The VIP Teachers' Lounge Curated by Joanne Sallay: Countdown to Summer Break

After a long Canadian winter, the warmer weather finally seems to have arrived. As the school year begins to wind down, this issue is designed to give teachers ideas and inspiration for what to look forward to during a well-deserved break.

Pictured here on Toronto’s Harbourfront taking a reading break during the Forest of Reading Festival, this photo was captured by my little reader, and it felt like the perfect unofficial start to summer.

This edition is filled with some of my favourite things to enjoy with a little more downtime ahead. Our partners are also excited to spoil teachers, so keep scrolling for special offers, giveaways, and experiences connected to spa escapes, summer reading, and entertainment with literary connections.

Feel free to forward this newsletter to teacher friends. You do not need to be part of Teachers on Call’s online or in-home tutoring team to enjoy these perks, and you will only hear from us a few times a year — always with something thoughtfully selected for teachers.

Enjoy the countdown to summer,

Joanne Sallay

President & CEO, Teachers on Call

Exclusive Giveaways for Teachers on Call

Spa Getaway at Ste. Anne's

Escape, unwind and immerse yourself in the ultimate relaxing retreat! Enter for your chance to win a spa getaway featuring a day spa experience at Ste. Anne's Spa and an overnight stay at the charming Grafton Village Inn - Petit Pont Guest House.

The prize includes:

An overnight stay at the Grafton Village Inn, Petit Pont Guest House
An entire day at the spa (8:30am - 6:00pm)
$150 spa and wellness allowance
3-Course lunch (appetizer, main and dessert)
Afternoon tea (selection of sweet and savoury treats)
Unlimited non-alcoholic beverages
Complete use of the facilities including our outdoor meditative and therapeutic hydrotherapy pools, eucalyptus inhalation room, outdoor sauna, fire circle, hiking trails, Zen garden and more!

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line “Ste. Anne's” for your chance to win a Spa Getaway

Win 1 of 3 Indigo gift cards ($100 Each!)

Indigo plumTeacher loves teachers just as much as we do! To celebrate, we are giving away $100 gift cards to three lucky educators from our VIP Teacher community. If you win, your dollars can go even further during the upcoming plumTeacher weekend event with exclusive educator savings and offers.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line “Indigo” for your chance to win a $100 Indigo gift card and tell us what's on your Indigo Summer Wish List!

Win a Ninja SLUSHi™

We’re giving away a Ninja® SLUSHi frozen drink maker - just in time for summer! Enter for your chance to create refreshing frozen drinks, slushies, frappés, and more right at home. Don’t miss your shot at one of the coolest prizes of the season!

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line “Ninja” for your chance to win a Ninja SLUSHi.

Win an Educator Gift Basket from Scholastic Education

We’re excited to partner with Scholastic Education to give away one incredible classroom-ready gift basket! Packed with storybooks, professional learning resources, articulation cards, and a Code & Go activity set, this prize is full of tools to support learning, creativity, and fun in the classroom.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line “Scholastic” for your chance to win the Educator Gift Basket!

Win 1 of 3 Pairs of Tickets to María Dueñas Plays Korngold at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Saturday June 6, 2026 at 7:30 pm

Step into the golden age of Hollywood with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Experience the drama and romance of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the Academy Award-winning composer who brought lush, cinematic scores to the silver screen.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line "TSO" for your chance to win a pair of tickets.

Enter to win 2 tickets to the Canadian Premiere of Water for Elephants, courtesy of Mirvish Productions!

Enter for a chance to win 2 tickets to Water for Elephants, courtesy of Mirvish Productions. Winner may choose from one of the following performances: Thursday July 9 or Friday July 10, 2026 at 7:30 pm. Learn more about the show here.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line "Water for Elephants" for your chance to win a pair of tickets.

Enter to win 2 tickets to The Great Gatsby, courtesy of Mirvish Productions!

Enter for a chance to win 2 tickets to The Great Gatsby, courtesy of Mirvish Productions. Winner may choose from one of the following performances: Tuesday August 4 or Wednesday August 5, 2026 at 7:30PM. Learn more about the show here.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line "Gatsby" for your chance to win a pair of tickets.

Win a 1-Year StratFest+ Classroom Subscription for Your Classroom!

Bring the magic of live theatre into your classroom with StratFest+, the Stratford Festival’s educational streaming platform designed for educators and students.

Enter for a chance to win a 1-year classroom subscription (prize value: $450) and gain access to a curated selection of filmed Stratford Festival productions, including Shakespeare and contemporary plays, behind-the-scenes interviews and educational resources.

Perfect for English, Drama and Arts classrooms, StratFest+ helps students experience world-class Canadian theatre anytime, anywhere.

The winner can redeem their subscription anytime between now and September 30, 2026. Once redeemed, the subscription will remain active for one full year. Learn more about the platform here.

How to Enter:

Email perks@teachersoncall.ca with the subject line “StratFest” for your chance to win a 1-year subscription for your classroom!

RULES:

Open to teachers across Canada.
To verify your teacher status, please apply to the contest using a professional school email address or simply provide another form of identification, such as a teacher certification ID, in your e-mail text.
You may enter as many giveaways as you’d like, but only one prize can be won per teacher per newsletter issue.
Winning teachers’ contact information will be shared with prize partners to facilitate prize delivery.
Entries close on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 11:59PM ET
Winners will be contacted by email by the Teachers on Call team

Teacher Field Trip Offers

Indigo's plumTeacher

Indigo’s plumTeacher Appreciation Weekend is back from May 28 - 31, 2026. Educators can sign up in-store or online to enjoy 20% off in-store purchases at Indigo, Chapters, Coles, or Indigospirit locations across Canada (excluding tech).

Indigo is the happy place of our President, along with countless educators, so consider this your excuse to treat yourself and take a field trip to your nearest store. Here are a few items that recently caught Joanne’s eye.

Treat Yourself to Mirvish's Teachers' Night Out

Explore special teacher offers on select shows throughout the year. Join the Teachers' Night Out program and save on tickets! Learn more here.

Save 15% on Your Next Visit to the ROM

Teachers deserve a little inspiration, too! Enjoy 15% off your next visit to the Royal Ontario Museum with this exclusive offer for teachers. Explore world-class exhibits, discover something new, and make your next museum day even more memorable.

Use the promo code: TEACHERSONCALL to save! Learn more here. Offer expires December 31, 2026.

Athletics and Recreation

Ski like a Teacher VIP at Big White Ski Resort

in Kelowna, British Columbia

It may be spring, but ski season is just around the corner! We are excited to invite our VIP Teacher community to experience Teachers on Call's exclusive VIP Package at Big White Ski Resort in beautiful British Columbia.

Seamless VIP services for your booking
Select savings and free tubing tickets
Access to exclusive discounts on direct flights
No blackout dates during peak periods, including major breaks and holidays

Take advantage of this special offer to create lasting family memories during the 2026 - 2027 ski season. Please quote special code QA2627. Learn more here.

Bring Pickleball to your School with the Selkirk Pickleball Growth Program

Are your students interested in playing Pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in Canada? If you are looking to bring free equipment to your school to help students get started, don’t miss the Selkirk Growth Program. Learn more and apply here.

Newsworthy

Indigo Teachers' Choice Contest

Do you have a book you believe every child should read? If yes, Indigo wants to hear from you. Teachers are invited to share their favourite must-read titles to help shape Indigo’s annual Teachers’ Choice reading list, with a chance to win Indigo gift cards - including a $500 grand prize.

We all know our President, Joanne Sallay, has a special love for Canadian books - especially the Forest of Reading program - so what title would you add to the list? Pictured here is Joanne visiting Indigo’s tent at the Forest of Reading Festival.

Submit your recommendations by May 22, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET. Participate here.

The Corsage Project: Helping Make Prom Dreams Come True

For 26 years, The Corsage Project, in partnership with Children's Aid Foundation of Canada, has helped financially deserving Grade 12 students in Toronto celebrate prom with pride and in style. Teachers on Call is proud to support the Boutique Ball each year, especially as Joanne Sallay serves as Volunteer Chair and her mother, Rhona Sallay - Founder of Teachers on Call and retired TDSB teacher - was a co-founder of the non-profit program. The 2026 Boutique Ball was another wonderful success, and we encourage educators to keep the program in mind for deserving students in 2027. Learn more here.

The Greenstone Grind: Bringing STEM Careers to Life

Looking for a real-world STEM resource to spark career conversations with your students?

The Greenstone Grind is a new reality series following 11 first-year University of Toronto engineering students as they step inside Equinox Gold’s Greenstone Mine in Northwestern Ontario for a week of hands-on learning, industry-recognized credentials, and honest conversations about careers in mining.

What begins with uncertainty quickly turns into excitement about living and working at one of Canada’s largest gold mines.

For educators supporting students interested in STEM, this series offers an exciting, behind-the-scenes look at engineering career paths in mining that many students may never have considered — until now.

Stream the series now on YouTube and @this_is_mining social channels.

This series is funded through a partnership between the Ontario Mining Association, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and Employment Ontario.

A Decade of Excellence in Tutoring

Teachers on Call has been awarded the Consumer Choice Award for Best Tutoring Service for the 10th consecutive year. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that winners are chosen by consumers themselves, making this milestone a true reflection of the trust and support of the families and school communities we are proud to serve. Thank you to our hardworking and dedicated online and in-home tutors for making this achievement possible. Learn more about joining our tutoring team here.

Share This Newsletter With Your Teacher Friends!

Encourage a fellow teacher to sign up and enjoy the perks! You don’t have to be part of Teachers on Call’s tutoring team to join—educators from across Canada are welcome.