Announcements and Upcoming Events

After School Program - New Clubs

Twain’s After School Program is offering two new stem clubs starting this Monday October 7 - “Inner Space Science” and “Rosie Riveters”. Last year both clubs were a huge success.   Descriptions below….

  • Inner space Science - is an organization that facilitates the use of privately owned submersibles for scientific and educational purposes on a non-commercial basis. On land, a small submersible at a school or science fair is a powerful tool to capture the attention of young minds and spark the imagination. A sub is a perfect prop for teaching many STEM disciplines. At sea, it can carry non-diving scientists or give the human subjects of a documentary a more engaging and first hand role than remotely operated vehicles would allow. Submersibles are typically very expensive to operate because they require the support of ocean going vessels, and in consequence few scientists can afford their use. Privately owned submersibles are often precluded from carrying passengers for hire because of regulations, but nothing prevents them from making dives with a scientific purpose and carrying non-paying observers, instruments, or cameras. The personal submersibles in our organization are not rated for extreme depths and will not be visiting the Titanic, but they easily provide access to continental shelf depths far beyond the range of SCUBA divers. These small boats can be trailered behind a SUV or pickup truck and launched from ordinary boat ramps. Some Innerspace Science submersible owners are available for paid educational engagements on land - please see the "Education" tab for details. Should you have an idea for a science mission at sea, we would love to hear it. Your proposal will be shared with the owners to see if any wish to take it on. Such expeditions are non-commercial, with the direct costs split equally between the expedition members including the owner in question.
  • Rosie Riveters is a registered 501 c3 that provides a fun space for girls to imagine, create and play while developing their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Our goal is to equip and empower girls to be strong, confident, and competent in the fields of STEM through hands on projects and mentorship programs. Let’s teach girls to delete the words “I can’t” from their vocabulary and inspire them to always be confident enough to try. By sharing relevant, stimulating content, conducting hands-on experiments, and introducing role models from various fields, Rosie Riveters strives to encourage girls to engage with STEM and see possibilities for their future careers.
  • The core of Rosie Riveters’ programs is a project-based, after-school curriculum for girls aged 4-14 (grades pre-K-8) that is open to the public and is completely free of charge. Each of the twelve sessions of our 4-week program features:
    • an interactive overview of a STEM concept (density, circuits, chemical reactions, etc.);
    • a tangible and hands-on project that explores that concept;
    • exploration of real-world careers associated with the above project through interaction with mentors.
  • The hands-on projects at the core of our program teach STEM skills, encourage girls to develop their own creative processes for design and implementation, and enable them to see their skills in action. All these elements work together to develop each participant’s confidence in her abilities.
  • Our pilot program at Shirlington Branch of Arlington Public Library in Arlington, VA finished on March 17, 2016. Weekly classes (available to boys and girls) featured hands-on experiments and real- world role models to inspire kids with the confidence to try.

We are looking forward to many students being able to take advantage of these great opportunities.


Spirit Wear

Twain Spirit Wear is available online until October 5th!! We’ve updated a few items this year including a super soft, long-sleeve charcoal gray tee and a brilliant green hoodie.  We have new car magnets and stickers!  Some of our oldies, but goodies are at a “last chance” price with only certain sizes remaining.  You can access the store at https://twainms.fcps.edu/get-involved/pta-spirit-wear-events


PTA Spirit Event

Eat at Roy Rogers at Manchester Lakes on Oct 8th between 5-9 PM and support MTMS PTA. 25% of your purchase goes to support the programs run by the PTA.

If you can’t make it out that night, please feel free to donate by clicking the Can’t Make It donation button on our online store at https://mkt.com/mark-twain-middle-school-pta?square_lead=button


Tiger Night

Do your students know that Tiger Night is coming? Pass the word along! Tiger Night, a student-only event, is Friday, October 11 from 6:30-8:30. There is something for everyone including basketball tournament, DJ playing music, Wii games, Board Games, Minute to Win it, Improv, Karaoke, and more. Pizza on sale for $2, everything else is $1. Tickets go on sale during lunches on Oct 8-11 for just $3. Price goes up to $5 at the door.

Volunteers are still needed to support this event, especially to chaperone that night. Please sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4facaf2da6fb6-fall4


National PTA Reflections 2019-2020

Does your student know about the National PTA Reflections Program? They still have time. The theme for the 2019-2020 program year is Look Within. Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts. Deadline for submission is October 15th. Entries can be turned in at the main office. Contact mtmsreflections@gmail.com for more information.


Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the Mind (OM) is starting up!  OM is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.  Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.  Teams typically meet at least once per week starting in the fall and continue through to the regional tournament in March. There is a $20 participation fee.  To register for a team at MTMS, please click here (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRmySBpNuRLj2fZ7alCwCH3JL9mI7NLrNCZ9GSHSVxFQVbKA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1)  or contact Megan Brooks at mjbrooks@fcps.edu. Registration ends October 15th.  For more information about OM, visit www.novasouth.org


Citizenship Essay

Citizenship Essay - State Deadline: February 1, 2020

Virginia PTA sponsors this annual student writing contest. It's a great opportunity for PTA's to support their school's writing and social studies curriculum. The selected theme is “What does it take to be a good citizen?"