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Mark Twain Elementary School Newsletter
School Year 2013 - 2014 |
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Temporary Twain Times
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CALENDAR
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September
4th Millionaire Club Summer Reading Log Due
5th Math Night Planning Meeting
11th PTO Meeting 6:30 PM
12th Parent Enrichment Book Club
13th No School - Fall Holiday
19th Mark Twain Open House
20th Marathon Kids Form Due
23rd International Dinner
24th Yearbook Cover Design Contest Entry Due
27th Monthly Teacher Appreciation Lunch
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Thank You to Our
2012-2013
Corporate Sponsors
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Tom Sawyer Level
Huckleberry Finn Level
Samuel Clemens Level
 Aunt Polly Level  
 
 Becky Thatcher Level 
 
 
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September 3, 2013 | |
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Dear Parents,
Last week went really well for the first week of school. There were several questions that came up at the Information Coffees that I hope to clarify as we move into the second week of school. If you ever have questions or feedback, please contact me at anytime.
- Allergies - If you have a child with allergies, please make sure to alert both the classroom teacher and the school nurse, Andrea Hill. There are forms that must be filled out to help us to provide care for your child. It takes several days to get forms back from the physician's office so please act promptly. There are Nut Free tables in the cafeteria to accommodate children with nut allergies. Those tables will be clearly marked and classroom teachers will work to ensure that the children are aware of the guidelines for eating at that table. Children may continue to bring peanut butter sandwiches or other nut products but will not be allowed to eat at the Nut Free Table. Teachers and staff members are in the process of being trained on how to respond to allergic reactions in children and how to operate an Epi-pen.
- Communication
- The Twain Times is the weekly newsletter that the PTO sends out electronically every Tuesday. I will be posting the Twain Times on the Community Board in the front hallway and on our website. Hard copies are available upon request.
- The Living Tree - The Living Tree is a new system that will allow for communications to be sent from the PTO, administration and classroom teachers to the parent community. Parents are invited to join by the classroom teachers. Once you receive the invitation and respond you will be able to receive messages and respond. There are a number of features included with the system including calendars, sign-up functions and a translation function. For those of you that have signed up, please look for a message from me containing the Twain Times. We are in the early stages of implementation and will offer a parent informational session in the next few weeks.
- Monthly Calendars - Each month a calendar will go out containing school events including programs, field trips and parent meetings. We try very hard to include a comprehensive look at each month. Please keep in close touch with your classroom teacher regarding classroom events.
- Open House is an evening where parents are invited to meet the classroom teachers and hear a presentation outlining their procedures, expectations and goals for the year. Open House is for the parents so we respectfully ask that you make arrangements for child care for that evening.
- Arrival and Dismissal went very well last week. As we head into week two, dismissal will be at 3:15 for students in grades 1-5. Kindergarten parents will be allowed to the kindergarten hallway at 3:10 to pick up the students. Classroom doors open at 7:50 a.m.
- Visitors and volunteers are welcome at Mark Twain during the day but must sign-in at the front desk and wear a visitor's badge. Parents should not go to classrooms during the instructional day unless the teacher is expecting you for a meeting or to volunteer in the classroom. If your child forgets their lunch or materials you may drop them off in the front office and we will make sure to deliver them.
Have a great week.
Melissa Patin
Principal
mpatin@houstonisd.org
Twain School Website http://www.houstonisd.org/Twaines
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| MILLIONAIRE CLUB LOG DUE | |
Millionaire Club Summer Reading Logs DUE
The Millionaire Club reading logs are due Wednesday, September 4th.
Please have your child turn them into the library by the end of the day Wednesday to be entered into the drawing and recognized for their summer reading efforts
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| MATH NIGHT | |
Math Night Planning Meeting - Thursday, September 5, 8:00am, cafeteria
This year, for Math Night, we expect to see A Twain Tiger in King Arthur's Court! Mark your calendars now (Tuesday, October 29, 5:30-7:30) because you won't want to miss this fun-filled event.
Activity Leaders are needed to help design some of the games, and Coordinators are needed to help with logistics such as publicity and dinner.
We will be having a planning meeting on Thursday morning at 8 am (right after drop-off) in the cafeteria. If you are interested but unable to attend the meeting, please contact me at icchang@prodigy.net for more information.
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| PTO MEETING | |
PTO meeting will be held on September 11th at 6:30 PM in the Twain Library. Free Babysitting provided is provided at every meeting for children 3 years and older.
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| PARENT ENRICHMENT | |
Book Club
Thursday, September 12 8:15 AM: Parenting Book Club returns!
We will be discussing "The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness" by Edward Hallowell. Please join us for coffee, laughs and stimulating conversation!
Guest Speaker
Please mark your calendar for our next event:
Thursday October 3rd 8:15 AM: Patina Sehorn, local author, parenting expert and mother of 3 will speak on Fostering a Positive Attitude and Resilience in Your Child
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| PTO Website & Online Directory | |
The Mark Twain PTO Website and Online PTO Directory are being worked on and should be ready soon. Please delay signing up using the Online PTO Directory until a note is sent notifying you that it is ready.
We will relay any important notes via the weekly folder or using the Twain Times.
If you received this email by it being forwarded to you, please use the sign-up link at the top of this Twain Times (see above left) to be temporarily added to the Twain Times distribution listing. Thank you for your patience.
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| MARATHON KIDS | | |
Marathon Kids is Back!
This fun activity: 
- Is a FREE running and nutritional program that promotes the development of a healthy lifestyle in your child!
- Challenges children to run/walk 26.2 miles over six months, in quarter or half mile increments.
- Helps your child feel a sense of accomplishment and pride by tracking progress on a mileage and food intake log, while earning free rewards along the way!
- Can help parents, children, and families develop life-long healthy habits when they participate in the program together.
Return registration forms to Coach Jody by Fri, Sep 20th
Marathon Kids Registration (English)
Marathon Kids Formulario de Inscripcion (Espanol)
* Please include an email address on the registration form if possible. Run month of September
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| YEARBOOK COVER DESIGN CONTEST | |
This year's theme is:
The Wonderful World of Mark Twain Elementary School
Our school is wonderful in so many ways. What do you think makes it such a wondrous place? Create a yearbook cover that demonstrates all the wonder within Mark Twain Elementary.
Guidelines for all entries:
- You must use an 8.5x11 sheet of WHITE paper.
- All artwork must be designed vertically (your paper should be oriented "hamburger style" aka "portrait").
- You must include the name of our school: Mark Twain Elementary School
- You must include the school year: 2013-2014
- You can use colored pencils, crayons, markers, paint etc. Make sure to use a LOT of color! Fill the page as much as possible (avoid leaving the background white). Your submission and all of its elements must be your original creations.
- Do not sign the front of your artwork. We want to assure anonymity during the judging process. Winners will be asked to autograph their work at a later date.
- Please write your name, grade, and teacher ON THE BACK, preferably on the lower right corner. Please write lightly, but legibly.
- Do not fold your paper.
- Keep in mind that your artwork will not be returned to you.
All entries must be received by
8 am on Monday, September 24 !!!
Place your entry in the "Yearbook Cover Contest" box - in the front rotunda.
First place winner receives a copy of the yearbook!
Any questions? Please contact the Mark Twain PTO Yearbook Director: Laura Solitare: twainyearbook1314@gmail.com, 713-882-8467, or leave a note in the "Yearbook" mailbox located in the parent workroom.
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| ROBOTICS | |
The Twain Robotics program is looking for parent coaches for the 2013-2014 school year! Parent coaches will meet with their student teams once a week on a day of their choosing, and help to facilitate the construction and operation of LegoŽ robots to be used in competitions against other teams. All the building materials and practice space will be provided.
All interested parents including Robotics team coaches from last year must fill out and return this registration form to Coach Jody.
Click here for Robotics Registration Form
**Please include an email address on the registration form if possible.
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| TWAIN TRACK | |
The Mark Twain Track Team will be returning for the 2013-2014 school year. Let's make this year as successful as the previous one when our boys and girls teams each placed 2nd at the Spring tournament!
Participation is open to anyone with a passion for running or just staying fit! Slots for the tournament will be decided based on practices. More information will be coming in November and December.
Remove Sep 13
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| CHILD FIND | | |
Child Find is an ongoing process to locate, identify, and evaluate as early as possible all children with disabilities who are in need of special education and related services.
Houston ISD has produced Child Find informational flyers in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The flyers are designed to be disseminated on your school's website or can be printed and shared with parents and others who have a child with a disability or who they suspect has a disability.
Flyers
Access the flyers by clicking on the links below:
English Flyer
Spanish Flyer
Vietnamese Flyer
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| FUNDRAISING THROUGH ONLINE SHOPPING | | |
Dear Mark Twain Parents and Friends,
Back to School shopping season is upon us! Mark Twain has partnered with BookBenefits.org to take advantage of cash benefits available to non-profits. Our school will receive a donation of 5% of your total purchases made on sites such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Toms, Groupon, iTunes and over 37 online retailers!!!
Instructions
Follow these easy steps to ensure that Mark Twain gets credited for your purchases on these sites:
1. Go to http://bookbenefit.org/marktwain/ to access the site. (Be sure to bookmark your favorite sites with the Mark Twain link.) Since Amazon is such a widely used retailer, please see the specific link for their site http://www.amazon.com/?tag=bkben0013-20
2. Click on the link for the online retailer of your choice.
3. Complete purchases as you normally would.
4. BookBenefits.org will send Mark Twain PTO a check quarterly with our contributions.
Spread the word to your friends and family and encourage them to use the BookBenefits.org links for their online shopping. Supporting Mark Twain has never been so easy!!!
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| TWAIN TRIATHLON | |
Mark Twain will be hosting its very own kids' triathlon this coming November for all students! This will be a great opportunity for our children to challenge themselves with physical activity, involve our community, and a fun way to help raise funds for our school!
We will be sending out more specific details as we move into the school year. Encourage and challenge your Twain student to swim an extra lap, ride his/her bike another block, and run for fun!
Triathlon requirements for children ages 6-10 include:
Swim - 100 yards (4 lengths)
Bike - 3 miles
Run - 1/2 mile
We will have a special category for students K-2 who would like to participate, but not necessarily complete these requirements. All other students will be competing in either the K-2nd or 3rd-5th groups.
We hope you are as excited about this new event as we are, and look forward to making this a new tradition at Mark Twain. Stay tuned for more information to come!
If you would like to be on our volunteer list or have any questions please email: Monica Agosta
magosta69@gmail.com
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| BTFE BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION | |
Great work Twain Tigers, Families and Friends! During the 2012-2014 school year we earned $3,179 from clipped Box Tops and eBoxTops! Our goal this school year is $3,000. Keep clipping those Box Tops For Education coupons from participating products for submission to your Twain Tigers new classroom!
Also, please register at btfe.com to support Mark Twain Elementary in Houston Texas!
Click on the Bonus Sweepstakes images below to enter for a chance to win eBoxTops for Mark Twain. Note that PO Box addresses are typically not accepted for online Bonus Sweepstakes and will be marked void should you win eBoxTops for Mark Twain.
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Click on image above to enter essay contest.
Why does your school need 750,000 eBoxTops ($75,000)? (Character limit: 500)
Last Day to Enter is Sunday, September 8, 2013.
Limit one (1) submission per person, per email address and per household. Entries received from any person or email address or household in excess of the limitation will be void.
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 | | Click on image above to enter contest. Limit one (1) One (1) Entry per person/email address per day until September 15, 2013. |
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Click on image above to enter.
One (1) Entry per person/email address. Sweepstakes entry deadline December 31, 2013
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Click on image above to enter.
One (1) Entry per person/email address per Day through 7/17/2014.
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| CUB SCOUT PACK 34 | |
Join Cub Scout Pack 34 now!
Mark Twain Elementary is the largest source of boys for Cub Scout Pack 34, based at St. Mark's Episcopal on Bellaire (between Stella Link and Edloe). Pack 34 is a very active pack with over 100 families, 4 camping trips per year, pinewood derby, scout fair, and too many other opportunities to list. The Boy Scouts of America teaches skills such as leadership, communication, and organization.
All boys who will be entering 1st through 5th grades in the Fall of 2013 are welcome to join. If you want to join or have any questions please email Cubmaster Sean O'Connor at oconnorhook@gmail.com.
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| WEST UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION | |
West University Softball Association (WUSA), the largest recreational girls' softball  league in Texas, is proud to announce the opening of the fall softball season. Fall Ball is WUSA's "off season" program. It is less structured than the spring season, and standings are not kept. Fall player registration is available online at wusa.org and will close on September 3, 2013. Players are encouraged to register early. Practices will begin on September 11, 2013. Games will be played Sunday afternoons from September 15, 2013 to November 17, 2013. Fall Ball is for girls ages 6-14. All girls who register will be placed on a team. There is no tryout to participate.
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| MOVEMENT WORKSHOP FOR KIDS | | |
Pure Body Studio to host Pure Kids Fall Session
Mark Twain students Ben & Oliver collaborated in the development of a 10-week movement class designed specifically for kids. "We wanted to give all kinds of kids a safe and comfortable way to be healthy as the school year starts," says Ben, aged 10. "This class is for kids who do sports or who don't do sports, who play hard or who read a lot...it's just for everyone to come, move and have fun."
Each class in the 10-week workshop is different, but Ben and Oliver focused on the following components when developing their program: introductions, warm up, breath work, games and stretching. "Since our mom owns a Pilates studio, we've been learning our whole life long about movement and breath," Oliver, 8, says. "We have a lot of great movement games and also fun breath work included in the classes, using pinwheels, fuzzy balls and balloons."
The class starts Sept. 5 and goes on for 10 weeks, not counting Halloween. For more information, call Pure Body Studio at 713-660-7873, visit www.purebodystudio.com or contact Laura McAughan at 713-817-6514.
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If you have information you would like to include in the Twain Times please follow the following procedures:
For more information check out:
- For Parents - forward information to our PTO President, Tony Houck at tvhouck@msn.com for approval.
- For Staff - forward information to Ms. Patin for approval at mpatin@houstonisd.org
- Details needed for Twain Times:
- Send a copy of the approved email to Rita Lee at twaintimes10@yahoo.com.
- Provide text for your listing in the email or in a WORD document.
- If you want a flyer included, it must be submitted in PDF format.
- If you want a logo or image to appear in your listing, provide it in jpg, gif or png format. Go to this link http://support2.constantcontact.com/articles/FAQ/2294 for guidance on logos and images.
- If you want the logo or image to be linked to a website, please include the website address for your image or logo in your email.
- If you want the logo or image to have a caption, please specify text for caption.
- If you want a video link, provide the URL for the video
- Submission deadlines for all approved articles are Thursdays by 5pm.
- Note that we will not include student full name unless we have parent permission.
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