THANK YOU to everyone who donated, shared and volunteered — and to all who helped make Friday's Fun Run & Color Run such an amazing day for our kiddos! And a special shoutout to Ms. Hernandez's class for the very memorable silly-string celebration with Madeline and me! 

Another huge thank you to our Cultural Exchange Directors, Elisabeth Wagner, Farrah Najmuddin Lang & Danielle Ward-Griffin, for an incredible International Potluck with a record turnout! It was such a special evening celebrating the cultures and families that make Twain so wonderful.

And now... HELLO, OCTOBER! Join us for First Friday Coffee at La Tazza this Friday, get ready for all things SPOOKY, and mark your calendar for our next PTO Meeting Tour Stop, featuring our SFL Cheerleaders and Fifth Grade xylophone players on Friday, October 16th.

Thank you, Twain families, for continuing to show up, volunteer and support our school. September was amazing — let's keep it ROCKIN' in October! 

Mallory Rissmiller
PTO President

WE NEED YOU TWAIN TIGERS!

SO MANY WAYS TO GET INVOLVED THIS OCTOBER! 

October is a busy and exciting month at Twain, and there are plenty of ways to jump in and be part of the fun! Join the Spooky Spectacular Crew, bring creativity into the classroom with Art à la Carte, lend a hand with our Lunch Crew, or spend some time volunteering in the Library.

Whether you have 30 minutes, a few hours, or can help throughout the month, we would LOVE to have you! These programs, traditions and everyday extras happen because of our amazing Twain families who give their time to make our school so special.

Visit our Volunteer Hub to find something that works for you and come join the fun! 

Give. Share. Cheer on our Tigers!

Congratulations to Our Top Classrooms!

The results were SOOO close that our Friends & Family Chairs have decided to award the TOP 5 classrooms with a class party! We’ll be in touch with the details!

🎉1st place — Team Rodrigues (4th)
🎉2nd place — Team Baldwin (3rd)
🎉3rd place— Team Lopez (Kinder)
🎉4th place— Team Hernandez (5th)
🎉5th place— Team Arnone (4th)

While the Fun Run itself happened this past Friday, our Fall Fundraiser continues until Oct 4th.

And congratulations to our Grade-Level Winners:
🎨 Kinder: Arthur Terlier — Mr. Nguyen
🎨 1st: Linh Lan Duong — Mrs. Oliver
🎨 2nd: Veera Kakkar — Ms. Rodriguez
🎨 3rd: Eliyana Rajani — Ms. Carmel
🎨 4th: Louise Kimura — Ms. Chamblin
🎨 5th: Bruno Rojas — Ms. Bernal

Spooky T-Shirt sales will be opening soon — stay tuned! 👕👻

🎃 WANT TO JOIN THE SPOOKY CREW?
Join us Monday, October 5, right after drop-off for a quick Spooky Committee meeting in the cafeteria!  Come learn about all the ways you can help make one of Twain's favorite traditions a success. There's a place for everyone!  We need you it takes a village to make this event a success!

And our Dad's Club is getting in on the spooky fun! They'll meet Tuesday, September 29 from 3:00–4:30 PM in C108 to begin working on the Haunted House. 👻🔨 Come join the crew!

And be on the lookout for our ALL THINGS SPOOKY ParentSquare post on Thursday, October 1 with even more details about Spooky Spectacular!

Mark your calendars, Twain Tigers — SPOOKY SEASON is officially here! 🎃🐯👻

Attend the first Spirit Night of the 2026 - 2027 school year at Los Tios Mexican Restaurant - West University.

Dine-in and to-go orders will go towards our school as long as you mention that you're with Mark Twain Elementary. 20% of the orders will come back to our school. We hope to see you there!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

October 13, 2026 4 - 10 pm

Los Tios West University Place: 

5192 Buffalo Speedway, West University Place, TX 77005

🍵 Our first First Friday Parent Coffee is here! Join us this Friday at La Tazza for a casual morning of coffee, conversation and connecting with fellow Twain parents.

No agenda, no meeting — just a chance to grab a cup of coffee, meet some new faces and catch up with friends after drop-off.

We loved seeing so many families connect during Parent Engagement Week, and we're excited to keep it going throughout the year!

Come grab a cup and start your Friday with your Twain community! 

NEXT COFFEE 
Friday, October 2 - 9:00 AM
La Tazza, 8427 Stella Link Rd Ste B, Houston, TX 77025 

🍴JOIN YOUR TIGER FOR LUNCH! 

Twain parents are now welcome to join their kiddos for lunch! We will have space for 5 lunch guests per grade level each day, so be sure to reserve your spot.

Come enjoy lunchtime with your favorite Tiger and get a little peek into their school day! 

Sign up below to join your kiddo for lunch!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEACHERS OF THE YEAR!

Our teachers enjoyed a well-deserved night of celebration, and we’re so proud to recognize Twain’s Teachers of the Year! Please join us in congratulating Ms. Oliver, Teacher of the Year; Sra. Bernal, Bilingual Teacher of the Year; and Ms. Hernandez, Beginning Teacher of the Year. We’re grateful for all they do for our Tigers! 🐯💙 

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
Make your Tiger's birthday extra special with a birthday celebration at school!

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
Use code FUNDRAISEMARKTWAIN for 20% off

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

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.

Don't wait until the end of the year to order your 2026–2027 Twain Yearbook! Purchase your copy now and guarantee you'll have all the memories from our Twain Tigers World Tour to look back on for years to come.

Pin Oak Middle School is HISD's premier foreign language magnet middle school.

Parents interested in learning more about the outstanding programs are invited to join one of the guided tours, lasting approximately 45 minutes.

Pre-registration is required, and each tour can accommodate only 80 participants. Don't miss the opportunity to explore all that Pin Oak has to offer - secure your spot today!

(Tour dates for the remainder of 2026 have been filled, so sign up now for slots in January/February.)

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!

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!