The Twain Times

The Twain Times


A weekly newsletter from Mark Twain Elementary School

In This Issue
PTO President Message
Spooky Spaghetti
Coffee with the Principal
2010-11 Directory Form
Fill out your PTO Form
Friends and Family Campaign
Yearbook Cover Design Contest
Birthday Grams
Thank you from Monica Phillips
Message from School Nurse
Mark Your Calendar
August
8/25 - Spooky Spaghetti Planning Meeting, 7:00pm at Allison Diano's home
8/26 - Kinder Parent Coffee, 8:00am
8/31 - 1st Grade Parent Coffee, 8:00am
8/31 - Yankee Candle Fundraiser

September
9/2 - Odyssey of the Mind Informational Meeting, 8:00am
9/3 - Library Volunteer Orientation, 8:00am
9/7 - 2nd-4th Grades Parent Coffee, 8:00am
9/7 - PTO Meeting, 6:30pm
9/8 - Room Parent Meeting, 8:00am
9/10 - Odyssey of the Mind Informational Meeting, 8:00am
9/14 - Open House, 5:30pm
9/21 - Breakfast with Books, 8:00am Library
9/21 - Kinder Pizza Party, 5:30-7:00pm
9/22 5th Grade Parent Coffee, 8:00am
9/23 - All Parent Meeting, 6:30pm
9/24 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon, 10:30am
9/27 - International Pot Luck, 6:30pm
9/27 - Deadline for Directory Form
9/29 - Mark Twain Fiesta Night at Los Tios, 5:00-9:00pm

October

10/5 - First Class Breakfast begins

10/5 - Library Breakfast with Books, 8:00am

10/5 - PTO Meeting, 6:30 pm

10/8 - Huckleberry Park Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 9:00am

10/11 - Fall Recruitment Coffee, 7:00pm

10/15 - Dual Language Breakfast, 8:00am

10/18 - Middle School Forum, 6:30pm

10/19 - Library Breakfast with Books, 8:00am

10/22 - Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon, 10:30am-12:45pm

10/23 - Spooky Spaghetti 4-8 pm

10/30 - 5th Grade Fundraiser: Fall Car Wash

Corporate Sponsors
Support from our business community is an important part of our fundraising efforts. If you would like to become a corporate sponsor, contact Angie Techmanski at: ejel381997@sbcglobal.net

August 24, 2010
Dear Parents,



Welcome back to another great year at Mark Twain Elementary. I would like to thank Sam Smith for overseeing the construction of the outdoor classroom through the monsoon rain of July and the unbearable heat of August. Sam has helped make sure that the outdoor classroom became a reality in time for school to start. I also want to thank Susan Gerhardt for working in the library all summer to help us improve our library space. Thank you again to both of these parents for working hard this summer to make Mark Twain a better place.


Open House will be Tuesday, September 14th. At 5:30 that evening, Specialists and GT teachers will be available. At 6:00 pm, K-2nd teachers will be meeting with parents. At 6:30, Specialists and GT teachers will have another availability and 3rd-5th teachers will be in their classrooms at 7:00 pm. Feel free to set up a time to conference with your child's teacher before then if would like. The All Parent Meeting will be Thursday, September 23rd at 6:30 in the Cafeteria.



First Class Breakfast also known as Breakfast in the Classroom will start at Mark Twain on Tuesday, October 5th. All parents can opt out if they choose. More information will be forthcoming.



Please help us at dismissal by allowing teachers to monitor students until 3:10 so that we can have a safe and orderly dismissal. Please arrange appointments for conferences after that time or before school. All students who arrive before 7:50 should wait in the cafeteria as teachers do not begin their duties until that time. Please respect teachers' time before school so that they may prepare for their day unless you have an appointment with them before 7:50.



We would like to welcome new teachers Lisa McDonald to 3rd Grade and Becky Reese to the Science Lab! Please take a moment to welcome them to the Mark Twain family!



Let's make it a great year at Mark Twain Elementary School!



John Baker

Principal

Mark Twain Elementary

713-295-5230

www.marktwainworldschool.org


Message from our PTO President

Dear Mark Twain Families,



Welcome back to another GREAT year at Mark Twain Elementary!

I would like to extend a special greeting to those of you who are new to our school this year. We are excited to have you and your children join our dynamic community. We would also like to welcome the new staff to the Mark Twain family. I truly look forward to serving with you this year as the President of the PTO.



I hope everyone has been able to visit our newest addition, Huckleberry Park - our outdoor classroom and garden. I want to extend a special thanks to Mark Twain parent Sam Smith and the rest of the Outdoor Classroom Committee for all their hard work this past year. Sam has been diligently working this summer to ensure that Huckleberry Park was ready for our children when they returned on Monday, August 23rd. This beautiful new space is the result of a collective effort of teachers, parents, students, administration and the Braeswood Place neighborbood and exemplifies everything that we stand for - Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community. It is our vision that Huckleberry Park will be a place where our community can connect, learn and grow for many years to come.



As members of the PTO, you as individuals and us as a collective group of families will make this year at Mark Twain a great success because of the unique talents, backgrounds and perspectives that we each possess. We will act as a support system to our principal, teachers and staff in numerous ways which positively impacts the educational experience for all of our children. Today your children will bring home a packet, please fill out the PTO membership form and complete your information for the student directory and return it to the school. If you are able, we encourage you to make a monetary donation through the Friends and Family Campaign. Your participation, whether through volunteer hours, monetary donations and/or making certain your children are successful is vital to building a strong community at Mark Twain.



Because of the amount of paper we use that eventually gets thrown away, we are continuing an effort this year to dramatically reduce our paper usage. This will help our environment AND reduce our expenses. Rather than send home fliers, we will send emails and post information on our website. In order to be an informed member of the community we will encourage you all year to use the Mark Twain website at www.marktwainpto.org. This is an invaluable resource to keep you up to date regarding upcoming PTO events. One of our primary methods of communication is this weekly electronic newsletter that families receive via email on Tuesdays. We also encourage you to attend PTO meetings that are held on the first Tuesday of each month in the school library. Free babysitting is provided at every meeting.



On behalf of the Mark Twain PTO, I would once again like to extend a warm welcome and best wishes for a successful school year. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I look forward to working with each of you so that together we can make a positive impact on our children's education at Mark Twain.



Best,



Deanna Sheaffer

President
Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community.

deannasheaffer@yahoo.com







Spooky Spaghetti Planning Begins
Planning Meeting, August 25th, 7pm
Spooky Spaghetti is Saturday, October 23rd! Planning is underway-If you'd like to help us with Mark Twain's Fall Carnival, please come to the first meeting. Wednesday, August 25th (tomorrow) at 7:00 pm. 3819 Durness Way 77025 (713)-668-5423
Questions? Please contact the 2010 Spooky Spaghetti Co-Chairs: Allison Diano adiano@sbcglobal.net and Mark Levine levine@employ-law.com
Coffee with the Principal
Join Mr. Baker and other grade level parents for coffee after drop-off. Reconnect with old friends and meet new ones.
8/26 - Kinder Parent Coffee, 8:00am
8/31 - 1st Grade Parent Coffee, 8:00am
9/7 - 2nd-4th Grades Parent Coffee, 8:00am
9/22 - 5th Grade Parent Coffee, 8:00am
Turn in your 2010-2011 Directory Form
In your child's welcome packet you will find a directory form to fill out. To be included in the 2010-2011 Mark Twain Elementary School Directory, you will need to complete the form. The Mark Twain Elementary School Directory is a student phone book, as well as a handbook containing class lists, Faculty & Staff information, PTO members, a calendar of "Important Dates," and other valuable information.

If your child(ren) attended Mark Twain last year, please provide any information that has changed from last year, including the Student Information (i.e., teacher and grade). If your child(ren) are new to the school, please complete this entire form.



Deadline to submit Directory information is SEPTEMBER 17, 2010 - SORRY, NO EXCEPTIONS.



For information about the Student Directory, please contact Marilyn Stauss, 713-907-3087 or marilynstauss@msn.com.

Fill out your PTO Membership Form
Parent involvement is key to a successful school year. Please join the fun in helping our children, teachers and administrators accomplish great things in 2010. Becoming a member of the PTO is FREE!


Turn in your PTO Membership Form included in your child's packet promptly. Also please consider making a donation to our Friends and Family Campaign (see info below).


Questions...please contact Denise Baynes-Cassel, VP Membership, 713-875-9711.

Join the Friends and Family Campaign
As Mark Twain friends and family, we are fortunate to be part of such an extraordinary community. To remain a top-tier elementary school, Mark Twain depends on donations from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) to provide services, sponsor events and help purchase items not provided through HISD. The Friends and Family Campaign was established to provide the PTO with a direct source of funds and has become an important part of our overall PTO Fundraising program. Last year, the Campaign raised over $17,000.


This year, as a PTO, we will fund the Huckleberry Park, our new outdoor classroom and garden. In addition, through funds we give to the school, our principal, Mr. Baker, will purchase additional computers, additional Smart Boards, and more books (English and Spanish) for the school library. He will also provide PYP professional development opportunities for our teachers.




We ask for your support to continue these programs by making a tax-deductible donation to the Mark Twain PTO. Each dollar donated will make Mark Twain a better place for our children to learn and grow. To participate, please complete the form you received in your child's packet and return it along with your gift by Friday, September 24, 2010. For more information, click here.

Win a FREE Mark Twain 2010-2011 Yearbook!
Your student can win a free Mark Twain Yearbook by entering this year's yearbook cover design contest. Our theme is "The Adventures of Huckleberry Park". Students are encouraged to submit original artwork that conveys the significance of our new park from his or her perspective. All entries must be placed in the brightly covered box in the main entrance hallway no later than 9/27/10.
For more information, click here.

Order your 2010-2011 yearbook by September 30, 2010 and receive free personalization. Parents can order online at www.myyear.com; or by using the order form on the PTO website at www.MarkTwainPTO.org


If you have any questions, contact Laura Loss 713-256-0852 or Jennifer Williams 281-814-3878.

Order your Birthday Grams
Do you want to make your child feel special at school on their birthday?

Then sign up for a Birthday Gram to be delivered to their classroom! Forms are available in the Parent Workroom or may be completed online. Please allow 4 days notice if ordering online. If you need the birthday gram delivered sooner, please call Sonu Keneally (832-567-7668) or Teresa Franey (713-962-1558) to confirm if it will be possible. For more information, click here.

Sincere Thanks from Monica Phillips
As we begin the new school year I can't help but think about all that I am thankful for and how happy I am to have the chance to come back to Mark Twain. It has made me think about all the people in my life who I am thankful for... especially those who made/are making my experience with cancer much more manageable. A big part of my supporters has been my neighbors and my Mark Twain family! They say it takes a village to raise a child. I think it takes a village to survive cancer. So this is a big "Thank You" note to my village!

My village consists of so many people in so many different capacities, just like a real village. There are countless families who I know to varying degrees that cooked us many meals, walked our dog, added me to their prayer list at church, helped with my classroom, paid our cleaning lady and sent care packages with everything from peppermint candies and magazines to parking garage tokens and many prayer shawls. There were phone calls and emails and letters...and Facebook. Amazingly, my village has hundreds of members in the world of a Facebook page! I have been fortunate to 'meet' many people who are always ready to support and encourage me, to laugh and cry with me. Thank you Jennifer Enos for making that happen. There were flowers and fruit baskets and countless letters and pictures from the many children that have touched my life over the years. I hold these so close to my heart. And then there was my precious Maggie...so many were aware of her potential needs and always ready to help.

I am so thankful for all of these people. The list is long and I really haven't even scratched the surface, and I am so grateful for that. I am one of the lucky ones. It's not hard to see even in the midst of all the badness. But knowing how hard others have it because they don't have a village to support them has made me realize how fortunate I am. Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me and continues to support me. Have a fantastic school year!


Sincerely,

Monica Phillips
Message from the School Nurse regarding Health Forms
Hello and welcome to a new school year! With it comes a laundry list of items to complete, this including the forms the school sends home. Included in the school's packet is the Health Inventory Form. If your child has asthma or any other medical condition, please make sure you fill out the forms accordingly.




Each school year, a child with asthma should meet with their doctor to develop an Asthma Action Plan (AAP). HISD has developed an AAP that you may pick up from your school nurse if you do not already have one. This form is a health management plan that is composed of the medication sheet, consent form, and an authorization to self-carry/self administer medication while at school. For more information, contact our school nurse, Mrs. Cleary, R.N.

Need to put something in the Twain Times?
If you have information you would like to include in the Twain Times please follow the following procedures:

For parents - forward information to our PTO President, Deanna Sheaffer deannasheaffer@yahoo.com for approval.
For staff - forward information to Mr. Baker for approval at JBAKER2@houstonisd.org
Also e-mail to Niki Deltz, Newsletter Editor at twaintimes10@yahoo.com
Submission deadlines for all approved articles are Thursdays by 5pm.

Forward questions to twaintimes10@yahoo.com.