Check out these great pictures posted by NYSUT of the Bowling Extravaganza (there's a great BTA team picture there!)

The event raised $7300 for Project Share: A Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless!

Here's a link to the Thank You note from the organizers of the event.

Put January 22 on your calendar for a similar event to be held in Rockland at a Diamond Jim's Billiards Parlor.  

Board Ratifies BTA Contract
The Bronxville Union Free School District Board of Education and the Bronxville Teachers’ Association (“BTA”) are pleased to announce that the parties have reached agreement on a four-year contract covering the time period from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017. The prior contract, which had a three-year term, expired on June 30, 2013, and since early 2013 representatives of the District and the BTA have worked together to reach agreement on a new contract. Negotiations in the current fiscal climate are difficult and challenging, and in many communities can be a divisive issue. We are proud that, through respectful and collaborative dialogue, the parties have reached an agreement that provides for a fair and equitable settlement for the BTA membership and a fiscally responsible contract for the taxpayers of this community.

At all times during the negotiations, the parties remained committed to maintaining the outstanding educational program to which the Bronxville community has grown accustomed over the years. Both sides made sacrifices to achieve an equitable settlement, and the District and the BTA are confident that this agreement will allow Bronxville to continue to provide a superior educational experience for our children well into the future.

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. David Quattrone, commented, “I would like to thank BTA President Dr. David Katz and the rest of the members of the BTA’s negotiating team for their hard work, commitment and dedication to reaching an agreement that recognizes and appreciates the contributions of our teachers and the financial challenges that the District is facing now and in the future.”

BTA President, Dr. Katz, added, “The school board and administration were effective partners with the BTA in this negotiations process. The parties dealt fairly and honestly with each other to the benefit of all our constituent groups. The members of the BTA appreciate the respectful tone of these recent negotiations. The commitment of the teachers mirrors that of the district - delivering high-quality educational outcomes for the Bronxville students and community.”

Board of Education President, Denise Tormey, noted, "On behalf of the entire Board of Education, I would like to commend the BTA and the administration for their tireless efforts in working with the Board to reach a settlement that allows all of us to focus on our most important goal, making the educational experience of each and every Bronxville student the best it can be."

The BTA and the District agreed many years ago to create a sick bank to provide a greater measure of salary continuation for employees in the event of an extended illness or injury through the voluntary sharing of sick days by employees.  

If you are a member of the sick bank, you don't have to do anything, but in June, you'll be asked to voluntarily contribute up to three sick days to the bank.  (You should know that our sick bank is very healthy and, fortunately, is very seldom used).

If you are a new employee last year, you became eligible to join the sick bank this month.  Send an email to Dawn Mulvey to let her know that you would like to become a member of the sick bank (you'll be required to donate at least one sick day to the bank to become a member).  Your membership takes effect on January 1.

If you are a new employee this year, you are eligible to access sick bank days if you have not used any of your own days prior to the request.  

In order to use the days in the sick bank, you must first exhaust all of your own regular and extended sick days (except for one, which will be used to replenish the sick bank if this becomes necessary).  Then, the Sick Bank Committee will meet to approve the use of the sick bank time.  

Questions?  Ask!

On Thursday, BTA members will be headed to Spins Bowl in Mt. Kisco to join 30 other NYSUT locals in a fund-raising effort for Project Share: A Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless.  

Won't you join us?  It's a $20 donation to enter (plus a $150 per-team entry fee, which the BTA has already paid).  There'll be food, drinks, raffle prizes, bowling, and lots of fun for a great cause.  

We have a 6:00 start time and have been assigned lanes 4, 5, and 6, so please arrive before then.

This afternoon, I was joined by Joyce Myers, Greg DiStefano, Barbara Dhyne, Heather Norman, and Veronica Fiore for our second monthly BTA yoga with Eva!  

Thanks for a great class, Eva!

The next opportunity will be on Tuesday, December 2. 

Who's in?