TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins......June 5, 2024
Updates from Mr. Matt.......
Dear TECEC families,
As the school year draws to a close, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude and reflect on the incredible journey we have shared. It has been a year filled with growth, learning, and unforgettable moments, and none of this would have been possible without your unwavering support and the remarkable efforts of our dedicated TECEC community.
I am immensely proud of every accomplishment celebrated by our children. Our team at TECEC has gone above and beyond to create a nurturing and stimulating environment for our children. Their passion for education and their commitment to our children's well-being have made this year truly special. I am deeply grateful for their hard work and dedication.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of several individuals who have consistently gone above and beyond to make TECEC the magical place we all cherish. The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), led by Kayla Seeley, Sarah Murray, Lindsay Scopelliti, Xanthi Stamos, Rita Larkin, Lauren Rodriguez and Bolu Adewumi, have been a source of endless energy and creativity. Their outstanding coordination of events such as Back to School Night, the outdoor Halloween Trunk or Treat, Snowflake Stroll, story night at the library, A Big Night Out (ABNO), Critter Caravan, the Spring Party, Ice Cream Social, Book Fair, family outings, spirit wear sales, fundraisers, and several staff events, speaks volumes about their dedication.
Additionally, the TECEC Father’s Club, championed by Pete Scifo, had another successful year. They organized various woodworking activities at Home Depot, a train and pizza excursion, and most recently, our annual Preschool Olympics. They also raised funds through pie sales to support the Olympics, and they continue to meet monthly for both social gatherings and to solicit support for the TECEC community.
Last but certainly not least, our Head Start Parent and Policy Committee has been instrumental in our program's success. This dedicated group has tirelessly advocated for our children both locally and nationally. Their unwavering support and commitment have been vital, and without their efforts, our program would not have achieved the remarkable success it has today.
As we look ahead to the summer, I encourage you to continue fostering your child's curiosity and love of learning. Summer is a wonderful time to explore nature, read together, and engage in creative activities. Remember, learning happens everywhere, and your support during these months will help maintain the progress made during the school year.
For those families moving on to new adventures, I wish you all the best and hope that you carry fond memories of your time at TECEC. For those returning next year, we look forward to welcoming you back and continuing this exciting journey together!
I wish you and your families a healthy, relaxing, and memorable summer!
Kind regards,
Principal
Well June has definitely crept up on us quickly! It’s hard to believe the year is ending. But music has been so much fun this year! I loved my time with your kids so much, and this week we had our Annual TECEC End of the Year Sing-A-Long in the motor room, which included the entire school…..to wrap things up, and what a blast!! It is always something we all look forward to before summer vacation! And if you want to keep your kids engaged in music this summer, I am including a link to a YouTube compilation of songs for your whole family to enjoy together:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRY3Jzo3X6cJh4FzGYLy_1DytTbQKSVX7&si=YBTYpt7XBKhOqJmU
I hope this gives you an opportunity to see what we have been learning this year
and a chance for you to sing, dance and move along with your children! There are songs that teach; songs that get them moving and dancing; songs for singing and signing; and songs that will make them laugh and smile. Most of the songs they have heard before and know, and there will also be songs I’ve included that we did not get to sing this year because of lack of time, and I hope you enjoy them all. I will definitely miss your children this summer, especially those moving on to kindergarten next year!! Each one of your children has a special place in my heart, and I have cherished our time together the past couple of years! Have a safe and wonderful summer!
Love,
Miss Gabby 😊
This year has flown by!! We made new friends, learned many new skills and created many fun memories. This past month, we released our butterflies. The process was magical and the kids were highly engaged in this hands-on learning activity.
We are wrapping up this school year with summer safety lessons and talking about the season of summer. Some fun ideas to do at home with your children are:
Make chalk paint by crushing up the tiny leftover pieces and mix with water
Go to the beach and draw/ write letters and shapes in the sand, count seashells and sort them by size and texture
Practice riding tricycles
Visit the library on rainy days
Cook together and try new foods
Explore new playgrounds in surrounding neighborhoods and towns
Learning at this age happens during exploration and play. Try to put away the screens and tablets, let the kids get dirty and experience the outdoors with friends and family.
Thank you to all our parents, especially room parents, volunteers, Fathers’ Club and the PTO for making this another amazing year at TECEC..
Wishing everyone a safe and happy summer. See you in the fall!!
Happy summer! We are very proud of our four-year-olds. They have all shown such tremendous growth over the year and are ready for their next school year! This year has been very exciting for the four-year -old classrooms making learning fun! We had a wonderful year with our FUNdations, Heggerty and Bridges math curriculum. The children learned letters, their sounds, an introduction to writing lowercase letters, counting, identifying rhyming words, solving simple addition/subtraction problems and so much more.
Here are a few ideas to help your children maintain their skills over the summer months:
Make frequent trips to the local library and read, read, read!! Play games with letters, words, and sounds looking for them wherever you go. It’s easy to incorporate math concepts into your summer activities… count cars, signs, look for patterns and shapes in the environment, go on color hunts. Draw and cut pictures making cards and books with the children to call their own to share with friends and family. Summer is a great time to make plans with friends and keep in touch with their preschool friends such as planning play dates, meeting at the park or the beach… don’t forget the sunblock!
Have a safe and HAPPY SUMMER- Don’t forget to come back to visit us and let us know how you’re doing in your new endeavors.
Summer is just around the corner and with it comes the thought of relaxing days in the sun and increased family time. The psychologist and social work team at TECEC would like to provide some tips to make the summer weeks more enjoyable.
Create a new summer routine. Summer is definitely the time to relax and have fun, but it is still good to maintain a routine that your children can get used to. Take some time to brainstorm together their routines and write them down together. Children love to help and love to be a part of creating their own schedule for the week.
Enjoy family fun. Summer is a great time to create some memories. Plan activities, big or small, that involve laughter and spark joy. Take a bike ride, go to the park, play cornhole in the backyard; whatever you decide to do, this quality time together will create memories that will last a lifetime.
Take time out. Summer is a time to sit and relax. Remember that everyone, no matter their age, needs down time. Carve out daily time where each family member can go to their quiet place (a room, a cozy corner, or a calm down area, etc.) where they can have some alone time and take a moment to breathe. Kids can look at books, color, or use some of the breathing techniques which they have learned. This is a nice way to recharge.
As we approach the summer break, we want to take this opportunity to share some fun and engaging activities that you can do with your child to continue supporting their language development during the summer. The summer months provide a wonderful chance for children to explore new experiences, and with a little creativity, these experiences can be rich with opportunities for language growth.
Here are some ideas to help keep your child's language skills sharp over the summer:
Reading Together
Reading is one of the best ways to improve language skills. Try to set aside some time each day to read with your child. Visit your local library to explore new books, and encourage your child to choose stories that interest them. Discuss the story, ask questions about the characters and events, and encourage your child to predict what might happen next.
Storytelling
Encourage your child to tell their own stories. This can be based on their imagination, experiences, or even retelling their favorite books. You can take turns adding to a story, making it a fun and interactive activity. This helps develop narrative skills and creativity.
Daily Conversations
Make use of everyday activities to engage your child in conversations. Whether you’re cooking, shopping, or going for a walk, talk about what you’re doing, seeing, and experiencing. Ask open-ended questions to encourage your child to express their thoughts and ideas.
Play Games
Language-based games like "I Spy," "20 Questions," and word puzzles can be both educational and entertaining. These games enhance vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills.
Exploring Nature
Nature walks and outdoor activities provide excellent opportunities for vocabulary building. Talk about the plants, animals, and different environments you encounter. Encourage your child to describe what they see, hear, and feel.
Music and Songs
Singing songs and listening to music can be a fun way to develop language skills. Songs with repetitive lyrics can help with memory and pronunciation. You can also make up your own songs about daily activities or favorite topics.
Creative Arts
Engage in arts and crafts projects that involve following instructions and describing what they are doing. This helps with sequencing, vocabulary, and expressive language skills.
The speech and language department wishes you all an amazing summer, full of lots of language development!
Jess, Jess, Gail, Stacee and Claudia
We can't believe summer is officially here. Reflecting on the year, it sure was busy and fun! Your curious children explored and experienced so many different materials, textures and feelings with their little hands. Each exploration was a moment for them to learn about the world around them as well as for them to recognize themselves as little makers and contributing artists in this world.
The summertime provides so many amazing opportunities for creativity. Gathering shells and rocks at the beach is amazing for creating arrangements and outdoor collages. You can even bring some home to paint! The same goes for collecting all kinds of natural materials from a hike or a walk in your neighborhood!
We wish you all a wonderful and happy summer! Enjoy the sunshine 🙂
Very warmly,
Ms. Rachel and Ms. Caitlin
Progress Reports
On Tuesday, June 11th you will receive a report regarding your child's progress via email. The report will be coming from Eobserve and may go to your spam folder. The Student Profile Report is a series of graphs which present your child’s performance with regards to our curriculum and the Connecticut Early Learning Development Standards (ELDS) in a visual manner at the end of each trimester. A parent's guide to the ELDS can be viewed here: CT-ELDS-Guide-for-Families.pdf. More information about the progress report can be found here.
In addition to The Student Profile Report, parents of children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will also receive a document indicating progress noted during the first trimester. Like all school districts in Connecticut, we utilize a documentation platform called CT-SEDS (Connecticut Special Education Data System). The report for your child will be available in a parent portal for you to view. Instructions on how to access the portal can be found here: Parent-Portal-Quick-Start-Guide-for-Parents.pdf. The reports will be available after 3:00 PM on Tuesday, June 11th.
The Summer Explorations 2024 catalog is live! There are many 4-week, 2-week, and 1-week camps. Offerings include academics, enrichment, music, sports, SAT prep, driver's education, and more! More information can be viewed here: https://students.trumbullconted.org/CourseCatalog/catalogView.asp?id=77
For those who do not have a child enrolled in TECEC and would like to be on our wait list, the form can be accessed here.
If your child will be going to kindergarten next year, please make sure you register as soon as possible so that the elementary schools can contact you about upcoming visitation dates. Information about the registration process can be read here. Your prompt action will facilitate a seamless transition for your child into the exciting journey of kindergarten.
Every Thursday is spirit wear day! Each week everyone is encouraged to wear school spirit wear. If you don't have any TECEC spirit wear, the PTO set up an online store to purchase items. The link is: https://tecec.ptboard.com/
If severe weather occurs during the school week, you will be notified via our emergency messaging system as to what type of delay or closing will happen. More information can be found here: Inclementweatherschedule20232024
PTO MEETING WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5
Please join us on Wednesday, June 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: TECEC PTO MEETING
Trumbull School District is looking for substitutes
Trumbull Public Schools is looking for teacher and paraeducator substitutes for the 2023-2024 school year. Click here to learn more about these exciting opportunities.
