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Principal's Message |
Greetings Tiger Families!
With the 2024-25 school year now complete, I would like to express my gratitude to all our Tiger families, students and staff. This school year, like all school years, has been one filled with great successes, unique experiences, some bumps in the road, and many opportunities for reflection and growth. I have appreciated the collaborative spirit of community that exists at Twain and the generosity and kindness show by our families throughout the school year. It is amazing how quickly time moves, as it feels like we just welcomed to Twain for the first time the same Tigers we promoted and tearfully sent off to high school on Wednesday. I look forward to hearing about what our rising 9th graders go on to do next year at the next stop in their educational journey and am excited for our rising 8th graders to move into the role of leaders within our building. Our teachers have left behind a collection of words of wisdom we believe will benefit our new 7th graders in August from Bush Hill, Cameron, Clermont, Franconia, Mount Eagle, Lane, Springfield Estates, Rose Hill as we help them transition into Twain Tigers and embrace them as our newest members of Team Twain!
Although we will take a break from sending our newsletter every Friday until August, we will be sure to communicate important updates throughout the summer.
Have a restful and enjoyable summer, Tigers.
Sincerely,
Matt
Twain Summer Office Schedule
Twain’s main office will be open from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM each day starting Monday, June 23rd until Monday, August 4th.
Juneteenth Holiday Next Week
Next week we recognize Juneteenth, a celebration and commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth marks a day in 1865 when enslaved Texans learned they would be free, two months after the end of the Civil War and two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) Updates for 2025-26 School Year
At their May 8 meeting, the Fairfax County School Board approved changes to the SR&R, including its cell phone policy. Other SR&R updates include added clarity and/or procedures around topics such as discipline data, parent notifications, hate speech, and integrated discipline training. The full list of changes is available on Boarddocs.
Calendar Reminder: 2025 First Day of School
Monday, August 18, is the first day of school for the 2025-26 school year. View the 2025-26 school year calendar.
PTA Updates
Your Staff Members of the Month Award Winners!
 Congratulations to these leaders within the walls of our Mark Twain MS building who help to enrich the lives of our students and empower them to be better citizens through learning! Each month current students, parents/guardians and community members submit nominations for hard-working teachers who make a positive difference. In addition to a gift card to a local restaurant, the Staff Member receives a prime parking spot and a cool trophy!
- August 2024: Kathryn Balderston
- September 2024: Carolina Soto
- October 2024: Ms Bhumika Saxena
- November 2024: Kimberly Gadson
- December 2024: Mr. Abouraad
- January 2025: Mr. Alexander Kluttz
- February 2025: Mr. Orenstein
- March 2025: Mr. Martin Garfield-Levine
- April 2025: Valerie Scruggs
Teacher Mini Grant Award Winners!
 Congratulations to this year’s Mark Twain MS PTA Mini Grant Award winners! Grants are limited to a maximum of $300. Mini Grants may be used for classroom use or school clubs and those funds directly benefit our students.
Fall 2024: Barbara Van Lear
- For horticultural therapy activities in the Strategies for Success/Personal Development classes. Working with plants/flowers lowers blood pressure thus decreasing anxiety and stress, which most students with special educational needs experience. Ms. Van Lear is a Registered Horticultural Therapist and is familiar with many activities where supplies will need to be purchased.
Spring 2025: Colin Murphy
- The Model UN participates in an overnight trip to William and Mary for the Model UN Conference. This is a great opportunity for our students to work in committees with other middle schoolers from all over the country that are led by college students majoring in government, political science, and international relations who can help provide greater insight into the issues they discuss.
PTA Executive Board Officers
Announcing your Mark Twain PTA Executive Board officers for the 2025-2026 school year!
 We are still seeking out the next Twain PTA President for the coming school year. Is it you? 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.
In addition to the open Executive Board position, 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.
Expressing Gratitude for our Twain Community Night Sponsors
The Twain PTA would like to THANK and recognize our community sponsors who donated raffle items to this year’s event. Everyone’s contributions provided the opportunity for our Rising 7th Grade and new Rising 8th grade families visiting Mark Twain MS to experience a fun and welcoming evening at our school. We appreciate the strong partnerships with our local businesses and larger Twain community.
 Twain PTA on Social Media
Facebook = “Mark Twain MS PTA”
Instagram = “twainmspta”
The Mark Twain MS PTA leadership thanks you for your wonderful support throughout this school year!
Learning Doesn’t Take a Vacation — and Neither Does Fun!
FCPS’ Summer Learning webpage offers ideas and strategies for families to keep students curious. Summer is the perfect time to help your child explore new interests, reinforce concepts, and stay engaged!
☀️ Special Education Resources for Summer
The latest issue of the FCPS Special Education and 504 Newsletter is available online. Topics in this issue include:
- Fun Ways to Get Your Kids Moving This Summer
- Exploring Summer Fun Without Leaving Your Home
- Social Emotional Learning in the Summer
- Self-Care Resources for Parents, Family Members, and Caregivers
Subscribe to the Special Education and 504 Newsletter.
Keeping Children Safe Online
Thanks to the Fairfax County Police Department for sharing resources to help children stay safe online.
🍽️ Summer Meals for Students
FCPS’ Summer Meal Service Program provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to all children aged 18 and younger. Check FCPS’ Food and Nutrition Services webpage and the USDA Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder for specific dates, times, and locations. If you have any questions regarding the Summer 2025 meal service, please email SummerMeals@fcps.edu or call 703-813-4800.
🧩 Get Clued in to the FCPS and Safe Routes to School Puzzle Hunt!
FCPS and Safe Routes to School return with an engaging activity to help get families outside this summer. The Fairfax County Public Schools Puzzle Hunt offers online puzzles that lead to a location in Fairfax County and additional clues toward the final puzzle.
For more information, visit the hunt’s How to Play page.
Access More Summer Resources
The FCPS Summer Resource Guide has activities and tips on a variety of subjects and interests, from camps and activities to health and safety resources.
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