November 2012

Element

the

niagaraelementaryoecta.com

A thrivers story

Bridgid Davidson (above) in Scotland earlier this year: God has blessed me.

As an elementary teacher I always tried to involve my students in outreach programs. One year doing a shoes for Haiti campaign or a pencil case campaign, remembers Bridgid Davidson about her time as a Niagara Catholic Elementary teacher, but it was not always easy to find the contacts and make the arrangements. Like many teachers, Bridgid has always felt strongly about instilling values in her students, and making them aware of social justice issues. So like many of us, she has always been on the look out for new opportunities to work with organizations that are looking to make a positive change in the lives of young people around the world. Its through her ongoing search that she first discovered Marys Meals. In 2010 I was watching the program, CNN Heroes. It is an annual award show like the Oscars but it

involves top Hollywood stars giving out awards to ordinary people who have done extraordinary work. Each year 10 top heroes who are making a difference in the lives of those who struggle with either disabilities, poverty, exploitation, discrimination are celebrated, she explains. It was during that program that one hero in particular caught her attention. My Catholic teacher sensibilities were immediately triggered by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow's story. MacFarlane-Barrow is the founder of Marys Meals, a charity that aims to create school feeding programs in the worlds poorest communities. As an elementary teacher, I was moved by the impact of the Mary's Meals feeding programs and I was equally impressed when he thanked Mary, the Mother of Jesus, for guiding his work. I immediately did my research about the organization and became convinced our

students and teachers would be equally impressed and willing to get involved. Started in 2002, Marys Meals has grown into a global organization, providing daily meals in school to 654, 961 children. According to the organizations website, an estimated 300 million children in the world are chronically hungry, meaning they are undernourished and do not eat enough to generate the energy they need to lead active lives. Of this 300 million, around 67 million of these children are out of school. Mary's Meals believes in providing one meal a day to children in their place of education, Davidson says, noting that, Its a very simple solution to world hunger but has proven to be doable and sustainable. When the program began in 2002, it started off feeding 200 students. Mary's Meals work has just begun, she enthusiastically says citing the organizations growing international reputation. There is a Mary's Meals UK, US, Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, Netherlands, Croatia, Austria, Poland, but no Mary's Meals Canada. Up until now. Davidson, along with other Canadians eager to get the program up and running here, are about to change that. I am pleased to announce we are in the process registering a Mary's Meals Canada and our incorporation papers have been filed. Davidsons dedication to the organization has been an inspiration to her family, friends and colleagues, especially in light of her own personal struggles and battles in recent years. I am not teaching currently since I'm dealing with advanced stage colon cancer for the past 2 years, she says, rejecting the stereotype of the disease. I consider myself a Cancer THRIVER since I do not fit the criteria of survivor ....yet. Before her diagnosis, Davidson was the Educational >>4

2 the Element November 2012

From the Presidents Desk

A personal note of thanks Special Education is important to me, for both personal and professional reasons. As many of you know (or perhaps didnt know), I am the mother of a child with special needs. As I look over my daughters years of education thus far, I am thankful for the support she received from so many teachers and educational assistants. It was wonderful seeing the special things that people did to help her development academically, spiritually, socially, etc. She learned many practical skills, such as cooking and counting money, that continue to help her on a regular basis. I also remember the times when my daughter told me she was trying out for Marie Balanowski
neupres@bellnet.ca

school sports teams. Inside I worried about how she was going to take it when she didnt make the team because she wasnt athletic enough. As expected, she wasnt happy when she didnt make the team, but on those occasions when she came home and told me that did make the team, I wanted to cry because I was so happy for her. She was so proud of herself! Shed repeatedly practice those sports skills at home because being

on that team and playing sports with the rest of the girls at her school meant so much to her. To me, this was a beautiful example of inclusion. I want to say thank you to those teachers. Your thoughtfulness and acceptance will always mean a lot to my daughter. Speaking of inclusion, as a teacher, I think it would be nice if we had resources for not just some, but all curriculum areas, readily available to us for students with special needs. It can take hours to create or search for units that would be perfect for these students. If you know of a great resource for students with special needs that you would like to share with your fellow colleagues in the Element, please send the name of the resource, what curriculum area it covers, what you like about it and your name to neu@bellnet.ca.

An interview with OECTA Provincial President Kevin ODwyer

Kevin ODwyer, President of OECTAs Provincial Executive, answered a few questions for our newsletter on Friday, October 26 prior to Rocktoberfest at Holy Rosary Hall. He started off by describing the bargaining landscape with the province as such: In 2012, the reality was that there was no money on the table. Rather than walking away from the bargaining table and joining a feigned solidarity while awaiting the imposition of the governments original parameters, OECTA remained at the bargaining table to negotiate a fair and reasonable alternative that best meets the needs of all members. When asked why OECTA members were not permitted to vote on the MOU before it was ratified by OECTA Provincial Executive, Kevin replied, as per the Ontario Labour Relations Act, the OECTA Provincial Executive is the bargaining agent. Clearly, members have expressed that they want to provide input on this process. I have been meeting with the various local presidents across the province to discuss process and affiliated concerns in preparation for the next round of negotiations. Many local OECTA Units are looking at putting forward a resolution(s) for the 2013 Annual General Meeting that will attempt to address the concerns so that teachers will be able to vote on their working conditions. Some unions, in the meantime, have decided to challenge the Ontario government in court. On October 11, four education unions, ETFO, OSSTF, OPSEU and CUPE filed lawsuits claiming Ontarios new Putting Students First Act (Bill 115) violates their constitutional right to collective bargaining. In response to this, Kevin said, OECTAs legal counsel, Mr. Paul Cavalluzzo, has advised that the court challenge has an extremely low likelihood of success. Our Niagara Elementary bargaining committee is now starting negotiations with our Board on nonMOU items. The deadline for these negotiations is December 31, 2012 and Kevin confirmed that OECTA members are bound by no job action until that time. Some OECTA members have wondered if OECTA felt public opinion pressure to reach agreement on the MOU.

Q&A with Kevin

Josh Cole, an education reform expert at Queens University was quoted in the Kingston Whig Standard on July 9 as saying The Catholic teachers may have felt compelled to agree with the deal because of the recent criticisms they have faced regarding gay-straight alliances. Public opinion is not doing well for them. So maybe they felt vulnerable. Kevin dismissed any possibility that public opinion regarding the public funding of Catholic schools played a role in negotiations. He said the matter was never on the table. It was not discussed by any of the three major parties. When Kevin was asked if any provision was made in the MOU for the possibility that the non-signing unions might eventually get more money, he said that, if the government provides more funding, we would also get the money. In other words, if the fiscal box changes, our fiscal box will change as well. In conclusion, he said, I hope that you are able to see the value in these achievements in light of the politicaleconomic environment as well as the governments original parameters presented at the outset of these negotiations. Kevin invited members to contact him directly with questions regarding the details of the OECTA MOU at k.odwyer@oecta.on.ca.

November 2012 the Element 3

NEU FAQs
Notes from Niagara Elementarys newest committee: Status of Women
The Status of Women committee has set a goal this year to raise awareness amongst our members of current trends, issues and problems as they pertain to the status of women. What would happen if you told your students that you were going to take a vote on a classroom issue and then said that only boys could vote? To draw awareness to the fact that girls and women in the worlds poorest countries are the most vulnerable members of society and do not have the same rights and opportunities as their brothers, the United Nations declared October 11th the international Day of the Girl Child. Of the one billion people living in extreme poverty, women and girls make up 70% of them. In the poorest countries, over half of the girls do not attend school beyond the early grades. The good news is that when girls are educated, healthy and informed, they pull themselves, their children and their communities out of poverty. Now, thats girl power! Answers to your questions Forward questions you need answers for to The Element at neu@bellnet.ca (put FAQs in the subject line). Chances are, youre not the only one who wants to know.
When there is a grievance arbitration, I know there are legal fees, but approximately how much does an arbitrator cost?

Did you know...

Girls and women are particularly affected by poverty. This is partly because they have less power to fight it, less access to the means to overcome it, or their entire families are suffering in poverty. Being born underweight, given little or poor-quality food and having little or no education can prevent girls from developing properly. Poverty can also force girls to work or get married at young age instead of going to school.

Q A

Heres a sample fee schedule for an arbitrator:

The good news...

Plan Internationals Because I am a Girl initiative is a social movement to unleash the power of girls and women to claim a brighter future for girls in the developing world - to claim a brighter, safer future for girls in the developing world. They believe: Girls have the right to be educated. Girls have the right to eat. Girls have the right to be safe. Girls' rights are human rights. Source: becauseiamagirl.ca

Start saving for your childrens educationup to $500 per year in government grants with...

1. MEDIATION $3,700.00 for each day or partial day. Additional amounts may be charged depending on the length and complexity of the case(s). 2. GRIEVANCE ARBITRATIONS Block fee for all services including: arranging arbitration, all matters preliminary to the hearing, attending hearing, preparing and issuing any award as required or requested and including Executive Sessions, if applicable. $3,700.00 for each day or partial day. Where extensive submissions are presented before, at or after the hearing the fee may be adjusted. Additional amounts may also be charged depending on the nature and complexity of the case and the number of Executive Sessions. 3. CANCELLATION PRIOR TO HEARING (a) $1,800.00 for notice given less than 30 days prior to hearing unless another matter can be scheduled; (b) $500.00 for notice given 30 days or more prior to hearing; (c) $500.00 for cases under Section 49 of the Labour Relations Act; $1,000.00 if the matter is cancelled within 24 hours 4. INTEREST ARBITRATION $4,000.00 for each day of hearing $4,000.00 for each day of preparation prior to and after the hearing (including Executive Sessions) 5. INVESTIGATIONS Charged at an hourly rate of $650.00 6. TRAVEL No fee for travel time is normally charged. 7. EXPENSES Actual and reasonable disbursements for hearing rooms, travel (mileage at the rate of $0.55/km if the hearing is more than 40 km from residence), long distance, fax, delivery and photocopying will be charged.

4 the Element November 2012

A thrivers story
continued from page 1

her dedication and commitment that Davidson is living the think globally, act locally motto to its fullest. Her enthusiasm is definitely contagious, as many of her colleagues and friends have Resource Teacher at Sacred Heart Cathtaken up the challenge of making Marys olic in Chippawa. I've made Meals a reality in Canada. donations to Mary's Meals by making At the end of our recent prayer bracelets and sending the conversation, I brought talk back around proceeds to Scotland Mary's Meals head to the CNN Heroes, the show that inoffice. Each bracelet pays for a spired Davidson to take action. I child's meal daily in their place said that many would consider her of education for an entire year. a hero. Sacred Heart Catholic students [I] don't feel like a hero, she with special needs donated to says, This all has been a gift a Mary's Meals by making praytrue blessing that keeps me er bracelets last Christmas. connected to my peers, involved, Working at expanding excited and motivated, and keeps Mary's Meals to Canada is a my mind off the nausea, referring great way to keep me to her ongoing chemotherapy energized and hopeful, she treatments. Most importantly, says. God has blessed me she says, the work shes doing with time right now to pray, will work to feed more hungry reflect, and work on children in school, where they will meaningful projects I can do benefit from an education. on my good days, between If Davidson has her wish, shell chemo treatments. soon be feeding the students of Davidson is ever hopeful Niagara Catholic with a deeper that the various sense of social justice, empathy, Niagara Catholic school and a better understanding of what communities will embrace it means to be a global citizen. Marys Meals, and help her John Crocco, NCDSB Director of spread the news as the Education, attended the Bridgid Davidson (l) and Marys Meals founder Mangus Canadian chapter prepares to gathering at Davidsons house MacFarlane-Barrow (r) in front of the organizations begin its work. I hope, if we with Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow headquarters in Scotland. perhaps partner with Mary's to hear how the grassroots Meals in someway teachers and students Magnus to Canada along with many organization has developed. Mary's would have easy access to get involved NCDSB staff. All guests were truly Meals Canada is being organized as a in meaningful service projects with a inspired by his story, his humble totally volunteer run operation and we global initiative Every time I sent off demeanor and the work of Mary's Meals. are now in the process of looking for a donation I would include a note that An international gathering recently people to donate their time and skills to we should get this started in Canada. took place in Scotland were Mary's this most worthy project, says Marys Meals sponsors an annual Meals volunteers from all over the map Davidson, so if any retired teachers, or World Porridge Day, a celebration of gathered to share their stories and to interested educators want to get involved one of Scotlands traditional dishes that learn from each other as this global we would be happy to find ways to make aims to draw attention to the crucial role movement advances forward, including that work. This is a gift we are more the staple plays in Marys Meals projects Davidson, who made the cross-Atlantic than willing to share with others. in Africa. Davidson envisions a Niagara journey with her husband, Michael. Marys Meals Canada has just Catholic-wide version of the initiative in All in attendance watched a screening received their incorporation papers and a the near future. We will need to of the new film Child 31, a story about website is being established, but those Canadianize it with apple juice or maple Mary's Meals and were deeply moved. I interested in the program can get more syrup, she laughs. I will be trial am most interested in showing that film information from info@marysmeals.ca. running it in a few classrooms to work to interested colleagues and spreading out the logistics. the word. You might imagine that all the work The pilgrimage to Scotland further Davidson has been doing locally to get invigorated Davidson: I met with Marys Meals Canada off the ground Jim Di Gioia, Bishop Bergie the day after my return to would be enough to keep her busy, but Communications Committee Chair. inform him of this project. He was very youd be wrong. Her efforts have not receptive and supportive. Its clear by

gone unnoticed by those at the organizations headquarters in Scotland. Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow (the founder of Mary's Meals) contacted me last winter and asked if I would be available to meet with him in the spring, along with other Canadians that have shown enthusiasm to form a Mary's Meals Canada. I had the privilege of hosting a small gathering welcoming

November 2012 the Element 5

Board policies being vetted

NCDSB looks for feedback from stakeholders, including teachers NCDSB elementary teachers are invited to provide feedback to the Board by November 17, 2012 about the following policies and Administrative Guidelines. School Generated Funds Management An excerpt from this policy: Section 7 Revenues The Principal must ensure that all school staff bring all cash collected from fundraising activities to the secretary by the end of each day. Funds collected must be recorded on a deposit voucher and supporting documents, such as a class list, must accompany the deposit voucher. All funds collected are to be kept in the safe until ready to be deposited at the bank on a weekly basis. All schools must maintain a deposit log and it must be completed when the funds are ready for deposit. The entire draft policy can be found at the following link: niagaracatholic.ca/ niagaraRC/board/ PoliciesBeingVetted/2012/Nov12SchoolGeneratedFundsP.pdf Student Parenting Policy An excerpt from this policy: The Board recognizes and supports student pregnancy and parenting which it empowers Board personnel to respond with respect, compassionate concern and unconditional love in accordance with the principles and procedures necessary for the implementation of this policy. The entire draft policy can be found at the following link: niagaracatholic.ca/niagaraRC/board/ PoliciesBeingVetted/2012/Nov12StudentParentingP.pdf Niagara Catholic Distinction Policy Award of 3. The Director of Education or his/her designate 4. The Bishop or his designate 5. A Superintendent of Education 6. An Elementary Principal. 7. A Secondary Principal 8. Up to three additional members as selected by the Director, in consultation with Senior Administrative Council. (These additional members may come from the community at large). The Chairperson of the Board, or designate, will be the Chairperson of the Selection Committee. The entire draft policy can be found at the following link: niagaracatholic.ca/niagaraRC/board/ PoliciesBeingVetted/2012/Nov12CatholicEdAwardDistinctionP.pdf Please submit your feedback before November 14, 2012 to jennifer.brailey@ncdsb.com.

An excerpt from this policy: Each fall, the Director will establish a Niagara Catholic Award of Distinction Selection Committee, which will consist of the following members: 1. The Chairperson of the Board or his/ her designate 2. The Vice-Chairperson of the Board or his/her designate

Good News!
Celebrating Niagara Elementary members Milestones

Maddox Gregory Moscato was born on October 17, 2012 at 10:25am. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and 21.5 inches in length. Proud parents are Chris Moscato (Numeracy Facilitator, Program Department, CEC) and Melanie Moscato. Kate (St. Anthony) and Paul (St. Philomena) Lukacs are thrilled to announce the arrival of their daughter, Sophie Bridget, on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 7:40 pm weighing 7 lbs. 13 oz.

If you or a member of your staff has a special announcement that you would like to share with The ELEMENT, please send all the details to neu@bellnet.ca. If you are submitting an announcement on behalf of someone else, please be sure to ask permission to share the good news first.

6 the Element November 2012

Contest corner
Thank you to everyone who came out for Niagara Elementarys annual ROCKTOBERFEST social on Friday, October 25 at Holy Rosary Hall in Thorold, and a sincere thanks to the entire Social Committee whose dedication and hard work ensures that this event is a success every year. Youll recall that last months contest was a call-to-arms of sort: the staff who had the highest percentage of members attend ROCKTOBERFEST would win the free luncheon. In keeping with that theme, and building on the stories of action and service in this months newsletter, this months contest is all about celebrating the great things that you do in our schools every day. Its simple to enter and win this month: in the box below, tell us about an activity, a cause, or a need in our community that your staff has decided to take action on. What is your school community doing to be of service to others? We will publish all your many accomplishments in a future edition of The ELEMENT, and randomly draw one winner from all submissions to win this months luncheon. Only 1 entry per school will be accepted. Fax your entry to 905-735-9268, or send it via courier to OECTA Elementary, 610 Broadway Ave. Welland by 3:00 pm, Monday, November 19, 2012. Congratulations to last months winner: St. Christopher

What our school is doing to take action in our community

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Upcoming...
November
The Element is published ten times during the school year by the Communications Committee of Niagara Elementary Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. Opinions and ideas expressed in The Element are not necessarily those of the Niagara Elementary Unit or the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association. OECTA Niagara Elementary Unit 610 Broadway Avenue, Welland, ON L3C 5M7 905-735-7015 FAX 905-735-9268 www.niagaraelementaryoecta.com

Daylight Savings Time ends

Communications Chair Jim Di Gioia Communications Committee Marie Balanowski Rosina Bisci Bernadette Walsh Contributors Jennifer McArthur Jane Farah-Smith

11 Remembrance Day 16 Elementary and Secondary PA Day 19 Submission for the next edition of
The ELEMENT due

26 Niagara Elementary Executive Meeting