Late on Friday, April 4th, Yahoo made a change in their authentication policy for people sending mail from @yahoo.com email addresses. They did this to combat spoofing attacks, but one of the side effects has been that most of the Twain Times did not get delivered.
I apologize to those of you receiving this same Twain Times a second time, but more than half of the Mark Twain contacts did not receive the first email.
Thank you for your patience, Rita Lee, Communications Director |
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Mark Twain Elementary School Newsletter
School Year 2013 - 2014 |
| April 8, 2014
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Dear Parents,
The month of April brings not only spring showers, but many activities for the students and families at Mark Twain. The International Festival is our next school-wide event and it is being held on Saturday, April 12th from 1 -4 PM in the cafeteria. Mark Twain is a diverse community with over 22 languages spoken by our student population. The festival highlights food, dance and presentations from over 14 countries. If you would like to coordinate a booth or participate as a volunteer, please contact Fabia Hill at [email protected]. I hope to see you at the festival!
School hours are 8:00 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Please make sure that your children are in attendance for the full day. Students should not be picked up before the end of the school day unless absolutely necessary. If you do need to pick your child up early, please do so before 3:00 - after that time, unless it is an emergency, we will not be calling students down for early release. Parents are asked to wait in the front rotunda until dismissal. Thank you for helping us to ensure a safe and orderly dismissal.
During the after-school hours Mark Twain offers Extended Day classes that use many of the rooms and outdoor areas. If you allow your children to play on the playground after school please make sure that you monitor them closely. There are many students outside between 3:15-4:15 and the Extended Day employees are responsible only for those students that are registered for the classes. Students should not be left unsupervised after school.
The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center will have their mobile unit parked in the front of the school on Monday, April 14th from 7 - 11:30 AM. One of our students, Andy is in need of platelets and blood and the drive is to benefit him. If you are interested in making a donation, please contact Anna Rangel at 713-295-5230 or [email protected]. Anna is our school Secretary and she is located in the front office if you have questions. Thank you!
Upcoming events for the month of April:
- April 8 Picture Day for Group Class Photo
- April 12 International Festival 1-4 PM
- April 14 Blood Drive for Andy
- April 16 All Parent PTO Meeting - 8:15 AM
- April 22-23 STAAR Administration Grades 3 & 4 (reading and math)
- April 24 STAAR Administration for Grade 5 (science)
- April 25 Bingo Night 5:30-7:30 PM
- April 26 Dad's Club Rocket Launch
- April 29 IB Art Show - hosted by Mark Twain 5:30 PM
Have a great week!
Melissa Patin
Principal
[email protected]
Twain School Website www.houstonisd.org/Twaines
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GROUP CLASSROOM PHOTOS
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Picture Day for Classroom Photos is TODAY, Tuesday, April 8th
You must prepay for group pictures. Return the order envelope with the money for the photo or package you selected.
Individual photos will also be taken - parents will receive a proof at a later date. If you choose to purchase from the proof, you will send that money in with a separate order received with the proofs. If you have questions, please talk to your child's teacher.
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Online Fundraising and Calendar Links
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Join Our Mailing List
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Thank You To Our
2013-2014
Corporate Sponsors
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Platinum Level
Gold Level
EBANKS, HORNE, ROTA, MOOS
Silver Level
Community Partners Level
The Lice Place
TheLicePlace.com
Candelaris Candelaris.com |
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INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
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Mark your calendars!
12th Annual International Festival
Mark Twain
April 12th
1:00 - 4:00 pm
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Come celebrate the diversity of the cultures and backgrounds represented in our school with a festival of performances and country displays.
As of LAST FRIDAY, the following countries will be represented at the festival:
China, Egypt, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan
If the country you love is not on this list, please consider hosting a table for it!
Please let us know if you can help with:
- Puerto Rico
- Palestine
- Sweden
We only have one family from each of these countries signed up.
Reminder that a planning/informational meeting is being held every Tuesday between now and the Festival at 8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria. Please join us!
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BLOOD DRIVE & PLATELETS NEEDED
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A Mobile Blood Drive is scheduled for
April 14th
at Twain to benefit Andy, our 4th Grade Twain Tiger!
Monday, April 14 7:00 am - 11:30 am Donor Coach
Sponsor Code: B319
Please visit www.giveblood.organd log in to Digital Donor to schedule an appointment
If you can't make the Mobile Donation, call MD Anderson's Blood Bank at 713-792-7777 to donate platelets or blood to benefit Andy (Patient Number 666675).
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SCHOOL STORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDS
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NAME THAT BOOK
| | Congratulations to the Mark Twain Name That Book Teams for each getting 2nd Place at the District Competition
The Name That Book Kindergarten -2nd Grade Contest was held on March 7th against eight (8) other Elementary Schools. Our team won the second place!
K - 2 Team Members were: Andy Kim Camille Gibbons Isai Balamurugan Eva Woodman Austin Lan Ellery McDaniel Katia DeJong Botao Yuan Lucas Bincaz
The Name That Book 3rd - 5th Grade Team also won 2nd place in the competition on March 27th.
3 - 5 Team Members were: Sophia Osborn April Crawford Eliza Crawford Konnor Allen Jon Taffet Morgan Peden Leanna Kim Andrea Mosquera
Both Teams were AWESOME! |
UIL WINNERS
| | Congratulations to all our awesome UIL winners and participants who competed on Saturday, March 29th.
Zoe Moss - Finalist in Art, 3rd in Dictionary Skills, Finalist in Social Studies
Caitlyn Davies - 3rd in Art
Kate Rota - 3rd in Creative Writing
Jacob Nguyen - 2nd in Dictionary Skills, 3rd in Maps/Charts/Graphs, 1st in Spelling
Jack Rota - Finalist in Impromptu Speaking, 1st in Listening Skills, 3rd in Spelling
Shirley Zhu - 2nd in Impromptu Speaking, 1st in Number Sense, 2nd in Ready Writing
Annie Zhu - 1st in Impromptu Speaking, Finalist in Number Sense, 1st in Ready Writing
Isai Balamurugan -Finalist in Public Speaking
Arianna Zhao - 3rd in Ready Writing
Jennifer Hamad - 1st in Solo Acting
Anna Sanchez - 3rd in Storytelling (Spanish)
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EXTENDED DAY
| | No Extended Day Care on Friday, April 18th
There will be no After-School program on Friday, April 18th. Please plan to pick up your Twain Tiger by 3:15 pm on April 18th.
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EXTENDED DAY FINAL PAYMENT
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Extended Day final payments were due April 4th.
To avoid a late fee, please be sure to pay your balance in full by April 11. If you have any questions about your balance, please e-mail Stacey Karr at [email protected] .
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5TH GRADE RECORDERS
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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, [email protected] if you have questions.
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STRINGS PROGRAM PAYMENTS DUE
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Friendly Reminder:
Strings Program Payments Are Due!
Please send in your payment for Guitar, Cello, Violin.
Please contact me directly for current balance at [email protected].
I will also be sending out individual reminder emails during this week.
Vicky Sanchez
Mark Twain Elementary
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LOST & FOUND | |
Parents,
please come and check the Lost & Found closet located in the school cafeteria. The clothes rack is set up in the hallway outside of the cafeteria.
There are several non-uniform items in the closet and on the rack. All items will be removed and disposed off in the next couple of weeks.
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BINGO NIGHT | |
BINGO Night April 25th!
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 [email protected]
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DISTRICT UIL
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Help Twain Compete for a District UIL Title!
All students welcome to participate. Events of all types - academic, writing, and speaking. Twain Tigers, please email Jennifer Dennis ([email protected]) or Shelley Rota ([email protected]) to register for the open spots we still have for the District Meet.10:30 - Section B Art (4/5th Gr.) - WE HAVE AN OPEN (1) SLOT HERE
12:00 - Section C Music Memory (5th Gr.) - WE HAVE TWO (2) OPEN SPOTS HERE
The District Meet is May 3 at Windsor Village Elementary. Students may compete in 1 to as many as 4 events. You can come for your event only or stay the day and support our team. Events usually last about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
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HOUSTON ASTROS | |
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
The Houston Astros are inviting students to come out to the ballpark to watch the home team play this season. Mark Twain has received 100 tickets each to 8 different games in April, May and June and we are giving them away to students, parents and staff for FREE!
If you would like to attend a game, please fill out this form and return to Coach Jody before your requested 1st game.
Families can receive up to 5 tickets to each game, and tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Only requests for April games will be taken at this time. May and June game requests will be taken beginning in May.
This is an exciting time for the Astros, as it is a good chance to see the team's future stars start to develop on the big league team! Enjoy a fun time at the field. Complete and return a ticket request form to Coach Jody today!
The games are as follows:
Tuesday, April 15 (vs Kansas City Royals)
Wednesday, April 16 (vs Kansas City Royals)
Thursday, April 17 (vs Kansas City Royals)
Tuesday, April 29 (vs Washington Nationals)
Wednesday, April 30 (vs Washington Nationals)
Friday, May 30 (vs Baltimore Orioles)
Wednesday, June 4 (vs Los Angeles Angels)
Wednesday, June 11 (vs Arizona Diamondbacks)
Click Here for Form.
For more info, contact Coach Jody Bourque at [email protected].
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BIRTHDAY GRAMS | |
Parents: Please submit requests for Birthday Grams through the end of the school year now.
Click Here for Order Form or pick one up from the PTO workroom. You can pay by check, cash, or credit card at the school store. Also, online orders are accepted. Thank you so much for supporting 5th grade! |
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).
to see more bonus offers.
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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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DANCE & HIP HOP CLINIC
| | Pin Oak Middle School will be hosting a Junior Dance and Hip Hop Clinic for boys and girls in grades PreK - 5th. They will learn dances, play games, get a T-shirt, and a snack on Saturday, April 26th from 9am-noon. The cost is $25.00.
The Junior Clinic Dancers are invited back to perform in the annual Spring Show! Please contact Misty Wagers for registration information [email protected].
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CUB SCOUT CAMP | |
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ADDVENTURE SUMMER CAMP
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ADDventure Summer Camp
When: |
June 9-27, 2014
12:30 pm - 4:30pm | Where: | St. Francis Episcopal Day School 335 Piney Point Rd |
Is your child struggling with ADHD? Pre-registration now open at www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/ADDventureThe Dan L. Duncan Children's Neurodevelopmental Clinic is launching its first annual ADDventure Summer Camp! The camp is geared toward children in grades 1-3 diagnosed with ADHD.
Campers will work with experienced psychologists and trained professionals in learning to follow instructions, complete tasks, develop problem solving skills, and improve self-esteem by developing competence in interpersonal, recreational, and academic tasks. Arts & crafts, sporting events, and individualized academic interventions will provide a blended mix of fun and learning. Click Here For Flyer
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HOUSTON KIDS TRIATHLON
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The 2014 Houston Kids Triathlon is Sold Out!
3rd Annual Houston Kids Triathlon
to be held on
April 12-13, 2014
We are proud to announce 2,131 kids have officially registered for what will be the largest kids triathlon ever held - anywhere! We are humbled by the support, and we are working hard to make this a world-class experience for everyone involved.
In addition, we have added more than 200 names to our Official Wait List.
At this point, it is unfortunately not possible to accommodate any more participants. We are now 100% focused on race weekend logistics. If you are already registered or on the Official Wait List, please watch your email box for a series of updates between now and race weekend. We look forward to meeting all of you on Saturday, April 12, at the University of Houston.
If you have any questions regarding the Houston Kids Triathlon contact Deanna Sheaffer at [email protected]. Back To Top |
HOLA WATER POLO
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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 [email protected]. We'll see you there!!
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+SNAX
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Gifted and ________ Are you raising, teaching, or coaching students/players who are particularly gifted academically or athletically or who excel in other extracurricular activities? If so, we encourage you to intentionally speak with your child about the responsible use of the resulting social power they may experience at home, at school, in the neighborhood, and on their athletic, academic, or arts teams.
There is no doubt that it can be a lot of fun to raise a child with unusual gifts and to bask to a degree in the glow of their success. That said, it is important to understand the responsibility we have as the parents of these kids - to raise positive, humble leaders who make our communities better places for everyone to live, learn, and grow.
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A +Coach's Reflection:
"I agree we need to expect a lot from our elite athletes, students, and performers. I just wonder if we are doing enough to help these kids handle failure, defeat, loss, and the disappointment they feel themselves and the perceived disappointment they take on from others when they don't perform to their or their coaches' and/or their parents' expectations. It can be a lot to handle when you're in elementary, middle, or even high school. I think we need to spend more time coaching our kids on the social-emotional aspect of performance and competition -and let them know that failure and loss are part of the process."
�2013 +Works
www.blog.positivethinkingworks.org
For more information, visit www.positivethinkingworks.org.
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VIVALDI MUSIC ACADEMY
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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 [email protected] or 713-858-9617
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CALENDARS AND OTHER USEFUL INFO
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For more information check out:
Forward questions to [email protected] . 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 [email protected] for approval, copy [email protected].
- For Staff - send information to Ms. Patin for approval at [email protected], copy [email protected].
- Details needed for Twain Times:
- Each Volunteer needs to copy [email protected] on your request to have something published in the Twain Times. It is your responsibility for sending the posting and attachments to [email protected] . It is not Mr. Houck or Ms. Patin responsibility to forward emails to [email protected].
- 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 Saturdays by Noon 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.
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