Welcome Back, Twain Tigers!

Twain Tigers, welcome back to school!

STAY CONNECTED

Be in the know about what is going on at Mark Twain Elementary and in your child’s classroom! All school communications come through the Twain Times weekly email newsletter and Parent Square.

Twain Times
The Twain Times is a weekly school-wide newsletter that is emailed to parents. The Twain Times includes updates from Principal Rawson, school calendar, events and other important information. Register here.

Parent Square
Parent Square is the communication platform between parents and teachers. All information from teachers, administrators and the PTO will come through Parent Square, and parents can reach their child’s teacher on this platform. Returning families will continue to access their account as they did the previous year. New families will receive an email invitation to join. Questions regarding Parent Square should be directed to Ms. Power.

Student Directory
New families can register to share their contact information and have access to the online directory (accessed via the directory’s Membership Toolkit app). Returning families, please update your information for the school-wide directory, and you can choose which information to share. Find the link here.

Bonus! The shout-out is an opportunity to purchase space in the Twain Directory to honor your child, wish them well for the upcoming school year, or congratulate a 2023 graduate.  Or, parents have the option to pick their own message/greeting.  A photo can also be included in the shout-out. Purchase your directory shout-out here.

SUPPORT YOUR SCHOOL

School volunteers: Mark Twain needs you! The school has volunteer needs both big and small. All PTO committees and events need volunteers, and volunteers are also needed in the school. Lunchroom helpers sign up for a block of time to help our students eat and tidy their spots in the cafeteria in a timely manner. Parent tutors assist students with math subjects at the beginning and end of the day. Teacher workroom volunteers complete copying, collating, and other tasks to allow teachers to fully utilize their planning time. Click here to register your interest in volunteering.

Volunteering: All parents who volunteer in the school or with children must be certified through HISD’s Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) program. The registration process is quick and can be found here.

Friends and Family: The Friends and Family campaign is a crucial part of the Mark Twain PTO’s fundraising effort. Your donation directly impacts the students of Mark Twain, as donations provide classroom materials, technology, enrichment programming, field trips, the IB program, and more. All donations are tax-deductible. Click here to donate. Please check if your employer will match your donation. Contact Amy Bahlo, VP of Membership at membership@marktwainpto.org, for more information. 

Spooky Spectacular: Mark your calendars for Mark Twain Elementary’s fun annual fall festival and fundraiser! Spooky includes inflatables, a haunted house, a costume contest, games, food, Boo Booths, and a marketplace for neighborhood businesses. We need volunteers for this spooktacular event. Please email Chairs Karen Huang, Leighann Bornstein and Katie Moffitt at spooky@marktwainpto.org if you would like to be on the Spooky Spectacular committee or if your business would like to be a sponsor for the event. 

Huckleberry Bash: We’re celebrating Mark Twain’s Diamond Anniversary with a Diamond Disco!!! Save the date for Mark Twain’s annual auction on Saturday, March 1, at the Ballroom at Bayou Place! The Huckleberry Bash is the school’s epic, adult-only fundraiser. The funds raised at this event benefit the school throughout the year. For more information or to volunteer for the Bash committee, contact Chairs Maggie Dundon and Claire Bormaster at huckleberrybash@marktwainpto.org.

FOR THE KIDS

Yearbook: Order your yearbook this fall, link coming soon! Be on the lookout for instructions on uploading fun pictures of your student, their classmates, and school events. The more families who contribute photos to the yearbook, the better it will be! You can reach this year’s Chairs Tiffany Mattingly and Heeyoung Kim at yearbook@marktwainpto.org.

School Store: The school store is open year-round with school uniforms, supplies, and other fun Mark Twain items for your child. Purchases can be made here.

If you pre-ordered school supplies, the school store volunteers have delivered them to your classroom. If you pre-ordered uniforms, you can pick them up from the store at Meet the Teacher. Any uniforms not picked up will be delivered to your child’s classroom the first week of school.  Please direct questions to schoolstore@marktwainpto.org.

Birthday Grams: Wish your child a happy birthday by ordering a special Birthday Gram. Your order includes a “Happy Birthday” serenade performed by 5th grade students after morning announcements, a gold crown to wear all day, and a goody bag. Order your Birthday Grams here.

ENRICHMENT

Art a la Carte: An innovative program designed to expand students’ appreciation of historically significant art and architecture.  Art a la Carte introduces kindergartners through fifth graders to the visual arts. With parent volunteers as their guides, students learn about famous artists, painting, sculpture and architecture, often in a historical context. Curriculum, materials and art supplies are prepared and ready in advance for parent volunteers. Please watch the Twain Times for information on volunteer signups or contact chairs Elizabeth Garcia and Eva Martinez at twainptoart@gmail.com.

Black History Program: Parents who would like to volunteer for the Black History Program, please contact Mrs. Carter at KCarter3@houstonisd.org.

Cub Scouts: Today is a great time to join Cub Scouts! Calling all boys and girls in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Cub Scout Pack 34 is committed to providing an exciting and meaningful scouting program to students. A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Let’s get outdoors and have some fun! Monthly Pack meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month and we have 4 family campouts per school year. Contact Gina Messa at Pack34Houston@gmail.com for more information.

Cultural Exchange: International Festival and International Potluck are cornerstone events of our international school. To participate in or help organize these events, please email Ebru Senol, Prathima Guniganti or Deepa Ramachandran at twaininternationalfestival@gmail.com.

Dad’s Club: The Mark Twain Dad’s Club encourages community and supports various PTO activities, including the Spooky Haunted House and the Twain Dance. If you are a Mark Twain Dad and would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact MJ Jackson, RJ Sealock and Clay Colvin at twaindadsclub@gmail.com.

Diversity, Inclusion & Awareness Committee: Interested in joining a committee that strives to expand our understanding of concepts and ideas that build equality, inclusiveness and embrace diversity? The Diversity committee creates a safe place for open and honest conversations, problem solving and innovating new ways to make our planners, events, and our community more inclusive. Join Twain in Solidarity: Diversity, Inclusion & Awareness Committee by contacting Krystal Carter at TwaininSolidarity@gmail.com.

Girl Scouts: Prepare for fun, friendship, and new adventures while making the world a better place. Girl Scouts look at our world and take action to change it for the better. They make friends, challenge themselves with new experiences, write their own stories, and develop the skills and confidence to say, “I know I can do this!” Contact Ruby Salazar at rsalazar@sjgs.org.

Mark Twain Readers: Students can explore a world of books on our recommended reading lists, curated by expert HISD librarians. Book lists are available in the library. 3rd-5th graders: Dive into the Texas Bluebonnet Book lists, discover captivating reads, and vote for your favorite in January. https://txla.org/tools-resources/reading-lists/texas-bluebonnet-award/current-list/

Makerspace: – Welcome to Mark Twain Makerspace, where creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning come together! The makerspace is a dedicated area where students can engage in hands-on activities integrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). The Twain Makerspace provides students with the tools, resources, and space to explore, experiment, and create a wide range of projects. The makerspace fosters creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical skills, encouraging students to turn their ideas into reality. This year we are excited to incorporate 3D printing and additional activities within the makerspace. Mrs. O’Neal and Mrs. Friesen are looking forward to your visit to the Twain Makerspace.

Track Team : Calling all aspiring Track and Field athletes! If you are a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader and enjoy jogging and running, and if you want to be a part of a fun and exciting team that will get to compete with other schools, then join Mark Twain Track. Registration forms will be available after the school year begins, due in November, and try-outs will be held in December. For more information, contact Coach Jody at jbourque@houstonisd.org.

GRADE-LEVEL REPRESENTATIVES

Every parent of a Mark Twain student is a part of the PTO and is an integral part of our school community. If you have questions or would like additional information, please reach out to VP of Volunteers and Grade Levels, Leigh Erin Brauer, at vips@marktwainpto.org, and she will connect you with your grade-level representative. These volunteers, as well as any other PTO Board member, can help if you have any questions or concerns.

Kindergarten: Alyssa Simmons and Allison Smolik

1st Grade: Leora Semble

2nd Grade: Emily Spinner

3rd Grade: Swati Srivastava

4th Grade: Casey Kilpatrick

5th Grade: Joy Krohn, JoAnn Cresap, Niki Vogel