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The Twain Times
A weekly newsletter from Mark Twain Elementary School
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Mark Your Calendar |
January
1/10 - Spelling Bee, 8:30am
1/11 - Early Dismissal, 12:30pm
1/11 - Bash T-shirt design contest deadline
1/11 - STARR Presentation, 8am
1/11- Art a La Carte Meeting, 3-5, 8am
1/12- Art a La Carte Meeting, 3-5, 8am
1/12 - STARR Presentation, 5pm
1/13 - Bash Socials deadline
1/13 - Bingo Night, 6-8:30pm
1/17 - Berryhill Spirit Day and Night
1/19 - Parent Enrichment, Speaking in Tongues
1/20 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon |
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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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January 10, 2012 | |
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| PTO President Message | |
Dear Mark Twain families,
Hopefully, you have all settled back into a good routine since the winter break. We are so thankful for everything that has been happening at school so far this year and cannot wait for a great second half.
On that note, one quick message: If you've been hoping to help or looking to get more involved in any way, please email, call or talk to any of our PTO directors or leaders. We know that time and schedules can be a challenge, but if you're interested, we would love to find a way to help you make it work. If you have volunteered to help in the past and not been taken up on it, please know that it was an oversight or a result of us being busy. It was definitely not us wanting all the volunteering for ourselves (seriously!). Being open to everyone and helping connect with and serve all parents is a key goal of our group.
Bingo Night is this Friday (1/13) and I believe we still need volunteers to help sell Bingo cards and daubers. If you are interested, please email Kristen Barker at kristenbrkr@yahoo.com. Also, the 10th Annual International Festival is coming up and the first planning/informational meeting is this Thursday (1/19) morning at 8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria.
I really do hope to see you at Bingo Night - it is a LOT of fun (and there are great prizes as well)! Plus, the Papa Johns Pizza truck will be there to provide pizza (in case your family wants to have a night off from cooking dinner).
Again, Happy New Year to all. Here's hoping our kids and our whole school community have a great 2012.
Deanna Sheaffer, PTO President
deannasheaffer@yahoo.com
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| Bash T-Shirt Design Contest, Deadline 1/11 | |
Lights, Camera, Action! - Calling all Twain Artists we need your help! Please enter our Bash T-Shirt contest starting Tuesday, January 3rd. We will be accepting 4-5 color designs on white paper with marker, pastels, or crayon for this year's 2012 Bash. Think Hollywood, Red Carpets, Stars, and everything Glamorous!
All entries must be placed in the Contest Box located in the front rotunda by Wednesday, January 11th by 12 noon.
The winner will have their design printed on the shirts to be sold for the Bash Fundraiser at School. We will have one winner per grade Kinder-5. One Overall winner will named by Friday January 13th! Please turn in only 1 design per person with your NAME, GRADE and TEACHER to be considered for winner.
*Please write return on the back if you would like to pick it up in the Parent Workroom after the contest!*
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| Mark Twain Family Bingo Night, 1/13 | |
This Friday is Mark Twain Family Bingo Night!
Date: Friday, January 13, 2012
Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Mark Twain Cafeteria
Please join us for a night of fun and excitement for the whole family!
Bingo Cards will be sold for $1 each (grand prize bingo game is $2 per card). Each player may play up to five cards at once per game. Blotter markers will be available for $1 each.
All children participating in bingo games must be accompanied by a parent, per state bingo rules.
Fabulous prizes will be awarded to the winners of each game!
Pizza and soft drinks can be purchased from the Papajohn's Pizza Truck. Look for Papa John's preorder forms in your child's home folder and return them with payment as soon as possible to avoid long lines. A portion of the proceeds from pizza and soft drink sales will be donated to Mark Twain by Papa John's.
Desserts will be available for sale in the cafeteria. If you are interested in donating individually wrapped desserts to be sold at the event, please bring them to the parent workroom on the day of the event and label them "Bingo Night".
Contact Nancy Oncken at noncken@yahoo.com or Kristen Barker at kbarker@WULFE.com for volunteering opportunities.
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| It's Time to Plan your Bash Social! | |
Bash Socials are always a huge success at our biggest fundraiser of the year, The Huckleberry Bash. Bash Socials are a great way to have fun with your Mark Twain friends while contributing to the school!
Here's how you can get your Bash Socials started:
- Develop a party idea and plan your decorations, food, etc. around that idea.
- Think about the number of people you think would be appropriate for the party. Bash Socials can have as few as 4 guests and as many as 100+ guest.
- Choose your location. You can have a party at your home or you may need to reserve a party place (ex. Bowling alley, pottery store, gazebo at the park, etc.).
- Select a date for your party. You must have a date before submitting for auction catalog. If it is an outdoor event, plan a rain date.
- Fill out your party plan on the Bash Socials donor form. Be sure to list: all hosts, the theme for the party, the location, the date (and rain date), the beginning and ending times for the party and about what you think the cost per person or per couple. The form can be found on the PTO website (under Huckleberry Bash) or by emailing Susie Loredo at susieloredo@gmail.com Your completed donation form is due to Susie Loredo no later than Friday, January 13, 2012.
- You will be given a guest list after the Bash.
- Invitations for your party are your responsibility. You can send invitations via email, eVites, Paperpost, or hard copy invites.
- You and your co-hosts are responsible for underwriting the cost of the event.
- Have a GREAT time, meet new friends AND raise money for Mark Twain Elementary.
Please contact Susie Loredo if you need more information or if you already have a party in mind. You can email Susie directly at susieloredo@gmail.com
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| Art a La Carte planning sessions, 1/11 and 1/12 | |
The January lesson planning session for grades 3-5 will meet on Wednesday, January 11th and Thursday, January 12th at 8:00 am in the cafeteria. The Thursday date was added for those who want to attend the STAAR presentation on Wednesday. Parents who are teaching and interested in discussing the January lessons, we would love to see you there! Questions/concerns? Contact Suzy Brown at brown.suzy@comcast.net.
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| Spirit Night at Berry Hill, Tuesday, 1/17 | |
Come join other Mark Twain families on Tuesday, January 17th for dinner. Berry Hill will donate 20% of food purchased by Mark Twain families back to the school and kids eat free on Tuesdays. If you can't make dinner, enjoy lunch with your friends. Have fun and raise money for Mark Twain!
Click here to view the flyer.
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| Parent Enrichment, "Speaking in Tongues", 1/19, 6:30pm | |
 January 19, 6:30 pm
Speaking in Tongues, a documentary
Twain Library
In a time of increasing globalization, is it enough to speak one language? What are the challenges and the benefits of living in a multilingual community? What does it mean to be a global citizen?
Dual Language and Parent Enrichment invite you to contemplate these and many other provocative questions explored in Speaking in Tongues. This excellent documentary follows 4 children on an educational adventure in San Francisco and answers the question, what do we, as a community, need to know in the 21st century? A short discussion will follow the presentation of the film. For more information about the documentary go to http://speakingintonguesfilm.info/
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| Save the Date: International Festival, 2/25, 1-4pm | | |
Mark your calendars for the 10th Annual Mark Twain International Festival!
Saturday, Feb. 25, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Come celebrate the diversity of the cultures and backgrounds represented in our school with a festival of performances and country displays.
We will have our first planning/informational meeting on Thursday Jan. 19th at 8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria. Please join us!
We are looking for:
- Performers (can be children or adults): share your dancing, musical instrument, martial arts demonstration...
- Country displays (a table displaying maps, pictures, food samples, souvenirs and so on)
- Volunteers to serve on the planning committee
If you have ideas and would like to help organize this wonderful event, please come to the meeting on January 19th or contact Fabia Hill (832-315-4050 fabia@live.com).
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| Get Ready 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.
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| DATE CORRECTION for Aeros Night | |
Mark Twain Night at the Aeros will take place on SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4, not January 27 as entered on the calendar. Ticket order forms and more information will be included in next weeks Tuesday folder.
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| Event DVDs for Sale | |
Thank you for your wonderful response to the intial offering of DVD's! To make things easier, we're starting to streamline the ordering process. There is now a MTTV mailbox in the PTO/Parent workroom where you can pick up order forms, place orders and drop off payments. You can still order DVD's of "Annie" and the "Winter Strings" series at a cost of $10 each. Please make checks payable to Mark Twain PTO. As always, we would love your feedback! Email us at MarkTwainTV@gmail.com. Look for more info next week in the Twain Times!
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+Talk III, Cybertechnology: Catching Up with our Kids!, 2/8/2012 | |
+TALK III: CYBERTECHNOLOGY: CATCHING UP WITH OUR KIDS!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
6:30-8:00PM
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School
6802 Buffalo Speedway, Houston 77025
Technology shapes our lives today in a way we could never have imagined as children ourselves. It is an exciting time, although the knowledge gap many of us feel as parents can be daunting! How do we balance our need for our children to be prepared for their future with our desire to keep them safe? How do we engage them in this ever-expanding world and somehow protect their privacy? What are our responsibilities as parents? Why is it important to tune in to, support, and assist our children in developing the critical thinking skills needed to navigate these new waters?
Join us for a presentation and panel discussion that will address the opportunity we have as a community to teach our children the importance of "digital wellness" and digital citizenship and the weighty consequences that can hang in the balance when we find ourselves falling behind our children in this compelling, new digital world. Our expert panel will include:
- AMY ACOSTA, PHD, Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine and Licensed Professional Psychologist, Texas Children's Hospital
- LARRY KAHN, Chief Technology Officer, The Kinkaid School
- SPECIAL AGENT AMANDA HOUSTON, Houston FBI Cyber Crime Squad
ALL are welcome! FREE admission to +Works' nine +School members. $5 for other community members.
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| Incoming Kindergartners for Fall 2012 | |
Attention parents -- Do 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. Do you know of any neighborhood incoming Kindergartners not at Mark Twain yet? Please have them contact Jackie Black as well. Questions? Jackie Black: jblack@houstonisd.org.
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| Great Box Tops Bonus Opportunty at Randall's | |
Randall's has an offer for 20 bonus box tops from now until 1/19. When you buy 5 participating General Mills products (including: cereals, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Nature Valley Granola, Fruit by the Foot, etc.) you earn 20 extra box tops!! The Randall's receipt will print out a "coupon" with a code to redeem the box tops. You can put the "coupon" in our classroom's box top container!!
Keep clipping those box tops and don't forget to visit the online website (www.btfe.com) for more ways to earn eBox Tops.
Questions, please contact Amy Allen at amy.allen@comcast.net or 281.501.3544.
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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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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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| 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.
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