April 16 2026 | Volume 44, Issue 29

🚀Get Ready for the Galactic Gala!

— 3 Weeks Until Liftoff 🌌

The countdown is on—our 33rd Annual Benefit Auction is just three weeks away! We’re excited to welcome our community for an unforgettable evening of fun, fundraising, and flair at this year’s sci-fi themed “Galactic Gala.”

✨ Dress to Impress… Across the Galaxy!

This year’s event will feature a Costume Contest, and we encourage everyone to join in the fun! Whether you go bold or keep it simple, a touch of creativity will bring the galaxy to life.

Need some inspiration? Consider:

• Aliens, creatures, and beings of all kinds
• Smugglers, pilots, bounty hunters, and outlaws
• Galactic gangsters or mysterious travelers
• Western-inspired adventurers with a sci-fi twist

👗 Style Tips to Get You Started:

• Layer up with vests, khaki jackets, ponchos, or capes
• Add straps, belts, and goggles for that rugged explorer feel
• Channel desert planet vibes with earthy tones
• Playa-inspired looks fit right in
• Try a little face paint or a bold, alien hairstyle

You don’t need a full costume—just a few thoughtful elements can transform your look into something truly out of this world!

🎟️ Don’t Wait — Secure Your Spot Today!

Join us for an incredible evening of community, entertainment, and purpose as we support Steppingstone’s mission to serve gifted learners.

Register now and get ready to blast off into a night to remember!

PUT THIS ON YOUR BUCKET LIST:

A Silent Auction Travel Opportunity:

“Germany, Here I Come!”

If you are traveling to the Cologne, Germany area, consider spending 5 days (Thursday – Monday) with alum parent Dr. Eva Gatjen and her husband, Thomas. The hosts are extremely helpful as to where and how to visit the sites – even getting you to the train station and on the right track! Gourmet cooking is Eva and Thomas’s love – delicious and healthy. They provide daily breakfast and several dinners for a family of 5-6. If Germany is on your Bucket List, this is the place to start. Children are always welcomed. Possible dates are by mutual agreement.

KIDS’ PRE-AUCTION PARTY

Thu., April 23rd

Our students have been earning Kids' Auction Money since September. This week was our last Auction Money Week of the school year. What do they do with all of their earnings? 

Young elementary students are introduced to the concept of financial planning — 50% of their Auction Money earnings goes into a savings account and 50% goes into spending at the “Kids Pre-Auction Party.” This is the student substitute for the Annual Benefit Auction, which is limited to 8th grade graduates and older. 

This highly-anticipated event occurs next THURS, April 23rd. Popular auction items are toys, science kits, stickers, and t-shirts. The most coveted items are the certificates. These include lunch out with a teacher and a friend, teaching a lesson to your class, and canceling corrections on one assignment (not math!).

The remainder of the morning is spent playing board games and card games. We also enjoy a community fruit and veggie break! 

Around noon, we will be heading over to the Plymouth Cultural Center for our final P.E. field trip of the year - ice skating! A big thank you to Alex (Jacob’s dad) and Brad (Fin’s dad) for volunteering to help teach and support our students on the ice!

📢 Important Reminders:

✅ Thank you to the Lau, Schiff, and Nehme families for signing up to provide snack trays for the event!

✅Parents, please send a bike helmet or hockey helmet with your child on this day. Also send outerwear because it is quite chilly on the ice -- snowpants & mittens/gloves are recommended!

✅ Students are encouraged to dress according to the sci-fi theme!

MAGC Spring Conference

Sat., April 18th

ATTEND THIS CONCERT

With the Michigan Philharmonic:

"Sounds of the Pacific Rim"

Featuring Taiko Drummers & Erhu

Sun., April 26, 2026 @ 7:30 pm

At the Hawk Theater in Farmington Hills

For our students studying Mandarin, this is a wonderful opportunity to experience a part of the musical culture associated with the language. Don’t miss this chance!

There’s a crouching tiger lurking when you journey through the Pacific Rim, highlighted by China and Japan. Thrilling pieces abound, including a world premiere piece, “Hometown Reflections,” by a Chinese-American woman composer, Xiao Dong Wei, who will also perform the “erhu,” a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, sometimes called a “spike fiddle.” And you don’t want to miss the resounding "raion" of "taiko" drums from the Great Lakes Taiko Center.

Featuring:

• Crouching Tiger Concerto for Erhu and Chamber Orchestra (2000) Tan Dun (3 movements)
• Hometown Reflections (2025) Xiao Dong Wei (world premiere)
• Galloping War Horses (1970) Yaoxing Chen
• Nocturne (1958) Colin McPhee
• Folkloric Dance Suite (1987) Kaoru Wada

The concert will be held at the Hawk Theater at the Farmington Hills Community Center. For information or to buy tickets, visit:

https://michiganphil.org/concert-event/sounds-of-the-pacific-rim/.

Annual Giving 2025-2026

We would like to thank everyone who made an Annual Giving donation in the 2025-2026 school year.

$5,000 to $9,999

$1,000 to $4,999

Chong & Yong Son

Dorothea Coffin

Fran Eldis

Shuh Yuan Liou & Shau Ching Tang

Yong Pan

$500 to $999

David Liou

Hedy Zablocki

Michelle Belt

Stepping Stones Wellness Center

$100 to $499

Chris Isberg

Joanne Chang

Joyce Li

Liqun Yang

Minghung Hsu

Simon Margules

$50 to $99

James & Alicia Phillips

Kroger's

Up to $50

Jason Roder

In Memoriam of Max Roder, from Fran Eldis

In-Kind

Volunteers

Auction Chair

Barbara Malnar-Styke

Auction Acquisitions

Michelle Belt

Dena Nehme

Brad Styke

SMART Center Chair

Dr. Reef Morse

Marketing

Jorge Contreras

WISHLIST



A subscription to Highlights Children's Magazine

https://shop.highlights.com/

Donated by Barbara Malnar-Styke

OMAX 1.3MP USB 2.0 C-Mount Microscope Camrea for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux

https://omaxmicroscope.com/products/a3513u

Donated by the Schiff family



ADOPT-A-SALMON

Thank you to our Adopt-A-Salmon donors ($10 per adopted salmon):

Dorothy Linzell -- adopted Fin & Barb

Aliya -- adopted Summer & Aggro

Mrs. Coffin -- adopted Angela, Ray, Nick & George

Dr. & Mrs. Morse -- adopted Isabella, Harrison, Sawyer, Rory, Oliver, Jax, Colette, Nadia & Sophie

Jacob - adopted Waffles, Pom Pom, Blanket and Major Meowser

Francis - Delta, Ay Mi Gato, Captain Rex

Aurelia & Elijah - Amethyst & Emerald

Mr. Roder - Louis, Moses, Jerome, & Samuel

Fran Eldis - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa

Hedy Zablocki - Thateusz, Grazyna, Jeronym, Jadzia, Zbigniew