ETFO Algoma Occasional Teacher Local – Occasional teachers standing together for public education.

AI Literacy and Professional Practice

Thursday, November 5
F.H. Clergue FI Public School
4:30-7:30 p.m.

Join us for this foundational workshop on the professional use of artificial intelligence!

All ETFO Teachers and Occasional Teachers are invited.

We’ll examine when and how to use AI technologies in your practice, with an emphasis on safety, privacy, ethics, and the well-being of you and your students.

Participants must bring a personal electronic device to use at the session. Dinner provided.

Registration will close on October 28 at 11:59 p.m.

Register

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October 15, 2026

Professional Development

Assessment for Learning: Revisit Strategies to Improve Student Learning

Monday, October 26
10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Sault Ste. Marie Public Library – North Branch
FREE

All daily elementary OTs are invited to join us on the October 26 PA Day for this professional learning workshop!

This workshop will revisit practical assessment-for-learning strategies that occasional teachers can use in any classroom or grade. Participants will explore simple ways to assess student understanding, provide meaningful feedback, and use assessment information to support learning — even when stepping into a classroom for a day or a short-term assignment.

Lunch will be provided. Great learning, zero cost! Only 20 spaces available.

Registration will close on October 16 at noon.

Register

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October 6, 2026

Local News

Fall General Meeting

Saturday, October 31
Delta Hotel, SSM
8:30 Breakfast, business to follow

Join us for breakfast, a few updates from AOTL, and a chance to catch up with your fellow occasional teachers. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions, share your thoughts, and find out what’s happening with your union.

Resolutions for the 2027 ETFO Annual Meeting should be submitted to Ryan by October 17.

We offer mileage to anyone travelling into Sault Ste. Marie, and we’ll arrange free accommodations for anyone driving more than 125 km to get here.

And breakfast is on us! Just please RSVP before October 24 so we know how many people to expect.

RSVP

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September 29, 2026

Social Events

Trivia Night

Friday, October 16
Grand Gardens Downtown, SSM
5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Your local education unions have teamed up to present Trivia Night! Play for prizes and bragging rights. Grab your colleagues and form a team of 6-8, or register as a single player and we’ll place you on a team. Dinner and snacks provided!

Registration closed October 8.

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September 27, 2026

Political Action

Rallies for Publicly Funded Education

SAVE THE DATE
Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m.

For students, teachers and education workers, and for public education, we need to do everything we can to demand Ford’s government invest in schools!

It’s time to make our voices heard at one of five rallies for publicly funded education. ETFO, AEFO, OECTA, OSBCU-CUPE, and OSSTF are jointly organizing rallies in:

London
Ottawa
Sudbury
Thunder Bay
Toronto

Together, let’s take action to strengthen publicly funded education and ensure students have the resources and supports they need!

RSVP for our Regional Rally

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September 26, 2026

Local News

QECO Category Upgrading Timelines

AOTL reminds you to ensure your QECO Statement of Evaluation is up to date, as it determines salary grid placement for both permanent and long-term occasional (LTO) positions.

You can apply for upgrading advice or re-evaluation annually, including for qualifications earned outside Ontario.

Important Deadlines

New employees: You have 60 calendar days from your date of hire to provide your QECO statement (or proof of application) to HR. If you submit proof of application, you must then provide your QECO statement within 14 days of receiving it.
Existing employees seeking a category upgrade: If you have completed a course and wish to move to a higher category, you must submit a new QECO statement (or proof of application) to ADSB before October 31. If you submit proof of application, you must then provide your upgraded QECO statement to HR within 14 days of receiving it.

Don’t miss the deadlines! If you are in a LTO assignment and meet the applicable timelines, your salary adjustment will be retroactive to the beginning of your assignment. If you miss the deadlines, the adjustment will take effect in the month following HR’s receipt of your QECO documentation.

If you’ve recently completed additional qualifications, now is a good time to check whether you’re eligible for a category upgrade.

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October 9, 2026

ETFO Provincial

Teaching Together 2027

Interested in enhancing your global perspective? Open to exchanging professional knowledge with teachers overseas? Passionate about international co-operation and collaboration?

If you are a teacher and answered yes to these questions, you should apply to Teaching Together 2027.

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September 27, 2026

ETFO Provincial

Assessment Resources

The Assessment for Learning series was created to support members in gathering evidence of student learning through conversation and observation. The series explores how to conduct assessment for learning during collaborative learning, conferences, explicit instruction, small group instruction, and multiple entries and exits.

Check out the Assessment for Learning series today!

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September 27, 2026

ETFO Provincial

Pedagogy & Professional Judgement Series

Classroom teachers have a professional responsibility to administer the first early reading screener between the start of the school year and mid-November to students in year two of Kindergarten and in grades 1 and 2.

Teacher professional judgement is essential to this process. To help you navigate the ongoing implementation of early reading screeners, ETFO developed the Pedagogy and Professional Judgement series of resources. This series includes guidance on administering the screeners with multilingual learners, students with special education needs, students in French immersion, as a Kindergarten team, and much more.

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September 27, 2026