Dear Mark Twain Families,

Welcome back to another GREAT year at Mark Twain Elementary! I would like to extend a special greeting to those of you who are new to our school this year.  We are excited to have you and your children join our dynamic community.  I would also like to warmly welcome the Mark Twain teachers and staff, our principal, Mrs. Melissa Patin, and new assistant principal, Ms. Michelle Rawson.  They have all been working diligently this summer to ensure everything is ready for our children when they return to the hustle and bustle of the Mark Twain hallways.

Servicing one of the "go to" communities in Houston, Mark Twain is busting at the seams.  During the summer, two temporary buildings were added to the campus which added four new classrooms.  The school is opening one new kindergarten, two new first grades and one new fifth grade to accommodate our growing numbers.  To make room in the main building, four of the Ancillary Classes have been relocated to the "Cottages."  As the parent representative that sat in on most of the interviews for the new positions this summer, I can tell you that the new additions are going to fit right in with the great group of teachers that we have at Twain.

Mark Twain PTO Membership includes every Mark Twain Parent - you are a member!  Membership is free but it is up to you as parents to get involved, stay informed and support your child's school and education.  Those who donate $10 to the PTO will receive a hard copy the directory; the online directory will be available to all.  The PTO is a key support system to our principal, teachers and staff that positively impacts the educational experience for our children.  As members of the PTO and as a collective group of families, we will make this year at Mark Twain a great success!

We invite you to go on-line at http://marktwaindirectory.org/ to register today to become a member and complete your information for the student directory.  If you are able, we encourage you to make a monetary donation through the Friends and Family Campaign.  Your participation, whether through volunteer hours, monetary donations and/or making certain your children are successful, is vital to building a strong community at Mark Twain.

The Mark Twain PTO also supports families by providing the following ways to stay informed:  the Mark Twain Directory, the "Twain Times" weekly electronic newsletters, with handouts in the weekly Red folders and a new communication tool called Livingtree.  All of these PTO combined efforts promote communication between families and staff, making for a cohesive and strong community.  We encourage you to use the website at www.marktwainpto.org, which is an invaluable resource to keep you up to date on upcoming PTO and school events.  If you do not have access to a computer, we invite you to use the computers in the Mark Twain Library.  We also encourage you to attend PTO meetings that are held on the first Wednesday of each month in the school library.  Please mark your calendar for the first meeting on September 11th, free babysitting is provided at every meeting for children 3years and older.

On behalf of the PTO, I would like to extend a warm welcome and best wishes for a successful school year.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.  I look forward to working with each of you!  Together, we can enrich our children's education by supporting the Mark Twain IB mission to promote and develop responsible, active and reflective citizens of the world.

Tony Houck, PTO President

Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community

tvhouck@msn.com