FROM THE EDITOR


Te summer issue of Voice is our wom- en’s issue and is dedicated to highlight- ing the voices of women members and to celebrating women’s achievements. Reflecting on the continued need to ad- vocate for women’s equality, President Karen Brown writes, “While we’ve made significant progress, the reality is that Ontario women still face systemic barri- ers to true equity – barriers that unions continue to challenge every day.” In a related curriculum insert for


Intermediate students this issue, we ex- plore Canada’s gender pay gap, which


saw women earning an average of $3.79 per hour less than their male counterparts as recently as 2021. In Te Power of a Program, Maranda Dumas reflects on 20 years of an important


ETFO women’s program – Leaders for Tomorrow (L4T). “Past L4T graduates have taken on local presidencies, won provincial executive positions, become ETFO staff, moved into administrative positions with their boards, and found non-education spaces where they have been able to flourish as leaders, professionally and person- ally,” she writes. “Leaders offered our diverse group both intentional and spontane- ous learning opportunities, and the connections we formed during and between the four sessions endure.” In Breaking Barriers: Te Girls Steam Team at Beaumonde Heights, Pawan Wan-


der discusses the importance of creating dedicated STEAM spaces for girls, where they can see themselves as builders, coders and innovators. Reflecting on how she kept losing girls from the general STEAM clubs she had created in the past, she writes, “We need to be very intentional about discussing and actively challenging the systemic obstacles that girls will encounter in their journeys in science, technology, engineering and math.” In Pages into Pathways: Exploring Women’s Voices in Activism, Karen Devonish-


Mazzotta considers how stories written by and about women influence both our perspectives on the world and what is possible for girls and women. “In a world where systemic barriers persist,” she writes, “women’s voices in activism have proven to be transformative forces for social change. Tese voices bring critical and impact- ful perspectives that are all too oſten sidelined or silenced altogether. When women speak truth to power, they illuminate experiences that challenge prevailing narra- tives and expose critical gaps in our collective understanding of justice and equity.” Tese features, along with book reviews, a special themed crossword and an ar-


ticle on starting a dance club at school, are sure to make great summer reading! Wishing you a restful summer break.


ETFO Executive Members


PRESIDENT Karen Brown, Elementary Teachers of Toronto


FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT David Mastin, Durham


VICE-PRESIDENTS Shirley Bell, Kawartha Pine Ridge Gundi Barbour, Upper Grand


OTF TABLE OFFICER Nathan Core, Waterloo Region


EXECUTIVE MEMBERS Tamara DuFour, Hamilton-Wentworth Mary Fowler, Durham Juan-Yahya Gairey, Peel Shideh Houshmandi, Hamilton-Wentworth Carolyn Proulx-Wootton, Grand Erie Mario Spagnuolo, Greater Essex County Mike Thomas, Thames Valley Sylvia van Campen, Upper Canada Jenn Wallage, Waterloo Sharon O’Halloran, General Secretary Lorna Larmour, Deputy General Secretary Sabrina Sawyer, Deputy General Secretary


ETFO Voice Izida Zorde, Editor Sharon O’Halloran, Business Manager Michelle Goddard, Advertising Sales David Beyer, Design Contributors not otherwise credited: Federico Carvajal, Dory Cerny


Member of the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM) and Canadian Education Press Association


Indexed in the Canadian Educational Index / Répertoire canadien sur l’éducation


ISSN: 1481-4072


Articles contained herein reflect the views of the authors and do not necessarily express official policy of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.


Acceptance of an advertisement does not imply ETFO endorsement of the product or service. Advertising contracts are subject to cancellation if members complain.


Publications Mail Agreement no. 42409515. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:


136 Isabella Street Toronto, ON M4Y 0B5


Phone: 416-962-3836 or 1-888-838-3836 E-mail: etfovoice@etfo.org etfovoice.ca


Printed by Thistle Printing on FSC certified, 10% post-consumer content; Carbon Lite and Green-e®


certified renewable energy paper.


4 ETFO VOICE | SUMMER 2025


PHOTO BY CHRISTINE COUSINS


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52