TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins......January 22, 2025
Dear TECEC families,
Last week, we took time to honor the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through thoughtful, age-appropriate activities and discussions focused on kindness, equality, and the importance of helping others. Our children at TECEC had the opportunity to reflect on the values of respect, inclusivity, and peace, reinforcing the powerful message that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a significant impact on the world. It was truly heartwarming to watch them engage in such meaningful conversations and activities.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to our peace project by coloring and decorating handprints. These beautiful creations are now proudly displayed in our front foyer window as a reminder of our shared commitment to peace and unity.
When the temperatures moderate next week, we will be able to have the children enjoy the playground again. I'm happy to share that every class embraces the outdoors with daily ventures into the fresh air provided it is not raining and the temperature, factoring in wind-chill, is 30 degrees or above.
To ensure that your child fully enjoys these outdoor activities at TECEC, we kindly request that you send them to school with mittens and a hat. This simple measure ensures that they remain comfortably warm while participating in playground activities and winter walks with their friends. We believe that the invigorating experience of the outdoors contributes not only to physical well-being but also enhances the overall educational journey.
We understand that winter attire can sometimes be difficult to keep track of. We want to reassure you that if your child is in need of a coat, mittens, or a hat, our school maintains a small supply of winter clothing. Your child's comfort and safety are our top priorities, and we are more than happy to assist in any way we can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, your child’s teacher, or our school nurse if you need any support.
Warm regards,
Principal
I hope everyone had a restful, safe and wonderful break with family and friends…some of you celebrating holidays and others just enjoying family/vacation time with much needed rest! It’s hard to believe we are in the year 2025 now. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank those of my students and families from whom I received cards/gifts for the holiday! Your kindness was very much appreciated!
If you are new to joining the school family, my name is Gabrielle Ballatore, aka “Miss Gabby,” and I am the music teacher here at TECEC. It is very exciting for me to share my love of music with your children, who bring joy into my life every day.
Now that January is here and winter is in the air, you may start to hear your child/children singing songs about the new year, snowflakes, penguins, cold weather, winter, snow and much more! We have been learning about and playing the triangles, and the claves, which they really enjoy. To follow along with hibernation day, we learned a singing/hibernation game called Grizzly Bear, which has been a great way to practice turn taking, and singing. Once we have another snow storm, we will be having some friendly snowball fights (In class - not real ones by the way😉), to some great snowball fight songs. Some of the main songs in my repertoire this season include Little Snowflake, Frozen Penguin, Hot Cocoa, I Wanna Be a Snowman (while playing a tapping rhythm instrument called Claves), Let’s Play in the Snow, Keep Me Warm, Walk in the Snow, Winter Rhyme, Five Little Snowmen, Counting Snowflakes, Five Little Penguins, Ten Little Penguins, Snowflake and other fun movement/gross motor songs related to winter. A little later in the season we will also be “Ice Skating,” which is always a big hit! This gross motor activity is not only fun, but it helps the students work on balance, and coordination, while we enjoy listening to The Skater’s Waltz, and other pretty winter music. It is such a great introduction to them learning how to ice skate. Students will usually hold hands with a partner and skate together, trying to keep their balance. I incorporate sign language/visuals into most of my songs, wherever I can. The children get excited to sing and learn new songs, as well as make frequent requests for their favorite songs from the beginning half of the school year. I will be sending out a Class Dojo schoolwide Story with a YouTube link with all of the songs I am able to find. Stay warm in this frigid weather, and maybe soon we will get some more snow for the kids to play in!!
Happy Winter,
Miss Gabby 😊
Will we have six more weeks of winter or an early spring? To have your child predict if Connecticut's official groundhog Chuckles sees his shadow on Sunday, February 2, please use the following link by this Saturday, February 1st: Ground Hog Day 2025
The class with the most accurate responses will have a visit from Barky and Princess Pom Pom.
Winter weather is here! 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.
Outlined below is our abbreviated program schedule in the event of a delayed opening or early dismissal due to inclement weather or other emergencies. This may change depending on the circumstances of the day.
90 MINUTE DELAYED OPENING
• AM Preschool 10:00 AM entrance (Special Education/PIP Classes/Half Day Head Start)
• Full Day Head Start-10:00 AM entrance
• Full Day Students/SRP-10:00 AM entrance
TWO HOUR DELAYED OPENING
• No AM Preschool (Special Education/PIP Classes/Half Day Head Start)
• Full Day Students/SRP-10:30 AM entrance
• Full Day Head Start-10:30 AM entrance
TWO & HALF HOUR DELAYED OPENING
• No AM Preschool (Special Education/PIP Classes/Half Day Head Start)
• Full Day Head Start – 11:00 AM entrance
• Full Day Students/SRP- 11:00 AM entrance
EARLY DISMISSAL
• AM Preschool (Special Education/PIP Classes) 8:30 – 11:00 AM
• PM Preschool (Special Education/PIP Classes) No Session
• Specialized Resource Program 8:30 – 11:00 AM
• All Head Start classrooms 8:20 – 11:00 AM
If your child is currently in one of our three-year-old classrooms, or was born on or after September 1, 2020 and is in one of our four-year-old classrooms, we invite you to secure their spot for the 2025-2026 school year at TECEC. To do so, please complete the TECEC Returning Student Questionnaire by March 14, 2025. After this date, registration will open to new students.
Children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) currently enrolled in our three-year-old classrooms, as well as those born after September 1, 2020, who have opted not to attend kindergarten, will automatically continue their enrollment at TECEC for the 2025-2026 school year as long as you shared with us your intent. For children with IEPs transitioning to kindergarten, a bridging meeting will be scheduled at your elementary school in the coming months. We will contact you soon with the date and time.
If you have family or friends who are interested in enrolling a child in TECEC for the upcoming school year, the waitlist can be accessed here.
We will begin registering students for the Class of 2038 on Wednesday, January 8. If you are looking to register your child for the 2025-2026 school year, please click here for all the information you need.
Children Turning 5 ON or BEFORE September 1st of the 2025-2026 School Year
If your child is turning 5 and born on or before September 1st, 2020, please visit the Trumbull Public Schools District registration webpage at https://www.trumbullps.org/general/student-registration
for instructions to complete registration and upload forms online. If you are unable to upload all of your documents, please contact our Registration Coordinator for assistance by email registration@trumbullps.org.
Children Turning 5 AFTER September 1st, 2025 and BEFORE January 1st, 2026
If your child is turning 5 between September 1st, 2025 and January 1st, 2026, you are eligible to submit a written request and assessment for your child to enter kindergarten. Please click on the blue button below to complete the short request and assessment so that the principal and certified staff can review your input and approve placement for your child to enter kindergarten. All requests will be reviewed by the school principal and a certified educator. Once reviewed, you will be sent an approval notification to register your child. Please note, the registration window for the 2025-2026 school year is open. For children in this category, a written request and assessment must be completed and then pre-approved by the principal of your child's school to register. Click on the blue square below.
Please click on the blue button below to submit a written request and complete the CDC Milestones Assessment for kindergarten registration consideration.
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, February 5 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
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 Thursday, February 6 at 7:00 PM at Elicit Brewing in Fairfield, CT .
