TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins......October 7, 2026
Dear TECEC families,
On Monday, we had the pleasure of welcoming members of the Long Hill Fire Department as part of our Community Helpers unit, with a special focus on fire safety. Two of our TECEC fathers, Steve Sadighi, and Frank Valenti along with the other firefighters took great pride in showing the children the equipment and a bright red fire engine. The children were completely captivated as they learned all about fire safety in a fun, engaging, and hands-on way.
The highlights of the visit for the children were:
Exploring the Truck & Gear: The children loved seeing the fire truck, complete with its bright flashing lights, hoses, and special equipment.
Fire Safety Essentials: The firefighters taught the children about smoke alarms, explaining what they sound like and why they are so important.
Friendly Firefighters: They enjoyed seeing firefighters put on their full gear step-by-step. Showing the children what they look and sound like in uniform and gear helped reassure everyone that firefighters are safe helpers and never someone to be afraid of during an emergency.
There are several pictures below that capture some of the excitement of the day.
A few reminders from our hero firefighters that may assist you in keeping your home safe:
Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every level of your home and test them regularly to ensure they're working properly.
Work with your child to create a fire escape plan, and practice it together. Be sure they know at least two ways out of each room.
Keep matches, lighters, and other fire-starting tools stored safely out of children's reach.
Store flammable items in a cool, secure area away from heat sources.
Use childproof covers on electrical outlets to prevent accidents.
Teach your child how and when to call 911 and help them memorize their home address in case of an emergency.
Thank you Long Hill Fire Department and all other first responders in Trumbull!
Kind regards,
Principal
TECEC's school pictures will take place on Wednesday, October 14th and Thursday, October 15th. 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/underclass-fall
Pre-pay online ordering is only available until October 21st
Our annual Halloween parade will take place on Monday, October 26th. 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 28th. If we experience inclement weather on October 28th, 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.
Well, as September has come to a close, we hope to soon experience some consistently cooler weather, but I don’t know if it will stick, because there’s nothing fun about singing songs about fall when the weather outside still feels like summer. But I am hopeful those days will soon be behind us. In these next few weeks, we will be singing songs and doing music activities about Fire Prevention, Apples, Fall, Pumpkins, Leaves, and Halloween. Though Halloween is a part of our school themes this time of year, I am aware and respect the fact that some families are not comfortable with Halloween songs, so I also have many songs generic to fall, pumpkins, the color orange and some fall animals that do not mention Halloween at all. If you have a concern, please reach out to me. I will soon post my October playlist with song links on Class Dojo, so you are able to play those songs at home. This will give you a chance to become familiar with what your children are singing this month and what we are learning in music, which will give you a chance to reinforce the material for your child. I hope you enjoy the fun and beauty of music with your children. Happy Fall! 😊
Love Miss Gabby
The Three’s Team finished up the 5 senses and All About Me and are jumping into all things Fall!! We will learn about apples, pumpkins, leaves and fall clothing. We are looking forward to making apple cider with our special visitor Mr. Andrew on Thursday, October 8th. Other activities will include apple taste testing, baking with apples, investigating leaves and pumpkins through hands-on art and science projects as well as learning fun Fall songs and fingerplays. October is Fire Safety Awareness month and we enjoyed a hands-on learning experience with the Long Hill Fire Department this past Monday. We are looking forward to the TECEC Halloween parade on October 26th, rain date is the 28th. More information to come. As a friendly reminder for safety, please do not send in weapons or masks that cover the eyes or limit vision.
Please continue to send your child in with sneakers and play clothes on a daily basis. As the weather gets colder, please dress in layers since we are going outside every day weather permitting. Zip up sweatshirts or jackets are preferred since we are practicing putting our own jackets on with the 1-2 Flipparoo method.
TECEC parent/teacher conferences will take place in the afternoons of October 27 and October 29 from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM. In addition, we have an evening conference date on November 5 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. All students will be dismissed at 11:20 AM on those three days to accommodate the conferences. There are no afternoon classes those three days.
Conferences are a fantastic opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and review the progress made since the beginning of this school year. Conferences are generally fifteen minutes in length and designed to provide an overview of your child’s pre-readiness, social, language, and motor skill development.
School Appointments Instructions
Go to our school appointments: TECEC Parent-Teacher Conferences
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.
Please enter an email address so we can send a reminder.
Add your children into the system by clicking the "Add a Student" button. Click the "Insert New" button to add more children.
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.
To Delete Appointments:
Click “View Appointments” from the HOME page.
You will then see the list of appointments that you have booked. To delete any of the appointments, click the red “x” icon beside the appointment.
If your child is receiving special education support and you would like to invite related services professionals such as their speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, or psychologist to your meeting, please fill out the following form in addition to the school appointment portal above Related Services Conference Request. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or your child’s classroom teacher(s).
Guidelines: Please keep your child home if they have a fever of 100.0 or greater, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours, congestion, runny nose, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, chills, headache, red or pink eyes, or undiagnosed rash. This list is not inclusive and more information can be found by going to Trumbullps.org >school health service page.
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. Below are some age dependent considerations for this exclusion criterion: Young children with gastroenteritis (vomiting and or diarrhea) should have no vomiting, and enough control of intestinal symptoms not to interfere with staying in class as well as being able to tolerate a near normal diet before they return to school. For more information on managing common childhood illnesses please go to Trumbullps.org school health services>health concerns.
Injuries/Surgeries: Please communicate any significant injuries that occur at home (bruises, burns or any facial injuries). Any injury or illness which results in a child having the ability to fully participate safely in the school program including but not limited to (casts, walking boots, splints, stitches, staples) requires a doctor’s note to return to school. This must include any activity restrictions (specifically whether they are allowed to participate in PT or playground activities). Any activity restriction note received by the school nurse must have a time frame specified when restrictions will be lifted or additional documentation will be required.
Medications: A written medication order from an authorized prescriber including parent/guardian written authorization is required, for school nurses, (or in the absence of a nurse, other designated personnel) to administer all medication, including over-the-counter drugs. Medication must be in the original ,not expired and properly labeled container. All medication must be delivered to/from the school by the parent, guardian or other responsible adult. All medication will be destroyed if not picked up within one week following the last day of school, whichever comes first. The link for Medication form; Medication Authorization Form
Physicals/Immunizations: Students are required to provide documentation of a valid physical examination and up-to-date immunization record :Upon enrollment/entering or returning to the district in any grade, prior to entry and annually while enrolled in the Trumbull Early Childhood Education Center (TECEC). Students will not be admitted until a school nurse has reviewed the completed physical exam/health assessment. All new entrant physical exams must be performed within 365 days of starting school and include a complete immunization record as required by the State of Connecticut for the grade entering. A complete list of immunizations required to attend school can be found on the Trumbull Public Schools webpage under the Health Services section. All health forms can be found there as well. Pre-school children should have a physical documented on the Early Childhood Health Assessment Record Form.
Flu Shots: All children aged 24 to 59 months who have never previously received vaccination against influenza are required to receive 2 doses of vaccine the first influenza season that they are vaccinated. Children aged 24 to 59 months enrolled in Pre-K who have previously received flu vaccinations are required to receive at least one dose of influenza vaccine between August 1 and December 31st of the current school year. The first dose of influenza needs to be done by November 30th. Parents must submit proof of the full immunization for flu to the school nurse prior to December 31 of the current school year. Pre-K children who do not have the required flu vaccine documentation on file with the school nurse will not be permitted to return to school after January 1 of the current school year and must remain out of school for the duration of the flu season (through March) or until vaccination for the flu is completed.
Food Allergies: Trumbull Schools have a strong commitment to maintaining the health and safety of every child in the district. The prevention and management of exposure to life‐threatening allergies for students with diagnosed allergic conditions is a paramount student safety concern. In order to manage the care of students with life‐threatening allergies the school nurse will develop an Individual Health Care Plan for each student with a life threatening food allergy. Pre-K teachers may notify classroom parents of specific classroom allergies. Please refrain from sending in snacks containing those specific ingredients and/ or a food with ingredients in facilities where nuts are processed. If your child has eaten these before coming to school, please be sure their hands and face are thoroughly washed.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call (203) 452-4425 or email Nurse Kate TECECNURSE@trumbullps.org.
Sincerely,
Katherine O’Connor, RN
National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, honoring the rich cultural heritage, history, and significant contributions of Hispanic Americans. The month begins in mid-September to coincide with the independence anniversaries of several Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15; Mexico on September 16; and Chile on September 18. The celebration also recognizes the diverse cultural contributions and connections of Hispanic and Latino communities, including observances such as Virgin Islands–Puerto Rico Friendship Day, celebrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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 2026-2027 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, October 7 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, October 8 at 7:00 PM at Foolproof Brewing, 800 Union Ave, Bridgeport, CT.
