The Twain Times
Mark Twain Elementary School 
March 3, 2015 

  

Thank You To Our

2014-2015
Corporate Sponsors

Plantinum Level



Gold Level

 

  

Silver Level   

 

 Texas Citizens Bank logo

    

Village_plumbing_logo  

    

 

 

     

 

    

 

 

        

Community Partners Level

gc3_logo_houston   

The Lice Place

TheLicePlace.com 

 

Oakington Logo   

Pure_body_studio_logo
  

 

Candelaris

Candelaris.com 

 

 

Dear Mark Twain Families,

 

Here we are...March already. Time really does fly. The Bash has come and gone; Math and Science Night complete; Fine Arts Night in the rear view mirror; more stress with overcrowding, magnet funding and gloomy weather; umpteen thousand extracurricular and after school activities...but you know what, I am glad to be going through all of the above with the school community, friends, staff and teachers that we have at Mark Twain. I feel truly blessed.

 

Kinder Round-Up is coming this Friday. I absolutely love seeing all of the tiny ones; anxious, scared, excited, and unsure. If you would like to help give a little assurance and assistance, please hang around Friday morning after drop off and make your way to the cafeteria. It is a great way to help the kids feel comfortable and probably more importantly, put the new parents at ease. If you are planning on helping out, make sure you are VIP certified. Ask Liz in the front office for help. Please let anyone in the community that has an incoming Kindergartner know about the event. It is especially important this year to have good numbers going into the new year.

 

A couple of reminders:

  • March 11 - PTO meeting at 8:15 am in the cafeteria
  • March 16 - 20 is Spring Break

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Tony Houck

Mark Twain PTO President

tvhouck@msn.com
Art a la Carte 
 
The Art a la Carte tutorial for March is Thursday, March 5 at 8:00 in the cafeteria.

"The artist's world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep." -Paul Strand

To learn more, contact sonalpatel628@gmail.com. 
12th Annual Mark Twain International Festival  International Flags
Planning Meeting: March 6
8:00 am in the cafeteria

Hi, Hola, Bonjour, As-Salaam O Alaykum, Gruezi, Ahlan, Konnichi Wa,

Join us as we plan for the upcoming International Festival to be held on Saturday, April 11 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. If you are interested in helping with the festival please come to our first planning/informational meeting on Friday March 6, at 8:00 am in the cafeteria.

Here are some examples of how you can help:
  • Host a country table (bring some flags, maps, souvenirs, pictures, postcards, things your country exports, food samples, and such)
  • If you or your child have a talent to share (traditional dances, singing, instrumental performances, martial arts demonstration), contact us
  • Be part of the team that will organize this event                             
You DO NOT have to be from another country to help! Having a special interest in one is perfectly sufficient.

To sign up for a performance or to host (or co-host) a country display, contact Shahid Iqbal, Cultural Exchange Director at internationalactivitiesmt@gmail.com. Please include your full name and the name of your country.  Shahid may be able to put you in touch with a fellow citizen of your country, so let him know if you need that information.

Lego Challenge Winners
Math + Science Night

Thanks to everyone who came out to participate and support our great Math and Science Night last week!   

We really had a difficult time judging all the fantastic submissions for the Lego Challenge, but after thorough review for design, creativity, and structural integrity, we are happy to announce the following winners:

In the K-2 category:
1st - Georgie Rawson
2nd - Max Yang
3rd - Arteen Moghaddam

In the category for grades 3-5:
1st - Kelly Wu
2nd - Gerritt Ewing  
3rd - Olivia Dennis

Congratulations to all the winners, who will receive a ribbon and an extra bag of MORE Legos!
PTO Board Nominations

Last month, we began identifying people to serve on the PTO Board for 2015-2016 for both the Executive Board and the Board of Directors. The people in these positions help coordinate and fundraise for the events and programs that build and enrich our school community.

We need YOUR help! The PTO Board has more than 50 positions.  We have jobs for every schedule, skill set, and interest. We look forward to seeing your submission in the Nominations Box in the PTO workroom by March 6.

Click on the links below for details and the nomination form.


Spring Book Drive

 

The Mark Twain Community will collect books to benefit Books Between Kids. The collection will take place the week before Spring Break, March 9-13 and the week after Spring Break, March 23-27.  

 

Please consider donating any Pre-K - 5th grade gently used or new books you would like out of your house and into the hands of a needy child. Look for more details coming soon in the Twain Times and Tuesday Folders.

 

Contact Amy Allen, Mark Twain PTO Community Outreach Director, at amy.allen@comcast.net with questions.

 

Back By Popular Demand.....
Hair Donation Event at Mark Twain 
 

Are you interested in making a HUGE difference in a child's or woman's life? If so, please join us in donating to Locks of Love  www.locksoflove.org    or Pantene Beautiful Lengths www.pantene.com.

   

Who can donate? We are looking for Mark Twain girls, their moms, sisters, teachers, or staff to donate their beautiful locks for a wonderful cause.

 

When? We will schedule "cutting event" in late May.

 

How? You will need a minimum of 8 inches of hair to make a donation so start growing now. 

 

Why?  Because there are thousands of children and women who suffer from long-term hair loss and we have the ability to make a difference. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hair pieces for children. Pantene Beautiful Lengths, partnering with American Cancer Society, provides free wigs to women battling cancer.  So if you have hair and it grows, you can help!

  

If you are 100% committed to participating in this event, please email your name, age and phone number to Ilse Rassin.You have plenty of time to think about it while your hair grows. Plus, there will be ways to help even if you choose not to donate hair.

  

Look for more information as May approaches, but if you have questions now, please email Ilse Rassin ilserassin@gmail.com or Luisa Puerto alpuertogomez@gmail.com.
For more information about Mark Twain Elementary, visit marktwainpto.org or houstonisd.org/Twaines. To receive the Twain Times e-newsletter, please sign-up here. For submission guidelines, visit marktwainpto.org/communications.