TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins.......December 18, 2024
Dear TECEC families,
The children and our team have been having a lot of fun celebrating spirit week leading up to the holiday break! Monday's festive headwear, Tuesday's crazy and holiday-themed socks and today’s New Year’s attire have brought so much fun and laughter to our days at TECEC. A gentle reminder that Thursday is Pajama Day, and Friday wraps up the week with Ugly Sweater Day for children who are in school.
For those who have been inquiring about kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year, information will be forthcoming from the district either this week or when we return after the holidays.
As we head into the holiday break, I want to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes to you and your families. The holiday season is a time of joy, reflection, and celebration, and I hope it fills your days with happiness, warmth, and cherished moments. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or another tradition, my heartfelt wish is that your holiday break is filled with good health, laughter, and countless joyous moments.
Happy Holidays!
Principal
Updates from Nurse Dana
Thank you to everyone who submitted proof of flu vaccination status for your children. As of today, we have about 60 children that have not received their flu vaccination. All Pre-K and students under the age of five enrolled in Trumbull schools must have documentation of annual flu vaccination given between August 1 and December 31 of the current school year. All documentation of flu vaccination status must be submitted by Thursday, December 19 or those without the vaccination will not be able to return on January 2.
This is mandated by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health which outlines all children 24 months to 59 months who attend school must receive an annual flu vaccination. This regulation is also supported by recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Children who have not received the flu vaccine by December 31st must be excluded from school for the duration of the influenza season (through March 31st) or until they receive at least one dose of the influenza vaccine.
If you have any questions about the state guidelines or health concerns, please feel free to call (203-452-4425) or email Nurse Dana dangelic@trumbullps.org
Thanks for your support!
Nurse Dana
We all love the holiday season! As adults, we recall holidays from our childhood. We enjoy preserving and continuing certain traditions, and we also look forward to creating new ones with our own children. While holidays are fun, they can also be inherently stressful for a variety of reasons. Preschool age children learn a lot and are influenced by what is happening around them. Preschoolers want and need to feel safe and secure. They take their cues from important adults in their lives. One of the many ways a young child develops a sense of security, safety, and love comes from observing how parents experience stress and how they model (or don’t) their coping skills. A few pointers of reflection to remember as we get closer to the holidays can be read here.
While we've enjoyed a mild fall, winter weather seems to be on its way. Please take a moment to review TECEC's inclement weather guidelines and adjusted schedules here to stay prepared for potential snow or any other disruptions to the school day.
Every Thursday is spirit wear day! Since many of our children do not attend school on Fridays, we thought it would be fun to have “TECEC Thursday” each week where everyone is encouraged to wear school spirit wear. If you don't have any TECEC spirit wear, feel free to wear our school color which is blue. You can also purchase spirit wear here: https://tecec.ptboard.com/
Our arrival and dismissal procedures were developed to keep the children, you and our team safe. Please review the following guidelines that your adherence is critical to assure everyone arrives and leaves TECEC safely. One particular highlight is that vehicles must only enter the TECEC driveway by taking a right from Middlebrooks Ave. into the parking lot from 8:20-3:30. Attempting to access Middlebrooks Ave. via Church Hill Road and trying to take a left into TECEC creates an unsafe traffic pattern and should be avoided. Our arrival and dismissal procedures can be found here.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.
One of the hallmarks of our program is parent and community involvement. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out to you with the best ways to engage with their education. We also encourage you to take the time to fill out the TPS volunteer form for the 2024-2025 school year. For most individuals, you will only need to complete part one (Tier one). This will permit you to volunteer in the school while in the presence of a staff member. Part two (Tier two) is for those who will be working with children not in the presence of a school employee. Since every volunteer will be in the presence of a TECEC staff member, there will not be a need to complete that section, unless you plan on volunteering in another school. This form has to be completed annually as mandated by the state guidelines for school volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, the form can be found here and dropped off at TECEC so it can be processed. All submitted forms need to have an original signature, therefore a form with an e-signature will not be accepted.
Please join us on Wednesday, January 8, for our next PTO meeting. The meeting will be held in person at TECEC beginning at 7:00 PM. For those who would like to join virtually, the link is: PTO Meeting
