Newsletter Volume 44, Number 13 @ 12-04-25

November 13, 2025 | Volume 44, Issue 11

Table of Contents

THANK YOU for Making GivingTuesday a Success!
FINAL CALL - Two Weeks Left for Early Bird Auction Tickets!
Stay Warm and Play On: Winter Wear Reminder!
Get Ready for Winterfest Magic!
Spirit Day
Namaste, Nepal
Tinsel and Treasures - Handcrafters Holiday Craft Fair at PARC Fri., Dec. 12 - Sat., Dec. 13

Upcoming Events

THURS, Dec 11

NO PM EXTENDED DAY

7:00 pm, Winterfest & Drawing

FRI, Dec 12

NO SCHOOL, TEACHER WORKDAY

FRI, Dec 22 - FRI, Jan 2 (corrected, please note)

NO SCHOOL, WINTER BREAK

THANK YOU for Making

GivingTuesday a Success!

We are deeply grateful for your incredible generosity during our GivingTuesday campaign. Together, with the support of our community and matching partner Stepping Stones Wellness Center, we achieved something extraordinary!

✨ Thanks to you, we raised a total of $7,620!

This incredible contribution will go a long way in supporting our mission to nurture and inspire our students. Your commitment to making a difference in their lives is truly inspiring.

Thank you for your kindness, generosity, and unwavering support.

📣 Let’s continue building a brighter future, one step at a time!

FINAL CALL - Two Weeks Left

for Early Bird Auction Tickets!

The clock is ticking! There’s just TWO WEEKS left to snag your early bird tickets for our 33rd Annual Benefit Auction: “Galactic Gala”! Don’t miss your chance to save on this incredible night of fun, food, and philanthropy.

Early Bird Pricing (Ends December 19, 2025):

Individual Tickets: $75
Table for 10: $750

After December 19, ticket prices will increase to $85 per person and $850 for a table of 10. Lock in your savings today and be part of this unforgettable evening!

Every ticket purchased supports our mission to provide exceptional education for gifted students.

Don’t Wait—Early Bird Pricing Ends December 19!

SECURE YOUR TICKETS HERE AND START PLANNING YOUR COSTUME!

STAY WARM & PLAY ON:

Winter Wear Reminder!

As winter settles in, it’s essential to ensure your children have the right outdoor gear for their daily fresh air breaks. Please check that your student brings the following items to school each day:

Insulated Jackets
Waterproof Mittens/Gloves
Hats & Scarves
Insulated Snow Pants
Insulated Boots

Students enjoy outdoor time every day unless it’s raining. These fresh-air breaks are vital for helping them recharge and focus during afternoon enrichment activities.

Even on bitterly cold days, students will head outside for a brief walk-around, but rest assured - our teachers feel the chill before the kids do and will keep outdoor time short if necessary.

Let’s keep our students warm and ready to learn!

GET READY FOR

WINTERFEST MAGIC!

Our students have been working hard this fall to present at our annual Winterfest, held next Thursday, December 12th. Mark your calendars and join us for a night of music, dance, and community fun at Winterfest!

When: Thursday, December 11th at 7 PM

Where: Classroom

✨ What to Expect:

Song Performances: Yes, they’ll be singing!
Individual Talent Acts: Be ready to cheer for some amazing solo moments.
Foreign Language Demonstrations: See how students are mastering their foreign language skills.

Student Attire:

Black pants (or a black skirt for young ladies, if preferred)
A solid-color top in a bright shade like red, green, purple, or blue (no pastels, please).
Please choose something polished—no T-shirts!

Arrival Time:

To ensure a smooth evening, please arrive by 6:45 PM. The show will start promptly at 7 PM, and you don’t want to miss a moment!

Bring a Treat to Share:

Let’s make this a festive community event! We’re asking each family to bring light snacks to share—fruit, veggies, crackers, cheese, or cookies are all great options.

📣 We can’t wait to see you there! Let’s make this Winterfest a night to remember.

SPIRIT DAY

HIGH-STEPPING STUDENTS

Today we acknowledged our November achievers during Spirit Day Lunch. We are SO excited to share that we had TWO High-Steppers last month! This award is given to students who arrive on time each day with all of the previous day's work completed for the entire month. Congratulations to Jacob (pictured right) and Aliya (pictured left) for their achievement!

Each month we have a contest for our High-Stepper button design. For the November theme we had several submissions with turkeys, fall leaves, and even one rainy day. These were all quite fitting for November! We decided upon the design made by Finley (pictured above middle), shown here. Congratulations, Finley!

RUNNER OF THE MONTH

There was some tough competition on the track in November to earn the coveted Runner of the Month award. Most students ran at least one extra lap, while a couple ran more than 20 extra! *WHEW* that's a lot of running! Congratulations to our "runner"-up, Jacob, who ran a total of 65 laps (20 above the requirement for 16.25 miles), and our winner, Aliya, who ran a total of 71 laps (26 extra) in November. That's a total of 17.75 miles! WOW!

We welcomed Finley's mom, Aliya’s mom, and Jacob’s parents for lunch today!

NAMASTE, NEPAL

This week, the Early Elementary class finished up their study of Nepal. After making our own mini-Himalayas (complete with colorful flags to mark base camp) in the previous lesson, we focused on language and food. The written Nepali language uses Devanagari script, which we all found to be quite interesting and beautiful. A calming video showed us how to properly form each of the 46 characters. We practiced each one twice!

Next it was time to cook Nepal's most common dish, daal bhaat. This is a lentil soup served over rice. The Nepali people eat this meal daily with curried vegetables. Try this hearty dish at home this weekend!

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons ghee or oil
1 onion chopped finely
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 " piece of ginger grated
1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup red lentils washed
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 cups cooked white rice to serve with dal.

Instructions

Heat the ghee or oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions until translucent but not brown.
Turn the heat to low and add in the garlic, ginger, crushed coriander seeds, red chili powder and turmeric. Stir to combine for about 3 minutes or so.
Add in the red lentils and mix well with the onion mixture.
Add in the water and bring it to a boil add in the salt and reduce heat to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the are tender. Stir in the fresh cilantro and remove from heat.
Serve with white boiled or steamed rice

Tinsel and Treasures - Handcrafters Holiday Craft Fair

At PARC Fri., Dec. 12 - Sat., Dec. 13

Handcrafters Tinsel and Treasures show is just around the corner!

With 100+ vendors, you’ll discover handmade gifts, festive décor, gourmet treats, and unique artisan finds, all in one place. If you enjoyed Handcrafters Fall Fair, you're going to love this one, too!

This event will be on Friday, December 12th, 2025 from 11 am to 6 pm, and on Saturday December 13th, 2025 from 9 am to 4 pm.

Handcrafters is partnering with Christmas in Plymouth to make it easy for guests to explore both events. A FREE shuttle will run from the Burroughs Complex on Plymouth Rd to downtown Plymouth, and a trolley will circulate through downtown with convenient stops near PARC, connecting visitors to shopping, dining, and holiday activities.

Address for shuttle parking:

Burroughs, 41100 Plymouth Rd, Plymouth, MI, 48170

(runs continuously between the Burroughs lot and PARC during show hours)