Newsletter Volume 44, Number 5

October 2, 2025 | Volume 44, Issue 5

Table of Contents

First Spirit Day! Thu., Oct. 2rd
Smile! Picture Day Thu., Oct 9th
Mark your Calendars! Parent Conferences Fri., Oct 10th
Donate Candy for Pumpkin Palooza Sun., Oct. 19, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Ojibwe Cuisine
Plan to Attend the Friends of the Rouge Fall Fest
Handcrafts at the PARC

Upcoming Events

THURS, Oct 9

9 am, School Picture Day

FRI, Oct 10

NO SCHOOL

Parent-Teacher Conferences

SAT, Oct 18

11 am - 1 pm, Friends of the Rouge Fall Fest

SUN, Oct 19

11:30 am - 2:30 pm, Pumpkin Palooza

THURS, Oct 23

7 pm, SPARCler #2: "How to Emotionally Support Gifted Children"

FRI, Oct 31

9 am, Literary Character Day & Bowling (at Super Bowl)

FIRST SPIRIT DAY!

Thu., Oct. 2nd

Today we held our first Spirit Day Celebration of the 2025-26 school year, recognizing student achievements in the month of September. Those who remembered to wear Steppingstone gear got an extra $50 in Kids Auction Money!

HIGH-STEPPER AWARD

To become a High-Stepper, the student must arrive at school on time each day, be in their seat at 9AM, and have all of the previous day's assignments completed for the entire month. This award is not easy to earn! CONGRATULATIONS to Jacob, our September High-Stepper (pictured left below)! Finley was an Honorable Mention, having missed the achievement by just one day. Keep up the good work!

Each month, students design a button for our High-Stepper award. We focus on what comes to mind when we think about a certain month. For September, we might think of Labor Day, the first day of school, school supplies, or a visit to an apple orchard. Our winner this time was Aliya (pictured right above). Her depiction of apples falling from the trees makes you want to chomp into a crisp, sweet Gala! CONGRATULATIONS, ALIYA!

High-Steppers keep their colored button upon award. Designers will receive their white buttons at our end-of-the-year Awards Ceremony and Potluck.

RUNNER OF THE MONTH

Each day at recess, students run laps to get some exercise and warm up before playing the game of the week. Kindergarten and 1st graders are required to run 3 laps (3/4 mile) while second grade and up run a full mile. Often, students will decide to run some extra laps in hopes of becoming our Runner of the Month. It was pretty close, but Aliya came out on top with 67.5 laps, totaling 16.88 miles for the month. That's a little more than 10 extra laps. Jacob was an Honorable Mention with 66.5 laps. CONGRATULATIONS, RUNNERS!

On Spirit Day, students' parents or relatives are welcome to join us for lunch. Today, we were joined by Francis’ aunt (all the way from South Korea!), Finley’s mom & great-grandma, and Aliya’s grandma & sister!

SMILE!

PICTURE DAY

Thu., Oct. 9th

School Picture Day is next Thursday, October 9th. Order forms were sent home in your child’s planner. Please return by Monday, October 6th. Earlier is fine, too!

All students will be photographed for the yearbook, even if no prints are ordered.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

PARENT CONFERENCES

Fri., Oct. 10th

Parent Conferences are next Friday, October 10th. A yellow confirmation slip was sent home in your child’s planner with your conference time.

DONATE CANDY for

PUMPKIN PALOOZA

Sun., Oct. 19, 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Steppingstone will be participating in Plymouth’s annual Pumpkin Palooza again and is asking for candy donations to support this community event. Donations can be dropped off during school hours.

We are also looking for volunteers to help pass out candy and collateral during this event. Thank you to those who have already signed up to volunteer! A reminder will be sent closer to the event date.

OJIBWE CUISINE

This week, the Early Elementary class wrapped up their study of the Ojibwe people. We heard about how they live today on reservations and in our communities. Traditions are very important and a new generation is keeping the language and dances of their ancestors alive. Maybe one day, you can attend an Ashinabe (Ojibwe) powwow! The public is often invited to these events to learn about Ashinabe culture.

We were able to make our own version of Three Sisters Soup (pictured above)! The "three sisters" are corn, beans, and squash. These crops grow together and support one another, just like sisters. We sauteed some garlic, chopped up zucchini and yellow squash, and added corn and beans. The recipe found here is just one of many for Three Sisters Soup. Try it at home!

https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/three-sisters-soup-recipe/

Next, it was time for dessert! The Ojibwe make Popped Wild Rice (pictured above) for a special treat. All you need is some vegetable oil, uncooked wild rice, butter, and maple syrup for sweetness.

Warm 2T vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 c of wild rice. Swirl and stir until the kernels expand and pop. Toss with butter, maple sugar or syrup, and salt. It's crunchy goodness!

PLAN TO ATTEND THE

Friends of the Rouge Fall Fest

Come join the Friends of the Rouge at the South Parking Lot @ Ford Field Park in Dearborn for their Fall Fest! The event will be on Saturday, October 18th, and runs from 11 am to 1 pm.

Enjoy decorations from the Haunted Paddle, toast s’mores, and connect with Friends and Partners at interactive tents!

This year we are proud to offer interactive exhibits from: the Mobile Learning Center from Metro Parks, the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, the University of Michigan-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center, and more!

This family-friendly event is FREE. Costumes are optional. Enjoy the excitement of the Lower Rouge River Water Trail.

HANDCRAFTS AT THE PARC

As of this year, Plymouth's Handcrafters Handmade Market days will now be held at the PARC! The first market day at the PARC will be Sunday, October 5th, from 11 am to 5 pm, and there is a $4 admission charge.

For more information, you can find Handcrafters Market's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/HandcraftersMarkets.