chosen based on interest as opposed tosimply ful lling requirements and that was de nitely thecase with these two courses.

They were both very applicable in regards to myprofessional development. The course, Aboriginal Gamesand Ac vi es, not only provided me with a lot of resourcesand prac cal ideas for new ac vi es to use in the gym andoutdoors as a Physical Educa on teacher, but it provided allof the history to go along with each ac vity. This isimportant as our students will now have an opportunity tolearn about the history of Aboriginal culture from an ac veperspec ve. The course, Concepts of Recrea on andLeisure, gave me a lot of insight into how Canadians spendtheir leisure me outside of school, both now and as adults.

If my goal is to build lifelong par cipant that are bothphysically literate and ac ve, it is important to know theexis ng trends and what opportuni es lay ahead for our

students in theirrecrea onal futureoutside of physicaleduca on class.

Without ques on, Iwould recommend bothof these courses toanyone else whobelieves the subjectma er would beinteres ng to them. Thecoursework itself was not overly di cult, but assured thatyou had to keep up with the material on a regular basis. TheAboriginal themed course was extremely ac ve andprac cal, while the Leisure based course was lled withtheory and informa on to help with planning andevalua on. As I con nue my Post -Bac educa on, I certainlyhope I can nd more courses that are this applicable to myposi on as a Physical Educa on teacher in our division.Thank you to the SRTA for this wonderful and bene cialopportunity.


Introducon to Research MethodsInstructor: Heather Anderson

July 2-24, 2015by Joanne Comte, CSNC

Introducon to research methods is a required course oered bythe University of Manitoba as part of the Educaon Mastersprogram. It focusses on the requirements needed to write athesis specically how to write -up both qualitave and quantaveresearch using APA format. This courses purpose is to provide abroad insight on research. Further courses are available to furtherdevelop research skills.

This course provided insight to students on how to research reliablesources and use a variety of resources to write a literaryreview. The course also took some me to focus on theethics and the importance to ensure that our research is ethically

sound.

This course would be useful for someone who chooses to write athesis for their masters. It provided much useful praccalinforma on as well as the dos and don ’ts when comple ng athesis. This course is less useful for individuals who which tocomplete the comprehensive exam as part of their thesis. Itwould be more bene cial if the University o ered two courses

that focusses each specically on either thesis or thecomprehensive exam and students could chose the course thatbest suits their program.

In conclusion, if you want to complete your masters in theeducaon at the University of Manitoba, you are required to takethis course, however, if you are not compleng a thesis as part of

masters, this course is not as bene cial as others I havetaken.




Making Addi onalVoluntary

Contribu ons to TRAF

Did you know that you can make addi onal voluntarycontribu ons (AVCs) to TRAF in addi on to your regular TRAFcontribu ons?

AVCs do not impact your TRAF pension formula, but are ratherlike a separate re rement savings account. Making an AVC thisyear will reduce your allowable RRSP contribu on room nextyear by the same amount.

The Income Tax Act (Canada) permits AVCs up to the lesser of:

• 18% of your salary, less your pension adjustment, or

• The Money Purchase limit as prescribed by the Income Tax Act(Canada).

Under the TRAF program, this limit is reduced by anadministra ve “cushion” to ensure you do not inadvertentlyexceed your limit and incur penal es under tax laws.

AVCs are credited with TRAF’s investment rate of return (posi veor nega ve). While making AVCs enables you to take advantageof TRAF’s comprehensive investment program and lowadministra ve costs. It is important to know that TRAF’sinvestment strategy is focused on the long -term funding

objec ves of the pension plan and may not be consistent withyour investment objec ves and risk tolerance. However, AVC ’swill be charged the same Investment Management fees as TRAF

which are signi cantly less than those charged by retailInvestment managers.

The balance in the account can be converted to a monthlyannuity at re rement (not eligible for cost of living adjustments),paid as a lump sum prior to re rement (as cash, less withholdingtax, or transferred to your RRSP) or used to purchase eligibleservice with TRAF.

If you wish to make an AVC, it must be deducted from your salaryas a payroll deduc on. You may increase, decrease ordiscon nue this deduc on at any me.

To make AVCs, use the Addi onal Voluntary Contribu onCalculator to determine the amount you are allowed tocontribute and then complete the Addi onal Voluntary

Contribu on Applica on. The calculator and applica on can befound on the TRAF website at www.traf.mb.ca.

It’s always a good idea to consult a professional advisor beforemaking a decision.

For further informa on you can contact TRAF, at 204 949 0048 or800 782 0714 and ask for a member services representa ve, or

Glen Anderson, MTS Sta o cer bene ts, at 204 831 3052 or866 494 5747.



Ques ons and Answers Q: How many days of leave am I en tled to when my partner gives birth?

A:

There are no speci c leave days for these wonderful and life-changing events, but they do fall underAr cle 8: Family Medical Leave under the Collec ve Agreement.

Q: Do teachers who are less than full - me have to a end every sta mee ng?

A: In consulta on with the superintendent and MTS, I would say it would be reasonable for a part - meteacher to a end as many sta mee ngs as possible. Our professionals know that the informa ondiscussed at a sta mee ng can be very important to the mee ng of school goals and the day -to-dayac vi es in the school. If out of the building (i.e. not teaching on that given day) teachers shouldmake arrangements with the principals in their buildings to get the informa on presented at the sta

mee ng the next day, and to address ques ons and concerns to their principals. This goes forteachers who are on PD opportuni es outside of the school who would nd it di cult to return to theschool in me for the sta mee ng, as many PD sessions go later into the a ernoon.

Q: How much no ce do I have to give the Division if I plan on

re ring?

A: For re rements at the end of December, no ce needs to begiven a minimum of one month in advance. For re rements atthe end of June, it depends on when you signed your permanent

contract. If prior to 2004, then it ’s May 31st, but a er 2004 it ’sApril 30th. These are the minimums - teachers can give moreno ce than this if they so choose.

Got a ques on? Email Jonathan at [email protected]


SRTA Execu ve mee ng: Nov. 17, 2015

Chicken Chef Lore e, 4:30 pm

SRTA Council mee ng: Dec. 1, 2015 Room 23 DTS, 4:30 pm

MTS Maternity and Parental RightsSeminar: October 29, 2015

Room 23, Dawson Trail School, 4:30 pm

SRSD Board Mee ngs: Oct. 13 & 27, Nov.10 & 24 Dec 8 2015 Division O ce

MTS Provincial Execu ve:Oct. 21-22, 2015, McMaster House

South Central Presidents ’ Council:

October 23, 2015, McMaster House

Presidents ’ Council: October 24, 2015

McMaster House

srta newsletter october 2015

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