Announcements and Upcoming Events

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 05/23/2025 04:30 PM EDT

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Mough Pic

Principal's Message

Greetings Tiger Families!

Although May is one of the busiest months of the school year and is filled with testing, anxiety and excitement about the end of the year, and certainly lots of rain, the past few weeks have also been filled with some amazing accomplishments and celebrations by our Twain Tigers. Last week we inducted 80 new members into our National Junior Honor Society, which is guided by the tenants of Character, Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Citizenship. Our competitive robotics team competed in the world championships last week (more on that below), and our music programs – choir, orchestra, and band – have all had inspiring performances in their spring concerts. Our music program was also named, for the second year in a row, as a Virginia Music Educators Association Blue Ribbon School due to our superior performance ensembles. Finally, our RISE (Respect, Inspire, Strive, Educate) Mentoring program held their end of year barbeque Wednesday as a culminating event for our students and staff who participated in the valuable opportunity for mentorship throughout this school year.

We are excited about the end-of-year activities and celebrations that remain and for a strong finish to the 2024-25 school year. 12 more days of school!

Please have an enjoyable three-day weekend for the Memorial Day Holiday and take a moment to reflect upon the impact and sacrifice of those that gave themselves for the sake of our great nation.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” — Arthur Ashe

Sincerely,

Matt

Weekly Schedule

Monday, May 26: Memorial Day Holiday – No School

Tuesday, May 27: Odd Day Schedule

Wednesday, May 28: Even Day Schedule

Thursday, May 29: Odd Day Schedule

Friday, May 30: Even Day Schedule

After School Program Schedule

The After School Program has ended for the 2024-25 school year.

Calendar Reminder: Memorial Day (Holiday)

Monday, May 26, is Memorial Day. Schools and school offices will be closed. See the complete school year calendar.

Twain’s Competitive Robotics Team vs The World!

Congratulations to Twain’s Competitive Robotics Team who competed with the top 800 VEX IQ Robotics teams in the world last week in Dallas Texas. The team – dubbed “Team Mozart” placed 5th in their division and received the coveted “Amaze” award for engineering a consistently high scoring robot and executing exceptional teamwork performance with alliance teams from all over the United States and other countries including China, Singapore, United Kingdom and Spain.  Our team represented our school with distinction through their strong work ethic and commitment to excellence.  This competition was a culmination of 10 months dedicating their invaluable time and talents working after school multiple times a week and competing on weekends to ensure extraordinary performance at the highest level.  The team would like to thank the Twain community for their enduring support this season.  Congratulations Team Mozart!

Robotics Team

Upcoming Student Events – Eligibility for Attendance

Spring brings lots of excitement, events, and this week – rain! Below are some remaining events that we have for the rest of the school year. We have continued to remind students that their eligibility to participate in these events is tied to positive decisions related to attendance and behavior. Please reiterate to your student(s) the importance of a strong, positive finish to the school year as we rapidly approach summer!

  • May 31st - 8th Grade Dance
  • June 5th - Annual Talent Show
  • June 11th - 8th Grade Field Day/7th Grade Activity Day

Laptop Collection

All Twain students will be turning in their FCPS issued laptop and charger on Thursday, June 5 & Friday, June 6.  Collection will take place during your student’s regularly scheduled Math class.

If your student will be participating in an FCPS summer learning opportunity, they will be allowed to keep their laptop for the summer.  If you know your student will be participating in a summer learning opportunity and needs to use their FCPS laptop please complete this form.

Prior to laptop turn in please remove all student placed stickers (not barcodes) and wrap up their power.

  • If your student has lost their power cord the cost is $25. Please do not purchase a replacement power cord through outside stores or vendors they will not be accepted.
  • If your student has removed and lost their protective case the cost is $34.
  • If your student has lost their laptop the cost is $481.

You can pay through www.myschoolbucks.com or with check in the main office. Note: payments made to www.myschoolbucks.com may take 24 hours for payment to register at the school.

PTA Updates

8th Grade Dance! on Sat. May 31st from 6-8pm:

PTA Dance

The PTA is proud to host this annual tradition and we need YOUR help to help execute a memorable event for our students.

Please click the SignUp Genius link to see where you can help.

Below is our “wish list” of items we are hoping can be donated by the community:

  • Large backdrops (red/black or otherwise Hollywood themed)
  • Photo props
  • Red carpet
  • Spotlights or specialty lighting
  • Food display pieces
  • Stickers that already fit our theme
  • Gold stars (write on or other decor)
  • Director’s chair(s)?
  • Clap board 
  • Industrial Sized Fans
  • Other decorative items that fit our “Night in Hollywood” theme

Please reach out to the PTA President, Robin Christman at mtmspresident@gmail.com, or our Committee Chair, Amy Garten, with questions or to join in the planning fun.

As you pro-actively mark this date on your calendar, please make note of a few important points:

  • This event is exclusively for 8th grade students enrolled at Mark Twain MS.
  • The event will be held at Mark Twain Middle School on a Saturday evening from 6-8pm.
  • This is a formal attire event.
  • Tickets will go on sale the week of the event (5/27 - 5/29). Cash purchases (only) may be made during lunch blocks.
  • No tickets will be sold at the door. No exceptions.

Our 8th grade students do not have a formal FCPS graduation or promotion to high school. This is a fun and memorable way to celebrate their accomplishments and capture those precious middle school memories as a Twain Tiger.

PTA Executive Board Elections: 

nominations

Twain PTA officer elections are almost here, and we will soon be announcing our slate.  We need YOU! It is important for leaders in our community to step forward to fill these positions to advocate for our diverse body of students and continue the tradition of supporting our fabulous MTMS staff and enhancing the experiences of our students throughout the school year.

Several key positions remain open for next year and we need to fill them ASAP.

  • President
  • Vice President of Fundraising

Both rising 7th and 8th grade families are eligible. Know a leader of a rising 7th grade student who would enjoy volunteering? Is it you? In addition to the open Executive Board positions, we do have other fun opportunities to get involved with enrichment and planning events throughout the school year. Please reach out to mtmspresident@gmail.com to express your interest and to learn more.

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this fabulous group of individuals who work together to support our administrators, staff members and teachers while advocating for the best interests of our students to help secure a robust and enjoyable experience within the walls of Mark Twain MS.

Teacher Appreciation Week: THANK YOU!

PTA Thanks

The Twain PTA would like to SHOUT OUT and CALL OUT our fabulous membership and greater Mark Twain MS community. The teachers were incredibly appreciative our expressions of gratitude during Teacher Appreciation Week. Many calories were consumed! Due to the generosity of our community, EVERY teacher, staff member and administrator was presented with a $25 gift card to a local eatery. We were also able to continue our annual tradition of treating our teachers to a catered lunch from Baja Fresh as a fun and delicious way to end the week. We love our Tiger Community! Below are a few pictures from the week. 

When you see our fabulous Teacher Appreciation Coordinators, Katy Olsen and Kirsten Little, please high five them and give a boisterous THANK YOU! to them. They personally put quite a bit of their personal time, attention and creativity into these events to create a magical and welcoming (and delicious!) experience for our teachers.

Both of our Teacher Appreciation Coordinators are graduating from the MTMS community at the end of this school year. If you are interested in helping with these events, please email MTMSPresident@gmail.com to see how to get involved.

Twain PTA on Social Media

Facebook = “Mark Twain MS PTA”

Instagram = “twainmspta”

Upcoming Twain PTA Events:

  • 05/31/25 – 8th Grade Dance, 6-8pm ***For Twain 8th graders only
  • 06/11/25 – Field Day ***SignUp Genius coming soon!

The Mark Twain MS PTA leadership thanks you for your wonderful support!

Phase 2 Community Boundary Review Meetings

Boundary

You are invited to participate in a series of community boundary review meetings to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break: 

Click on the date to register. Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed. 

If you register to attend online, you will receive a Zoom link within 24 business hours. The email will come from “no-reply@zoom.us.” Please check your spam folder if you do not receive the link.

Visit our Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information, including a timeline for the remainder of the boundary review process.

FCPS Family and School Partnerships Conversation Opportunity

Partnering

Remember to Check Your Student’s Lunch Balance!

check lunch

It’s a busy time of year, and we know many priorities are on your plate. As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to check your student’s MySchoolBucks account and pay any remaining school meal balance.

Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Families who earn less than 185% of the poverty level qualify for free and reduced-price meals (FRM). However, an application must be completed and submitted each school year to receive that benefit. The application for the 2025-26 school year will be available this summer. 

If you have a current balance and think you may be eligible for free and reduced-price meals, please fill out the FRM application for the 2024-25 school year.

Student Testing Results Coming Soon

Throughout May and June, you will receive your child’s spring assessment results. If you aren’t sure what assessments your child took this year, view this list of tests by grade level. 

How the results are delivered depends on the test. Scores will be delivered in SIS ParentVUE or from the school or testing organization. Learn what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines. 

Visit the FCPS website for additional information about how test results are reported to families. Individual test websites provide report translations and help with interpreting test results. Caregivers should contact their children’s schools with any testing questions or for additional information about how schools and teachers use test results to support student success.

Access Test Results and Grades in SIS ParentVUE

Signing up for a SIS ParentVUE account helps you to support your child’s academic success! Caregivers can view important information like attendance, grades, progress reports, and assessment scores through ParentVUE. 

Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. And information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same account. A SIS ParentVUE app is available for Apple and Android devices. 

Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.

If you already have an account, be sure your contact information is up to date. Learn more about updating your information on ParentVUE.

Learn About Life Skills Every Child Needs

The FCPS Family Academy will present an in-person workshop this summer on the Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. At this eight-week workshop, discover why these skills matter, how they help your child grow, and fun ways to build them at home. These are proven strategies based on research about how kids learn and develop.

The workshop will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays from June 17 to August 12 right in our neighborhood at the John Marshall Library. Free child care is provided. Register in advance. 

✨ The goal of the FCPS Family Academy is to fulfill Strategic Plan Pillar B: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships.