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Principal’s Message |
Greetings Tiger Families!
Next week we will celebrate Thanksgiving, which of course is a traditional time to pause our busy lives to spend with family and friends. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on all that we are thankful for in our personal and professional lives. Personally, I am thankful for the health and safety of my friends and family. Professionally, I am thankful for the opportunity to work with . our supportive Twain community, our talented and dedicated faculty and staff, and our Twain students – who impress me each day with their intellect, energy, and desire to do good in the world around them.
Sadly, although this is a joyful time of year for many, it can also be a stressful and sad time for others. If you are in need of information to support your student’s mental health and resiliency, you can find information and resources on the FCPS Website here. If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis, you can access information about resources here.
We will not have a newsletter next week, so our next edition will be December 6th.
Have a nice weekend and a restful Thanksgiving holiday.
Gratefully,
Matt
Twain’s Weekly Schedule
Monday, November 25: Even Day Schedule
Tuesday, November 26: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, November 27: No School – Thanksgiving holiday
Thursday, November 28: No School – Thanksgiving Day
Friday, November 29: No School – Thanksgiving holiday
Monday, December 2: Anchor Day Schedule
Tuesday, December 3: Odd Day Schedule
Wednesday, December 4: Even Day Schedule
Thursday, December 5: Odd Day Schedule
Friday, December 6: Even Day Schedule
Native American History Month
November is Native American History Month. It is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Native peoples, past and present, and to acknowledge their important contributions. It is also a time to raise general awareness about the unique challenges Native peoples have faced both historically and in the present, and how tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
Calendar Reminder: Thanksgiving
Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29. Classes will resume on Monday, December 2. See the complete school year calendar.
Note: Twain’s News You Choose will not be distributed the week of November 25, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Enjoy the break!!
After-School Program
The After-school program will be cancelled on Monday, November 25th and Tuesday, November 26th as we will take a short break for the holiday week. We will be back to full programming on Monday, December 2nd. Thank you for all your support and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Lexia Parent Night: Helping Children Learn to Read
Attend a virtual information night on Thursday, December 5, to learn about Lexia and discover strategies to support your child’s literacy.
✨ Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on grade level by the end of third grade.
Visit the Family Academy Catalog for more classes, workshops, and webinars.
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National Junior Honor Society |
Twain’s National Junior Honor Society Chapter is collecting supplies for Care Packages for Ronald McDonald House Charities. We are going to be collecting supplies to make care packages for families that are in need. Some items that we need are:
*Non-perishable Meals/Snacks (oatmeal packs, instant noodle cups, granola bars, juice boxes, etc.) *Toys (dolls, action figures, etc.) *Fun activities (coloring tools, books, puzzles, crafts, games)
We are extending our collection period until Friday, December 6. We need your help to gather these items. Please allow your student to bring one of these items to school and put in our donation boxes in the cafeteria or you can purchase the items on our Amazon Wish List. Thank you for helping us support the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Scholastic Book Fair
Save the Date! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Twain MS on December 9-13, 2024. Students can experience the limitless possibilities of reading! Every purchase benefits our school.
Winter Formal
SCA is hosting our annual Winter Formal dance this year on Friday, December 13th. The dance will be from 6:30-8:30, with doors opening at 6 for anyone who wants to arrive early to take pictures and eat before it starts. Ticket packages range from $6 to $10 in price, and they will be sold at lunches from Monday, December 2nd through Wednesday, December 4th while supplies last. Please note that only 350 tickets will be sold due to the capacity limits of our building.
PTA Updates
Mark Twain’s Birthday Celebration is November 25th
Volunteers Needed for Monday, Nov 25th for the PTA’s annual (and delicious!) tradition at Twain. We celebrate the annual observance of Mark Twain’s birthday by treating each and every student and staff member to a complimentary cupcake during lunch.
How can you contribute? Sign up to help out by clicking this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FACAF2DA6FB6-52871363-twain
We are asking for help from parents, guardians and our community by:
- Donating homemade or store-bought cupcakes
- Collecting cupcake donations in the morning Kiss N Ride line
- Helping to deliver cupcakes at lunch
We are asking for regular sized cupcakes so that everyone gets the perfect size of cupcake (no minis). Please also consider donating allergen free cupcakes.
PTA General Membership Meeting
Reminder: There is no PTA meeting in December! We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season.
Remember to check the FCPS calendar to be aware of adjusted schedules and student holidays on the horizon.
Nominate a Staff Member of the Month
Nominate a teacher or staff member for the PTA Staff Member of the Month Award in December by filling out this form: Staff Member of the Month Form Each month the PTA awards this honor to a deserving Twain Staff Member.
Nominations are due before November 30th.
Join the PTA
Mark Twain MS PTA Store: Join the PTA for the 2024-2025 school year or Renew your Annual Membership. Your membership goes to support the programs and events sponsored by the PTA.
Twain PTA on Social Media
Follow us on Facebook at Mark Twain MS PTA and Instagram at twainmspta to stay in touch with what’s happening at Twain PTA.
Student Feedback Opportunity for FCPS Cell Phone Policy and SR&R
FCPS is working with K12 Insight to host a community forum for families, staff members, and students to provide feedback on the school division’s cell phone policies and practices, and the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document. FCPS is looking for more student participants (grades 3-12) to help ensure diverse perspectives from our community.
The community forum will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Willow Oaks Administrative Center. If your student is interested in providing feedback, please visit the Cell Phone Policy Forum registration page to learn more. Families must register their child by Monday, November 25.
Reducing Chronic Absenteeism to Improve Academic Success
During the Academic Matters section of last Thursday’s School Board meeting, Dr. Reid talked about the work in FCPS to reduce chronic absenteeism.
Regular school attendance is important because:
- Missing just 10% of school negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That is just two days a month.
- Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
- By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Chronic absenteeism in FCPS rose to a high of 17.1% in the 2022-23 school year. Thanks to our multi-tiered system of support, we reduced that to 12.8% in 2023-24. Visit our website for attendance resources.
✨Improving Absenteeism rates is part of Strategic Plan Goal 2: Safe, Supported, Included, and Empowered.
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