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Principal's Message |
Greetings Tiger Families!
April is the Month of the Military Child, and Twain Middle School, like all of Fairfax County Public Schools, takes this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate our military connected students. Twain has over 75 students identified as military connected youth and last year we joined 69 other FCPS schools by earning the designation of a “Virginia Distinguished Purple Star School” for our work in supporting military connected students. This is a recognition we are very proud of as we understand the importance of helping our military connected Tigers thrive during middle school.
In 2011, the University of New Hampshire 4-H started the “Purple Up! For Military Kids initiative and it is now celebrated nationwide. On Wednesday, April 17th we encourage all Tigers to keep our Twain green in our closets and drawers and wear something purple to symbolize our support for our military connected students. Purple symbolizes all branches of the military as a combination of Army green; Marine Corps red; and Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force blue.
The dandelion is the official flower of military-connected children and was chosen as such because dandelions, like our military connected Tigers, put down roots anywhere, bloom where they are planted, and are incredibly resilient.
Thank you, to all of our military connected students and families for being an essential part of the Twain community.
Sincerely,
Matt
Twain’s Weekly Schedule for April
Monday, April 15: Anchor Day Schedule
Tuesday, April 16: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, April 17: Even Day Schedule
Thursday, April 18: Odd Day Schedule
Friday, April 19: Even Day Schedule
Please note the upcoming changes to our weekly schedule:
Monday, April 22: Anchor Day Schedule
Tuesday, April 23: Even Day Schedule
Wednesday, April 24: Odd Day Schedule
Thursday, April 25: Even Day Schedule
Friday, April 26: Odd Day Schedule
Monday, April 29: Even Day Schedule
Tuesday, April 30: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, May 1: Even Day Schedule
Thursday, May 2: Odd Day Schedule
Friday, May 3: Student Holiday / Teacher Workday
These schedule changes can be found on the Twain Website on our Bell Schedule page under Important Dates: Schedule Changes.
Twain Theatre Presents
Twain MS is bringing Frozen to life! Come see Anna, Olaf, Elsa, Kristoff and Sven April 18th, 19th, and 20th. Each show starts at 7:00 PM, and on Saturday we also have a 2:00 pm performance. You can buy tickets online at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15615/mark-twain-middle-school-theatre. Hope to see you there!
Hello High School
All 8th grade students should have received and returned permission slips for the Hello High School field trip. This event will be hosted by Edison on Tuesday, April 23rd. Students will go for the morning and return for lunch at Twain.
If you did not see a permission slip come home, please check your email and/or Talking Points and respond as soon as possible!
Science Support for 8th Grade
We are excited to offer an additional support opportunity for our 8th-grade students as they prepare for the Science Standards of Learning (SOL) test. Starting next Wednesday, we will be holding weekly SOL review sessions for the next three weeks (4/17, 4/24, & 5/1). These review sessions will be held every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30. Our experienced teachers will cover key concepts, review important material, and provide practice questions to help students feel confident and prepared for the upcoming SOL test.
We encourage all 8th-grade students who are interested to take advantage of this valuable opportunity. Please register your student using this Google Form (https://bit.ly/3vLakoD) so that we can ensure that we have sufficient materials for students who attend. There are after-school late buses to support students getting home after participating in the opportunity. We appreciate your support in helping our students succeed academically. If you have any questions or need further information, please get in touch with Mrs. Tammy Stickler, Assistant Principal, @ 703-313-3723 or email her at tmstickler@fcps.edu.
Buy your Twain yearbook today!
Go to yearbookordercenter.com
Use our code #: 8606
Last day to pre order has been extended to May 17!
PTA Updates
2024-2025 PTA Officers
Twain PTA needs you! We need to fill several officer positions for the next school year, 2024-2025. The Twain PTA Nominating Committee is now accepting applications. The officer positions include President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Applications are also being taken for the Membership/Volunteer Coordinator, who serves as a non-elected board position. These officers make up the executive board and conduct the business of running the PTA. Applicants can fill out the application form here. Join a great team and work together to support the Twain Staff and Students! Please contact Corea Smith at cbergens@yahoo.com with any questions or for a description of PTA officer duties. A slate of officers will be announced on April 17th at the next Twain PTA Meeting, so get your applications in soon.
Parent Strategy Session and PTA Meeting
Join us for our next Parent Strategy Session on April 17th at 7:00 PM in the Twain Library. Following some brief PTA business, we’ll hear from Mr. Shawn Elliot, Edison Pyramid Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS), on substance abuse topics that can help equip parents in supporting healthy choices for our Twain students. See you there!
Staff Appreciation Week
Staff Appreciation Week is coming soon!! Join the PTA in honoring our amazing staff members at Twain. The PTA will host a gift card giveaway, a dessert bar, and a catered luncheon. You can help express your appreciation for your student’s teachers with a monetary donation by clicking here. Any amount will be appreciated. Deadline for donations is May 3rd.
Twain Community Night
Join us for the annual Twain Community Night on Thursday, May 16 from 6-8 pm. This is a family-fun event open to the community. Invitations will be distributed to Twain’s feeder elementary schools and we are hoping for a big crowd. The PTA will be selling pizza, other concessions and Spirit Wear. All Twain departments will be represented. Don’t miss the Pick A Prize Raffle. Prizes include Washington Nationals Baseball Tickets, LEGO Discovery, Total Wine, Fairfax County Park Foundation, Natalie Dicks Photography, and more.
Are you a small business owner and would like to donate a good or service to the Pick a Prize Raffle? All supporters will be recognized at this community event and your donation is tax deductible. Please email Linda Pinkney at mtmspresident@gmail.com, if you would like to be a supporter.
8th Grade Dance Save The Date
Mark your calendars for the much anticipated 8th Grade Dance on June 7th from 6:30-8:30 PM. This is a new date to accommodate the performing arts spring trip. The theme of the dance is The Pacific Voyage and the dress will be formal. Tickets go on sale during the lunch period the week of the dance for $5. Price of the ticket includes admission to the dance, all the yummy refreshments, a party favor, and a keepsake photo with a 360-photo booth. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so plan ahead to get your ticket during lunch.
Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) School Health Services Internal Survey
The FCHD employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD and will be shared with all parents or guardians of FCPS students. Parents/guardians will be asked for feedback on the level of satisfaction with School Health services provided to the school community. The survey will be distributed electronically via the “FCPS This Week” email. The survey window is April 15 - April 26, 2024. You also can access the survey at the link below.
Survey link: www.redcap.link/FCHDSchoolHealthSurvey.
Survey results will provide a basis for quality improvement of School Health services. The data-driven process is in alignment with the FCPS Strategic planning process, and the survey results will contribute positively to the FCPS Strategic Plan that reflects a shared consensus among stakeholders.
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Coming Soon
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener at the end of February, providing updated information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
In late April, individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail. If you would like to activate your SIS ParentVue account, please contact Twain’s Testing Coordinator, Sara Joy Lebowitz, at sjlebowitz@fcps.edu.
For more information about the screener please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or contact your student’s school.
Edison Theatre Company Presents
Come see Edison Theatre Company at their creepiest and kookiest! We have a special deal for Middle School Students! Tickets go on sale April 12 at 8 am for the spring musical The Addams Family (School Edition) running May 1st, 2nd and 4th in the Edison Auditorium. Tickets are available in advance by following the link below; tickets are also sold at the door.
https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15633/thomas-edison-high-school-theatre
If you enter "FutureEagle" in the promotion field, you will get 50% off for up to 6 tickets for the May 1st or May 2nd, 7pm performances.
Spring SOL Schedule
Spring SOLs are approaching and Twain’s testing schedule is below. Please ensure students are in school on testing days and do not have appointments and commitments that would require them to be pulled out of their test. Please be aware that for all these dates, 4th period will be first which is the testing period. Students should come to school on time, well rested, and with a fully charged laptop. If you have any questions about spring SOLs, please contact our Testing Coordinator, Sara Joy Lebowitz, sjlebowitz@fcps.edu
Integrated Reading and Writing SOL* – April 25
- The Bell Schedule for this day is 4, 2, 6, 8 with lunch during 6th
Reading SOL – May 8
- The Bell Schedule for this day is 4, 6, 2, 8 with lunch during 6th
Math SOL – May 15
- The Bell Schedule for this day is 4, 8, 6, 2 with lunch during 8th
Science SOL* - May 17
- The Bell Schedule for this day is 4, 8, 2, 6 with lunch during 2nd
*Only 8th grade students take these SOLs, however, we will be administering a practice SOL to 7th graders on these days.
These schedule changes can be found on the Twain Website on our Bell Schedule page under Important Dates: Schedule Changes.
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