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The Twain Times
A weekly newsletter from Mark Twain Elementary School
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Mark Your Calendar |
January
1/23-2/3 - Bash tickets and t-shirts available for purchase before and after school
1/23 - 2/1 - Souper Bowl of caring food donations to classrooms
February
2/2 - Intnernational Festival planning, 8am and 2:30pm
2/4 - Aeros Night
2/6 - Bash Preview Party
2/7 - PTO Meeting, 6:30pm
2/8 - +Talk III, Cybertechnology, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, 6:30pm
2/10 - Huckleberry Bash, 6:30pm
2/16 - Parent Enrichment: A Healthy Family on Any Schedule, 8:15am
2/17 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon
2/25 - International Festival, 1:00-4:00pm |
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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
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January 24, 2012 | |
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Dear Parents,
As we head into the spring you will want to mark your calendars with the dates listed below for the state and local assessments. Students need to be in attendance on the dates when they will be tested and on time. The STAAR test has a time limit of four hours for each subject area and it is important that the teacher is able to begin testing as early as possible.
March 27-28 STAAR -4th grade Writing (two days)
March 27 STAAR - 5th grade Math
March 28 STAAR- 5th grade Reading
April 24 STAAR-3rd & 4th grade Math
April 25 STAAR-3rd & 4th grade Reading
April 26 STAAR- 5th grade Science
May 7-17th Grades 1-5 Stanford/Aprenda
May 21-23 Grades 1-5 Non-Target Language Stanford/Aprenda (Dual Language only)
If you would like to learn more about the STAAR test you can go to www.houstonisd.org where you will find a link with videos, calendars and other resources.
Souper Bowl of Caring is youth across the nation working together to fight hunger and poverty in their own communities around the time of the Super Bowl football game. The Mark Twain community is joining other HISD schools in this endeavor. Food items can be bought to the classrooms anytime between January 23 and February 1st. The items will be donated to Kids Meals Houston. Thanks in advance for helping in the fight against hunger in our community.
Have a great week!
Melissa Patin, Principal
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| PTO President Message | |
Dear Mark Twain families,
I am so excited to let you know that our HISD District V representative, Mike Lunceford, has been elected the 2012 HISD School Board President.
Mike was elected to the HISD Board of Education in November 2009 and served as assistant secretary in 2011. He is a long-time volunteer with HISD, having held leadership positions within the district for the past 17 years. He served on the HISD Bond Oversight Committee, the HISD District V Leadership Team and the HISD Parent Visionaries. He also served on the school building committees for Henry Longfellow Elementary, Pin Oak Middle and John Pershing Middle, and he chaired the Master Plan Building Committee for Paul Horn Elementary School. Mike is a tremendous advocate for our school and we are so proud of this most recent accomplishment. Since January is School Board Appreciation Month, I wanted to make sure you were all aware of his new position.
Also, Bash ticket sales start this week - you can purchase your tickets before/after school at the Bash Ticket Sales table in the rotunda. Our theme for the adult only dinner/auction that is going to be held on Friday, February 10th is "Lights, Camera, BASH!" and it is strongly encouraged that you come dressed as your favorite movie star or movie character! Although it is our largest FUNDraiser, there is an abundance of FUN at this event! Don't miss out and purchase your tickets now!
Have a GREAT week - and start thinking about your BASH costume now!
Best,
Deanna Sheaffer, PTO President
deannasheaffer@yahoo.com
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| Mark Twain Night with the Aeros, 2/4, 7:35pm | |
 Mark Twain Night with the Aeros will take place on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4th at 7:35pm. Ticket order forms and information went home in last week's Tuesday folder. Tickets are $10 per person. Discounted parking is also available for $5. Deadline to order tickets is Friday, January 27th! Turn forms into the Parent workroom. Questions? Contact Alva Allen, 713-447-9944.
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| Get Your Tickets Today for Huckleberry Bash, 2/10/2012! | | |
Tickets are on sale at school or online, click on the photo below to purchase tickets online. T-shirts are also available, buy early!
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International Festival Planning Meeting,
2/2, 8am | | |
Come celebrate the diversity of the cultures and backgrounds represented in our school with a festival of performances and country displays.
The following countries will be represented at the festival:
Argentina, Belgium, China, El Salvador, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Vietnam
If the country you love is not on this list, please consider hosting a table for it!
We will have our next planning/informational meetings on Thursday, February 2nd at 8:00 a.m. AND 2:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Please join us!
Don't have time to come to the meeting?
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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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| 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 | | |
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2012 Half-price Carnival Tickets
Each year the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) committee sells half-price carnival tickets. Click here to view the order form in English. Click here to view the order form in Spanish. For more information, contact Alicial Laidler at hlsr.carnival.tickets@gmail.com or Alicia.Laidler@chevron.com. You can also purchase online at https://secure.rodeohouston.com/carnivaltickest/?salescode=1118434.
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.
Houston School Choice Rally January 28
You are invited to participate in the Houston School Choice Rally on Saturday, January 28th. It's time to show the public and community leaders how many smart, hard-working, loving parents are choosing HISD magnet schools and other HISD "schools of choice". We are partnering with other schools and reformers to host a city-wide rally for SCHOOL CHOICE. We are inviting school leaders, parents, teachers, legislators, reporters, and community business leaders to demonstrate their support for school choice. Why is it important for HISD parents to attend this rally? HISD is a "district of choice" and we benefit from the many options available to us. It's important to ensure that parents who take advantage of district choice have a voice and a presence at this event! Let your voice be heard and come out to represent your school!
Where and When: Saturday, January 28th
Location: KIPP East End| 5402 Lawndale Street | Houston, TX 77023
Event Time: 10:30am - 12pm
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