TECEC TIMES
Where the journey begins.......September 2, 2026
Dear TECEC families,
Welcome to a new school year at TECEC! On behalf of our entire team, we are excited to welcome your family into our community. Team TECEC is committed to fostering a safe, engaging, and supportive space where every student can grow, learn, and excel.
Since opening our doors last Thursday, our team and students have already hit the ground running. We sincerely appreciate the trust you place in us whether we are guiding your child through their first steps in school or welcoming them back for another fun filled year. Preschool is a magical time for exploration, and we are excited to make this year both rich and memorable.
Please join us tonight, Wednesday, September 2, 2026, for our annual Back to School Night. It’s a wonderful opportunity to tour the classrooms, connect with our dedicated teachers and specialists, and get a clear picture of our curriculum and daily routines. More information can be found here.
We encourage all of our families to get involved and become an active part of our school community. Our PTO, Fathers Club and Head Start Parent Policy Committee are wonderful opportunities to meet other parents, support our children, and help make a positive difference in our school. Meetings for the groups are taking place next week, so we hope you’ll consider joining us. Your involvement, ideas, and support are truly valued!
Kind regards,
Principal
As indicated in our welcome letter, we conduct monthly safety exercises as required by state and local laws that includes fire, stay put/lockdown and extreme weather drills. Today we held our first fire drill. Before the drills, teachers thoroughly briefed the children on the procedures, which they actively engaged in. The staff and I are extremely proud of how well each child participated in today's drill.
If you have any questions about our district’s safety protocols, please feel free to reach out to Matthew Wheeler.
Thank you for stocking the staff lounge with so many delicious treats to help us kick off the first day of school! Everything was enjoyed by everyone, and it was such a thoughtful way to start the new school year. We truly appreciate you!
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 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.
Parents in PK-12 have the ability to report full day absences, late arrivals and early dismissals via their Infinite Campus Parent Portal using the mobile app or website in place of calling the school attendance line. For specific directions on how to report an absence via the Infinite Campus Portal click here.
Absences: Please call the absentee line (203) 452-4422, option 1 and state the reason for your child’s absence. If you have a specific health concern or to report a communicable disease; please also contact the health office at; (203) 452- 4425 or email nurse Kate at koconnor@trumbullps.org.
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 https://www.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 https://www.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 hand delivered to the school nurse 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 koconnor@trumbullps.org.
Sincerely,
Kate O'Connor, RN
Please join us on Wednesday, September 9 for our first 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, September 10 7:00 PM at a location to be determined.
