January 9, 2025 | Volume 43, Issue 17

DONATE WINE for our Silent Auction

by Wed., Jan. 15th

Do you have a bottle of wine you'd love to share for a great cause? Steppingstone School is hosting a silent auction, and we’re seeking wine donations to make this event truly special. Your generous contribution will help us raise funds to support our students and programs.

Important Details:

• Deadline for Wine Donations: Next Wednesday, January 15th
• Wine Acquisition Form: Complete the form here (required for all wine donations)
• Why the Deadline Matters: Specific wine details are needed to secure our liquor license.

Any wine received after January 15th will be donated to the bar instead of the auction, so be sure to send your contribution on time!

If you have questions, please reach out to us at auction@steppingstoneschool.org or call 248-957-8200.

Together, we can make this auction a success and continue supporting our mission to nurture gifted students. Thank you for your generosity!

Act now and join us in making a difference. 🥂

PUT THIS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST:

An Auction Travel Opportunity:

“Germany, Here I Come!”

If visiting Germany is on your bucket list, consider staying a few days with fun-loving alum parent, Dr. Eva Gatjen and her husband, Thomas. Her historical family home was built during WWII and remodeled a few years ago when a pool was added for you and/or your family to enjoy.

“Koln” or Cologne is a diverse community which can provide a variety of experiences. For example, have you ever been to an Ice Bar? You will wrap yourself warmly in the winter clothing provided for you and feel all snug while sipping drinks from frozen glasses and surrounded by ice sculptures. Eva will assist in getting you where you want to go while Thomas’s “gourmet” healthy dinners will fill your tummies.

Come to the auction and bid on this exclusive offer. See you there: 6 PM, SATURDAY, APRIL 21st

Register Now!

JOIN US AT THE NEXT SPARCler

Reflective Parenting Forum

With Dr. Ira Glovinsky

Thu., Jan. 30 at 7PM

Are you looking for strategies to better understand and support your gifted child? Steppingstone School is excited to host our second Parent Support Forum of the 2024-2025 school year, featuring Dr. Ira Glovinsky, a renowned expert in child development and emotional growth.

Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Steppingstone School, [PARC] 650 Church St., Ste. 119, Plymouth, MI

Dr. Glovinsky will guide parents through the concept of reflective parenting, exploring ways to deepen your understanding of your child’s emotions, behaviors, and unique needs. This forum is an invaluable opportunity to engage with an expert, ask questions, and share insights with fellow parents navigating the journey of raising gifted children.

Don’t miss out! Register now to secure your spot at this insightful event. Have a question you'd like Dr. Glovinsky to address? Submit your questions ahead of time to ensure they are included in the discussion.

We look forward to seeing you there and supporting you in your parenting journey!

FIRST 2025 SPIRIT DAY!

Thu., Jan. 9

It seems so long ago now, but it's time to celebrate our December accomplishments! Our High Stepper button designer for December was Finley! He drew a festive Christmas tree with one of Santa's helpers nearby (pictured below, left).

Our High Stepper for the month was also Finley (pictured below, right)! He was on time every day with all of the previous day's work completed for the entire month of December. Way to go, Finley!

WRITER OF THE MONTH

We are so proud to announce a Writer of the Month for December! Our genre for the month was rhyming poetry. As an introductory path to composition of poems, we practiced using the classic "Roses are red" format. As a class, we came up with several different flower names and a wide variety of colors. We discussed words that rhyme with those color words and began writing. Most poems were funny and nonsensical, but one poem stood out from the group. Enjoy Vera's poem below:

Tulips are yellow

Roses are white

I like to draw pictures

and plan them at night

This blossoming poet wrote about something she really does in her daily life. Vera explained to her teacher that almost every night as she's drifting off to sleep, she thinks about what pictures she'd like to draw the next day. 

Congratulations to Finley and Vera!

We were joined by Finley's great-grandma and Francis's parents for lunch (pictured below).

WELCOME TO BOLIVIA!

On our first day back from break, we started a new social studies unit on Bolivia. Students created maps of the country, including rivers, mountains, and rainforests. Next we discussed plant and animal life in Bolivia, and capped off the day making llama finger puppets (pictured below)!

Unearth Fun and Learning:

Our Dino-Mite Winter Break Send-Off!

Fri., Dec. 20, 2024

On the last day before winter break, Steppingstone students embarked on an exciting field trip to the Michigan Science Center, creating memories that brought learning to life! This year, the students had the opportunity to choose a fun activity for this special day, and their collective roar of excitement was all about dinosaurs!

The highlight of our trip was the new Tyrannosaurs exhibit (pictured below), where students explored fascinating prehistoric creatures up close.

But the fun didn’t stop there! The visit also gave students a chance to connect classroom learning with hands-on experiences:

• In the Health Gallery, students revisited concepts from our Human Body Systems curriculum.
• At the General Motors Earth, Wind, Weather Gallery, our early elementary students explored key concepts from their current unit on Weather & Climate (pictured below)

• A showing of Backyard Wilderness (pictured below) at the Toyota Engineering 4D Theater capped off the day, immersing students in the wonders of nature.

• Students also participated in Science Stage live demonstrations (video below), sparking curiosity and excitement as they watched science come to life in real-time!

This enriching experience was made possible thanks to the generous support of our Steppingstone community, specifically the funds raised during last year’s auction to enhance our science curriculum.

Thank you for helping us provide these engaging, real-world learning opportunities! Stay tuned for more adventures as we continue to expand our students’ horizons in 2025.

Interested in supporting our mission further? Join us for this year’s auction and help bring more unforgettable learning experiences to life!

Newest Donors

Clifton A. Ruppel

For a full list of donors, see the Annual Giving page on our website.

Volunteers

Auction Chair

Chris Isberg

Auction Acquisitions

Michelle Belt, Chair

Dena Nehme

Brad Styke

SMART Center Chair

Robert Schiff

SPARC Chair

Michelle Tan

Marketing

Jorge Contreras

Yearbook & Keepsake Editor

Barbara Malnar-Styke