March 6, 2025 | Volume 43, Issue 25

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Fri., March 7th

BID ON AN ALUM WORK CREW!

…at the Auction, April 12th

Recent Alums have volunteered to be part of an Alum Work Crew this year.

Alums Alex, Simon, Jax, Edward & Victoria will form a Work Crew for the winning bidder on a Saturday in the Spring.  In the past, winning bidders have used their labor to do the following:

• Weed, Clear Leaves out of flower beds, Pickup sticks, Plant flowers
• Clean and Reorganize Garages
• Remove fallen trees, Stack wood for fireplaces
• Build landscape block walls
• Mow & edge, Fertilize lawns, Prune bushes & trees

Mrs. Morse says it’s a great way to complete Spring Yard Cleanup in ONE day and donate to the school auction revenues at the same time!

👉 Register Now for an Opportunity to Bid! 👈

READ THIS NEW BLOG!

"Nurturing Stronger Bonds:

The Power of Reflective Parenting"

Parenting is a journey of growth—not just for our children, but for us as well. At our recent Parent Support Forum, Dr. Ira Glovinsky shared how Reflective Parenting can help us break unhelpful patterns, strengthen emotional connections, and create a more nurturing environment for our children.

By pausing to reflect before reacting, understanding the influence of our own childhood experiences, and fostering emotional attunement, we can build deeper, more secure relationships with our kids.

Ready to transform your parenting approach? Read the full article at Steppingstone School’s Gifted Blog and start fostering stronger connections today!

DOUBLE SPIRIT DAY!

Since Mother Nature decided to prevent us from celebrating Spirit Day for January’s achievements, we honored students for both January and February this week. 

January’s High Stepper Button Design was created by Owen (pictured below). He included elements from the Lunar New Year celebration such as the gift envelope (pretend it’s red!) and the snake. We were all impressed with the detail in his drawing.

February’s High Stepper Button Design was created by Finley (pictured below)! He incorporated the Valentine holiday and our impressive snowfall for the month. His drawing includes two snowmen and a large, dangling heart in between.

Coincidentally, Finley is also our High Stepper for February (pictured below)! He arrived at school on time each day with all of the previous day’s work completed. Congratulations, Finley!

RUNNER OF THE MONTH

It is a bit difficult to run laps in snow boots, so usually we don’t have a Runner of the Month in the winter months. However, in February, Owen (pictured below) ran two extra laps around the perimeter of the tennis courts. Why? He wanted to encourage someone. What a good friend!

SPECIAL GUESTS

As always, we welcome parents and any special guests to join us for lunch on Spirit Days. This month, we had Owen and Vera’s mom (pictured far left) join us for lunch along with Finley Styke’s great grandma (pictured far right)!

ATTEND THE MAPLEFEST!

Weekend Fun at Tollgate:

Sat. & Sun., 8:30 am - 1 pm

Attend this event for Weekend Fun!

Learning activities include:

• How to make your own Maple Syrup
• Tapping your own tree
• Touring the Sugar Shack

Enjoy the "All You Can Eat” Pancake Breakfast in the picturesque 19th century barn, including savory sausage, and of course, plenty of Maple Syrup! Also, enjoy …

• Exploration of the Sugar Bush
• A scenic wagon ride
• Farm Activities & the Animal Barn
• Gift Shopping in the Greenhouse 
• Purchasing Maple Syrup Products made by the 4-H Students

Click here for more information and to register for attendance! $18 in advance or $20 at the door. Free for children under 2 yrs.

SOCIAL STUDIES EXPO

Thursday, April 3, 2025

This year's Social Studies Expo is quickly approaching! We have four weeks to finish our preparations. Fact cards and outlines are in full swing. Students are beginning to plan illustrations for their boards, which will be completed at school. 

In an effort to reduce parent responsibilities for this event, most work will be completed during the school day. Home responsibilities are the 3D project and rehearsing presentations (more on the latter to come).

To keep everyone on track, we are requesting a progress photo of your child's 3D project due Monday, March 10th, via text or email. This photo can be anything from the supplies collected to the partially made item to a completed project. Whatever stage you're at is fine, as long as you at least have your materials so that projects can be started. These next four weeks will go by quickly, so don't wait to get started on your projects if you haven't yet.

After presentations are completed on the night of the event, we will enjoy refreshments and social time. Please bring a dish to share (finger foods are great, but not essential). We highly encourage ethnic dishes for this event! Be sure to bring your own serving ware labeled with your family name.

The students have chosen great topics. Our Social Studies Expo promises to be interesting and informative!

FINE ARTS FEST

May 15th: Polynesian Paradise

It's still several weeks out, but we want to give you ample time to find a shirt that fits our theme. Attire for this performance should be fun tropical tops such as Hawaiian shirts, hibiscus flower prints, palm trees, Moana t-shirts, etc. No costumes, please.  

WILD WEATHER

The Early Elementary class wrapped up their study of weather and climate patterns. As a fun culminating activity, they all tapped into their inner Jim Cantore. Students designed posters and presented them as a weather forecast, just like on TV!

Newest Donors

Mark Mondrusov

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