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The Twain Times
A weekly newsletter from Mark Twain Elementary School
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Mark Your Calendar
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October
10/25 - Middle School Forum, 6:30pm
10/27 - Workroom Volunteers meet to help teachers
10/31 - Art a La Carte Meeting, K-2, 8am
November
11/1 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm
11/2 - Art a La Carte Meeting, 3-5th, 8am
11/2 - Pershing Proud Informational Parent meeting, 7pm, 3842 Durness
11/3 - Friends & Family Sponsor Breakfast, 8:00 am
11/4 - Dads' Club Campout, 5pm
11/9 - Early Dismissal, 12:30pm
11/7-11th - Magnet Awareness Week
11/11 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon, 10:30 am-12:45 pm
11/11th-21st - Fall Food Drive benefiting Kids Meals Houston
11/14-18th - Mark Twain Book Fair
11/16 - Book Fair "Family Fun Night", 5-7:30 pm
11/17 - +Book Club "Raising Happiness" by Christine Carter, 8:15am
11/19 - Soccer Tournament, 1-5:00pm
11/29 - Picture retake day
11/29 - Dual Language Recruitment Meeting, 6:30pm
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Thank You to Our
2011-2012
Corporate Sponsors
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Tom Sawyer Level
Huckleberry Finn Level
Toni Rodriguez Salon
Samuel Clemens Level
Aunt Polly Level
Becky Thatcher Level
Evans and Mossman CPAs
smossman@jbecpa.com
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 | October 25, 2011 | |
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Dear Parents,
This past weekend many of us attended the Spooky Spaghetti Supper at Twain. It was a great success! The children seemed to be having a wonderful time and with the exception of the mosquitoes, the night was beautiful. I want to take this opportunity to thank Jenny Hanks and Allyson Plummer for coordinating this event and to all of the volunteers that helped to make it happen.
- Middle School Forum is Tuesday night at 6:30pm at Twain. If you have a fifth grader, please join us for an informational meeting.
- All kindergarten and 5th grade students will take the NNAT (Naglieri Non-verbal Abilities Test) on Thursday, October 27th at approximately 8:15 a.m.
- November 9 is an Early Dismissal Day and we will be scheduling Parent - Teacher Conferences. Please look for an invitation in the Tuesday folder on Tuesday, November 1.
- School pictures - there will be a retake day on November 29th for those individuals that either did not order pictures the first time or for those that would like a retake of their child.
- Field Day will be December 16th this year. The fourth grade team coordinates Field Day with Coach Jody as part of their PYP Systems Planner. There are pros and cons to every date that we considered and we believe this date will have the least impact on instruction and allow for the best alignment with the planner. It is very difficult finding a date that works well with everything that goes on in an elementary school such as Twain. I hope that many of you will be able to stop by to see the events!
Have a wonderful week!
Melissa Patin
Principal
mpatin@houstonisd.org
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| Message from our PTO President | | |
Dear Mark Twain Families,
Wow - what a SPOOKTACULAR weekend! Thank you to everyone who helped make Spooky Spaghetti the tremendous event that it was! Jenny Hanks and Allyson Plummer led the "Scream Team" to turn Mark Twain Elementary School into a haunted delight for all! I saw so many of you helping to sell tickets, work booths, dish out food, set up and clean up and so much more - this event could not be possible without all your support! The costumes were amazing and the pumpkins for the pumpkin contest were so creative...our families certainly have a lot of energy and friendly competitive spirit! Everyone looked like they were having so much fun - including Ms. Patin and all the teachers!
For those of you thinking about your child's next step to middle school, tonight (10/25) is our Middle School forum at 6:30 p.m. I strongly encourage any fourth and fifth grade parents and students to attend to learn more about middle school options. Representatives and/or Mark Twain parents from Pin Oak, Pershing, Johnston, Lanier and more are confirmed to attend. For more information, please contact Leslie Roffwarg at lesliegr@alumni.utexas.net.
Also, mark your calendars as there will be a Pershing Proud informational for parents at the home of Cade and Wendy Burks, 3842 Durness Way, on Wednesday November 2 at 7:00 pm. If you would like to meet current Pershing parents of former Mark Twain students to learn more about Pershing Middle School in an informal setting, this is the event for you. For more information, please contact Wendy Burks at wendy-burks@att.net.
Thanks again to all of you for everything you do for the school and our children - your energy and dedication makes a big difference to our children's education!
Best,
Deanna Sheaffer, President
Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community
deannasheaffer@yahoo.com
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Middle School Forum, October 25th at 6:30pm
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Mark Twain's Annual Middle School Forum will take place on Tuesday, October 25th at 6:30pm in the Mark Twain cafeteria. Please join area middle schools and dual language middle schools for an informational evening. Confirmed schools so far are Pershing, Pin Oak, Lanier, Johnston, Hamilton, Young Women's College Preparatory Academy, and Young Men's College Preparatory Academy. Each school will make a brief presentation and afterwards they will have tables set up with all of their information. Representatives will be available at that time to answer any questions you might have.
Students are welcome and encouraged to attend. For questions about this event, please contact Leslie Roffwarg at lesliegr@alumni.utexas.net.
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| Spooky Scoop and Wrap Up | |
Spooky Riddle of the Week:
Q. Why wasn't there any food left after the monster party?
 Thank you to everyone for making this the best Spooky Spaghetti ever! The "Scream Team" and all the countless volunteers are to be commended for the considerable time and effort that resulted in such a successful and fun event.
We would again like to recognize our generous corporate and in-kind sponsors. Special thanks to those who stayed late to break everything down and the Mark Twain custodial staff for cleaning up after all of us!
Congratulations to all the Contest Winners!
Costume Contest:
1st Place: 4th grader Hope Anderson as Detective Anderson
2nd Place: 4th grader Chloe Herrera as Rubik's Cube
3rd Place: 3rd grader Caroline Crowder as the Bride of Frankenstein
Booth Contest: The Cake Walk
Pumpkin Contest:
1st Place: Alan Diaz
2nd Place: Abby McMorris
3rd Place: Ariana Diaz
Honorable Mention: Ellie Plummer for most school spirit pumpkin
Riddle Answer: Because everyone was a goblin!
Monstrous Thank You's to Spooky Spaghetti Sponsors:
Corporate: Right Step Spirit Lodge, Absolute Glassworks, Austin Landscaping, Bayshore Surveying, Brochsteins, Crowder Law Firm, Fajita Pete's, French Cuff Boutique, Greenpark Compound Pharmacy & Gifts, Partners in Building, Stormy Hayes-Knipe/Greenwood King Properties, Texas Citizens Bank, TR Salon, and Village Plumbing and Home Services.
Spooktacular In-Kind: The Chocolate Bar, Houston Print Factory, Gugliani's, Lakeshore Learning and Fajita Pete's.
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| Spooky Snapshots | |
 We saw lots of cameras flashing at this year's outstanding Spooky Spaghetti event and the yearbook team would love to include those photos in the yearbook.
Please send any pictures to marktwainyearbook@yahoo.com using a jpeg format. You may also leave flash drives (which will be returned) or photos cds in the yearbook box located in the parent workroom, all pictures need to be in a jpeg format. Please leave your name and phone number so that we may contact you should we have any questions. Thank you.
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| Art Fundraiser Well Underway! | |
Dear Mark Twain Parents,
Coming home next week is a school sponsored elementary fundraiser called Square 1 Art. This fundraiser takes your child's artwork and makes it into great products for you to purchase. These products are wonderful keepsakes and gifts for family and friends. Your child has been busy making beautiful artwork that can be made into many fun products such as magnets, t-shirts, mouse pads, ornaments and much more!
The money raised from this fundraiser will enable the Mark Twain PTO to continue its efforts in supporting our students. Looking Ahead...
- Look for your child's Product Catalog to come home next week. Your child's artwork is on the front cover and on the FREE set of Stickers.
- All ORDER FORMS AND PAYMENT WILL BE DUE BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011. NO LATE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
- Approximate Product distribution dates will be provided at a later date.
Square 1 Art is a wonderful fundraiser that celebrates your child's artwork along with helping our school. A special Thank You to all of the parent volunteers and Ms. Cowan for their help creating this artwork with their students. We couldn't have done it without you! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at twb42701@yahoo.com or 713/857-3731. Thank you - Tracey Bailey
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| Dad's Camp Out on Friday, November 4th | |
 Please join us for the Dad's Camp Out on Friday November 4th. The Dad's Camp out is a great Mark Twain tradition and always a fun time for all. Pitch a tent on the playground, grab some pizza and enjoy the activities and movie. Registration MUST be done online this year, there will be no on site registration. Please sign up soon so we can get a good idea of numbers for food and beverage.
Details and Registration are here: https://www.onlineregistrationcenter.com/register.asp?m=216&c=54.
Sign up to help volunteer here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/campout18.
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| Save the Date: Field Day 12/16/11 | | |
Our annual Field Day will be on Friday, December 16th!
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| Art a La Carte |
Please join me, along with other parent volunteers, for the November lesson planning session. We will be discussing the November Art a La Carte lessons, looking at examples, and giving out the materials needed for the projects. These sessions will take place in the cafeteria at 8:00 am on the following days:
- Monday, October 31st for kindergarten, first grade and second grade
- Wednesday, November 2nd, for third, fourth and fifth grade
If you are teaching the November lesson in your child's class; we would love to see you there!
Questions/concerns? Contact Suzy Brown at brown.suzy@comcast.net.
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| Save the Date: Book Fair at Mark Twain, November 14-18th | | |
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| Champion Energy Special for Twain Families | | |
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| Pershing Family Open House in November! | |
Pershing's Zoned Families Open House will be held an evening in November (TBA). This will be a great opportunity for zoned families to meet the Pershing faculty, staff and families and learn about the exceptional programs and departments Pershing has to offer. Following the session all parents and students will be invited to tour the school.
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| Name that Book (K-2 or 3-5) | |
Students interested in trying out for the Name that Book Teams (K-2 or 3-5) should begin reading the books! Book Lists for both teams are available in the Library. Competition will be in the spring (dates TBA). Interested students will take a qualifying test (7 students per each team) in November or December (exact dates TBA). Additional information can be found at http://marktwainpto.org/files/2011/07/NamethatBookTeamFAQs.doc.pdf.
PLEASE NOTE: Sample questions for K-2 are available in the library.
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| Breakfast in the Classroom |
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| HISD Magnet Open House, November 5th 9am-12noon | |
HISD will hold a Magnet Open House with information sessions and school booths for interested parents and students. Visit All Magnet Programs! Click here to view the flyer. The event is Saturday, November 5, 2011, 9am-12pm, HISD Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 West 18th St., Hou. TX 77092
Magnet Awareness Week
November 7-11 2011
(Tours daily at 1:00 p.m.)
(Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.)
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| Parent Involvement Day Celebration, November 17, 2011 | |
The Parent Engagement Department of School Support Services cordially invites you to join us at our annual HISD Parent Involvement Day Celebration on Thursday, November 17, 2011 from 9am - 12pm, at the Delmar Stadium Field House, at 2020 Mangum Rd., Houston, Texas 77092, to recognize the value of parent participation in a child's education. We believe in creating a culture of trust through action and have collaborated with many internal departments as well as external community members to provide educational materials and resources at this event.
Promptly following the celebration, 12-1 pm, HISD Deputy Chief Academic Officer Alicia Thomas will provide an overview of and answer questions about the state's new testing program, known as the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). The STAAR End-of-Course (EOC) exams will affect this year's ninth-graders by counting as 15 percent of their final course grade. The same is also true for middle school students taking high school courses that require EOC exams.
HISD teachers are preparing students in elementary, middle, and high school for the new rigorous tests, but we need your help. Parents are encouraged to stay and attend this informational session.
Questions: Contact Kelly Cline, Parent Engagement, 713-556-7290
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| Turn In Your Entertainment Books! | |
 If you have not done so already, please turn in your Entertainment Book and any money as soon as possible!
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| Don't Forget to Order your Birthday Grams! | |
Do you want to make your child or a teacher feel special at school on their birthday?
 Then sign up for a Birthday Gram to be delivered to their classroom! Information and forms are available in the Parent Workroom or may be completed online. Click here to order online now! (Please allow 4 days notice if ordering online.)
All proceeds go towards the 5th grade end of year activities. Please support Mark Twain's 5th grade classes this year!
Questions or interest in helping to deliver B-day Grams please contact: Bea Davies at (713) 667-4644, beadavies@yahoo.com OR Marta Fonseca at (713) 667-3394, ed-n-marta@att.net.
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| Join SchoolHouse Partners for FREE! | |
 SchoolHouse Partners is a local resource for home services and repair needs. Using SchoolHouse Partners supports Twain Elementary at no additional cost to parents. Membership is FREE. Click here to join now. Questions can be directed to info@myschoolhousepartners.com.
When a designation is made Mark Twain will receive 20% of what SchoolHouse Partners earns from referral fees paid by the maintenance provider. When families join SchoolHouse Partners they can make a difference in the world of education.
Questions? Contact Mike Heinzman - 281.555.5586 or Jamil Higley - 713.725.7297 or visit
www.myschoolhousepartners.com
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| Box Tops for Education | |
 As you are getting breakfast ready and packing lunches, don't forget to clip the Box Top coupons found on hundreds of participating products. Each coupon is worth $.10 and will earn cash for our school. Last year, Mark Twain received over $2,000 from the Box Top coupons that were collected throughout the year.
The goal for the 2011-2012 school year is for each student to turn in 30 Box Top coupons,which is a total of 21,600 coupons. You can help by simply cutting the coupons and bringing them to your child's classroom or PTO workroom. There will be a designated Box Top container in both locations. Don't forget to get the kids involved in finding and clipping the Box Tops and by asking family and friends to save the coupons as well.
Not sure where to find Box Top coupons? Look on General Mills cereal, Pillsbury products, Betty Crocker products, Hefty products and more. Click here for a complete list of products.
The class that collects the most Box Tops throughout the year will win a pizza party as their reward! Thanks for helping and keep clipping! It's a free and easy way to earn money for our school. |
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Rewards Programs
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Help with Fundraising through Rewards Programs. The PTO is grateful to participate in programs which reward our school based on the customer loyalty and patronage of our families. A percentage of the proceeds spent are donated back to the school! For detailed information, visit our PTO website rewards page at: http://marktwainpto.org/fundraising/rewards-programs/
Here are some highlights:
- Box Tops - Clip these box tops and turn them in; see related article in this week's Twain Times.
- Kroger Rewards - Link your Kroger card to Mark Twain Elementary
- Randall's - Designate Mark Twain as a beneficiary on your Remarkable card
- Target Rewards - Go online to link your Target card to Mark Twain #98794
- Balance Meals To Go - They will give 10% of all purchases made by Mark Twain families back to Mark Twain Elementary. Balance Healthy Meals To Go, is a new store in the Braes Heights Shopping Center on Bellaire Blvd. Balance makes individually portioned healthy meals and snacks for take-away. To ensure Mark Twain receives proper credit, tell the store "I attend/work for Mark Twain!" at the register while checking out. www.balancemealstogo.com Phone: 281.501.1968
- School House Partners - Use a School House Partners home maintenance service provider and designate Mark Twain as your school. This local owned business connects homeowners to dependable, pre-screened home maintenance providers; painters, plumbers, landscapers, most everything pertaining to home maintenance. Schools receive 20% of what SchoolHouse Partners earns from referrals fees paid by the home maintenance provider.
- Office Depot - Link the Twain Elementary code #70097851 to your Office Depot reward card and the school gets 5% back.
- Champion Energy Services - Special Rates for You and a $25 Donation to Mark Twain Elementary School. With your switch to Champion Energy for your residential electricity service using the promo code MARKTWAIN, you will receive a special rate. In addition, Champion Energy will make a $25 donation for each enrollment and renewal. Click here: http://www.championenergyservices.com/promo.asp?promo=MARKTWAIN
- Bouquelle Cleaners - A percentage of the purchases made by Mark Twain families and Staff will be donated to Mark Twain Elementary PTO. Bouquelle Cleaners, (Schnelle Family) has been providing dry cleaning and laundry services for 14 years in the Bellaire area located at 5118 Bissonnet (HEB Shopping Center); Bellaire, TX 77401 or call 713-666-3450.
- Drink Pouch Brigade® - Every year BILLIONS of drink pouches end up in dumpsters and landfills across America. TerraCycle, Capri Sun® and Honest Kids® are working together to put an end to this awful loss of resources. As an eco-friendly innovator, TerraCycle converts the drink pouch material into unique from tote bags and pencil cases to plastic lumber and pavers! TerraCycle is proud to team up with the largest producer of drink pouches in the country, Capri Sun, and a young organic entry into the market, Honest Kids, to help address this problem! Together with your help we CAN make a difference! For information, contact Liliana McKean at lmckean1@comcast.net
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| Workroom Volunteers Needed - Everyone Welcome | |
We would like to help our teachers in the workroom with tasks such as laminating, cutting, gluing etc. We will meet each Thursday at 8:00 am in the teacher workroom. A big thanks to all who came last Thursday. The teachers really appreciate the help! Contact Shelley Rota for any questions at shelleyrota@hotmail.com.
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| Community News and Events | | |
Earth Day Houston 2012 4th Annual Art Contest
Earth Day Houston 2012 is Saturday, April 7, 2012 and all third- through eighth-grade students in the Houston area may submit artwork to our office by January 31, 2012. Earth Day celebrates our planet's wonders. Show what you see when you think of clean air, water, and land. Picture how our land and humankind protects and nourishes each other. Use a plain white sheet of paper that is 11 x 14 inches. Put your name, grade, school, and teacher's name on the back. Please mail or take the art to: Art Contest - Air Alliance Houston, 2409 Commerce Street, Suite A - Houston 77003. Prizes will be awarded for the overall winner as well as first, second, and third place winners from each grade. We will return all art to the teachers.
Be a Bellaire Cheerleader for the Day!
Open to all girls ages 5-12. Join us for a fun day of cheerleading on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the Bellaire High School Multi-Purpose Room, 5100 Maple Street from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click here for the attached flyer and registration form. Questions? Contact Gina Taylor at ginataylor41@att.net.
Bellaire Recycles Fest
A variety of events are planned for this annual recycle fest on November 5, 2011 from 9am-1pm at the 7008 S. Rice Blvd. near the Bellaire City Hall. Click here to view the full flyer with detailed information.
Also, eARTh Art and Photo Contest for ages 5 - 18. Click here to see attached flyer for more info.
The 2011 Turkey Trot will be held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24, 2011 (Rain or Shine) at the Dillard's Galleria store Westheimer @ Post Oak. Benefiting Sheltering Arms Senior Services, this race/walk includes a 10K and a 5K Competitive Run / Walk. Deadline for online registration is 7 p.m., Sun., Nov. 20. Click here to see the brochure or visit: www.HoustonTurkeyTrot.org.
Special offer from Scholastic Books and Kellogg's Brand cereals - This fall, give your child the opportunity to choose and own books through a special offer from Scholastic Book Clubs and Kellogg's! Buy two specially marked Kellogg's products at Walmart and enter the 16-digit codes and receive a FREE book or $5.00 off a book order at Scholastic. Visit www.scholastic.com/kellogg for more information about this special offer and to redeem your $5 Book Coupon(s).
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