Dear TECEC families,
I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation to all the parents who generously volunteered their time and resources to make our PTO-sponsored Trunk or Treat event on Saturday a tremendous success. The creative car displays, fun games, delicious treats, and the beautiful summer-like weather created a joyful atmosphere for everyone who attended. Your support means so much to all of us at TECEC, and we are truly grateful. Below, you’ll find several pictures capturing the wonderful moments from the day. Thank you again for making this event unforgettable!
What a fantastic day! I’m thrilled we were able to hold our morning and afternoon parades outside yesterday. The threat of rain, after a month of dry weather, made me a bit anxious as I debated whether to postpone or proceed with the festivities. Despite the brisk air, the children clearly had a wonderful time marching around TECEC and enjoying your cheers. For those who couldn’t make it, you’ll find several pictures included in this newsletter!
Last but certainly not least, many of you generously donated Halloween costumes and food items this week to support children and families who may not have the means to purchase them. The heartfelt gratitude expressed by the parents upon receiving these donations was truly uplifting. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in our community!
I hope that everyone has a Happy Diwali and Halloween!
Respectfully,
Principal
We have been busy in the speech rooms supporting the 3’s and 4’s curriculum themes. It has been a fun October filled with vocabulary around apples, pumpkins, fire/firefighter, and Halloween. We always have lots of fall fun during speech! Use the QR code below to access a great visual that can be used for trick or treating with your child.
“October Fun Speech Fact”
Q: What is the difference between Speech and Language???
A: No. They aren’t the same thing, and yes, there is a huge difference between the two.
Speech – “Speech refers to the sounds that come out of our mouth and take shape in the form of words,”(Hamaguchi, 1995)
Language – Language is what we speak, write, read, and understand. Language is also communicating through gestures (body language or sign language). There are two distinct areas of language: receptive (what we hear and understand from others’ speech or gestures) and expressive (the words we use to create messages others will understand).
Diwali, which is also referred to as the festival of lights, is the most important holiday of the year and is primarily celebrated in India. It will take place beginning on October 31st and lasts for five days. The holiday period of Diwali symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. The festival is marked by lighting oil lamps, decorating homes with colorful rangoli, exchanging gifts and sweets, and setting off fireworks. Each day of the festival has its own significance, with rituals and traditions varying by region. More information about Diwali from National Geographic Kids can be read 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, 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.
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
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/
