Labour Update

TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 2022

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has announced that their members will not be at work on Friday, November 4, 2022 across the Province of Ontario.  

CUPE represents more than 920 school board staff in Grand Erie, including Educational Assistants, Communicative Disorder Assistants, Food Technicians, Clerical (school and central board staff) Library Technicians, Information Technology staff and Custodial and Maintenance staff. They play a vital, daily role supporting student success, safety and the effective operations of our schools and facilities.

Given such a large number of potentially absent staff, should a strike or protest occur, it will not be possible to safely open and operate our schools.

If a full withdrawal of services occurs, all Grand Erie in-person students will move to independent/remote learning activities for Friday, November 4. Schools will not be open to students.  

It will not impact ongoing virtual or elearning instruction, or programs that are run out of facilities other than Grand Erie schools.

Teachers will reach out to their students with information on accessing independent/remote learning activities. You can find out more information on remote learning on Grand Erie’s website.

If schools are closed, before and after care programs will be closed as well. Childcare programs with their own custodial services will continue to operate. A list is available below, and we will share this on social media as well. 

We acknowledge the impact this will have on families. The health and safety of students is our number one priority. We will continue to provide regular updates to families as more information becomes available.  

Thank you.

Childcare centres attached to schools that can remain open in the event of a strike/protest on Friday, Nov. 4

• YMCA Daycare – Central Public School
• Maawdoo Maajaamin Child Care – Hagersville Secondary School
• Today's Family – Lakewood Public School
• Brantford Little School – Pauline Johnson C&VS

Grand Opening of the Snoezelen Room

Elgin Avenue Public School welcomed staff, students and community to the Grand Opening of the Snoezelen Room on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

On hand for this special occasion was Chair of the Board Carol Ann Sloat, Trustee Rita Collver and Superintendent Liana Thompson as well as several members of the community that contributed to the fundraising, and Elgin staff members.

Allie Richardson (teacher of students with autism), Lori Minarik (EA working with students with autism) and Samantha Nicholson (Principal) worked together for over three and a half years to fundraise for this $30,000 project. The Elgin community, parents, local charities and the Grand Erie District School Board all came together to make this project a huge success.

A Snoezelen Room is a multi-sensory environment that provides a controlled, safe, relaxing space for individuals with a variety of sensory needs. The room is set up to give individuals a positive space where they can meet their specific needs in a calming atmosphere. This atmosphere helps in reducing fear, anxieties, repetitive behaviour, self-abusive behaviour and aggressive behaviour so that students are better able to learn. Students at Elgin in both self-contained classes and in the regular classes will be able to access the room to help meet their sensory needs.

According to Seth, a student who accesses the room daily, “It is the best room ever!!!”