TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins.......October 16, 2024
Important upcoming dates
Thursday, October 17 School photos
Tuesday, October 22 Parent-Teacher Conferences 11:20 dismissal, no afternoon classes
Thursday October 24 Parent-Teacher Conferences 11:20 dismissal, no afternoon classes
Saturday, October 26 PTO Halloween Party. More information to follow
Tuesday, October 29 Trumbull Read Aloud
Tuesday October 29 TECEC Halloween Parades. More information below
Wednesday, October 30 TECEC Halloween Parade rain date
Thursday, October 31 Schools closed to observe Diwali
Tuesday, November 5- Schools closed for election day and staff development
Wednesday, November 6 PTO meeting 7:00 PM
Thursday, November 7 Parent-Teacher Conferences 11:20 dismissal, no afternoon classes
Dear TECEC families,
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to each one of you for your overwhelming participation and support during our Pink Day yesterday to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and support. Your enthusiastic involvement, whether through dressing in pink, donating generously, or spreading awareness, made a significant impact on our TECEC community and beyond. It was truly heartening to see our children and their families come together for such an important cause.
Events like Pink Day not only raise awareness about breast cancer but also emphasize the importance of compassion and community support. Your participation serves as a wonderful example to our children demonstrating the power of unity and empathy.
Once again, thank you for making Pink Day a resounding success. Your support has not only enriched our school community but has also contributed to the broader effort in fighting breast cancer and supporting those affected by it.
Respectfully,
Principal
Apple Cider Day at TECEC
STEAM Education
As the temperature and leaves begin to feel and look more like fall, we thought it would be a perfect time for our children to participate in an outdoor STEAM lesson. For those who are not familiar with STEAM education, there are five components. which are Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. What does STEAM look like in preschool? One example is when the children made apple cider on Thursday with Andrew Shriver (Miss Claudia's husband) and Emma Shriver (Miss Claudia's daughter). Prior to making cider, our little scientists examined the apples and determined their color, texture, shape, size, weight, smell, and eventually how to turn a solid into a liquid by using a vintage cider press.
Remember, STEAM learning can happen anywhere, and what's better than a fun family activity that tastes great? Making apple cider is a wonderful way to celebrate the season, bond with your child, and nurture their curiosity about the world around them. If you would like to make your own cider at home this fall, please see the following recipe: Apple Cider Recipe
TECEC Pink day to support
those affected by breast cancer
Fantastic Fours!
The four year old classrooms have been busy this month learning about fire prevention, places in our neighborhood, and pumpkins. In Bridges Math, we explored patterns, measuring, making graphs, and identifying attributes using pumpkins and leaves. We made apple cider with Mr. Andrew and had a visit from the Long Hill Fire Department. We all brought our smiles for picture day! We have started our Social Thinking curriculum in October. Unit 1 is “Thinking thoughts and feeling feelings”. They are learning that our thoughts are in our brain and our feelings are felt in our hearts and they work together.
Next month, we look forward to learning about thankfulness, spending time with family, and shapes.
Some family reminders: Please continue to prompt independence throughout your child’s day. Some examples are allowing them to put on their coat, shoes and clothes independently. You can also encourage your child to open containers, snacks and do buttons/zippers on their own.
TECEC Halloween Parade
Our annual Halloween parade will take place on Tuesday, October 29th. The parade will take place around the outside perimeter of our school beginning at 11:00 AM & 2:30 PM. Visitors will not be able to enter the building after the parade. If the weather does not cooperate, the parade will take place on Wednesday, October 30th. If we experience inclement weather on October 30th, the parade will be held inside for the children. I am sorry, adults will not be able to view the parade indoors if we have inclement weather.
TECEC photo days: October 16th & 17th
TECEC's school pictures will take place on Wednesday, October 16th and Thursday, October 17th. Your child's classroom teacher will inform you which day their class will have the photos taken. The packages can be viewed here: https://www.roberttaylorphotography.com/preschool
Use this link to order pictures:TECEC Prepay deal until October 30
PTO Outings
The PTO needs your help for our annual
Trunk or Treat
New Hillcrest Middle School
Hillcrest Referendum Frequently Asked Questions
On September 25, the community came together for a forum on the "New" Hillcrest building. During the presentation we agreed to create a document that answers questions that we received at the forum and in other communications. Please use the link below to review the FAQ Document. This document provides quite a bit of information about the project and the upcoming referendum.
Inclement Weather Schedule
TECEC's inclement weather and adjusted schedules can be viewed: here.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
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.
We love our volunteers!
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.
Head Start Parent Policy Committee Meeting November 6
Please join us on Wednesday, November 6 for our Head Start Parent Policy Committee meeting at 8:30AM. The meeting will be held in person at TECEC beginning at 8:30 AM. For those who would like to join virtually, please click meet.google.com/idi-sypb-cyz.
Next TECEC PTO Meeting November 6
Please join us on Wednesday, November 6, 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
TECEC Father's Club Thursday, November 14
The TECEC Father's Club is recruiting new members. Please note that you can join as a mom, aunt, uncle, grandparent or any family member that would like to support the children, teachers and each other. Their next meeting will take place this Thursday, November 14th at 7:00 PM at Brewport in Bridgeport.
TECEC Spirit Wear
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/