Announcements & Calendar of Events

Announcements & Calendar of Events

Valley Central Teachers Association

Turn to this page for the latest announcements. We hope this page helps members to keep track of important upcoming events. If there is an event happening within your building or if members are participating in a community activity that you would like posted, email your information to tbrown@vcmail.ouboces.org.

Announcements VCTA Calendar of Events	VCSD Calendar Old Announcements
Announcements

SRP Recognition Day: Tuesday, November 18th is New York State School-Related Professionals Day. This is a day to recognize and honor the school support staff who help educate, transport and feed our children and those who keep our schools clean and safe, and the offices running smoothly. Two SRP groups are VCTA members: secretaries and paraprofessionals. The cafeteria/nutritional staff are not a part of the VCTA but have joined NYSUT as a separate SRP local. The building and grounds (i.e., maintenance & custodial) unit are affiliated with the Civil Service Employees of America (CSEA). The CO confidential secretaries are an independent SRP group and the techs who keep our technology infrastructure running are also independent SRP employees. Celebrate by saying "Thank You" to an SRP on Tuesday! I ask that all teachers wear the sticker (on Tuesday) that a Building Rep will place in teacher unit member mailboxes. PTSA Defensive Driving Course: Saturday, December 20, 2008; 9:30 am - 3:30 pm. For more information go to www.digitaldefensivedriving.com. Visit our Legislative Action page―follow the links and fax your state and national representatives. Preretirement Planning Seminars: Visit this site for the latest dates and locations. 2009 Labor Heroes Celebration: The Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation will be hosting its third annual Labor Heroes celebration to honor outstanding labor activists and friends of labor on Friday, January 16, 2009. In preparation for this wonderful event, they are looking for names of the men and women who make the labor movement work. The Award Categories are: The "Mother Jones Award" for an outstanding female trade union activist or leader. The "Phil 'Toppy' Moresco Award" (formerly the Joe Hill Award) for an outstanding male trade union activist or leader. The "Friend of Labor Award" for those individuals or organizations outside of the labor movement that have gone above and beyond for the cause of workers' rights. The "Lifetime Service Award" for those individuals who have dedicated themselves to the labor movement for their entire career and are at or near retirement. Please call 845-567-7760, email Brittany Turner (BrittanyTurner@hvalf.org) or fax your nominations to 845-567-7742. Submission deadline is Monday, November 10, 2008. Richard H. Aderson "Make A Difference 2008 Award: All nominations must be submitted by November 18, 2008. Select this link for nomination criteria and an application form. AFL-CIO Do Buy List: There are companies that play naughty and some that play nice. As you compose your holiday list and make vacation plans, be a good union shopper. Reward merchants who are included on the AFL-CIO's "do buy" list for their good-faith bargaining and fair labor practices. Below are just a few "do buy" companies from the list, with emphasis given to those located in New York and surrounding states. Go to http://www.unionlabel.org/ to locate many more. National Board Certification: Select this link to view "A guide to Understanding National Board Certification: 2008 Candidacy Cycle" Auto & Home Insurance Discount: View our Member Discounts and Savings page to receive additional savings on your auto and home insurance premiums from a local vendor. Do Not Call Registry: It is recommended that members register with the Do Not Call Registry to prevent unwanted phone solicitations. Many of our members have been receiving annoying phone calls from First Investors out of Newburgh. First Investors was able to access your telephone numbers by coordinating your name on the VCSD website with the 411.com search engine. One of their representatives also bad-mouthed teacher unions in his conversation with one of our members. Needless to say First Investors will no longer have access to our members through payroll deduction. On-Line Labor Studies Certificate Program: Offered by Cornell University's ILR School. Top of Page

VCTA CALENDAR OF EVENTS Column Sort Feature Enabled When Using Microsoft Explorer To sort data by category, select the column title: Date (Y/M/D), Day of the Week, Event, Location or Time.

Y/M/D	DAY	EVENT	LOCATION	TIME
2008.08.19	Monday	Business Meeting for New Hires	East Coldenham	9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
2008.08.20	Tuesday	Viking Induction Program (VIP) 1	Mont. Senior Center	8:00 - 3:00 p.m.
2008.08.21	Wednesday	Viking Induction Program (VIP) 1 & 2	Mont. Senior Center	8:00 - 3:00 p.m.
2008.08.22	Thursday	Viking Induction Program (VIP) 1 & 2	HS/MS a.m.―Bdgs. p.m.	8:00 - 3:00 p.m.
2008.09.02	Tuesday	Health & Investment Fair	HS Lobby	7:00 - 8:20 a.m.
2008.09.03	Wednesday	Retiree Luncheon	Spruce Lodge	12:30 p.m.
2008.09.09	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2008.10.14	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2008.11.18	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2008.12.09	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.01.13	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.02.10	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.03.10	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.04.21	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.05.12	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2009.06.09	Tuesday	VCTA Executive Council Meeting	HS Professional Library	4:00 p.m.
2008.09.18	Monday	Orange County Teacher Association	Goshen	4:30 p.m.
2008.08.26	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2008.09.23	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2008.10.28	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2008.11.23	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.01.27	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.02.24	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.03.24	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.04.28	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.05.26	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.06.23	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.07.28	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2009.08.25	Tuesday	Hudson-Catskill Central Labor Council	Newburgh	7:00 p.m.
2008.10.17	Friday	Fall Fest―Welcome Back Party	Otterkill Country Club	3:00 - 7:00 p.m.
2008.10.19	Sunday	Making Strides Walk	Woodbury Commons	7:30 - 11:00 a.m.
2008.09.25	Thursday	ED 14	Cosimos, Woodbury	4:30 p.m.
2009.03.23	Monday	Committee of 100	Albany	5:00 p.m.
2009.03.24	Tuesday	Committee of 100	Albany	9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
2009.04.01	Wednesday	Representative Assembly (Pres. Conf.)	Buffalo
2009.04.02	Thursday	Representative Assembly	Buffalo
2009.04.03	Friday	Representative Assembly	Buffalo
2009.04.04	Saturday	Representative Assembly	Buffalo
2009.05.11	Monday	Committee of 100	Albany	5:00 p.m.
2009.05.12	Tuesday	Committee of 100	Albany	9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
2009.05.19	Tuesday	School Budget Vote	Elementary Buildings	7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

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VCSD Calendar

Select this link to view a Calendar of Events on the VCSD website detailing activities throughout the year that are color-coded by building and activity/event: VCSD Calendar

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Old Announcements

Leo Flax: Leo Flax, a former VCSD Guidance Counselor, Director of Guidance and Director of Pupil Personnel Services from 1953 to June 30, 1981, has passed away. Funeral Services will be at the Walden Jewish Community Center on Wednesday, August 27 at 2:00pm. Our condolences to his family and friends.
Member Benefits Display: On September 2, 2008 from 7:00am - 8:20am, the VCTA will be sponsoring its Twelfth Annual Member Benefits Display. The vendors will display their services in the lobby of the Valley Central High School. Representatives from health insurance companies, investment companies, the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan, the Valley Central Federal Credit Union, as well as companies and/or organizations offering specials or discounts for our membership have been invited to answer questions and provide information.
Mid-Hudson School Study Council Award Recipients: Debra Calvino, John Hunter and Pasquale Iorlano will be honored on October 2, 2008 at Anthony's Pier 9. Registration and Social Hour begin at 6:00pm and dinner will be served at 7:00pm. After dinner awards will be presented. If you would like to attend please contact Tim Brown at tbrown@vcmail.ouboces.org. The cost of the Awards Dinner is $39. Please make your check out to the VCSD and forward it to Tim at the HS.
Fall Fest: Friday, October 17th. Food, Door Prizes, Music; Otterkill Country Club; 3:00 - 7:00; Sign up with a building rep: HS-Diane Ruggles, MS-Sonya Berger, Maura Crown-B, Sandy Carrol-EC, Linda Draughn-MA, Gail Nozell-MO, Janet Malloy-W. Cost to active and retired members is $12 and $23 for non-members/guests.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk: October 19, 2008; Information, Times, and How to Contribute; Join the VCTA Team
Flu Vaccine: October 18; October 25; and November 8; 9:00 am - 12:00 pm; Select the links below to get more information about how to sign up and where to go for the free influenza vaccine.
PTSA Defensive Driver Course: The PTSA is offering a Defensive Driving Course Sat. October 25, 2008 from 9:30am  3:30pm. The fee is $40.00. To enroll contact: Tony Torsone, certified instructor 845-895-5098 or sign up on-line www.digitaldefensivedriving.com. 10% Insurance and up to 4 Point Reduction
A Message From NYSUT―Your Pension is Safe (Sept. 30, 2008): If the recent reports regarding the financial markets have you concerned, rest assured your NYSTRS retirement benefit is guaranteed and safe. Funds used to pay your benefits come into the Retirement System through employer contributions, member contributions and investment income. NYSTRS invests the employer and member contributions throughout a member's working career and accumulates the assets necessary to provide a fully funded benefit in retirement. This method is called advance funding. Because the Retirement System invests in a well-diversified portfolio, when one company or asset class underperforms, the stability of the other asset classes offset that negative performance. The System's Retirement Board, staff and outside consultants continually monitor our asset allocations and make adjustments as necessary. The bottom line: Sufficient funds are on hand to pay promised NYSTRS benefits. For more information about the status of public pension funds in today's economy, see the recent press statement issued by the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA) and the National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR). Highlights from the statement include: Public pension fund benefits are safe and secure because they are highly diversified and invested with a long-term focus. Pension fund investments in companies making headlines are just a small fraction of their overall portfolios. Public pension funds are designed to withstand market fluctuations as we are currently experiencing and have successfully endured many other past financial upheavals. State and local pension funds have the liquidity needed to pay promised benefits for the near term and the accumulated assets and funding mechanisms to pay them for the long term. Pension funds provide essential liquidity and capital to the financial markets, helping to aid their recovery.

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