Dear TECEC families,
Welcome to the first week of fall! As the daylight wanes and the warmth of summer fades, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to experience the beauty of the changing seasons. Our teachers have crafted engaging lessons and activities centered around the magic of autumn. From exploring the vibrant colors of falling leaves to learning about apples, pumpkins, and other seasonal wonders, your child will have the opportunity to embrace the richness of this colorful time of year.
Though outdoor time may be limited, there are still plenty of ways to stay active and connected. Our PTO and Father's Club have organized exciting outings to help us all remain engaged with the community. Be sure to watch for flyers coming home in your child's bookbag, as well as updates in this TECEC newsletter.
We are always seeking to make TECEC better. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to share them with us. Your input is invaluable in helping us grow.
Kind regards,
Principal
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15, honoring the rich cultural heritage and significant contributions of Hispanic Americans. This month also marks the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, and Chile. Additionally, it includes holidays that highlight Hispanic contributions, such as Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day, observed in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
At TECEC, we are fortunate to have two school psychologists and one social worker, Diana Dawson, Hannah Duffy, and Kim Soule. We recognize that a nurturing and supportive environment is crucial for the early development of our youngest learners. As school psychologists and social workers, we are committed to providing the essential support needed to address their individual needs. We offer direct services to children who require specific assistance, delivering customized interventions that focus on their emotional, social, and developmental challenges.
In addition to our work with students, we collaborate closely with teachers, providing them with strategies to effectively support and nurture their classrooms. To further enhance learning, we also conduct targeted group lessons that address specific areas of need, ensuring that every child receives the support necessary to grow. By integrating direct services, teacher collaboration, and targeted group instruction, we aim to create an enriching preschool experience for every child at TECEC.
Throughout the school year we conduct social groups. At times your child will be asked to participate in a small group with books, games and activities that focus on enhancing friendship skills like taking turns, sharing, and working together, as well as teaching emotional awareness and regulation skills. Participation is voluntary, and children can turn down the opportunity if they choose. Most students enjoy the opportunity to take a break from the classroom to participate in an activity. The group time has been chosen by your child's teacher as an appropriate time to be out of the classroom. If you have any questions, or if you do not want your child to participate in a group, please feel free to contact us.
Please join us to learn how you can set up a B.A.R.K. Bucket filling program in your home! We will explain how it works in our school and how parents have set up similar programs at home to help shape positive behavior! Each participant will have the opportunity to plan their home program, decorate a bucket and take home the supplies needed to get started right away!
Tuesday: October 1, 2024
5:45pm in the TECEC Motor Room
We want to be sure to have enough supplies so please RSVP by 9/30 to: Hannah Duffy
203-452-4422
TECEC parent/teacher conferences will take place in the afternoons of October 22nd and October 24th from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. In addition, we have an evening conference date on November 7th from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. All students will be dismissed at 11:20 AM on those three days to accommodate the conferences. There are no afternoon classes those three days.
Conferences are a fantastic opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and review the progress made since the beginning of this school year. Conferences are generally fifteen minutes in length and designed to provide an overview of your child’s pre-readiness, social, language, and motor skill development.
The portal is open to make appointments and will close on Friday, October 11th at 11:00 PM.
School Appointments Instructions
Go to our school appointments: TECEC Parent-Teacher Conferences
Register for an account by clicking the "REGISTER" menu tab and filling in the on-line form. Choose a user id and password for yourself and then click the "Register Now" button.
Please enter an email address so we can send a reminder.
Add your children into the system by clicking the "Add a Student" button. Click the "Insert New" button to add more children.
Click the "book appointment" icon beside each child's name to schedule appointments.
Select your child’s teacher to book an appointment.
Click on the available time slot to book your appointment and click view appointment to confirm.
To Delete Appointments:
Click “View Appointments” from the HOME page.
You will then see the list of appointments that you have booked. To delete any of the appointments, click the red “x” icon beside the appointment.
If your child is receiving special education support and you would like to invite related services professionals such as their speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, or psychologist to your meeting, please fill out the following form in addition to the school appointment portal above: Related Services . We will do our best to accommodate your request.
This school year, parents in PK-12 now have the ability to report full day absences, late arrivals and early dismissals via their Infinite Campus Parent Portal using the mobile app or website in place of calling the school attendance line. For specific directions on how to report an absence via the Infinite Campus Portal click here.
TECEC's inclement weather and adjusted schedules can be viewed: here.
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, October 9, 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
EVERY THURSDAY IS SPIRIT WEAR 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/
