SRTA Newsletter June 2013

7/27/2019 SRTA Newsletter June 2013

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usband and I moved to Lorette

tly after that and had two more

ren over the next few years.

nvolvement in the church, in

e Jacques Nursery School, and

rious community sports teams

red that our children also

ed about giving to the

munity and for working for the

of all—servant

ership.

e 31 years I have spent

ine River as a teacher,

f them were not in the

ness Education field,

n the middle years’

ram. Being with them

ay, I was able to get to

w the students more

ately and to work with

m on various units that

cted equity and social

ce -- the Holocaust,

k slavery, the treatment

original people around

world, bullying, stereotyping,

udice and discrimination. We

ed to reverence our ancestors

ugh history lessons and

ugh Remembrance Day

ities. We learned various ways

ok after the environment and

ght a successful petition to the

ol board to eliminate the sale

ater bottles in the division.we learned to use manners,

w respect to others and to

ve as good citizens of the

d. The love of working with

ents and their families and

ng my servant leadership skills

me passionate about the

hing profession.

came the challenge of taking

he leadership of the Seine River

hers’ Association. I had

dy been on the executive of RTA for a total of nine years in

1980’s and in the 2000’s. I had

brought some new ideas to the

ciation, but I did not feel ready

he head position. Again, it took

r people’s belief in my

ership skills to convince me to

on the role.

uld first like to thank all of you

elieving in me, being patient

me and for working with me

the past four years. I must sayI have enjoyed almost every

moment of it! I enjoyed visiting all

the worksites, working with

members to answer their

questions, to listen when they were

in distress, to get them the

resources they need, to educate

them about their rights and

responsibilities, to speak on their

behalf to the school board, to

bargain for their collective

agreement and to represent them

at the Manitoba Teachers’ Society.

I enjoyed the challenge of picking

up portfolios that were not filled,

and carrying on portfolios when

executive members had to leave.

But most of all, I just enjoyed

helping YOU, my dear colleagues, in

the best way I knew how.

As I head off into a new world, I

leave you with a top-notchexecutive who also shares the ideal

of servant leadership. They have

worked on your behalf after they

finished a full day in the classroom

and while juggling family and

community commitments.

Patrick Liss, our Vice-President for

the past four years, and Collective

Bargaining Chair over this past

school year has been an awesome

support and stalwart of the

association. His wit, his commonsense and calm demeanour have

been exactly what we needed to do

the work that needed to be done.

He willingly participated in many of

the committees and was always

with me when meeting with

Divisional Administration and with

the Board. Thank you, Pat! I am so

glad we did this together!

Chantal Tytgat has lasted the whole

year as treasurer of the association.

One of the more difficult roles, shehas embraced it with enthusiasm,

cheerfulness and understanding. I

am so grateful to be leaving behind

someone who knows how to do the

books. Thank you, Chantal, for your

service while juggling university,

building a house and planning a

wedding!

Jennifer Seesahai came to me at

the divisional inservice last year and

volunteered! to be our secretary

after Lindsay Bouchard

(Hutchinson) left to teach in thedivision that had become her

marital home. Jenn’s willingness to

be part of the team spoke volumes,

as she too was juggling a

challenging class, a wedding social

and wedding plans for July! Thank

you Jenn for serving your fellow

colleagues.

Kathy Dubesky as chairperson of

the Workplace Safety and Health

portfolio not only brought us

extensive knowledge in this area,but her wit and wisdom helped to

guide the executive. She was an

active participant on the SRSD/

SRTA Liaison committee and

brought her experiences to the fore

to speak for her colleagues. And

for those who have participated in

the Texas Scramble, you know she

has a mean drive! Thank you Kathy

for keeping us real and grounded.

Rebecca Sheffield was another one

of those volunteers who felt the callto become involved. In

the past three years,

Rebecca has worked

tirelessly to build a GSA

at College St. Norbert

Collegiate, to educate

our members about

GLBTTQQ (Gay Lesbian

Bisexual Transgender

Two-Spirited Queer

Questioning) issues, and

to help bring about a diversity

policy in Seine River. Although shewill not be on the executive next

year, I know she will return once

her impending marriage is settled.

Thank you Rebecca, for your

passion and your servitude.

Colleen Kachur-Reico has brought a

positive and fun-filled attitude to

the position of chair of Health and

Wellness. She has loved helping

schools work on improving their

health and wellness, but she has

especially enjoyed organizing theTexas Scramble and the Spring into

Spring events. Thank you C

for sharing your organizatio

and positive attitude in you

servant leadership.

Wendy Chase was another

who volunteered during a c

meeting to take on the port

Employee Benefits. Her ten

seen the acceptance of sho

disability and the occurrenc

biannual Maternity/Parenta

seminars. Plus, she hasvolunteered to take over th

and Social Justice portfolio f

year! Thank you Wendy, fo

yes and for bringing such w

our executive and council.

Jason Sparling has a lot of

experience with numbers, s

knew that working with Edu

Finance was for him. He ha

with the board to present te

suggestions and recommen

for the upcoming school bobudgets. Thank you Jason,

juggling family, university co

and church commitments in

to help your colleagues afte

day at work.

Rebecca Brown brought he

creative skills and her passio

the position of Public Relati

Her work on the newsletter

PR Initiative this year have b

help build the profile of our

profession and the pride of belong

the SR

Althou

is not

return

year in

to pur

studie

know

be lon

before

returns! Thank you Rebecc

sharing your passion for thebetterment of your colleagu

Jonathan Waite jumped in

both feet last year when All

Graham announced her imp

maternity leave and needed

someone to take on the

Professional Development

Portfolio. I know that was a

learning curve, yet he hand

with aplomb and expertise.

Pat Liss announced that he w

not be seeking the Presiden

nued from page 1)

(Continued



MTS Annual FeeIncreased

Last year our MTS membership fees

were $835; this coming year will be

$882, a 5% increase (about $4/

month more)

The amount of the fee increase was

kept down by a transfer from the MTS Operations Stabilizatio

Fund

We Have a New Website!

Kudos to our incoming

president who has been

very busy already and

created a new website for us:

http://seineriverteachers.com

TRAF SustainabilityDiscussions Need to

Begin

The plan is currently about 95

per cent funded

t would take investment returns

of seven per cent to bring it up

to 100 per cent.TRAF is projecting average

nvestment returns of 6.25 per

cent

� The contributors to the plan –

teachers and the provincial

government – will have to look

at increasing contributions or

reducing benefits

� currently 13,149 retired teachers

collecting a pension and 15,403

active teachers contributing to

the plan� if the trend continues, retired

teachers will outnumber active

teachers sometime in the next

four to five years

TRAF Statistics:

� almost 2,500 active teachers

are over the age of 55

� 2,100 are between the ages

of 50 and 55

� in 2012 only 400 teachers retired, the second lowest numb

since 2003.

� TRAF has one member still collecting a pension at age 106.

retired in 1971

� There are 1,000 retired teachers over the age of 85.

When EmployeesTransport Students:Risks and Cautions

Taken from the CAPSLE March

newsletter

With school board budgets

getting tighter across the country

and with continued strains on

extra-curricular programs,

The Manitoba Teachers’

Society reviewed the possible

liability issues and

consequences of teachers

using their own vehicles to

transport students to school-

sponsored activities. These

cautions could easily be

applied to all employees of

school divisions across the

country who take on the

responsibility of individually

transporting students in private

vehicles.

Basically, employees are covered

in two ways when transporting

students: through a division’s

liability insurance and through

personal regular insurance from

their insurance company. It is

imperative that employees be

fully aware as to the insurance

regulations around car insurance

in their province. Canada has a

variety of ‘no-fault’ plans in place

and different employees may

have different insurance s

in the provinces. In the ev

an accident, those policies

into play.

In a ‘no-fault’ province, no

including a teacher, can be

for bodily injury arising fro

motor vehicle accident.

However, some provinces

different types of ‘no-faul

w

soin

co

al

a

to

Therefore, it is important t

know the rules in your

jurisdiction. In some insta

accidents can occur that d

involve a vehicle, in which

the division’s insurance coshould kick in.

Once again, it is very impo

to know what kinds of cov

the employer is carrying a

make an informed decisio

travelling outside of one’s

province, employees are o

liability in jurisdictions tha

not have ‘no-fault’ insuran

Employees may be sued in

(Continued o

ition next year, Jon accepted the

llenge. Since then, he has been

king tirelessly

earn all he can.

excellent

mputer skills

e created a new

bsite and

main for SRTA,

he plans to

tinue

anding our online presence.

nk you Jon, for allowing me to

re knowing that all is in good

ds, and for willing to serve your

eagues while juggling family and

mmunity commitments.

All the Representatives from the

ious Worksites: Thank YOU for

r continued commitment to

resent your colleagues. We

w how difficult it can be to

mmit to one more thing after a

g day in the classroom, and we

reciate the efforts you

ertake. I personally have

oyed getting to know you and

ting to discuss issues important

ur profession. Please carry on

king after each other.

he Trustees and the Divisional

ministration Team: Thank YOU

your willingness to discuss issues

h consideration, openness and

pect, even if we did not always

ee. Thank you as well for

continuing to work for the

betterment of the children

entrusted in our care. Thank you

also for the fact that you recognize

that in order for

the children to do

well, the

employees need to

be taken care of.

( Ain’t nobody

happy if Momma

ain’t happy!) I

have enjoyed

working with all of you.

My plans for the future? I have

promised myself and my family that

I would not take on anything new

for a full year, unless absolutely

necessary. I have already turned

down various jobs and positions on

boards in order to be true to my

plans. After that, I give myself

permission to follow whatever I

want. Right now, I just want to

spend lots of time with my husband,

our five wonderful children, three in

-laws and five (soon to be six)

grandchildren. Isn’t that what it’s

all about?

Cheers, dear colleagues and friends.

I wish you continued joy and

fulfillment in your teaching careers

as you continue to be servant

leaders.

Suzanne :)

tinued from page 2)

Happy Retirement!

Remember the past with fondness;

Look to the future with eagerness;

Live each moment to the fullest.



Why Do We Have ahort Term Disability

Plan?

ndy Chase, Chair of Employee Benefits

ny teachers exhaust sick leave before

Disability Benefit Plan starts (after 80s of sick leave), leaving an income gap.

chers affected are:

Newly hired teachers (20 days orless sick time) and;

Teachers who have been sick for a

prolonged period; those who have a

chronic medical condition, thosewho have utilized sick leave before

or after a maternity leave

What Does the Short Term Disability Do For

Me?

If a teacher had an income gap, EI SickBenefits would provide income

replacement for 15 weeks but there is a

two week waiting period with no benefit.

� EI Benefit is 55% of earnings to a

maximum of $42300 per year

� Weekly maximum EI benefit is

$447 taxable

The Short Term Disability

plan replaces the EIsickness benefit. Thisallows the EI rebate to be

refunded which can be used to offsAssociation fees.

� The short term disability plan gap

� The initial premium rate was0.178%, and this coming year

be lower

� The benefit payable is 60% of

-disability earnings, non-taxab

� The benefit qualifies for pensi

service

e near the end of another wonderful school year, we are happy to

hat 87 association members (about 1/3 of our membership) were

to access the SRTA PD Fund in 2012-2013 (not including those that

e part of group projects). Over $60,000 were distributed to support

nomous PD -- $21,741.10 went towards in-area PD, $19,343.24

ards out-of-area PD, $11,478.49 towards university courses and

26.08 towards group projects. There was only one rejection (in Term

ue to lack of funds, which we hope to remedy in 2013-2014 with

e funding restructuring.

PD Committee had four meetings through the year, and

munication through email was quick and productive. Changes were

e to the PD Fund guidelines and applications before their release in

ember, and we thank everyone who participated in the MTS Needs

Assessment Survey that was distributed to members – the result

pending review.

In 2013-2014 we will continue to promote the SRTA PD Fund thro

email and on our new website at www.seineriverteachers.com. W

on sending out emails and including articles in the SRTA newslette

regarding PD opportunities occurring within the province and bey

We hope to develop an online application process to aid in efficie

tracking, and we encourage members to utilize group project fun

their workplaces are eligible.

Thanks to Pat Liss, Teresa Yestrau, Michelle Hancock, Kelly Baker,

Joshua Abraham for their tireless efforts approving applications a

of the PD Committee this year, and thanks to treasurer Chantal Ty

and president Suzanne Moore for their help in getting reimbursem

out in a timely fashion. I know that next year’s chair Alison Graha

do a great job as she returns to her post after a year away from th

executive!





SRTA Texas Scramble

a beautiful afternoon on May 23, 2013, 30 people joined together to have some fun under the sun and enjoy a game of Texa

amble, followed by a dinner at the Southside Golf Course near Winnipeg.

were joined by our honorary golf masters, Eric and Jill Overall, as well as a group of exchange teachers from Quebec who w

ting Ecole Lorette Immersion. Each participant was treated with golf grips, courtesy of Robert Marcoux of ELI. Thanks, Bob

zes were given for various achievements out on the course, but the best prize was being able to enjoy each other`s company

ecial thanks go to Colleen Kachur-Reico and her Health & Wellness committee of Laura Nault and Sandra Turcotte for theanization of the event. The participation at this second annual event almost doubled from last year’s, and it is hoped that it

ntinues to grow in the years to come!



Election of MTS President l this year’s AGM, the president of the MTS was selected by all

members across the province

method of selecting a president gave an advantage to

mbent president

� who was more free to campaign extensively

� also had more of a salary to campaign with

� had more exposure than other candidates

M members voted to select MTS president at its annual AGM by

attending delegates

2013-2014 Provincial Executiv

There will only be one new face on the 2013-2014 provincial executiv

Kriski from Portage la Prairie was elected at the annual meeting alon

five incumbents. Current member Winston Hrechka did not run again

The provincial executive is:

President – Paul Olson

Vice-President – Norm Gould

Members at large: Mary Chalmers (re-elected), Darren Hardy (re-eleSuzanne Jolicoeur (re-elected), Michael Mann (re-elected), Bea Walk

elected), James Bedford, Jason Oliver,

Ray Desautels, Arlyn Filewich, Sean Kemball, Bob Kriski

Short-term Disability PlanApproved

will create its own short-term disability plan, to come into effect

ptember, 2014.

e than half the membership of MTS is currently covered by the

wanesa plan.

ed plans incorporate

ncial sales tax, payroll

s, administration costs,

t margin and retention

nto premiums.

MTS self-insured Short-

Disability Plan will not

eliminate PST and payroll tax but also reduce administration andntion costs.

Disability Benefits PremiumReduced

2013-2014 premiums will be close to the lowest in the plan’s history

attached)

LGBTQ Included in Curricula

egates at AGM voted overwhelmingly in favour of

olutions aimed at making sure all students feel included in

nitoba classrooms:

Passed one resolution aimed at inclusion of LGBTQ

studentsPassed another resolution asking the same for all

protected groups under the Charter of Rights and

Freedoms (racial equality, sexual equality, mental

disability and physical disability)

Dyadic Relations

When I was looking at courses to continue my post-baccalaureate inEducation I wanted to stray a bit away from the typical educationalcourses. A course that caught my eye was called Dyadic Relations. course information explained it would be based on the history of relationships and how to improve them. Relationships are a big parEducation and the role of a teacher, especially in the role of off-cam

teacher, so I decided to register for it.I was excited for the course to start and when I received my syllabusquickly looked into the reading materials I had to purchase. The booneeded were “Intimate Relationships” and “Getting the Love you Wguide for couples.” Not quite what I expected! I thought this coursabout building relationships, not working on mine! A course based at the University level? I thought a copy of “50 shades of grey” is ento get any relationship back on track.

It was a little late to pick another course, so I figured I would make tbest of it and see how it would go. The worst case scenario would bhad a great prop to leave on the coffee table when we had companyNothing says uncomfortable moment like a “guide for couples” boo

(Continued on







SRTA ELA Teachers

roup Project – May 9th, 2013

English Language Artshers from the division’s three

h schools recently cameether as part of a group projectded by the SRTA PD Fund andSeine River School Division.

was a rareortunity for

chers of ELA toemble as anrscholastic team.day was spent

ring lessons,ources, and othertegies. It wasemely refreshingpend an entirewith colleagues seldom seen,

using on student learning andessment.

he end of the day, eachher left with a variety of newon and unit plans, and a

clearer picture of the specificnovel study selections at all levelsat the three partner schools. Wealso gained a deep appreciationfor the variety of teachingapproaches and the high caliber of each of the passionate ELAteachers in our division.

We are very grateful to the SRTAPD Fund as well as

the Seine River

School Division formaking this daypossible. So far,

the ELA teachershave met to

discuss provincialexam preparation

and curricularoutcomes and

units of study at the grade 9-12level. We are planning to continue

to meet going forward as thiscollaboration so far has been

helpful in our day-to-day planning.SRSD ELA Teachers, CLC, SAC, CSNC

I registered for the SportsPsychology 3660 course this termat U of M, as I am quite interestedin Psychology and my passion forcoaching made it a natural fit. Thebook, written by the professorGerry Martin, described behaviorprinciples and procedures withmany examples to make it an easyread. A background in Psychologycourses helps with some of theterminology, but the book iswritten at a level that is veryunderstandable for someone newto the field.

In the first part of the book, I wasable to learn/understand furthertechniques for controllingemotions and thoughts in anAthletic environment as well asthe importance of motivation inboth those areas. The nextsection of the book dealt withthe teaching of new skills whilealso decreasing persistenterrors and problem behaviors.The final part of the bookfocussed on advanced athletes andhow to use psychology to providebetter practice and competitionperformances.

As I mentioned earlier, myregistering in this course wasbased on an interest in psychologyand coaching, but a by-product of this course was that I will be able

to apply many of the techniknowledge gained in my roteacher (hopefully). The seplan for a competitive athlevery similar to a school yearstudent, as there are ups andowns and peaking at the rtime is important (especiallgrade 12 writing the provinexam). Many of the self-management skills a sportpsychologist does with an ais similar to a classroom displan. (yes there are disruption sports teams as well, butis no principal to send them

I would suggest this course anyone that coaches sports

whetheat a novlevel wyoung por at a competHigh ScClub Splevel. T

course allowed me to reflecpast situations as an athleteand give strategies on how in those and other situationfuture. The course also prome with motivation to be abetter coach/teacher (possathlete) in the future.

Louis Cote

May 2, 2013, the grade 1 – 4chers met on site for a half dayharing, brainstorming andparing math games andvities which we felt were thet helpful, engaging and

ductive for our students.chers had time to discuss areas

ifficulty and how best toress those needs before havinge to create activities. Our focus

related to our school-widec math goals and grade level

comes.

grade one andteachers met in

morning andked at “Box Cars

One-Eyeds”, Shari Sloan’s

site and sharedsonalerences for activities that they

nd helpful in meeting specifics for their students.

he afternoon, each of thedes three and four teachers

e equipped with a number of math activities that their

dents enjoyed using. Somelights were:

stack – math facts are writtenhe outsides of cups, the

answer inside. When questionsare answered correctly studentscan begin building a tower.

Math Chess/Checkers – chessboards arecreated with basicfacts. Whenstudents want tomove a playing piece they mustanswer the question correctly onthat square.

Snakes and Ladders- snakes andladders boards are used topractice basic facts. Students playthe game with 2 dice and can add,subtract or multiply depending ontheir needs.

Addition/Subtraction/

Multiplication Snap- a deck of playing cards are used in the sameway as the typical card game“War”. Students must add,subtract or multiply the 2 cardsand the 1st player to say thecorrect answer collects all thecards.

Addition/subtraction andMultiplication Dice Games-Gamecards were printed and laminatedto create interactive games so that

student can practice Grade 3 basic(Continued on page 11)

Math Multi-LevelGroup Project

Summary

The four K-5 teachers met for twodays to discuss and work onvarious aspects of our Mathprogram. We also purchased some

books that helped us withassessment as well as what wewant to work on in our classes.The following is asummary of ourdiscussions:

�Math in ourclassrooms: Weshared ourschedules and formats as well asthe different aspects of our Mathtime (e.g. whole group, problem

solving, Math journals, etc.). Wealso talked a lot about Guided

Math and how that works classes. The two grades 1classes currently use GuidMath and the 4-5 classes aimplementing it next yeartalked a lot about how tointroduce and teach the roat the beginning of the yeawhat the other students adoing at that time.

�Consistency between EY aWe are trying to find wamake the transition fromEY multi-level classes tomulti-level classes easietalked about choosing aprograms/ideas that are

same to develop someconsistency. We came upthe following three:

(Continued on



th facts.

s was a wonderful opportunity for teachers to connect and share ideast work well in their classroom, review materials and supports on hand to create a wish list as funds become available. Sharingmoted the use of new, fresh ideas for the classroom. Yould hear a buzz in the hallways when students wereng each other about using cups to learn math or play chessing math classes. This time was also very valuable becausere was time to create some of these centers

materials for our classrooms.

ole Borkowsky

tinued from page 10)SPEA Conference 2013

Regina, Saskatchewan

May 1-3, 2013

This year I had an amazingopportunity to travel to Regina,Saskatchewan for the annualSaskatchewan PhysicalEducation Conference whichtook place from May 1st to May3rd 2013. The conference took

place at both the Ramada Hoteland on the campus of theUniversity of Regina. Betweenkeynote speakers, networkingwith other physicaleducation andhealth teachers, andfinally getting intothe gym for severalactivity basedworkshop sessions, Ican say withoutquestion that theconference was agreat learning experience andan integral part of my ongoingprofessional development.

The conference was called“Relationships: Moving TowardsPhysical Literacy” and had a bigfocus on both our relationshipswith students and how muchthat can impact their lives notonly from a physical activitystandpoint, but also from theperspective of gaining lifelongskills. The message was acontinuous reminder that if wewant to develop students thathave leadership,responsibility, andproblem solvingskills, we needto give them theopportunity to do

just that. Ratherthan telling them

this is what weexpect, we shouldfind daily opportunities to putstudents in a position to usethose skills and to develop aspeople. The other main messagewas to have students gaining abetter understanding of physicalliteracy from the perspective of being able to use their bodies tosuccessfully participate andeven excel in many differentareas. Although skill building isan integral part of all activities,

there was a big emphasisusing games and activitiehelp students learn how “play” and to develop “gasense” as it is transferablacross many sports andactivities. Examples incluhockey player who can etransferred to basketballsoccer because they undthings like “spacing” and“defensive strategy”.

Some of the sessions I atwere Atomic Volleyball (fK-2), Learning to Train So

(for ages K-3), anEquipment No PrEach of them werpresenters andapproaches that not seen before iManitoba. This alme to see teachinmethods and actsuggestions that w

very unique and could eaused in my daily teachingtruly amazing to see somgames and activities thatdone many times before,played or explained in a tdifferent way that createnew sense of interest foreveryone involved. Withoquestion, I will use a lot oideas with my own stude

Finally, I also enjoyed theopportunity to network wother teachers during thiconference. It was very u

know that we sharof the same expe

with studentinteractions, csizes, and clasmanagement

we’re in differeschools, divisio

cities, and evenprovinces. It als

allowed me to share somsuccesses, while also heafrom others on ways to imthe Physical and HealthEducation program in ouschool.

Thank you again for thiswonderful opportunity, itdefinitely as beneficial ashoped when I applied for

funding. Richer School, GBodnar

- Mountain Math

- the same addition,subtraction, multiplication anddivision strategies (we made a

list of the strategies and whatwe would call them for eachoperation and are workingon a set of posters that willbe in each class)

- Math Word Wall/dictionary

Assessment: This has been anarea that we have beenstruggling in; especially when itcomes to one that covers all

areas, is continuous acrossgrades and can be done

throughout the year. Wedecided to focus on the numberstrand. We looked at theLearning Pathway continuum of outcomes as well as the Mathcurricula. After making a list of the assessment pieces we wereusing as well as looking at someother assessments that we hadfound, we came to theconclusion that we would never

be able to find just one thatwould cover everything. Wedecided on 5-6 different piecesthat we would try use over thenext year. A few we have neverused before and we will try outover the next month. Wediscussed meeting again in thefall after Strong Beginnings to re-evaluate and look at them

again.

�JUMP Math Program: Our fourclasses have been using theJUMP Math program this year

for the first time. We discussedthe pros and cons of theprogram and how we wouldchange it for next year. Whilewe really liked themeasurement, shape and spaceand patterning parts, we didnot like the order of teaching

for number concepts. We wentthrough the JUMP books foreach of our grades and arrangedthe number strand in a neworder that we thought was best.

We also chose the practicepages for each lesson.

Staci Anders

tinued from page 10)





to bring up situations that were personal

to us so the class could brainstorm ideas

or suggestions on how to approach

modifying the behaviour.

Being a high school teacher, my days are

often filled with children trying to "test"

me in one way or another. I found myself

spending mostime in this co

thinking abou

could implem

some of the

procedures taught in my classroom

really enjoyed taking this course a

able to make a personal connectio

the desire to modify behaviour an

continue to think back to the strat

taught to me in the many years of

teaching ahead of me.

Leah Borenstien, CLC

(Continued from page 12)

tended a winter course through the University of

nitoba this winter session entitled (5800)

cational Research. This course is a requirement for

master’s degree.

content of this course focused on the

uirements and challenges of conducting research in

field of education. Any teachers interested in

ducting research would benefit from taking this

rse.

course textbook is entitled Educational Research,

Creswell. The textbook is very well written, usingple and direct language. Issues such as ethics,

thodology and literature reviews are addressed.

ny examples are provided which clarify the

cepts presented. The characteristics which differentiate between

qualitative and quantitative research are discussed

length.

The assignments for this course included writing a

critical analysis of an article on teachers’ understa

of bullying, designing and reporting on a question

(subject of choice), a personal reflection on our

experiences with educational research and a litera

review on a subject of choice.

This course was very informative and invaluable fo

anyone interested in either pursuing writing a the

doing other educational research.Holly Sorenson

St. Norbert Immersion School

s been a wonderful experience working on the SRTAutive as the PD Chair. Whenever I am on the executive I

ays learn something new and miss being on theutive when I leave. I would like to thank Suzanne for all

er help, advice and guidance that she has givenughout this year and for the years that she has servedhe SRTA. You will be greatly missed. I wish everyone axing and restful summer. Rebecca Brown

gistration information will be

ted July 30

nference keynote speakers

firmed

keynote speakers for the next

or Manitoba Teachers’ Society

ference have been confirmed.

o well-known experts in the

d of education and technologyhead the speakers’ list for the

akening Possibilities conference

technology, April 16-17, 2014.

ve Dembo, Discovery

cation’s director of social

dia strategy and online

mmunity, will open the

ference. Chris Lehmann,

ncipal at the Science Leadership

demy in Philadelphia, will be

the closing speaker. They will also

be involved in other sessions

during the two-day event.

Dembo is a former kindergarten

teacher and

school director of

technology. He

has been

recognized as one

of the top 50

educational

bloggers by SocialMedia Explorer and was one of the

first to adopt the use of blogging,

podcasting, Twitter, and other

Web 2.0 technologies in education.

He is also a course designer and

adjunct professor for Wilkes

University in northeastern

Pennsylvania where he serves as

class instructor for the Internet

Tools for Teaching course. Two

years ago he was named as one of

the “20 To Watch” by the National

School Board Association.

He has won a number of awards

for his work with the Discovery

Educator Network, which can be

accessed at http://

community.discoveryeducation.com.

Lehmann has

also beenrecognized with

a variety of

awards for his

work in

revamping the

education

system.

His talks often focus on the idea

that students are often force fed

irrelevant material. He believes it

more important to create an

environment that allows the

flourish and enjoy what they

learning.

He has received the 2012 Lin

Award for Excellence in Prin

Leadership in the School Dis

Philadelphia. He was also ho

by the White House for his

educational reform initiative

was named a ‘Champion of

Change,’ in September, 2011

He co-edited the book What

Leaders Need to Know abou

Digital Technologies and Soc

Media, and runs the educati

blog Practical .

http://www.mbteach.org/extra

20conference2014.html



The Fab Five:Symposia for

eachers in their First

Five Years October 3-5, 2013 in Brandon

tober 17 – 19, 2013 in Winnipeg

are pleased to invite all teachers

he first five years of their career

oin us for this exciting

ference. Newer teachers have

us that they require more

ormation to be properly prepared

the demands of teaching and

y want to share experiences with

er beginning teachers.

s conference has been designed

ddress those needs. Choose

sions on Cyberbullying,original Education,

nerationality, Classroom

nagement, Working with Parents

Educational Assistants,

lness, Assessment, a myriad of

ersity issues, and more.

me and join the network of

chers beginning their career.

rn about the wealth of resources

ilable to support you.

conference will begin Thursdayning with a light meal and an

introductory plenary session to set

the tone for this conference. This is

an excellent time to socialize with

past and new colleagues. On Friday

participants will be able to choose

four different workshops from a

variety of presenters.

During the Saturday morningsessions, successful classroom

teachers will share their best

curriculum ideas in multiple

sessions provided by the Special

Area Groups of Educators. And yes,

the sessions are all done by noon on

Saturday leaving ample time for

participants to begin their travels

home.

Registration is only $25.00. As well,

The Society will be providing some

financial assistance for travel andaccommodation for participants to

attend this Fab 5: Beginning

Teachers’ Conference. We are

hoping that the PD funds

administered by the school divisions

and/or local associations can further

support this initiative by covering

the costs of substitute teachers. We

are looking forward to seeing you.

http://www.mbteach.org/professional-

development/fab52013.html

Why Unions Matt



10 ideas to help teachers

rejuvenate this summer

aching is ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in the world, which

why summer vacation is a well-deserved, hard-earned break. You

n’t have to visit an expensive spa or travel to Europe to get

uvenated before returning to school in the fall.

th summer just around the corner, here are ten inexpensive ways to

charge so you can be energized, de-stressed, and ready for a great

ar ahead when school

arts again.

Try something new.

mersing yourself in

arning something

u’re interested in is a

eat way to reduce

ess, increase

eativity, and build

nfidence in yourself.

u might try learning a new language, taking up cooking or gardening,arning an instrument, attending a dance class, or you could even try

mething as simple as a new restaurant or board game with friends.

Volunteer. One of the most rewarding ways to rejuvenate and feel

od about yourself is by improving your community or world as a

lunteer.

Get outside. Summertime offers an abundance of opportunities to

get outside and enjoy the sun.

Active outside activities include

swimming, hiking, biking, or

walking in the park. For the

more lazy days,

4. Exercise. Summer is also a

eat time to work on the fitness goals you put off during the busy

hool year. Start out by building a daily routine of physical activity,

en if it’s walking for 15 minutes a day

Catch up on your reading list.

, the joy of summer reading.ring the school year, it’s a

eat idea to make an actual list

you always know the next

ng you’re going to check out

om the local library.

6. Journal or blog. There is something

fulfilling and therapeutic about documenting

the events in your life in a journal or

blog. Sites like Blogger or WordPress are user

-friendly ways to start establishing a presence

online, but curling up with a diary and pen

7. Practice the art of savouring.

Your life doesn’t have to change drastically for you to feel

rejuvenated. A cup of tea, a moment with your child or spouse,

delicious dinner, or a good workout are small things that, when s

and enjoyed, can lead to lasting life satisfaction. In his blog “Zen

Habits,” Leo Babauta describes savoring as an art that helps mak

more meaningful. “Savouring can teach you to be mindful, to sto

procrastinating, to finally exercise, to eat less and more healthfu

live in the present, and

much more.” His tips forgetting there include

slowing down, eating

mindfully, and living in the

present.

8. Meditate.

It’s been said that, besides l ifting your spirits,

the practice of meditation can also boost your

immune system, reduce blood pressure, and

increase your attention span. Start by

committing to just a few minutes a day at a

specific time. Pick a quiet spot, sit

comfortably, and focus on steady, slowbreathing for those few minutes.

9. Take

advantage of your city’s f

events.

Check our your city’s

calendar. Without spend

money or going too far, y

should be able to find a n

of local events and activit

enjoy with friends or

family. These might inclu

concerts in the park, outdoor art exhibits or gallery strolls, classic

screenings, or fairs. On the chance that your city’s calendar is em

this summer, you can always visit a museum or go window-shopp

10. Laugh.

While it may be clic

say it, sometimes la

truly is the best

medicine. If you’re

feeling as rejuvenat

refreshed as you’d lmay be time to “lau

off.” Attend a local

comedy show, rent

movie, or go out for

with close friends and keep it light. Laugh and smile your way th

the summer, and you’ll be a new person when school starts in th

Adapted from: http://www.whytry.org/blog/2013/05/13/10-ideas-to-h

teachers-rejuvenate-this-summer/

Documents

SRTA Newsletter June 2013