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.

Smile!

Here's our first picture as a class this year. I like to take a picture on the 1st day of school and the last day of school...it's always amazing to see how much the kids have changed from the 1st to the last day!

First day packets went out today. Please read all documents and sign them. The Code of Conduct needs to be signed by both you and your child. These are very important and need to be returned by Friday! Thank you!

Welcome back!

Sneak peek!

I'm so excited to meet everyone on Monday morning! I know that we will have a great year....see you soon!

Missing Homework!

I noticed that someone's homework had fallen out of their homework folder this afternoon after all the kiddoes had left. If it happens to be your child's just let me know tomorrow and I'll give you another packet.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We will be exchanging valentines in Friday afternoon...please make sure your child has made a valentine for everyone in our class. Here are the names of the kids in our class:

Olivia
Niel
Linay
Zhaoqi
Orm
Juliana
August
Roger
Sammy
Sophia
Yazan
Nathan
Carol
Sanam
Nick
Danny
Tommy
Kat
Gloria
Emily
Wenxuan
Nate

PROGRESS REPORTS DUE BY FRIDAY!!!

Parents,
Progress reports were sent home last week...I still have not received all of them back yet. I will be sending home another one in your child's brown folder...please make sure to sign in and send it back. Thank you!

Miss Kristal goes extreme!

As some of you know, I was off campus today because some friends of mine were chosen to recieve a new house from ABC Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Last night I was able to snag a blue shirt and helped out with some artwork for one of the bedrooms...this was what my hands looked like at 2:30 this morning after my shift....and here is the house! I was able to be at the reveal today and I am so ecstatic for this family!

Stanford Testing

Last week, this week and for the 1st part of next week we will be reviewing for our Stanford test in class. Our focus in January will mainly be on preparing for and taking the Stanford test. It is extremely important that the students come everyday and be on time. Due to confidential test materials being in the room, no parents are allowed in the classroom after 8:00 am during the week of the test. The test is given over 5 days about an hour each day. Please do not stress yourself or the children out. Trust me, I will be doing enough stressing for all of us combined. :) We have been practicing our test taking skills. Also, the questions range from Kinder to 5th grade level. Our goal is to score at least a K.4=Kindergarten year 4th month. There are some questions on the test that your child will not know...that is okay, remember that the material that is on this test is typically not taught until the end of this year or next year in HISD's curriculum. There's not a whole lot that you can study at home to prepare your child...we are reviewing in class and we are getting used to the format of the test in class. Like I said earlier, do not stress yourself or your child out. Everyone will do a great job!

Now that our new year is in full swing there are some supplies that need some replenishing..below are pictures of all the things that each child needs....crayons, markers, pencils, glue stick, glue bottle and erasers. Please send these to school as soon as possible! Thank you!

New year, new stuff!

SNOW DAY!!!!! I couldn't resist going out in the snow today...I was born and raised in Texas so this is a novelty to me as well!!! I snapped some pictures that I thought you would enjoy.

Progress Reports...

Progresss reports went home yesterday in the brown folders. I'm noticing that I'm getting many brown folders back and they have not been checked...please check these folders every Tuesday! If you would like to schedule a meeting with me about your child's progress report please contact me and we will set up a time to chat.

Stuart Little!!!!

Tomorrow, Main St. Theatre will be performing Stuart Little for our Kindergarten and 1st grade classes. I sent a note home yesterday saying that each child needed to bring $2.50 for the performance. Please send the money tomorrow!

Field Trip

Don't forget to turn in your permission slip and $6 for our field trip to MFAH and The Menil!

Dia de los Muertos--Day of the Dead

On Thursday we are going to be making Day of the Dead skeletons...I need donations of ribbon, scrap booking paper and maybe some beads and rhinestones. If you can help out that would be great!

Thanks!
Kristal

Parents,

The art work to share with the class does not need to be brought in until Friday. I am sending home a sheet for your child to fill out with questions about the art that they have chosen. When you bring the art work on Friday a picture of the piece is just fine to share....it does not have to the actual piece of artwork.

Kristal

How We Express Ourselves

Our newest planner, "How We Express Ourselves" is off to a great start! The central idea is through art, people express how they think and feel. This week is a review week for spelling so there isn't a spelling homework. For homework this week I want the kiddoes to go home and look for art that is around them and outside of school. I also want them to think about how it makes them feel and think. You can actually go to one of our great museums in Houston, look through art books in the library or bookstore or you can go online to visit museums around the world to view art. Each child should choose one piece of art to share with the class on Friday. There is more to this assignment...details will be coming soon, but for now just have your child choose a piece of art to share with everyone.

Kristal

New Computers!!!

Hello! I am in need of a power strip for our new computers....if anyone could donate a gently used one it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Pablo Picasso

Rose Period

Blue Period

Pablo Picasso

We have started our new planner, How We Express Ourselves, and the kids are really getting into it! Last week and today we learned about Pablo Picasso.

We read a book and found out that during a very sad time in his life Picasso only painted in shades of blue and he only painted pictures of very sad thing...this period is called the Blue Period. Picasso became very happy again when he fell in love...he started to paint pictures that looked happy and made people feel happy. this was called the Rose Period because of his use of reds and pinks during this period.

Pennies for Peace

Don't forgetwe are still collecting pennies for Pennies for Peace!!! We are collecting them until Thanksgiving...last year my class raised 600 pennies...I told the kids this year that I want to try for 1,000!!! In Pakistan a pencil only costs 1 penny...think of all the pencils we could buy! Also, $1 can be used to put a child through a wholy year of school! We could send so many kiddoes to school that wouldn't normally be able to go!

pennies and nickels...nickels and pennies...

Please, please, please practice counting with pennies and nickels this week whenever you have the chance. It's so important for the kids to really have this down before we move to dimes and quarters. It just gets harder and I want to make sure everyone has had lots and lots of practice before we dive in!!!!

Is it odd or even?

Today we talked about odd and even numbers. The kids discovered that even numbers always can be divided up into pairs and that odd numbers will always have an "odd man out". Ask them to teach you the trick with their fingers that I taught them to figure out if a number is odd or even.

Busy Day!

We did a lot today! Thanks to Sanam's mom for her art a la carte lesson about tint and shade! The kids learned that you can mix white with a color to make a tint and you can mix black with a color to make a shade. We have also been learning about the color wheel. Last week learned that there are 3 primary colors and 3 secondary colors. We also learned about complimentary colors and colors that have the most and least contrast.

New from the Dad's Club

The 2009 Dad's Club Camp Out will be postponed due to weather and rescheduled for November 6th. Those that have already registered will not have to register again, your registration will be valid for the Camp Out on 11/6. Tent spots are still available, you can still register by going here--> http://www.marktwainpto.org/news/dads-club-2nd-annual-campout Don't worry....the Dad's Club still has an activity planned for this rainy Friday! Movie Night! Instead of the Camp Out this Friday, the Dad's club will host a movie night in the cafeteria from 7:00pm - 10:00pm! Event starts at 7:00pm, movie is shown at 7:30pm, clean up is at 9:30pm.Dads and kids...bring some dinner with you (pizza, burgers, chick-fil-a, etc) and watch a movie on the big screen! Pillows, blankets and lawn chairs are optional. No need to register, this event is free! Please bring your own food and drink.Contact me via email (nick@intendedweb.com) or cell (713.539.6222) with any questions, movie will be rated PG.
---Nick

No homework packets on Monday and no spelling test or spelling homework next week!

I am going to be out of town on Friday and Monday. Ms. Amanda Wisniewski will be my sub for those 2 days (she was Mrs. Eddlemon's sub last year while Mrs. E was out on maternity leave) she's a certified teacher who taught for several years before leaving her position in Klein. I'm confident that the kids will love her and she will do a great job.

Since I won't be here on Monday I am going to wait until Tuesday to hand out homework packets......there is no spelling test next or spelling homework because it's a review week...we will review in class but there will be no homework. Have a great weekend and I will see you on Tuesday!

Go on, explore!

We did some more math explorations today.....check out the pictures I snapped while everyone was hard at work!

Progress Reports

Progress reports are going home today. If you have any questions about your child's progress please contact me at kdick@houstonisd.org. Remember, these are grades since the 1st week of school until now...these are not report card grades. Your child's grade can go up or down by the time report cards are sent out.

Time and clocks and watches, oh my!

Today in math the kids learned about analog clocks. We talked about the hour and the minute hand. I let the kids in on a little trick to remember which hand is the longer hand...there are 1,440 minutes in a day and only 24 hours in a day. Since there are more minutes in a day the minute hand is longer!

Peace Animals

Today was the International Day of Peace. In class we talked about what peace is and how we can be peaceful. I showed the class a picture of Picasso's peace dove with flowers and they made their own peace animals. Be on the look out for them!

Be Kind to Animals

We are having a pet food drive! Since we are learning about being kind to people we thought we could extend it to animals as well.

Dear Mark Twain Families,

It was a momentous day as we delivered the first electronic newsletter in an effort to decrease the use of paper and increase efficiency. It took a tremendous amount of effort, time and teamwork. Chris Dobson, the editor of the newsletter, and Janet Schwind, the director of the Green Folders, were the driving forces behind the implementation. Kim Reiner and Christine Chaney were also heavily involved in the process. We cannot thank these ladies enough.

As with the implementation of any new initiative there will be challenges and we appreciate your patience. There were a few links that were not "live" which we will correct for the next newsletter. In addition, some families did not receive the newsletter via e-mail despite signing up for Green Folders.

If you did complete a Green Folder form and did not receive the electronic newsletter, please e-mail Janet Schwind, janetschwind@sbcglobal.net, with your name and e-mail address.

If you have not already signed up for Green Folders, will you please turn in a form that can be found online or in the Parent Workroom at school or contact janetschwind@sbcglobal.net? We will make every attempt to ensure you get it electronically next week.

Please go to http://www.marktwainpto.org/parentinvolvement/green-folder to find the following three items that were not included in the newsletter.

• Yearbook Order Form
• Yearbook Cover Contest Form
• Outdoor Classroom T-shirt Contest

We thank you again for your support of this initiative and your patience as we work out the kinks. Please send any comments, questions or ideas to Janet Schwind janetschwind@sbcglobal.net or Chris Dobson weekly-nl09@sbcglobal.net.

Very Fondly,

Jill Herrera

PTO President

Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community

Go on, explore!

Today in math the kids were able to explore with some math tools....they drew patterns and pictures with their pattern block templates, built with pattern blocks, built with base 10 blocks and explored with the geo boards. Be sure to ask your child what their favorite exploration was!

I know it's only the beginning of the school year, but I am already beginning to see growth in writing! In 1st grade we really try to reinforce that a sentence always always always has a capital letter and some kind of ending mark. (Right now we are only talking about periods...we'll get to question marks and exclamation marks later) Last week and this week we have started teaching the kiddoes about nouns and verbs using multi-sensory grammar. Each part of speech is a different color. Nouns are yellow and verbs are orange.

Boy Scouts

We had a visitor from the Boy Scouts today. If you would like to learn more you can go to St. Mark's School tomorrow night at 6pm. The boys seemed to be pretty excited about it!

Homework, Oh Homework....

Homework packets went out again today. Don't forget that they are due on Friday. They should be turned in with the yellow folders on Friday morning. We took our spelling pre-test this morning and your child's pre-test is stapled to the back of the packet. The list that your child should be studying is circled on the front of the packet. They need only to practice the words in that list. I checked last week's packet and put it in the yellow folders for you to look at.

The TWAIN TIMES
a weekly newsletter of Mark Twain Elementary School
09.08.09
Quick Links
Join the Mark Twain PTO
September Events
Sept. 7th Labor Day Holiday No School
Sept. 8th Coffee with the Principal (2nd-4th grade), 8am
Sept. 8th Los Tios Night, 4-9pm
Sept. 9th Room Parent Meeting, 8am
Sept. 10th All Parent Meeting, 6:30pm
Sept. 15th OPEN HOUSE - K, 2nd,4th 6-7pm
Sept. 15th OPEN HOUSE - 1st,3rd,5th 7-8pm
Sept. 17th International Pot Luck, 6:30pm
Sept. 18th Monthly Staff Appreciation Luncheon, 10:30-12:45pm
Sept. 23rd Coffee w/ the Principal (5th grade) 8am Fall Fundraiser Sally Foster began Sept. 1st!The fundraising effort also includes Entertainment Books and magazines. Published by the PTOEditor: Chris DobsonEmail: weekly-nl09@sbcglobal.net


WELCOMEFrom the Principal
First, I want to thank all of the families of the Mark Twain community who have made me feel so very welcome. I am truly excited and fortunate to be part of such a great organization. The start of school has been extremely smooth. Thank you, parents for helping make that possible! I hope that all our parents can make it out for Open House on September 15th. Kinder, 2nd, and 4th will be from 6:00 to 7:00 pm and 1st, 3rd, and 5th will be from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Come to learn more about your child's new teacher and what will be happening in their classroom this year! HISD has a new grading program that allows parents to see their children's grades online in real time. This program is called Gradespeed. Come learn about Gradespeed at 9 am on Tuesday, September 22nd or at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, September 30th.

From the PTO President
Dear Mark Twain Families, It has been a exciting and smooth start to the new school year. We are committed to continue to support the efforts of our principal, Mr. John Baker, the teachers and the staff at Mark Twain. We are a strong and united PTO and I hope that all of you have had the opportunity to join the PTO by registering online at www.marktwainpto.org. It is free to join your organization, and when you do you are showing your support of our children, teachers, staff and administration. In addition, you will receive a free Student Directory. Please join today. We are excited about this very first newsletter, which will replace the past Red Folder in which we sent home individual flyers. This is a collaborative effort of the PTO and the school. You will receive this interactive newsletter each week rather than flyers regarding each event. This is an effort to communicate effectively, but also to "Go Green" and reduce our use of paper. We appreciate your support and welcome feedback. We need to extend a special thanks to Janet Schwind and Chris Dobson, PTO Communication Co-Directors, for their efforts to make this happen. This is another great example of how the parents of the PTO support the schoolto allow them to focus on creating a great learning environment for our children. I look forward to serving with you this year in many ways, and to seeing you out and about the halls of our school.
Fondly, Jill Herrera

MARK TWAIN FIESTA NIGHT AT LOS TIOS Tuesday, September 8 Join Mark Twain students, parents and teachers for Mark Twain Fiesta Night at Los Tios in Meyerland, an evening that benefits our school! Mark Twain will receive 20% of the proceeds from the night (excluding alcoholic beverages). In order for Mark Twain to receive credit, please present the attached form FIESTA NIGHTwhen paying your final bill. Gather a group of families and join the fun!

All Parents' MeetingThursday, September 10th Mark Twain Cafeteria 6:30 pm Please plan to attend as Mr. John Baker, Principal and Jill Herrera, PTO President will present important information about the plans for the school year including exciting information about the school Outdoor Classroom. Babysitting is provided - Children must be potty trained *A Free Dress Pass per child will be given to every parent that attends*

Sally Foster and Entertainment Book Sales Kicked Off Last Week Get Ready - up to 50% of every purchase goes directly to our school! Our fundraiser featuring Sally Foster® giftwrap and gift products is underway! You'll find premium giftwrap (value-priced), gifts for everyone, and chocolates so good they've been served at the White House! And, everything is $20 or less! We are also selling Entertainment Books and magazines. This is a wonderful way to buy great products and support our school! If you have any questions, please contact Kris Edelheit at 713-666-9404 or BOSCHEP@aol.com.


Grow Your Mind in the Outdoor Classroom You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives. ~Clay P. Bedford We are well on the way to seeing our Outdoor Classroom come to fruition! Last week we had a successful presentation of our proposed plan to the teachers and at the PTO meeting. There is a link that shows the exciting and creative layout that was so kindly created through lots of hard work by Brad Cowan.In other exciting Outdoor Classroom news, we are going to start a Name the Outdoor Classroom space T-Shirt Contest. It begins September 8 and ends September 18, when we will select a winner.Please check out the link to the Mark Twain PTO website if you are interested in making a donation so that all of the great ideas planned for our new outdoor space can be implemented.http://www.marktwainpto.org/fundraising

Student Directory
Attention Parents: Please go online at to provide your information for www.marktwainpto.org the Student Directory (or opt out of having your contact information included) and become a member of the PTO. There is no cost to join the PTO and members receive a FREE Directory. Deadline - September 18! Parents, help underwrite the cost of printing the Student Directory by purchasing a parent or company ad for your business. Please complete the attached form www.onlineregistrationcenter.com. Deadline for submission is September 18, 2009.

International Potluck Dinner
Come celebrate our diversity and meet your Twain community at the International Potluck Dinner on Thursday, September 17 from 5:30 - 7:30pm in the cafeteria. Taste foods from here, there, and everywhere. The only entrance fee is to bring a dish for 8-12 people to have a sample, sharing tastes from around the world. Questions or to help with set up please contact Janet Schwind at 713-724-3800 or janetschwind@sbcglobal.net
International Flags
Our Twain cafeteria is decorated with flags of all of the countries that people have come from through the years. View the flyer of counties that are represented and let us know if you would like to donate $15 to purchase a flag for your native or ancestral country if we do not have it listed. Click here for the flyer International Flags Questions? Contact Janet Schwind at 713-724-3800 or janetschwind@sbcglobal.net.

Friends & Family Campaign
Please consider making a monetary donation through the Friends & Family Campaign. This year, as a PTO, we will fund the new Discovery Garden and Outdoor Classroom as well as many other exciting things listed on our website. Please click here to donate - www.onlineregistrationcenter.com/register.asp?m=216&c=21Corporate Campaign
If you would like more information on our Corporate Campaign, please check the website for the flyer. Support from our business community is an important part of our fundraising efforts as we continue to build and strengthen our wonderful school.

Cell Phone Use Prohibited in School Zones
HB 55-- a new Texas law that takes effect Sept. 1 -- amends the state's Transportation Code, Section 545.425 to prohibit the use of a wireless communication device (WCD) while operating a vehicle within a school crossing zone unless the vehicle is stopped or the WCD is used with a hands-free device. An exception allows the use of WCDs to make emergency calls to specific organizations listed in the law, including police, fire and emergency medical services. Signs will be posted on September 1st to notify motorists of the new law.

Parking Courtesy
The school welcomes and encourages parents to park and walk their children into school each morning. Please remember to show courtesy to our neighbors by adhering to the following guidelines regarding parking on the street and in school parking lots.
Please make sure your car does not block a driveway
Please refrain from parking in any driveway
Please refrain from parking on the sidewalk
Please do not park in any reserved parking spaces in school parking lots. Each teacher, the principal, the assistant principal, the magnet coordinator and the PTO President have an assigned spot. These spots are reserved 24 hours a day, so please refrain from parking in these spots at any time.

Strategic Planning Committee
Last year a Strategic Planning Committee was formed to receive feedback from PTO parents about how to best spend funds donated to the organization. This committee, formed by the PTO President, was made up of nine parents, a teacher representative and the school principal. This committee worked diligently to determine the areas of need at Mark Twain. Once the need was identified, the PTO Board approved the projects and allocated the funds for completion. 2008-09 Projects
The two projects approved for the 2008-2009 school year included Phase I of the Playground Project and a school Recycling Project. Both projects were led by Ann Radtke and we proudly announce that they were both completed. We thank Ann for her leadership. In total, $42,000 was allocated for both projects. The Playground was in much needed repair as there were major effects from erosion and heavy usage. This project also included the addition of new drainage and sod. Retaining walls, patio and Astro Turf were also added by the stairs to fix the constant presence of mud. The leaning fence was also fixed.
The Recycling project included the purchase of recycling bins and trolleys to increase the availability and visibility of recycling. The 4th Grade Recycling Rats will be enhancing these efforts this year. Please recycle!!! A big thanks to our Strategic Planning Committee who worked diligently all year. The members were: Shannon Hayes, Patrick Wolf, Ann Radtke, Karen Hill, Diana Nathan, Jon Levitt, Maira Perez-Schroeder, Gary Johnson, Jill Herrera and Frieda Fromen.

YEARBOOK NEWS 2009-10 YEARBOOK - PRE-ORDER YOURS TODAY!
Order your 2009-2010 Yearbook Now. It's a wonderful way to treasure your child's elementary school memories.Order on-line at www.myyear.com. All orders received before 9/30/09 will receive free name personalization (a $5 value).
YEARBOOK COVER CONTEST
Student competition to illustrate this year's cover design for the yearbook starts today. Must incorporate this year's theme "The Story of Twainland". Submission Deadline 9/25/09. See attached flyer.2008-2009 YEARBOOKS AVAILABLEWe have a few extra of last year's yearbooks available for sale. Purchase one at the school store.

What: Spooky Spaghetti
When: Saturday, October 24thTime: 4:00-8:00 pmWhere: Mark Twain ElementaryDetails: Please make plans to attend the Mark Twain annual spaghetti dinner and carnival!! Games, inflatables, DJ and more! Wear your costume and have a "Spooktacular time!"Questions: Contact the 2009 Spooky Co-Chairs-- Allison Diano adiano@sbcglobal.net & Mark Levine levine@employ-law.com

Tuesday Folders and 1st Day Packets

Tuesday folders look a little different than last year...they aren't red! I'm writing because I have lots of folders that still need to be tuned in......please send them with your child tomorrow. Also, if you still have paper work from the 1st day packets I need it ASAP. Those are important documents that our school needs.

Penny Dice

Last week and this week we have been playing a game in math called Penny Dice. All you need is a die and 20 pennies. Roll the die and take the number of pennies that you roll. So if you roll a 3 on the die you take 3 pennies. Each parnter keeps rolling until all the pennies are gone. Play one round with the winner being the person that has the most pennies at the end and one round with the winner being the person with the least pennies.

Homework

I sent home the homework packets today. You have ALLLLLLLL week to complete all the assignments. They need to be returned back to me in the yellow folders on Friday. Please don't do everything in 1 night. Your child should only be doing about 10 minutes of homework a night. The spelling list that your kiddo needs to study is the one that is circled at the top of their page. The blue paper is for the math home link. Please, please, please make sure your child is reading 15 minutes every night...this reading should be their own reading not you reading to them. If you want to do some additional reading to them that's great, but they need to be reading by themselves for atleast 15 minutes every night.

August 29, 2009

Dear Mark Twain Families,

I hope you and your children had a great first week of school. Please find below a few items of importance. I also want to personally encourage you to attend the PTO meeting on Tuesday, September 1st. You are an important and necessary component of the PTO as we plan for the upcoming year.

See you next week,

Jill Herrera, PTO President

Mark Twain PTO: United We Build Community

Jherrer5@sbcglobal.net

International Baccalaureate/Primary Years Program Ambassador

Dear parents,

You are invited to become a PYP Ambassador. The goal of this parent group is to focus our energies at Mark Twain so that activities connect more directly to our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. We hope this will help deepen your conversations with your children about their work and encourage meaningful parent-teacher dialogue.

We plan to meet once a month starting in September - time and day still to be arranged to accommodate everyone's schedule.

If you would like to become a PYP Ambassador or if you need more information, please give me a call or send an email.

Thanks for all you do,

Kathleen Blakeslee

IB PYP Coordinator

Mark Twain Elementary

713.295.5230

KBLAKESL@houstonisd.org

Parking Courtesy

The school welcomes and encourages parents to park and walk their children into school each morning. Will you please be reminded to show courtesy to our neighbors by adhering to the following guidelines regarding parking on the street and in school parking lots.

1. Please make sure your car does not block a driveway
2. Please refrain from parking in any driveway
3. Please refrain from parking on the sidewalk
4. Please do not park in any reserved parking places in school parking lots.

Cell Phone Use Prohibited in School Zones

HB 55 -- a new Texas law that takes effect Sept. 1 -- amends the state's Transportation Code, Section 545.425 to prohibit the use of a wireless communication device (WCD) while operating a vehicle within a school crossing zone unless the vehicle is stopped or the WCD is used with a hands-free device. An exception allows the use of WCDs to make emergency calls to specific organizations listed in the law, including police, fire and emergency medical services.

Signs will be posted on September 1st to notify motorists of the new law.* * * * * * *

Sally Foster

The Kickoff for our Fall Fundraiser will be underway on Tuesday, September 1st. Your child(ren) will receive a packet of information regarding Sally Foster. Please look for it in their Tuesday folders.

Green/Brown Folders

Exciting news!! Collaboratively the PTO and the school are making the transition from Red Folders to a Green Folder system in an effort to "Go Green". Although originally we were calling them Green Folders the actual folders are brown, as they are made of recycled paper.

On September 1st we will send home a Brown Folder to every child. If you have not yet signed up for Green Folders there will be a "Green Folder" form in the brown folder. We ask you to complete the form and encourage you to join the effort by agreeing to receive communication electronically.

Beginning September 8th, the PTO Communications Director will compile and edit the weekly Mark Twain Electronic Newsletter. This newsletter will be sent electronically to your e-mail on Tuesday. For those families that have opted out it will be copied and put in the brown folder. The electronic newsletter will have live links that will provide additional information regarding the event. There will still be some paper flyers, as well as student work from your teachers in the folders, but it is our goal to significantly decrease the use of paper.

We appreciate your patience and support in this effort. As we begin this new initiative there will be adjustments and areas for improvement. We will appreciate your feedback and patience as we work to communicate effectively. In advance, thanks again for your support.

Going Green,

Jill Herrera, PTO President

Janet Schwind, Communication Co-Director (Brown Folder Coordinator)

Christine Dobson, Communication Co-Director (Electronic Newsletter Editor)

Math is Everywhere!

It was a busy math day today! The kids made some number collections and then we learned about one of our math tools: the pattern block template. The kids used the pattern block templates to make pictures and patterns (pictures will be up as soon as I can figure out how to make a mosaic of all their work!) We tried to throw in a game or 2 of number squeeze but we ran out of time...maybe tomorrow!

Reading Groups and Jobs

Today we started our reading groups and jobs to get the kids used to rotating and working in groups. Things went smoothly and everyone had a good time.

Lunch Cards

Go to www.parentonline.net to put money on your child's lunch card.

1st Day Packets

I guess they should technically be called the 2nd Day Packets.... :) There are many important forms to read and fill out in these packets. I'm asking that everything is returned by the end of this week.

Please go over the student handbook and the code of conduct with your child so that you are familiar with what is expected. The lunch application needs to be filled out even if you aren't going to be participating in free or reduced lunch. If you aren't participating in free or reduced lunch all you have to do is opt out of it on the form. Make sure to sign the media release so that your child can be involved in our class blog. If you do not want your child involved please let me know right away. The enrollment card needs to be filled out completely...I know that you filled the exact same thing out last year, but the cards do not travel with your child. Also, the information does not transfer from siblings cards.

Welcome Back!!!!

Miss Kristal's

1^st Grade class

2009-2010

Hello! I am so thrilled to be teaching your child this year! There are many fun things planned for this year. The focus will mainly be on math and reading, but there will be lots of science and social studies as well. At Open House I will go into more explanation about what we do during the school year.

The first weeks of school we have to go over a lot of routines and procedures. This week the class will start every morning with some morning work to establish the morning routine of putting away backpacks, lunches, folders, information sheets, etc. and then going to their seats to start their morning work. Starting next week the kids will be writing in their journals every morning until 8:30. If you would like to volunteer to help with journal just let me know. Kids love to have their parents AND grandparents help out in the classroom!

Next week we will start spelling. Every Monday the kids will be given a list of 10 spellings words. 4 of those words will be sight words. I will give a spelling test every Friday. I will include more challenging bonus words from the social studies/science/PYP planners that we are studying. We will work on daily lessons with these words and I will be assigning daily spelling homework.

As a school, Mark Twain uses Chicago Everyday Math for its math curriculum. This is a great program that I really enjoy teaching and I know it will get the kids ready for next year in 2^nd grade. Incorporated into this curriculum is homework called "Home Links". Home Links go right along with what we are learning in class and they also include weekly letters to the parents and answers for the homework for the following week. I encourage you to keep these as a reference tool to help when you are working with your child at home.

 

A homework packet will be sent home in a yellow folder every Monday and is due on Friday. These are checked for completion. These packets will consist of the Home Links from Everyday Math, spelling homework and a reading log. I am asking that your child commit to reading at least 15 minutes every night (Monday-Thursday). The reading log will have spots for listing book titles and also a spot for a parent signature.

 

On Tuesdays brown folders are sent home. These folders will have notes from the office about what is happening at school, important dates/information, and work done in class the previous week. You can opt out of the brown folders and choose to do a "green" folder instead. This would mean that you would get everything electronically on your email. We have decided to do this as a school to cut back on the paper that we have been using in years past.

The bell rings at 7:50 and class begins right away. Every child should be on time. If you find that you are running late a tardy slip from the office is needed for your child to enter class. If your child is sick or misses school, a note needs to be brought to me within 3 days of them returning to class.

 

Please, please, please fill out ALL paperwork in the big manila envelope ASAP. The office needs this information quickly. They will hound me daily for it.

I have a classroom blog www.misskristalsclass.blogspot.com and it is updated frequently. Be sure to sign the media release enclosed in the manila envelope so pictures your child, your child's work and their actual work can be included. Most of what you will see is what has been done in class that day, quotes from children, upcoming event information, etc. If you need a better idea of what I am talking about please feel free to visit and see what was going on last year.

I am so excited to get to know your children! I know we will have a very successful year. Please plan to attend Open House so I can further explain what happens in my classroom. This is also a great time to ask questions and meet the other parents. Please know that I am very open to answering all your questions and hearing your comments and concerns. I have time during my planning period from 10:10-10:50 every day (except Thursdays), before school at 7:30 and after school at 3:15 for parent conferences. I am ALWAYS available through email. My email address at school is kdick@houstonisd.org. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Whew! I know that was a lot of information! I look forward to working with you and your child this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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