This Friday, your child will receive their first report card of the school year. This is a great opportunity to celebrate their successes and talk together about what is going well, what they feel proud of, and where they would like to continue growing.

Parent conferences will begin in October, so please be on the lookout for sign-up information coming soon.

Friday is also our Mark Twain Fun Run! Our students — and staff! — are excited for a fun-filled day. We hope you can stop by to cheer on our Twain Tigers as they run. Fingers crossed for a fun and maybe even a little cooler day!

Thank you to everyone who has supported our Friends & Family campaign. We are incredibly grateful for your generosity and continued support of Mark Twain and our students.

See you at the Fun Run!

Respectfully,
Michele Rawson
Principal

Here at Mark Twain, we are also leaning on a report from the Center for Universal Education at Brookings. The summary identifies 3 pillars for action – prosper, prepare, and protect.

Our goal is to develop AI-enriched learning. For example, we are teaching 5th graders to use AI to identify credible sources.

We are prohibiting any generative AI – in order to protect the students’ foundation learning.

Questions? Contact:  Kathleen Blakeslee, IB Coordinator

FIND YOUR PLACE AT TWAIN!

Ready to get involved? We'd love to have you!

Whether you have an hour to give, want to help in your child's classroom, or are ready to join an event committee, there's a place for you at Twain.

Visit our Volunteer Hub to tell us what you're interested in and explore current volunteer opportunities.

We have openings for helping in the Cafeteria and the Library, so please sign up, even if you only have a few minutes a day!

GENERAL VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

Reminder that any type of volunteering at Twain requires VIPS approval through the school district.

Have You Donated to Friends & Family yet?

Our Friends & Family Fundraiser is still going strong!

We are SO close to our goal. Please keep sharing your fundraising page with friends and family worldwide. The goal of this fundraiser is to solicit donations from outside the school community! 

Donations from siblings are combined toward Family Rewards.

Reach $250 —  Proud Twain Supporter

• “Proud Supporter of a Mark Twain Elementary Tiger” yard sign
• Recognition on the PTO website
• Recognition in the Bash program

Reach $500 —  Breakfast With the Principal

• Invitation to Breakfast with the Principal
• Plus all $250 rewards

Reach $1,000 — Choose a Special Twain Experience 

• Choose one: 
  • Personalized engraved brick 
  • VIP reserved seating at a school event or performance of your choice — up to 4 people 
  • Chick-fil-A Lunch with Ms. Rawson 
• Plus all previous rewards

Reach $2,500 — VIP Twain Experience

• Donor Wall recognition 
• All previous rewards
• Choose ONE: 
  • Spooky Spectacular VIP: Haunted House Skip-the-Line passes plus wristbands for up to 5 children 
  • International Festival VIP: Reserved table plus 30-minute preview access 

Top 3 Fundraising Classrooms Win a Party! 

Each of our Top 3 Classrooms will receive: 

• Pizza 
• Goodie bags 
• All the party treats 
• PJs! 
• $25 Amazon Gift Card for the teacher 
• AND MUCH MORE! 

Every donation helps your family and classroom get closer to the next reward. Keep sharing your fundraising page—you never know who may want to support a Twain Tiger! Thank you for supporting Mark Twain! 

Where Do These Funds Go? 🧡

Your support makes a BIG impact at Twain! Funds raised through Friends & Family help provide so many things that directly benefit our students, teachers, and campus. Here are just a few:

📚 Reading & Math Interventionists to provide additional academic support for our students

🌳 Campus improvements — including playground shade, landscaping, track improvements, new water fountains, repainted teacher parking lots, and more

🚌 Field trips, educational programs & special experiences that enrich learning beyond the classroom

✏️ Classroom resources, supplies & teacher support to give our teachers and students the tools they need

🐯 And so much more!

Let’s go, Twain Tigers!

Register, share your page with friends, coworkers, neighbors & family, and help us reach our goals!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Fundraiser: September 4 – October 4
Fun Run: September 25

Race Day Schedule (during grade level special times):

 7:00  -  7:30 - Set Up

 7:45  -  8:35 - 5th Grade (Wear white shirt)

 8:45  -  9:35 - 4th Grade (Wear white shirt)

 9:45  - 10:35 - 3rd Grade (Wear class shirt or spirit shirt)

11:55 - 12:45 - 2nd grade (Wear class shirt or spirit shirt)

12:55  -  1:45 - Kindergarten (Wear class shirt or spirit shirt)

  1:55  -  2:45 - 1st Grade (Wear class shirt or spirit shirt)

  2:45  -  3:00 - Take down

Get ready to RUN, Tigers! 

🌎 NEXT STOP ON THE TWAIN TIGERS' WORLD TOUR! 🌎

RSVP Here - We can't wait to see you!

Wednesday, September 23
6:00 PM • Twain Cafeteria

There is no entry fee — just come ready to enjoy great food and an even better evening with our Twain community!

There’s still time to RSVP and let us know you’re coming! We would love to see you there.

Elizabeth Wagner, Farrah Najmuddin Lang, & Danielle Ward-Griffin, or internationalfestival@marktwainpto.org

COVER ART CONTEST

Submit your rocking art for the chance of it being our 2026-2027 Yearbook Cover!

Submissions due Friday, September 25th!

Your submission and all of its elements must be your original creation. 

Drop your finished artwork in the front office or in the Library in the “Yearbook Cover Contest” box

SPOOKY SPECTACULAR IS OUR BELOVED FALL FESTIVAL

Calling all Twain parents and volunteers! Spooky Spectacular has a lot of moving parts! To keep things simple, we are forming committees to lead some activities. Amazing volunteers are so important to a huge event like Spooky Spectacular - we couldn't do it without your help!

OUR COMMITTEES:

Cake Walk: Coordinate sweet treats and manage the musical chairs-style game area.

Not So Scary Hallway: Design a fun, kid-friendly walkthrough experience with decorations that delight without scaring.

T-shirts: Join the merch crew! Help count and verify the fresh shirt orders and deliver the spooky swag to classrooms.

Costume Contest: Help host the ultimate runway show! Recruitment goals include scouting judges and finding an energetic emcee to hype up the crowd.

Passport Challenge (NEW!): Help launch our brand-new activity! Organize the game cards, set up exploration checkpoints, and manage the exciting prize station. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Saturday, October 24
10:00 AM - 02:00 PM • Twain Campus

Questions? Contact our Spooky Chairs
Connie Pei, Gavin Erie, or Jennifer Floyd

We had outstanding attendence to this month's General PTO Meeting!🐯☕

Here is a link to the slide deck.

Key topics covered:

• Treasurer Report

• Fall Fundraiser

• Spooky Spectacular

• BASH

• International Potluck

• Yearbook

• Art à la Carte

Attendees enjoyed hearing the Kindergarteners perform the Twain School Song.

Looking for Twain gear, spirit wear, personalized goodies, or a special way to celebrate your Tiger? We've got you covered! Visit the Twain Marketplace to explore all the ways to shop, show your Tiger Pride, and support our school.

SCHOOL STORE
Stock up on Twain essentials, school gear, and more.

SUGAR LAND INK SPIRIT STORE
Show your Tiger Pride with spirit wear for the whole family.

LET JEN DO IT!
Shop personalized Twain favorites and custom goodies.

🎈BIRTHDAY GRAMS - CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY TIGER!🐯

Make your student’s birthday extra special with a Birthday Gram—a beloved Twain tradition!

Each week, 5th graders and parent volunteers celebrate our birthday Tigers with a special serenade and surprise. 

Birthday Grams are available all year and should be ordered at least one week in advance. Have a summer birthday? Celebrate a half-birthday or choose a date in May!

🎂 Order your Birthday Gram today!

Questions? Contact birthdaygrams@marktwainpto.org

Caroline Falls & Onora Zatorski

Did you know we're looking for parents to help bring new clubs to Twain? If you have an interest or talent you'd love to share with our Tigers, we want to hear from you!

Service Club • Chess Club • Art Club • Drama Club • And more!

Have another great idea? All ideas are welcome! Visit our Clubs page to explore current clubs and learn how you can help start something new at Twain.

Fifth Grade Class Reunion

Come reconnect on familiar ground with the Mark Twain Class of 2026! Gather at Huckleberry Park to meet up with former classmates.

We can't wait to see each other again! 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Date: Saturday, September 26, 10:00 AM -  2:00 PM

Location: MTE Spark Park

Hosted by: Tonesha Borner, Kimberly Burns, Laura Curry, and Jillian Silvius

🍅 Our littlest Tigers especially need a little help opening packages and containers, and extra grown-ups make lunchtime run smoothly for everyone!

Choose a bi-weekly recurring shift or pick individual shifts that fit your schedule. No experience needed—just come ready to help! 

Sign up to join our Lunch Crew!

Questions? Contact Paige Hohos at presidentelect@marktwainpto.org

Tiger Tracks – Good News Edition is all about celebrating the people, moments, milestones, and everyday wins that make our Twain community so special!

Saw a kind moment on campus? Want to shout out a teacher or staff member? Have a student accomplishment, team victory, community achievement, or simply something that made you smile?

Big wins, small victories, and everything in between—we want to celebrate it!

Want an easy way to support our amazing teachers and staff? Shop the Amazon wish list by clicking on the link below - help keep the teacher workroom stocked with snacks and other much needed items.

Every purchase, big or small, helps keep our teachers fueled and appreciated!

Did you know there are easy ways to support Twain through purchases you're already making? Check out these ongoing fundraisers and help us earn money for our school all year long! 

MABEL'S LABELS
Select Mark Twain and start shopping!

MINTED
20% off Code is: FUNDRAISEMARKTWAIN

BOX TOPS
Download the app, scan your receipt and support Twain

NEVER MISS A BEAT! 

From school events and PTO meetings to parent gatherings and special Twain traditions, stay up to date with everything happening in our community.

Have news, an event, or an announcement for a future edition of Twain Times? Submit your content through our website and we'll help get the word out!