I want to give a huge thank you to all of the parents who have volunteered over the summer and the 1st week! You make Mark Twain great! Thank you so much. We will see you at the PTO meeting on Friday at 7:45a!

With respect, 

Michele Rawson

Reminders:
1. Put your child's name on everything: jackets, backpacks, water bottles, lunch kits, hoodies, etc.

2. Arrive extra early: there is a lot of traffic on the 1st few weeks of school. Tardies will begin on Wednesday - being on time is VERY important!

3. School Lunch - Please pack a re-usable water bottle and lunch.

This year Mark Twain students must apply for FREE or reduced lunch. Please see information like menus and loading your child's account here:

SchoolCafe.com/HoustonISD

To set up your account, you need your student's ID number, which you can find in Parent Square under "Dashboard". Also, we are listed under "Twain ES" not "Mark Twain".

Read about HISD's updated meal programs here:

houstonisd.org/families-students/nutrition-services/student-meals-overview

Reminder that breakfast is still free! Please ensure kids arrive early so that they have time to finish before instruction starts. (Breakfast served until 7:30)

4. Classroom deliveries will be for emergencies only.
Every minute in the classroom is important and we want to decrease interruptions. Please help your child remember lunchboxes, water bottles, treats, school work, and all supplies for the day. Start now, creating a system for success. 

5. All families must fill out the Annual Student Update each year:

apps.hisd-survey.org/surveys/enrollment

6. Purchase school supplies on our PTO Website Marketplace

PARENT ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

We’re kicking off the year with a full week of opportunities to welcome families, reconnect after summer, meet new friends, and build community! Join us when you can - and encourage other Twain families to come along, too!

☐ Wednesday: Coffee & Conversation at Betsy’s | 8:30–10:00 AM

Grab a coffee and spend the morning with fellow Twain parents!

☐ Thursday: Parent Happy Hour at Dish Society | Beginning at 5:00 PM

We’re almost through week one -that deserves a toast! Join us for a fun and casual Twain Happy Hour. 

☐ Friday: Our FIRST PTO Meeting of the year!

Let’s close out the first week together! We would LOVE to see you at our first PTO meeting of the year. Come hear what’s ahead, learn how to get involved, and be part of all the exciting things happening at Twain! Coffee & Conversation at 7:30am and the meeting will begin at 7:45am - zoom link will also be provided

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR NEW PTO WEBSITE?

We are so excited about our brand-new PTO website - your one-stop shop for all things Twain! Find calendars, volunteer sign-ups, the school directory, upcoming events, important school information, what’s happening now, and so much more.

Bookmark it and make it your first stop when you’re wondering,

“What’s happening at Twain?”

MarkTwain PTO - Website

FIND YOUR PLACE AT TWAIN!

Interested in getting involved? We’d love to have you! Visit our Volunteer Hub to tell us a little about your interests and explore our current volunteer opportunities.

Whether you have one hour to give, want to take on a specific volunteer role, or are ready to join an event committee, there’s a place for you on our crew!

Mark Twain PTO - Volunteer Hub

SCHOOL DAY 101

Dress Code, bell schedules, arrival and dismissal, drop-off and pick-up procedures, carpool, and more - we’ve gathered the important school-day details in one spot to help make your days at Twain a little easier.

Mark Twain PTO - Arrival and Dismissal

CALLING ALL KINDER FAMILIES!

Starting kindergarten is a big adventure, and we’ve created a one-stop shop just for you! Visit Ready, Set, Kindergarten! for important dates, helpful resources, school information, and everything you need to help your newest Twain Tiger start the year with confidence.

Mark Twain PTO - Kindergarten

BIRTHDAY GRAMS

Purchase a Birthday Gram for your child. Make your child feel extra special as they celebrate their birthday and support the PTO.

Mark Twain PTO - Marketplace

CONNECT WITH OTHERS

Include your information for the school directory:

Mark Twain PTO - School Directory

Discover School clubs and activities at Twain:

Mark Twain PTO - Clubs and Activities

DONATE SNACKS TO SCHOOL STAFF

Show your appreciation to school staff by purchasing snacks for the break room:

Mark Twain Teacher Appreciation Amazon Wishlist

We can't wait to welcome back all those smiling faces... and we're talking about YOU, our amazing volunteers! 

Our school simply wouldn't be the same without the parents, grandparents, family members, and community volunteers who give their time to support our students.

Whether you plan to be a Mystery Reader, help at a classroom party, chaperone a field trip, or volunteer in any other way, we are so grateful you're part of our school family!

Just a friendly reminder that all volunteers must be VIPS certified each school year. The good news? It takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

One important note: We know you're excited to get a head start, but VIPS registration for the 2026-2027 school year did not open until August 10. If you completed it before then, it will not count for this school year. 

To become VIPS certified:
⭐ Visit houstonisd.org/vips beginning August 10.
⭐ Complete the brief training video.
⭐ Most importantly, complete the background check located directly below the completion certificate. This final step is required for approval.
⭐ Once everything has been submitted, you'll receive an email from HISD letting you know when you've been approved.

Even if you've volunteered before, VIPS certification must be renewed every school year, so everyone will need to complete the process again for 2026-2027.

After VIPS registration and confirmation:

ALL classroom volunteer sign-ups will be done through our new website this year.

Opportunities include:
 - Room Parents
 - Class Party Rep
 - Class T-Shirt Reps
 - Teacher Lunch Coordinators
 - Spooky Rep

And more classroom volunteer roles!

If you haven’t registered on VIPs, do so first! 

Donate to help us enrich our kids' education!

Our Friends & Family Fundraiser is an exciting opportunity for parents, friends and family to make a tax-deductible donation to the Mark Twain PTO while supporting vital programs at our school.

Powered by the GetMovin FundHub platform, the initiative allows students to collect donations online, track their progress, and engage their communities.

The campaign is designed to be inclusive and exciting, offering multiple reward levels - individual, family, classroom, grade-level, and school-wide! The event will end in a Fun Run for all students, regardless of fundraising! 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

Campaign Date: September 4th - October 4th

Fun Run Date: September 25th

Check our PTO Website Calendar for upcoming events!

Mark Twain PTO - Calendar

See our flyer of fun events, and see below for a sampling of upcoming ones:

If you have content that you'd like to propose to include in future editions of Twain Times, please submit them on our PTO Website:

Mark Twain PTO - TwainTimesSubmissions