September 10 2026 | Volume 45, Issue 01

2026-2027 SCHOOL CALENDAR

• To import this year’s school calendar to your calendar, please download this .csv file: School Calendar 2026-2027.

WELCOME BACK EARLY ELEMENTARY!

from SHARI DUDEK

Happy New School Year!  I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are ready to get back to our learning routines.  I have an exciting year planned for our Early Elementary students.

We’re changing it up for Social Studies - instead of studying various countries around the world, we are going to “stay home” and explore the United States.  Our curriculum will focus on the major regions of the USA and begins with defining the social sciences, then an introduction to the five regions we’ll study, followed by the historical people of the United States.  Next, we’ll take virtual tours of our country including a Train Tour of the Northeast, a Boat and Bus Tour of the Southeast, a Crop Duster Tour of the Midwest, a Big Rig Tour of the Southwest, and a Van and Airplane Tour of the West.  We’ll study population, geography, economy, and cities in each region.  We’ll also be able to dig a little deeper into one state in each region for a week or two (so we’ll still be able to have Food Days sometimes!).

Our core science curriculum for this year is Floating and Sinking.  Get ready to splish-splash!  Students will test a variety of items as well as same-sized cylinders of different densities to see if they float or sink.  Sometimes the answer is surprising!  We will become experts at using spring scales and we’ll construct our own hydrometers.  Toward the end of the unit, students will design rafts and boats from clay with a goal of holding a “load” of pennies.  In the spring, we’ll do a short unit on Invertebrates.  We’ll collect some creepy crawlers from outside to observe and study in the classroom.

The Early Elementary class will study a series of short novels for their afternoon literature lessons.  We will learn new vocabulary words and have meaningful discussions about the characters, their relationships, and their emotions and motivations.  Reading fiction is an essential part of learning empathy.  Research has found that people who read fiction are better able to understand the feelings of others, even those who are not like themselves.  Novels are really an exploration of what it is to be human!

Fall PE blocks for both Early and Upper Elementary will focus on basic skills of throwing, catching, batting, or kicking.  Students will also learn some group games before our yoga sessions begin in October.  Swimming lessons will take place starting in January, and we’ll close out the year once again with fencing.  We are so fortunate to have these resources available to us right in our building!

I’m looking forward to a great year!

WELCOME BACK UPPER ELEMENTARY!

from JOSHUA GILL

Welcome to a brand-new school year! I hope your family enjoyed a wonderful summer break. As a new teacher joining the school community this fall, I am so excited to step into the Upper Elementary classroom and partner with you in guiding your children through a vibrant, challenging year of growth.

In Social Studies, our focus turns inward to our nation's story as we trace the history of the United States from its earliest eras all the way to modern times. Students will step into the shoes of historical figures, analyze primary sources, and investigate the diverse people, movements, and turning points that shaped American democracy and culture.

In Science, our investigations will center on the fundamentals of energy through a hands-on study of electrical circuits. Students will work as young engineers to design, build, and troubleshoot their own working circuits—experimenting with batteries, bulbs, switches, conductors, and insulators—and gain a concrete understanding of the invisible systems powering our modern world.



During our afternoon literature blocks, we will dive into rich short story selections from around the world as well as Russell Freedman’s Newbery Medal–winning Lincoln: A Photobiography. Students will engage in collaborative, text-centered discussions that challenge them to support their interpretations with evidence, listen to differing viewpoints, and think deeply about complex human themes. Freedman’s portrait of the sixteenth president will serve as an exciting, direct bridge to our social studies curriculum through archival photographs, letters, and period documents.

For Music and Japanese, we are embracing a natural approach to acquisition that prioritizes intuitive understanding over rote memorization. In Music, we will use Conversational Solfege, guiding students to "speak" music first through singing, rhythm games, and pitch syllables before ever reading notation. A similar philosophy will guide our Japanese block using the Direct Method, where students will be immersed entirely in the target language with visual cues, real-time actions, and storytelling.

Thank you for your continuous support!

SCIENCE FAIR PREP:

Proposals Due Mon, Sep. 14th

It's that time of year again: Science Fair preparation!  On Tuesday,  each student came home with a white Science Fair folder.  Please take time to read through it.  Email or call Mrs. Dudek or Mr. Gill if you have any questions.

Ideas for experiments were discussed this week.  Your student may have some ideas written on the back of page 2.  No one is obligated to use this idea, but modifications or alternate experiments should be at a similar difficulty level.  Remember that experiments must be designed by the student and should be fairly easy to perform at home with minimal need to purchase or build items.  

The first due date is this Monday, September 14th. On this date, students should arrive at school with the Proposal Form (on p. 3) completed.  Turning it in early is encouraged!  The sooner the experiment is approved, the sooner you can get started.  One objective of this type of event is to teach our students time-management skills for long-term projects.  Staying ahead of deadlines is a valuable habit to learn.

More information about the event itself will be shared in future newsletters.

ORIENTATION DAY

Tue., Sep. 8

We were all so excited to start school and see everyone again! We also welcomed a few new members to the Steppingstone family: the Pike family, Joshua Gill as our Upper Elementary/Music/Japanese Instructor, and Ananya Pattanaik as our Faculty Chair. Like always, we kicked off with a half-day orientation followed by a pizza lunch at the shelter.

PLYMOUTH FALL FESTIVAL

Fri. - Sun., Sept. 11-13

Come Find Us!

Steppingstone will be participating in this year’s Plymouth Fall Festival this weekend (Fri. 3-9pm; Sat. 10-9pm; Sun. 10-6pm)! We will be giving out some free Steppingstone items and our SMART Center table will be doing fun science experiments throughout the weekend! If you have the time, please visit us at booth #305 on Main St. Kellogg Park area. 

If you are interested in volunteering, you can sign up here.

FIELD DAY & WELCOME PICNIC

Friday, September 18th

ACTIVITIES & HOW THEY ENRICH THE CURRICULUM: Students will learn the rules and how to play group games in the morning. They will also have a chance to bike, hike, and fly kites, which will encourage a lifelong interest in recreational sports.

DATE: Friday, September 18, 2026

ARRIVAL TIME: 9 am (NO Extended Morning Program) at Maybury State Park, Walnut Shelter (same as last year)

DEPARTURE TIME: Students stay at park until the potluck at 6:00 pm when parents will join them without being charged for Extended Day services. Please make sure that you make time to come to the picnic by 6 pm (the students will be hungry). This is the first event of the year and an important social event for your child. When they miss these events, an important social and bonding experience is lost. This is also an opportunity for new parents to meet returning parents and to have some fun!

LOCATION: Walnut Shelter, Maybury State Park

ADDRESS: 8 Mile Road, west of Beck Road

DIRECTIONS from I-275: Exit at 8-Mile Rd and go WEST. Cross Beck Road, then turn left into park (on South side of 8 Mile Rd)

CONTACT & PHONE: School Office (248) 957-8200, or teacher's cell (see planner)

MEAL ARRANGEMENTS: Pack substantial lunches (2-3 sandwiches, 5+ snacks), utensils, and 3-4 bottles of water (freeze water the night before) or juice. Students get very thirsty and hungry. Please provide hand sanitizer in your child’s lunchbox although there are bathrooms where we will be washing our hands prior to lunch. Please label all items that you wish to have returned as well as all the drinks (you'd be surprised how many water bottles go unclaimed after lunch).

APPAREL: Waterproof shoes (grass will be wet in the morning) and socks (we will be hiking in the woods), loose and weather-appropriate athletic clothing, poncho/umbrella (if it looks like rain), and a jacket/sweatshirt (if it is going to be cool). Apply bug spray & sunscreen prior to arrival.

ASSIGNMENTS: Unless otherwise noted in planner by teacher (have your child call their teacher if unsure), students must bring planner and assignments for check-in.

OTHER NEEDS: Picnic blanket or towel for Power Reading time, books of your choice, a pre-assembled kite (optional), bikes (optional) & HELMETS (if biking), $11 for parking if you're chaperoning or your MICHIGAN RECREATIONAL PASSPORT sticker (there is no charge for drop-off). If it looks like rain, please feel free to pack a deck of cards or a board game (make sure each piece is labeled with your child's name or initials) since we will be under the shelter if this happens, and an extra set of clothes because biking after the rain is wet business.

POTLUCK:  

Early Elementary: Please bring a side dish/salad/veggies to share.  

Upper Elementary: Please bring a main dish to share

The school will provide hot dogs and marshmallows for roasting.

BE SURE TO PACK: Serving utensils for your dish as well as beverages for your family.

TRIP ACTIVITIES: Group games, kite flying, bike riding, and hiking

SIGN UP FOR COMMUNITY REWARDS

FOR STEPPINGSTONE

It’s easy to enroll in Kroger’s Community Rewards Program. It takes just a few minutes to create an account and choose Steppingstone School (program number 91312) as your organization.

This is a passive fund-raiser which means you just have to sign up for Steppingstone to receive a percentage of what you spend. It costs nothing to help Steppingstone receive those dollars! … just shop as usual, and thank you!

PS. You need to renew participation each year.

Annual Giving 2026-2027

We would like to thank everyone who made an Annual Giving donation in the 2025-2027 school year.

$5,000 to $9,999

$1,000 to $4,999

$500 to $999

Fran Eldis

$100 to $499

$50 to $99

Up to $50

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

We havn't adopted out any salmon yet, but when we do, you'll see them here.