|
The Twain Times
A weekly newsletter from Mark Twain Elementary School
|
|
|
Mark Your Calendar |
November
11/22 - Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast, 2pm
11/23 - 11/25 - Thanksgiving Holiday, NO SCHOOL
11/29 - Picture retake day
11/30 - Art a La Carte meeting for 3rd-5th, 8am
11/30 - +Talk, Bullying - Why We Are All in this Together, 6:30-8:30pm at Pershing Middle School
December
12/1 - Art a La Carte meeting, Kinder-2nd, 8am
12/6 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm (Babysitting provided)
12/9 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon 10:30am-12:45 pm
12/15 - Parent Enrichment: Crystal Morrison "What Brain Science Tells Us about Learning", 8:15am
12/16 - Field Day, 8:30am
12/16 - Forms for sibling Incoming Kindergartners due
|
|
Thank You to Our
2011-2012
Corporate Sponsors
|
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
|
|
|
 |
November 22, 2011 | |
|
Dear Parents,
The Mark Twain community has just completed an event filled week that included a fantastic The Magic in Books, Book Fair and ending with the Kids Meal Community Service Project and Soccer Tournament. We welcomed the Book Fair back to Mark Twain after several years of being offsite. It was a special time with children milling about in the racks of books, marching in the Storybook Parade and sharing hotdogs and magic at Family Night. It was a grand success and a special thank you goes out to Blythe Grossman and Margie Sanders for pulling it all together! These ladies were up at school all day, every day to ensure that all of the students would get the chance to browse and purchase books.
This past weekend I was inspired by the many children and families participating in the Kids Meals Community Service Project. We had many students decorating bags and filling those bags with food items to be delivered to pre-kindergarten age students in our area. It was so much fun and the positive energy was contagious. Thanks to Alva Allen for coordinating such a great event and to all of you that donated items or participated in the project on Saturday.
Saturday also brought many of our students out to show their skills at the Annual Soccer Tournament. The tournament was held on the playground and the students had a blast! Thanks to Lily McKean for planning this fun event and to all the parents that volunteered their time to make it a great success.
December is right around the corner so please mark your calendars for the following events.
- November 23-25: Thanksgiving Break
- December 5-9:Stanford Testing - Kindergarten
- Tuesday, December 6: PTO Meeting at 6:30pm in library.
- Thursday, December 8: The Fourth Grade Classes will present the Broadway Jr. Musical Annie
- Monday, December 12: Holiday Strings Concert in cafeteria. Beginning at 3pm. See schedule in the related article in the Twain Times.
- Friday, December 16: FIELD DAY and last day of school. All students dismissed at 3 pm.
- Tuesday, January 3: School Resumes.
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Melissa Patin, Principal
mpatin@houstonisd.org
Back to Top |
|
| PTO President Message | |
Dear Mark Twain families,
Happy Thanksgiving! As we enter into this holiday weekend, I am reminded of the quote "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
On behalf of the PTO, I would like to thank the administration, teachers and staff at Mark Twain for all that you do on a daily basis for our children. I am extremely grateful for your dedication to your jobs and our school. I would also like to thank all the Mark Twain families who support their teachers and the Mark Twain administration. As we all know, when parents and teachers build partnerships and work together, the student benefits. This partnership and collaboration is truly what makes Mark Twain so special.
I want to extend a special "thank you" to Blythe Grossman and Margie Sanders for a tremendously successful Mark Twain Book Fair last week. Our children were engrossed in "book talk" all last week and it was wonderful to see! It was an event that inspired all of our students to have "hands on" experiences with new books and an overwhelming love of literature was prevalent throughout the school.
Another huge round of applause should be directed to Alva Allen who coordinated the "Kids Meals" Community Service Project. The Mark Twain Community was able to contribute over 650 prepared lunches ready to be delivered to impoverished children in Houston and donated funds that should provide lunches for at least 650 more. It was a sincere pleasure to see all the children working at the school last Saturday to help those in need. We are incredibly blessed to be part of such a caring community.
Enjoy your loved ones and the long weekend. And may your family have a holiday full of bountiful blessings.
Best,
Deanna Sheaffer, PTO President
Back to Top |
| Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast, 11/22 | |
Our annual Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd, in the cafeteria at 2pm.
Turkey and Ham will be provided and each classroom will provide a portion of the feast. Be on the lookout for sign-up sheets by your classroom door - we need to provide a bountiful feast for 150 "Pilgrims"!
The class assignments are:
- Mouftah - Pumpkin Pie/Cool Whip
- Martinez - Fruit (washed, cut and ready to eat)
- Fromen - Veggies (washed, cut and ready to eat)
- Prater - Bread (rolls, muffins, cornbread, etc)
- Sigmon - Paper products (plates, forks, cups)
- Brown - Drinks (non-carbonated)
Many volunteers will be needed to set-up and serve from 1:30pm. Please email pack_lindas@hotmail.com or amyzeehaight@yahoo.com to volunteer.
Please feel free to bring a spare Pumpkin to add to the Fall Harvest setting. They will be discarded after the feast.
Back to Top |
| Art a La Carte Meetings | |
Please join me, along with other parent volunteers, for the December lesson planning session. We will be discussing the December 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:
- Wednesday, November 30th - third, fourth and fifth grade
- Thursday, December 1st - kindergarten, first and second grade
If you are teaching any of the December lessons in your child's class; we would love to see you there!
Questions/concerns? Contact Suzy Brown at brown.suzy@comcast.net
Back to Top |
| Vanguard Gifted and Talented Program Applications Due 12/2 | |
If you are interested in having your child considered for the Vanguard Gifted and Talented program, please pick up an application from Ms. Norris for 1-3rd grades or from Ms. Blakeslee for 4th graders. The applications are for: (1) students who did not apply in May or Sept. 2011 OR (2) students who enrolled at Twain after Sept. 2011.
Click here to see the flier. Applications are due Friday, December 2, 2011.
Back to Top
|
| Winter Strings Concerts, Monday, 12/12 | |
Join us on Monday, December 12, 2011 for the Winter String Concerts. Click here to view the full schedule. The concert will be performed by the students of Dr. Barbara Rask, Mr. Terry Ron Vantreese and Mr. Andrew Fortson:
3:00 Kindergarten Violin and Cello Beginners, Music Room
4:00 Violin and Cello Beginners, Music Room
5:00 Guitar Program, Stage
6:00 Intermediate, Advanced and Honors/Chamber Concert, Stage
Back to Top |
| Congratulations Mark Twain Community! | | |
The food drive benefiting 
was extremely successful!
Together we raised enough food for 650 sack lunches and enough donations for another 730 sack lunches.
 Thank you to Rice Epicurean for your help and participation.
We couldn't have done it without you.
The PTO would like to thank everyone for their contributions and participation.
Job Well Done!!!
Want more information on the organization or have questions? Contact Alva Allen, alvaallen@sbcglobal.net or 713.447.9944
Back to Top |
| HISD G/T Speaker Series, 12/7 | |
The Advanced Academics Department is presenting the second "G/T Speaker Series" event for parents of gifted and talented students. Dr. Richard Olenchak will present Can We Have Both Creative Students and a Test-Driven Schoolhouse? Gleeful Giftedness: an Allegory for Arts and Academics December 7, 2011, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Board Auditorium at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center.
Click here for the English flyer. Click here for the Spanish flyer. Click here for the Vietnamese flyer.
Back to Top |
|
|
|
| Incoming Kindergartners for Fall 2012 | |
Attention parents -- We need to know if you have a sibling entering Kindergarten next fall (2012). Click here to print this form. Please fill it out, and bring it to Jackie Black by December 16th. If you know of any neighborhood incoming Kindergartners not at Mark Twain yet, please have them contact Jackie Black as well. Questions? Contact Jackie Black: jblack@houstonisd.org.
Back to Top |
| Jump Rope for Heart! 12/15 | |
It takes heart to be a hero! Beginning November 18th, Mark Twain will be participating in the annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser! Students will join millions of other children across the country in a meaningful opportunity to learn how jumping rope is good for the heart and to help save lives.
Help your child get involved! If deciding to participate, help your child raise money to help others who have cardiovascular disease, including kids! You can start now and visit americanheart.org/jump to set up a Web page and e-mail friends/family to make secure donations. Or use the collection envelope your child will receive. Whether or not you and your children decide to participate in the fundraising portion of this "event," all students will have the chance to participate in jump rope activities during Physical Education class at the end of our Jump Rope for Heart campaign.
Special Notes:
*Your child will receive thank-you gifts based on the donations he or she collects (or you can elect not to receive them.)
*Our school will also earn free physical education equipment.
*For the safety of our children, we ask that your child not go door-to-door or ask strangers for donations.
*Collection envelopes are due December 15th and are to be turned in to Coach Jody.
Back to Top |
| Field Day, 12/16 | |
Just a reminder that Field Day is Friday December 16th. Coach Jody is working hard with the students and teachers of 4th Grade to put on the best one yet!
The Parade of Classes will begin at 8:15 following morning announcements. Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade will participate in their events from 8:30 to 11:00 with 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade following from 11:50 to 2:20.
More info to come!
Back to Top |
| Lost and Found Volunteers Needed! | |
With the colder temperature, the lost and found is once again starting to overflow. Please check for your children's lost belongings. We also need some volunteers to commit to helping on a regular basis with organizing the closet and delivering lost items. Please contact Kathleen Fenoy kathleenfenoy@yahoo.com if you are interested in helping out.
Back to Top |
| IB @ Mark Twain: Key Findings from Research on the Impact of IB Programmes | |
The IB's Global Research department recently published a brief overview of recent research. Here are some highlights that pertain to PYP:
- Favorable instructional practices and student behaviors were observed more frequently in Texas IB classrooms.
- In implementing the PYP, critical elements were whole-school participation, collaborative planning, continuous training, availability of resources, community involvement and school leadership support.
- As a whole, PYP students outperformed peers on the International Schools Assessment (ISA) in reading, math and writing in a majority of grades.
To read more in-depth summaries, please visit http://www.ibo.org/research.
Back to Top
|
| Sally Foster Online Fundraiser until 11/29/11 | | |
 Sally Foster is AVAILABLE online for you, your family & friends!Use the email feature found in the Seller's Section at www.SallyFoster.com to order gifts and wrapping paper or send ordering information to your family & friends.40% OF EVERY PURCHASE GOES DIRECTLY TO MARK TWAIN! MARK TWAIN ELEMENTARY school's number is 54491. Our Sally Foster® fundraiser is available online year round but this campaign will run through the month of November. Click here to see the Sally Foster flyer for Internet Shopping for Mark Twain 2011.
Back to Top |
| Save the Date for Huckleberry Bash, 2/10/2012! | |
Each spring the Mark Twain PTO holds The Huckleberry Bash, our annual auction and largest fundraiser. The event features live and silent auction items created and/or donated by students, parents, teachers and the community. The Bash will be held February 10, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Reliant. The theme for this year is "Lights! Camera! Bash!" Last year, over 400+ people attended and supported our school by purchasing hundreds of auction items and tickets to social events hosted by Twain families and/or teachers. We hope to see even more families participate this year so mark your calendars now!
What is Bash? Click here to learn more about this annual adults only fundraiser.
There are many ways that you may help out with Bash:
- Hosting a social gatherings (parties)
- Donating items (or funds for items) anything big or small
- Soliciting donations from businesses that you frequent
- Volunteers for any number of roles necessary to put on the event
Click here to see detailed information in the letter. Click here to print out a donation form.
Completed donation forms can be placed in the Huckleberry Bash box in the Parent Workroom or emailed to us. Questions? Feel free to email us at dkoenig@TheLittleGym.com or jnkschultz@sbcglobal.net.
Back to Top
|
| 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.
Back to Top
|
| Drink Pouch Brigade®! | |
Turn your used drink pouches into MONEY for our School. We have placed a drink pouch recycle bin in the cafeteria by the lost and found closet. Please encourage your children to deposit their empty pouches there after lunch and feel free to bring your pouches from home. Pouches need to be empty and clean with no straws. Besides turning the pouches into money for the school 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.
Back to Top |
|
Rewards Programs
| | |
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
Back to Top
|
| 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.
Back to Top
|
| Need to put something in the Twain Times? | |
If you have information you would like to include in the Twain Times please follow the following procedures:
|
|
|
