Mark Twain Elementary School Newsletter

School Year 2013 - 2014

February 18, 2014

Dear Parents,

The Huckleberry Bash was held last Friday night and it was a lovely evening. On behalf of the teachers and staff I would like to express my profound thanks to Chastiti Houck and Kim Marosis for organizing this grand event. I would also like to extend my thanks to the many volunteers that helped with The Great Bashby. The proceeds from this year's event will enable us to upgrade our broadcast system so that the morning announcements and other educational media can be transmitted through the Smart Boards in each room. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this event and for your generous donations to Mark Twain.

I have arranged for the school nurse to work an extended schedule so that she will be available during at least the first half of Extended Day.
Third grade recently held Market Day which is the summative for the economics planner. The central idea for that planner was - Economic systems vary from simple exchange to complex interactions. This was an activity that the students will remember for years to come.
Second grade recently held their wonderful Animal Expo as a summative for their planner. Their central idea was - Adaptations and relationships among living things advances or hinders survival. Parents enjoyed learning about the animal their child researched.

Important dates:

February 19th	Early Dismissal
February 21st	Shared Decision Making Committee (SDMC) 3:30 p.m.
February 27 - March 5th	Stanford/Aprenda for Dual Language Students
March 4-7th	5th Grade Camp
March 13th	Science Night
April 1st	STAAR 4th Grade Writing & STAAR 5th Grade Math
April 2nd	STAAR 4th Grade Writing (day 2) & STAAR 5th Grade Reading
April 22nd	STAAR 3rd & 4th Grade Math
April 23rd	STAAR 3rd & 4th Grade Reading & STAAR 5th Grade Science
May 5th -13th	Stanford/Aprenda Grades 1-5

Have a great week!

Melissa Patin

Online Fundraising
& Calendar Links

http://www.amazon.com/?tag=bkben0013-20

http://bookbenefit.org/marktwain/

Calendar as of 2/18/2014

In This Issue

5th Grade Recorders

Yearbook Photos Needed

Kindergarten Round Up

Science Fair Project

Pershing Placement Test

Soccer Tournament

Name That Book

Triathlon Training

Science Night

Bingo Night

School Store Gift Cards

Box Tops For Education

HOLA Water Polo

Pin Oak JR Cheer Clinic

Vivaldi Music Academy

Love & Logic

ARTICLE HEADLINE

+Play Well Event

HLSR Carnival Tickets

Calendars and Other Info

Thank You To Our

2013-2014

Corporate Sponsors

Platinum Level

Gold Level

EBANKS, HORNE, ROTA, MOOS

Silver Level

Texas Citizens Bank logo

Village_plumbing_logo

Community Partners Level

gc3_logo_houston

The Lice Place

TheLicePlace.com

Candelaris

Candelaris.com

5TH GRADE RECORDERS

5th Graders are starting their unit on learning to play the instrument called the recorder. Your child may purchase a recorder at the school store. They are $6.00.

Contact Mrs. Bardin, jbardin@houstonisd.org if you have questions.

YEARBOOK PHOTOS NEEDED

Electronically upload any 2013-2014 School Year classroom or Twain function photos into Mark Twain Elementary's Community Shutterfly site that can be found at this link:

https://marktwainyearbook.shutterfly.com/

Password: tigers

Please label your album to indicate Grade and Class/Teacher OR Event. Contact Laura Solitare, Mark Twain PTO Yearbook Director at twainyearbook1314@gmail.com or lgsolitare@gmail.com

KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP

Kindergarten Round Up

All ZONED families with incoming Kindergartners are invited to Kindergarten Round-up on February 21. Check-in starts at 8:30 a.m. with the program beginning at 9:00 a.m. Children will have a chance to visit a Kindergarten classroom while parents learn more about the school. Registration packets will be available as well as a sign-up for a registration appointment. Registration appointments begin the week of April 28.

Mark Twain Elementary is expecting maximum capacity again next year and encourages zoned families to secure their spots as early as possible.

Please call the Mark Twain Office with any questions at 713-295-5230. To RSVP,

contact Sarah Callahan Baker at callhanbaker@hotmail.com.

SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT

Grade 4 and 5 projects are due February 21st.

Grade 3 project deadline has been extended to

Monday, February 24th.

If students have questions or need help Ms. Reese will be holding "open lab" Science Fair Tutorial, Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-4:15. Attached is a copy of the Science Fair Packet (Click Here For Packet) for your reference.

The top three projects from each classroom will go on to the judging phase. Top projects will be judged:

February 25th - 5th Graders,
February 26th - 4th Graders, and
February 27th - 3rd Graders.

Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grade Projects will be exhibited in their hallways between February 25th and February 27th.

If you have any questions, contact Becky Reese, Science Lab Teacher Mark Twain Elementary, rreese@houstonisd.org

PERSHING MATH AND SCIENCE PLACEMENT TEST
Pershing Middle School Accelerated Math and Science Placement Test For 5th Grade Students 5th Graders come show your math and science skills by taking the Accelerated Math and Science Test. No registration needed. Saturday, February 22, 2014 or Saturday, March 1, 2014 9 AM, Pershing Cafeteria Click Here For Flyer. For questions call 713-295-5240 Back To Top

PICK-UP SOCCER TOURNAMENT

soccer_ball

Please join us for a day of soccer fun for the whole family on March 1st from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mark Twain.

We will be dividing players into 3 groups:

Kindergarten-2nd Grades will play a 15 minute game starting at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.;
6th and up will play a 15 minute game starting at 10:20 a.m., 11:20 a.m., 12:20 p.m., and 1:20 p.m.;
3rd-5th Grades will play a 15 minute game starting at 10:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., and 1:45 p.m.

Please come dressed to play and stay as long as you can. Concessions will be for sale, but bring plenty of water.

Tournament t-shirts will be on sale for $10 after school and sales will continue before and after school while supplies last. All proceeds will benefit the 5th Grade Gift Fund.

We are still in need of parents to help referee and coach during the tournament. If you would like to help, please contact Rita Garcia-Prats at ritagarciaprats@gmail.com.

NAME THAT BOOK

K - 2 NTB Event

The K - 2 NTB event will be

March 3 - 7. Contact Kyrsten Crawford at kyrsten.crawford@gmail.com or speak with our Librarian, Mr. Deering if you have any questions.

TRIATHLON TRAINING

Triathlon Training Opportunities!!

With the Twain Triathlon quickly approaching, with the Houston Kids Triathlon to follow in April, we are happy to announce a number of training opportunities for our students!!

Sunday, March 2 @ Pershing

For Twain Triathlon Registrants, 2-4 pm. Bicycle World will be on site to not only review your child's bike and helmets for safety, fit, and condition, but also to educate everyone on how to transition between triathlon events, ride safely on the road, and enjoy their triathlon experience. You will not want to miss this!

Practice and build your endurance for running right at Twain!

4 laps around the Twain track on the playground is equal to a half mile. This is the distance of the run in the triathlon. So use your recess time to train!

Counting down to Twain's Triathlon on Sunday, March 9!

AND

Registration is now open for the

3rd Annual Houston Kids Triathlon

to be held on

April 12-13, 2014

Click here to register

www.houstonkidstriathlon.org/register-to-race-soon.html

Mark Twain Elementary School will receive $10 back for every child that registers as part of the Mark Twain Elementary School team. Please just write "Mark Twain Elementary School" in the space next to Team Name on the registration form.

If you have any questions regarding the Twain Triathlon, contact Monica Agosta at magosta69@gmail.com. If you have any questions regarding the Houston Kids Triathlon contact Deanna Sheaffer at deannasheaffer@yahoo.com.

SCIENCE NIGHT -
Explore The Extraordinary! Mark your calendars for Thursday, March 13th 5:30 - 7:30 pm for this fun filled event. To volunteer or get more information contact Megan Rose at meganrose72@gmail.com or Jenny Tchartmchi at jtcharmtchi@gmail.com. Back To Top

BINGO NIGHT
BINGO night is Scheduled for March 28th. We look forward to seeing you then for lots of BINGO fundraising FUN! If you are interested in helping the BINGO Night team, please contact Laura Bumgarner at Laura.L.Bumgarner@wellsfargo.com Back To Top

SCHOOL STORE
Buy your regal cinemas Gift Cards at the School Store!

Get That Gift Card From The School Store!

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION

Click Here for Box Top Collection Sheets.

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. Each eBoxTop is worth $0.10 (10 cents).

Click on Image above to enter. One (1) Entry per person/email address per day through 2/28/2014.

Click on Image above to enter. One (1) Entry per person/email address per day through 7/17/2014.

Please register at btfe.com to support Mark Twain Elementary in Houston Texas! Visit Kroger's RewardYourSchool.com to see bonus offers and Randall's 2Ways2Earn.com

to see more bonus offers.

For more information, contact Jacqueline Leggington at btfe.marktwain@yahoo.com

HOLA WATER POLO

Want to become a stronger swimmer?

Develop a team spirit?

Bask in the glory of scoring the game winning goal?

Then come join HOLA Water Polo! After one season with HOLA Chupacabras, you will be as strong as an ox and as fast as a shark! For our spring season we have teams for 10 Year Old and Under, 12 Year Olds and Under, and 14 Year Old and Under.

We practice at Lamar High School from 6-8pm on specific dates. For more information email Coach Eamon Kelly at ECKelly90@gmail.com. We'll see you there!!

PIN OAK JR CHEER CLINIC

Junior Cheer Clinic 2014 - Cheer, Dance, Fun, and Games

Saturday, February 22 - 9:00 AM to NOON

Show-off Performance begins at 11:45 AM

Girls and Boys: Kindergarten - 5th Grade,

$25.00 (T-shirt and snack included)

Registration/payment due by February 21, 2014

Click here for Flyer and Click here for Registration Form. For more information, please contact Cindy Cook at 713-295-6500 ext. 327 or ccook1@houstonisd.org.

VIVALDI MUSIC ACADEMY

Dream Big. Be Creative. Play Music.

Vivaldi Music Academy is a new music school in the Bellaire/West University area on Gramercy Street. Our school is owned and operated by a renowned Houston Symphony violinist, Zeljko Pavlovic.

Vivaldi Music Academy offers private instruction in piano, violin, guitar, cello, voice and more, group lessons in guitar and choir, ensemble lessons in jazz ensemble, classical ensemble and rock band, and early childhood music development classes with Kindermusik in ONE location! Whether it's Kindermusik for your toddler, a performance-driven program for your teen, or something in-between, the exceptional staff at Vivaldi Music Academy can instruct, nurture, and help instill a passion for music that leads to academic and social success.

Click Here to learn more about our music programs.

For questions, contact Courtney Park, Suzuki Program Director at courtney@vivaldimusicacademy.com or 713-858-9617

LOVE AND LOGIC

Parenting the Love & Logic Way

This series of courses offers solutions for families of children from early childhood to beyond adolescence. This parenting program is designed to give you practical skills that can be used immediately!

Learn Solutions For:

How do I get them out of bed on time?
How can I stop my children from bickering and fighting?
How do I get my children to help with the chores without arguments?

$35 DROP-IN FEE, Optional Workbook $10. Class on February 19 at:

The Post Oak School, 4600 Bissonnet St @ Ave B from 6:30 - 8 PM, Or
St. Mark's Church, 3816 Bellaire Blve at Noon

No childcare provided. You must register with Phylis Tomlinson, phylistomlinson@gmail.com, 713-661-6688 x176 or 713-668-6558 prior to attending.

+COURAGE

+PLAY WELL EVENT

HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO

Half Price Carnival Tickets

It's that time of year again to order your Half Price Carnival Tickets. Mark Twain is providing flyers from different sellers. These sellers are not associated with Mark Twain and we don't receive any proceeds from either seller. It is your choice as to whether you use either of the sellers listed below for your Half Price Carnival Tickets.

Attached here is a flyer by Cathy Biediger at cathy@biediger.com or 713-851-8839 for more info.

Click Here For Flyer by Alicia Laidler at Alicia.Laidler@chevron.com or 713-235-5022.

Click Aqui Para Aviso en Espanol de Alicia Laidner, Alicia.Laidler@chevron.com o 713-233-5022.

CALENDARS AND OTHER USEFUL INFO

Revised 2013 - 2014 Mark Twain Academic Calendar

HISD Lunch Menus: www.houstonisd.org/Page/68611

HISD Lunch Payment Online: www.parentonline.net/Public/Login.aspx

VIPS Approval--need to volunteer or go on field trips: marktwainpto.org/membership/vips-approval/

Grades 3 - 5 LDC Blog: wwwmarktwainldc35.blogspot.com

HISD Parent Student Connect Login (daily grades, progress reports): https://psc.houstonisd.org/ParentStudentConnect/Login.aspx

For more information check out:

Mark Twain Elementary PTO website marktwainpto.org

Mark Twain Elementary School website houstonisd.org/Twaines

HISD website houstonisd.org

Forward questions to twaintimes10@yahoo.com. If you have information you would like to include in the Twain Times please follow the following procedures:

For Parents - send information to our PTO President, Tony Houck at tvhouck@msn.com for approval, copy twaintimes10@yahoo.com.
For Staff - send information to Ms. Patin for approval at mpatin@houstonisd.org, copy twaintimes10@yahoo.com.
Details needed for Twain Times:

Each Volunteer needs to copy twaintimes10@yahoo.com on your request to have something published in the Twain Times. It is your responsibility for sending the posting and attachments to twaintimes10@yahoo.com. It is not Mr. Houck or Ms. Patin responsibility to forward emails to 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 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 for the Twain Times that will be issued the following week.
Note that we will not include student full name unless we have parent permission.