The Twain Times
Mark Twain Elementary School 
September 22, 2015 

  

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Dear Parents, Mark_twain_pto_logo

The United Nations designated Monday, September 21 as the International Day of Peace.   We started the day yesterday with the entire school singing "Peace Like a River" and classes participated in activities throughout the day. When you come up to school, please look at our Peace Wall in the main hallway. It is a living board that students will add to throughout the year as part of our commitment to creating an environment of peace. 

Our SPARK Park Committee is up and running. Soon, our students and teachers will develop ideas for a new and improved Huckleberry Park with parents and community members asked to share their ideas in the near future. Together we will create a safe, beautiful play space for our children.

Your children may have come home discussing the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. How these important parts of our brain relate to mindfulness is at the core of the MindUp curriculum we've instituted at Mark Twain. MindUP incorporates the five-point framework of competencies developed by The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). The CASEL competencies include self- awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Learn more at casel.org.

The Core Practice of MindUP is deep belly breathing and focusing attention. At school we use a chime to start our core practice at key transition times throughout the day. Take a moment at home this week and use this Core Practice with your child. It really does work!
  • Today is Early Dismissal at 12:30 pm.
  • Wed., September 23 is Fall Holiday - NO SCHOOL
  • Fri., September 25 is Get Fit Friday at 7:30 am on the track
Please also check the lost and found closet in the cafeteria this week. Items will be donated on Friday, September 25 in the morning.
 
Have a great week,
Melissa Patin
Principal
SPARK Park Committee
 
The newly formed SPARK Park Committee needs to work quickly to re-SPARK our main playground, Huckleberry Park, so the playground can be open to the community and our students by next fall.  In order to get the playground planned, funded, and built over the summer, the committee needs a few good men and women to volunteer.  Their most urgent needs right now are for the help of a grant writer and civil engineer.

Please contact co-chairs Elaina McNulty or Linda Barcot at huckleberrypark@yahoo.com to join this fun committee.

Spooky Spaghetti:
Fall Carnival and Supper  
Saturday, October 17
4:00 - 8:00 pm at Mark Twain 
SpookySpaghettiCat
Wear a costume, play games, jump and slide on inflatables, sing karaoke, listem to the DJ spin tunes, enjoy a spaghetti dinner from Candelari's and have tons of fun!
 
The ticket presale ends September 30. Please put your completed form in the designated box in the PTO Workroom by September 30. By pre-ordering your tickets, your child is guaranteed his or her t-shirt size and you avoid the ticket lines at the event. Presale orders will be delivered to classrooms on October 1.

General sales of remaining t-shirts will be October 5-9 in the front rotunda before school. General ticket sales will be October 12-16 in the front rotunda and cafeteria before and after school.

Many volunteers are needed and appreciated. Please contact Frankie Sartin at frankiesartin@gmail.com or Annette Rodriguez at annettealonzo@me.com to volunteer or for more information.

We need your large coolers.  If we can borrow yours, please label it with your name and phone number and bring it to the PTO workroom on October 15 or 16.

Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey World Finals
Information Meeting
Thursday, September 24
In the cafeteria just after morning drop-off

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is an international program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students in all grades. Our team members solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting an interpretation of a literary classic. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. Learn more or email Zeph Moss.

To participate in Odyssey of the Mind, submit this form by Friday, October 2 to the Odyssey of the Mind box in the parent workroom.

Coaching is Key
We can only have OM teams at Mark Twain if we have OM coaches. If interested, please attend the coaches training session on Saturday, October 3 at Sharpstown International 8330 Triola Lane, Houston, 77036. Registration is at 8:30 am and the session is 9:00 am to noon. There will be an advanced coaches seminar that afternoon from 2-4.  For more information, email houston@txodyssey.org.
International Potluck Dinner
Tuesday, September 29 
5:30 - 7:30 pm in the cafeteria 
 
You don't have to be "international". You don't have to sign up. 
Just bring a dish from your country and enjoy foods from all over the world at Mark Twain. 
 
Don't forget to bring a serving spoon for your dish. Plates, napkins and utensils will be provided. Volunteers are greatly appreciated. Please contact Sumi Ono to volunteer. 

School Store Clearance Sale
Tuesday, September 29 and
Wednesday, September 30 
in the rotunda before and after school 
  
It's time to stock up!  A selection of long sleeve uniform shirts will be sold for $5 and outerwear for $10.  Come shop before they are gone.
Art a la Carte
October Tutorial 
Thursday, October 1 at 8:15 am in the cafeteria 
  
We are ready to kick off the new year of Art a la Carte. This is our innovative program designed to expand students' appreciation of historically significant art and architecture. Once a month, October through May, parent volunteers help students learn about famous artists, painting, sculpture and architecture. Each lesson plan includes an overview, books to read and a finished product for the students to take home. Tutorials are held on the first Thursday of the month.

Please sign up for your selected month on the sheet posted outside your child's classroom or email your room parents to have them sign up for you. For more information, please contact Katie Trowbridge or Kinsey Wall.

Dad's Club meeting
Thursday, October 1 at 7:00 pm 
Red River Ice House   
10308 Main Street, Houston, 77025
(on southbound service road of S. Main just north of W. Bellfort)

The Mark Twain's Dad's Club welcomes all Twain Dad's to this year's first meeting.  Join us to learn how Twain Dads help with Spooky Spaghetti and about the annual Dad's Club Overnight Campout at Mark Twain. It is Thursday night football and Kelly James will be cooking burgers for us and will have specials too.  Contact Mike Feighl for more information.
Name That Book
Informational Meeting for students and their parents 
Friday, October 2 at 3:30 pm
in Ms. Gee's room in the library    

Calling all bookworms! Name That Book is a competition hosted by HISD to encourage students to read a variety of books. Try-outs for the team will be later this semester. Learn more here or email Brandy McDaniel.
Order a Yearbook Today and Save

The 2015-2016 yearbook is on sale now.  Order before October 1 and save $5. Sibling yearbooks are discounted 10 percent. Don't wait! Click here to order online today or download an order form to pay by check. For more information,  contact Liz Sanders or Tracey Reeves at twainyearbook@yahoo.com.

Box Tops

Our goal is to collect 25,000 Box Tops at Mark Twain this year.  Each Box Top is worth .10 so that is $2,500 for our school.  We can easily meet our goal if each student brings in 27 Box Tops.  And, the class that submits the most Box Tops will win a popsicle party!  Please submit Box Tops to your child's classroom container.  If you have any questions, contact Dominique Isenhower at disen@flash.net.

Get Fit Friday

This year, every Friday is a Get Fit Friday.  Every Friday morning before school, weather permitting, students will be allowed to jog and walk laps around the field.   This is a great way to exercise before the school day starts.   Mark Twain is once again partnering with the Weekley Family YMCA to track student progress on the number of miles completed, which will be posted on a bulletin board in the cafeteria.  Students are encouraged to try and complete 26.2 miles by the end of the year - a full marathon!
Marathon Kids

Marathon Kids is returning to Mark Twain.  Students who love to exercise and run are welcome to join the Twain Tiger Running Club and try and complete 4 marathons over the course of the school year.  For each marathon completed, students will receive a reward for a total of up to 4 rewards.  Students in the Twain Tiger Running Club will have the opportunity to run laps on Get Fit Fridays, during recess and PE, and on occasional days after school with Coach Jody and other teachers.  The cost to participate in the program is $15, but there are scholarships available if needed.  Please return registration form and payment to Coach Jody's mailbox in the office by Friday, October 9.
Mark Twain Library Volunteers

The library needs volunteers. If you can give even thirty minutes a week, there is a spot for you. Click here to sign up.

Two kinds of volunteers are needed this year. First, people who can come in once a week, for about an hour, to re-shelve books and make sure the shelves are in order. Second, people who can help teachers and students check out books using a user-friendly computer system. Staff members can show you how to use it. These shifts are in the morning before Ms. Burgert, our part-time librarian, arrives.

Please contact Brandy McDaniel at brandymcd@gmail.com for more information. 

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2015-16:  The Year of BounceBacktion: Building Resilience with Intention/Action

"Mom, did you know you're not supposed to drive with your hands at ten and two on the steering wheel?" asked the fifteen-year-old on the ride home from driver's ed.

"Well, that was how we were taught," said the mother, regripping the wheel for emphasis. "Two hands right here!"

"Yes, but that was before air bags," said the son.

"True," said the mother.

"If you're in an accident and your hands are up high on the wheel, the air bag can break your arms and your arms can then break your face," he said.

"Ouch," she said, grimacing. "I can see that."

"Now we have to drive with our hands at eight and four on the wheel," he said.

"OK, I can do that," she said and within minutes caught herself right back at "ten and two."  Several months later, she's still working at it. Thirty-six-year-old habits die hard, but being mindful and determined makes change possible over time.  
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+REFLECTION: We have so many opportunities as parents, teachers and coaches to model resilient and open-minded behaviors in small, everyday moments. This true story reminded us that kids aren't the only ones who need to continually be open to learning and growing and adjusting to new situations and new technology.  
................................................................... 
JOIN THE +MOVEMENT: www.positivethinkingworks.org 

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.