Check Your School’s Bell Schedule!

Check your school’s bell schedule, especially if your schedule includes collaboration time. The collective agreement and the School Act have specific language about the school day, the instructional day, and the instructional week:  

D.22.1 SCHOOL/INSTRUCTIONAL DAY  

*a. The term “school day” means a period commencing fifteen (15) minutes before classes are first convened in the morning and ending fifteen (15) minutes after classes are last dismissed in the afternoon, AND  

*b. No employee will be required to perform supervision duties beyond the school day except where an emergency necessitates supervision to ensure the safety of students.  

*c. In an elementary school the “instructional day” shall not exceed six (6) hours inclusive of fifteen (15) minutes of recess and the regular noon intermission.  

*d. In a secondary school the “instructional day” shall not exceed six (6) hours and thirty (30) minutes (six (6) hours and forty (40) minutes at Semiahmoo Secondary) inclusive of the regular noon intermission, period change time, home room, SSR etc.  

*e. Where employees are employed at work locations other than schools, their “work day” shall be the normal office hours for their work location but shall not exceed seven (7) hours including a half hour meal break.  

*D.22.2 INSTRUCTIONAL WEEK  

*a. For employees in an elementary school, the instructional week shall not exceed twenty-five (25) hours inclusive of preparation time (as specified in Article D.4) and seventy-five (75) minutes of recess.  

*b. For employees in a secondary school, the instructional week shall not exceed twenty-seven and one half (27 1/2) hours inclusive of preparation time (as specified in Article D.4), period change time, home room, SSR, etc. 

Questions & concerns? Contact: Kelli O’Malley (grieve2@surreyteachers.org)