Tashua Family Weekly Update

Dear Tashua Families,

What an exciting week we had here at Tashua School! On Wednesday, Tashua participated in Trumbull Read Aloud Day, sponsored and funded by the Trumbull Rotary Club. Readers included former Tashua staff, Board of Education members and our Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Iwanicki, who showed off her school spirit with a fantastic tiger shirt! We are grateful to all of the community volunteers and thank you to Jess DiBuono and the PTA for providing coffee and breakfast for all.

A huge Tashua Tiger THANK YOU to the Tashua Fathers Club for their incredibly generous donation to our Physical Education program! Thanks to their support, we were able to purchase new soccer balls, basketballs, equipment carts and additional PE equipment that will be used in units throughout the school year.

These new resources will help enhance instruction, increase student participation, and keep our equipment organized and accessible. Our students are already enjoying the new soccer balls and building their skills with excitement and confidence.

We are grateful for the Fathers Club's continued commitment to supporting our students and helping create fun, active, and engaging experiences in PE. Their generosity will have a lasting impact on our program and will benefit Tashua Tigers for years to come. Thank you for making a difference for our Tashua Tigers! Pictured: Students putting our new soccer balls to use while practicing their dribbling skills!

The walk-a-thon wrapped up on Sunday night, and we’re thrilled to share that we achieved our fundraising goal! A huge thank you to you all for supporting the PTA and helping us enhance our school community.

And now, the prize winners!

• Most laps taken during the walk-a-thon (Honorary Principal): Matthew Arduini, with 21 laps!
• Most class participation (AI sticker maker and a Thunder visit to the class): Mrs. Maranville’s class
• Most grade-level participation overall (extra recess): 1st grade
• School-wide fundraising goal (kickball event): Achieved!

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to every student, family, and teacher who walked, cheered, and donated. We’re looking forward to getting these events on the calendar and celebrating our success together!

Did you know that the third Saturday in October is celebrated in the United States as "Sweetest Day?" It's simply a reminder that a thoughtful word, deed or small gift enriches the life of the recipient as well as the person giving it. We hope you take a moment to do something sweet for someone you care about!

Elementary afternoon conferences are scheduled for October 27th and October 29th, which will be early release days for students. Evening conferences are scheduled for November 5th. These conferences will give you an opportunity to learn more about your child’s effort and academic progress in school. This is also a chance to offer your insights about how your child learns best and to discuss ways to work together to ensure your child’s success at school.

Instructions Schedule your Parent-Teacher Conferences:

1. Go to Tashua school appointments: https://tashua.schoolappointments.com/

2. 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.

3.Add your child into the system by clicking the "Add a Student" button. Click "Insert New "button to add more children.

4. 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

Trumbull Public Schools will be taking part in the the Pink Pledge in support of the Norma Pfriem Breast Center. Please see the flyer below for more details. Cash donations can be brought to school or please use the link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/tashua-elementary-2 to donate.

Thank you to Jess DiBuono (and the PTA) for the amazing "Awesome to the Core" Apple Nacho Bar for the entire Tashua Staff. Staff enjoyed apples slices topped with sauces and delicious treats like chocolate chips, coconut flakes, pecans and more. We appreciate you!

Kind regards,

Mrs. Neumeyer

Tuesday, October 20

• Fire Prevention Program; Grades K-2: 9:00 AM

Friday, October 23

• TPS Pink Out Day

Tuesday, October 27

• Early Dismissal; 1:00 PM

• Afternoon Conferences

• BOE Meeting: 7:00 PM

Thursday, October 29

• Early Dismissal; 1:00 PM

• Afternoon Conferences

Friday, October 30

• Trunk or Treat: 4:00-5:00 PM

• Tashua Mashua: 4:30-6:30 PM

Saturday, October 31

• Halloween 🎃

If you child will be absent or tardy, please inform the Tashua School Office prior to the start of the school day. You can report an absence by calling 203-452-4433 or via the Infinite Campus Parent

Portal (More/Absence Requests).

Mrs. McKenna is happy to announce Tashua's second Storybook Pumpkin Contest! Families can submit their entries starting Tuesday, October 13th. Please see the flyer below and happy decorating!

This year, we will be celebrating Halloween at Tashua School on Friday, October 30th. Students can wear orange and black to school on this day and/or a simple costume during the time of the party. The simple costumes that are sent into school need to be costumes that can be put on quickly and independently, over clothing. Students will not be going to the bathroom to change into costumes. We are asking that no accessories or scary masks be sent into school as part of the costume.

We will also be having our traditional "Halloween Parade" at 2:40 PM.Families are welcome to join us by gathering outside along the perimeter of the playground to view the parade. Following this event, parents/guardians will be allowed to sign children out from school in their child's classroom. We do need families to QUICKLY exit the building and the parking lot following this event so we can dismiss the buses at 3:20 PM.

Tashua is kicking off a new year of Math Challenges at Home for all families! Please click this link to participate along with your child: https://www.mathinaction.org/tashua-school.html.

We will have 15 challenges offered between October 2026 to May 2027. Please provide your child with paper or a notebook to solve each problem. You can do the problems together or have them try it first. You do not need to submit any paperwork. Just enter your child's answers on the Google Form linked in the website or if your child is old enough, they can do the entry themselves. You will receive credit based on effort. Answer keys will be posted once challenge cycle closes.

Minimum requirements:

• Kindergarten & First Grade: Solve at least 3 problems or more
• Second & Third Grade: Solve at least 7 problems or more
• Fourth & Fifth Grade: solve at least 12 problems or more

Challenge #1 has started and ends 10/22/26. We hope to see strong participation rates in all grades. Each month, random winners will be chosen from each grade for recognition over the loudspeaker. At the end of the school year, if your child participates in 12 or more challenges, they will be part of a special recognition ceremony.

If you have any questions, please email Ms. Gidwani at sgidwani@trumbullps.net.

Please use the links below to access the TPS Elementary breakfast and lunch menus.

Elementary Breakfast Menu

Elementary Lunch Menu

Students in first grade are working hard in math and having fun! They are using dominoes to practice addition strategies as well as create equations and number bonds. First graders learned to play games in partnerships such as Domino Top Draw and Add and Compare.

Fourth graders are creating landforms such as canyons and deltas using a stream table. We even got to use plaster to create new rock layers of earth!

According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, "Reading is complex. It requires our brains to connect letters to sounds, put those sounds in the right order, and pull the words together into sentences and paragraphs we can read and comprehend.

People with dyslexia have trouble matching the letters they see on the page with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make. And when they have trouble with that step, all the other steps are harder. Dyslexic children and adults struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly and learn a second language, among other challenges. But these difficulties have no connection to their overall intelligence.

In fact, dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader. While people with dyslexia are slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities."

The Center also highlights that “Dyslexia is an island in a sea of strengths.” Here are some more interesting myths and facts about dyslexia:

Grade K, 1 and 2 classes are visiting the lab in October & November for Counting Collections. See pictures below for a grade 2 class organizing their items in equal groups and writing their 3 digit totals using pictures, equations and standard form🏆

When children are not feeling well, parents struggle with the decision: Should I keep my child at home or send my child off to school? Often the way a child looks and acts can make the decision an obvious one. When making the decision whether or not to send your child to school, please observe the following guidelines:

• Fever: Students with a temperature of 100.4 are considered to have a fever.The child may return to school after they been fever free for 24 hours, without the use of fever reducing medication.
• Diarrhea/Vomiting: A child with diarrhea and/or vomiting should stay at home and return to school only after being symptom free for at least 24 hours
• Conjunctivitis (Pink eye): Following a diagnosis of conjunctivitis by a health care practitioner,the child may return to school 24 hours after the first dose of prescribed medicine. For more information, use the link: https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/prevention-infographic/
• Rashes: A child with a suspicious rash should return to school only after a healthcare provider has made a diagnosis and authorized the child’s return to school. Some infectious diseases are most contagious in the early stages and the child may present with a rash. Some rashes are not due to infections and many are not contagious or occur at the end of the illness. For more information, use the link: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/rashes.html?ref=search&WT.ac=msh-p-dtop-en-search-clk
• Colds/Sore Throats/Cough: Children average 6 to 8 colds a year. If your child is fever free and their cold symptoms are well controlled they may attend school. If your child is experiencing such things as purulent (thick) nasal discharge, or uncontrolled cough you may consider keeping them home until their symptoms are better controlled. If your child is experiencing other signs of illness associated with green nasal discharge including any of the following:fever, earaches, headaches, cough, nasal congestion, productive “barky” cough, persistent cough, please consider having the child seen by your healthcare provider.

The Trumbull Schools Department of Nursing aims to help keep students physically, mentally, and socially able to attend school in order to be educated, participate in athletics, extra-curricular programs, and student activities The goal of the school nurse is to facilitate keeping the students in school and ready to learn. However, there may be times when students may not feel well enough to be in school. A sick child is less able to learn effectively or to participate in class in a meaningful way. If your child is not feeling well, please exercise your best judgment and do not send him/her to school ill. Keeping your sick child home prevents the spread of illness in our school community and it allows your child to rest and recover.

As always, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

Brenda Chamale RN BSN

Tashua Elementary School Nurse

P: 203 452-4434

F: 203 452-4432

bchamale@trumbullps.org

Congratulations to Ishaan Phatak, Riley Smith and Mason Martinez for winning a chance to Spin the P.B.I.S. Recognition Wheel. Keep showing your Tiger Traits!

Tashua teachers, Mrs. Preman and Ms. DiVasto, ran the Hartford Marathon last weekend. They shared with their students the joy of setting a goal, working hard and achieving it. Way to go!

Tashus students, Spencer Seelig, Wyatt Meier, Benjamin Schreck, Sara Ciszewski and Matthias Vasquez receive applause at the Klein Auditorium on Friday night after their performance with the US Marines Forces Reserve Band. The students representing Tashua were part of a group of seventeen musicians from Trumbull Public Schools that had the opportunity to rehearse and perform with the marines in three different musical selections.

Riley Smith won a chance to Be an Office Helper after spinning the P.B.I.S. Recognition Wheel. Riley had a great time helping with morning folders and working with Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Beres!

Continental Math Leagues will be back as an after school activity starting on 11/19 and will run weekly on Wednesdays until 3/10. This is a PTA sponsored program open to 4th and 5th grade students interested in gaining more exposure to challenging math outside the classroom. Look for sign up information in the smore in the coming weeks!

For more information, please use the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14f-3LvHNxh-NRFxZ_WviQHkpcrKIWTGc/view?usp=sharing

Friday, October 30 | 4–5 PM | Tashua parking lot, right before Tashua Mashua!
We're looking for families to decorate a trunk. All you need is your car, a creative theme (spooky, silly, or anything your family loves!), and allergy-safe treats.

Only 20 spots on the trail. Sign up by October 23:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094DAFAA28A7FFC52-66202222-trunk

Questions? Text Caro at 646-256-5301 or email icarito.rivera@gmail.com.

PTA REFLECTIONS CONTEST

An opportunity for your child to express themself! PTA Reflections inspires students to reflect on a specific, student-submitted theme to create original artwork. This year's theme is What My Culture Means to Me! (Fun fact - This national theme was submitted by a student in nearby Wilton, CT!)

Get your creative thinking cap on and design an original work exploring this year's theme in one of the following categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts. Use this inspiration sheet or the National PTA website to help with ideas!

Steps to enter:

1. Students create an original work exploring the theme “What My Culture Means to Me”. Click here for official rules and guidelines by category.

2. Complete the CT PTA Reflections Entry form.

3. Email your digital entry to ReflectionsCTPTA@gmail.com with the file name equal to the student's name and entry title.

4. Drop off your original artwork at the Tashua main office and/or email Tashua PTA at TashuaReflections@gmail.com to confirm your submission. Participants will receive recognition, and entries will be displayed in the Tashua lobby at the end of the school year!

Your student’s name and/or other identifying information should not be visible on or within the submitted entry so that the entry can be judged on a “blind” and unbiased basis.

Entries are due to the CT PTA by February 1, 2027. Entries will be reviewed by the CT PTA for school and state placement.

Questions? Contact Janet Howard or TashuaReflections@gmail.com.

Save the Date!

Join or Renew your membership today!

Our school is fundraising with Mabel’s Labels! If you’re not familiar with Mabel’s Labels, they make personalized, durable, waterproof labels. They are great for everything from shoes, to clothing tags, water bottles and backpacks! You can customize them with your name and a design, and they are dishwasher, laundry and microwave safe. Mabel’s Labels also offers clothing stamps and silicone bands for water bottles! This is a great way to ensure your items don’t end up in the lost & found or mixed up.

To support our fundraiser visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and select Tashua Elementary School PTA (Trumbull). You can pick out whatever labels or products you want, and it will ship for free directly to your house! Thank you for supporting us!

We hope to see you on Friday, October 30th for the annual Tashua Mashua Halloween-themed party! To assist with planning and to help make entering the event a quick and smooth process, we are asking guests to RSVP and pay in advance if possible.

Please RSVP using the link: https://forms.gle/X6DAnQEvJKuJCSo39.

If you wish to make alternate arrangements to pay (cash, check), please email theTashua's Fathers' Club at tashuafc@gmail.com.

The Father's Club has a new Executive Board this year and we are excited to welcome new members! If you would like to join the Father's Club or know more about what we do, please email TashuaFC@gmail.com.

President: Jeff Wagner
Vice President: Keith Himmel
Treasure: Jon Arena
Secretary: Jim O'Connor

The CHET Dream Big! Competition launched on August 19, 2026! K-12 students in Connecticut have the opportunity to enter the Competition and be awarded a scholarship of up to $20,000 to help pay for their future education! Dream Big! is brought to you by the Connecticut State Treasurer’s Office as Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET).

This year, we will be awarding $350,000 in CHET 529 College Savings Plan account contributions to over 250 students in grades K-12 and technology prizes to schools. For the winning students, we will be awarding:

• Three prizes of $20,000
• 24 prizes of $5,000
• 240 prizes of $500

With the help of a parent or guardian, students will submit an answer to a grade-appropriate question about their dreams or how they could help their community. They can answer by submitting a drawing or painting, essay, or video, and must be included with an entry form.

Submissions must be uploaded by 11:59 p.m. on November 6th. There is no cost to enter. For program details, rules and the entry process, visit: www.chetdreambig.com

Tashua Elementary School

401 Stonehouse Road Trumbull, CT 06611

203-452-4433

Tashua School Hours

Doors open at 8:20 AM

Regular School Hours: 8:35 AM - 3:20 PM

Early Dismissal Hours: 8:35 AM - 1:00 PM

Delayed Opening Hours

2 ½ hour Delay – 11:05 AM – 3:20 PM

Volunteering

All individuals seeking to volunteer in the Trumbull Public Schools must complete a “School Volunteer Security Check” form annually. Please use the form: Volunteer Form Tier 1. If you will be volunteering UNSUPERVISED, please complete a Tier II form which includes a DCF Background Check. Please use this form: Volunteer Form Tier II

Transportation

Phone Number: 203-452-4321

Transportation Action Report: CLICK HERE.

BusZone App: BusZone Directions.

Lost Items: Durham Bus Depot 203-261-4329.

Infinite Campus Parent Portal

2026-2027 Tashua Parent Handbook

Volunteer Form Tier 1