Athletic group to address board

Members of the Rainy River District Athletic Association will outline the group’s goals and responsibilities at tonight’s regular monthly meeting of the public school board.
Established in 2001, the RRDAA’s mission is to manage elementary athletic opportunities as well as promote a healthy lifestyle through sports.
The association is run by administrators and teachers from both the Rainy River District School Board and the local Northwest Catholic District School Board.
Schools from both boards can join for an annual fee of $25, with the money being used to provide referees, trophies, participation ribbons, and medals.
The association schedules both competitive and non-competitive athletic events, and can adapt and revise playing regulations to be more age-appropriate.
“It is hoped that if students get involved and experience a number of different athletic activities in a positive learning environment, they will continue to be physically active, either competitively or recreationally, throughout their lives,” assistant Superintendent of Education Linda Hill wrote in a report to the board.
In other news, negotiations are taking place this week on a new collective agreement between the public board and local teachers’ unions.
Their last agreement expired Aug. 31.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation local met with the board’s negotiating team yesterday while the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario will have talks today and tomorrow.
Sharon Preston, president of the ETFO local, said all elementary teacher locals across the province are under provincial takeover.
“All negotiations are being directed from the provincial office,” she noted.
The purpose of having the ETFO direct negotiations is to ensure certain criteria are met in every collective agreement in Ontario.
The ETFO has identified four main goals to secure in elementary teachers’ contracts:
•200 minutes of preparation time;
•a cap on supervision time;
•a “real salary increase” beyond the cost of living; and
•the enhancement of pregnancy, parental, and adoption leave.
Preston said she expected the negotiations to take some time. “I anticipate it being slow but steady,” she remarked.
Tonight’s board meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Rainy River High School.