The International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd provides a focus for students to be better informed about disability issues and create real opportunities for change. In the lead-up to the day, why not hold an assembly and invite a speaker; highlight and read books from the school library about people with disabilities; or use lesson plans from the ETFO resources Social Justice Begins with Me and Everyone is Able video?

ETFO's Social Justice Begins with Me contains a list of ability/disability picture books. Also be sure to check out the latest Voice blog post on this important day.

This conference takes place January 27-28, 2017 at provincial office. It supports ETFO members' professional learning for teaching grades 6 through 8. The keynote presentations and workshops are designed to help you Innovate, Integrate and Motivate!

Whether you are responsible for a single or split-grade classroom or have a specialized assignment, this conference has something for you! Be prepared to learn, laugh and feel energized about integrating innovative new strategies into your program.

For information on registering for this event, please see the conference flyer. 

Today--November 25th--is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It marks the first of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. In Canada that has special resonance with December 6th--the date on which 14 young women were murdered in 1989 at the Ēcole Polytechnique de Montréal.

ETFO is supporting an Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) campaign to put pressure on the provincial government to move forward on Bill 26. The bill calls for paid leave for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

As educators, there is much you can do. From November 25 to December 6, The White Ribbon Campaign provides an opportunity for boys and men to work together to end violence against women. Education kits are available at www.whiteribbon.ca .

Suggested classroom activities and other resources related to anti-violence can also be found on the ETFO website.

ETFO is seeking workshop presenters for three conferences with the overarching theme of Seeing, Empowering and Engaging the Kindergarten Learner. 

The conferences will provide members with the opportunity to explore a wide range of topics about kindergarten through workshop presentations and keynote speakers. They will be held on March 31-April 1, April 28-29 and June 2-3, 2017.