November 6, 2025 | Volume 44, Issue 10

PREPARE YOUR STUDENTS

for the SCIENCE FAIR

Thu., Nov. 13, 7 PM

Our Science Fair is coming up on Thursday, November 13th at 7 pm. The presentations will be done in the classroom. Please make sure you arrive by 6:45 pm so that students can prepare and parents can view all the projects.

ATTIRE: Since this is a formal presentation, it would be appropriate for BOYS to wear dress pants with a button shirt or dressy sweater and nice shoes. Please no jeans, gym shoes/shorts, or t-shirts. Appropriate dress for GIRLS is dresses (not party dresses), skirts, dress slacks with blouses or sweaters, and nice shoes. We'd like the students to experience academic presentation behavior, which includes appropriate clothing for an academic audience.

PRESENTATIONS: Students will present their topics and explain what they’ve learned, followed by a brief question and answer period before we move on to the next presenter. Everyone should take boards and projects home unless they have been selected for year-long display.

OTHER: Parents, please leave electronics (iPads, etc.) at home as this is one of the planned socializing opportunities for students.

REFRESHMENTS:  Please bring finger food to share after the presentations have concluded.  Be sure to mark your dishes with your name.  Please avoid using tree nuts as we have a nut allergy in our Steppingstone family.

DRESS FOR THE WINTER WEATHER

Parents, please make sure your students bring appropriate outdoor Winter Wear. As the temperature drops and winter weather arrives, they will need:

• Insulated Jackets
• Waterproof Mittens or Gloves
• Hats & Scarves
• Insulated Snow Pants
• Insulated Boots

Unless it’s raining, students go outdoors every day. The fresh air break helps them focus on the afternoon enrichment classes.

If it’s bitterly cold, they still go outdoors, but sometimes just for a walk-around. Be assured that teachers get cold before students so they will not be outdoors too long.

SALMON IN THE CLASSROOM

The “Adopt-A-Salmon” program is an annual fundraising program where anyone may adopt a salmon through the Salmon in the Classroom program. Mr. Liou will be picking up salmon eggs next week! Adopters will have an opportunity to release their salmon around March.

SIC, or Salmon in the Classroom, is a community service project for our students, coordinated by the DNR.

NOVEMBER SPIRIT DAY

HIGH-STEPPING STUDENTS

Each month, our students each design a themed button for our High-Stepper award.  Our winner for October is Finley (pictured below)!  His submission included pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, a bat, and even a crater-filled moon.  Congratulations, Finley!

Our only High-Stepper for October is Jacob (pictured below)!  He arrived on time each day with all of the previous day's work completed.  Aliya was an Honorable Mention, missing the award by just one day.  Keep it up, Jacob and Aliya!

RUNNER OF THE MONTH

Each day at recess, students run laps around the track.  Second grade and up run four laps, which is equal to a mile.  First graders and younger are only required to run three laps, but they often choose to run four.

We have one Runner of the Month for October!  First-grader Jacob (pictured below) ran 11 extra laps for a total of 17 miles for the month. Way to go, Jacob!

SPECIAL GUESTS

As always, students’ parents or relatives are welcome to join us for lunch. Today, we were joined by Finley’s mom & great-grandma!

WONDERFUL WRITING

In October, our focus in Writing class was poetry. There were three very nice poems that we decided were worthy of Writer of the Month, so we have a 3-way tie! 

We tried our hand at a few different styles, but acrostic poems seemed to be the favorite. Our first two winners wrote poems of this style.

First-grader Aliya was inspired by the blue heron puzzle built by the Early Elementary class. 

Has blue feathers

Eats fish

Really big bird

One long beak

Needs to hunt in the water

Nice work, Aliya!

Our second acrostic poem was written by a third-grade budding musician, Finley.

Guitar is fun

Untuned is bad

IT was fun taking lessons

A six-stringed instrument

Ready to play a song

This poem rocks, Fin!

Our final style of poetry was freeform, and first-grader Jacob was able to transport us to Ireland as he remembered his trip there.

BIKING IN IRELAND

I biked 100 kilometers on gravel roads in Ireland

The hills were grassy and green

Sheep were grazing

They seemed bored

I tried to communicate with them in their language

I heard them say "Baaa!"

We biked on all the warm, sunny days

We biked on a rainy day, too

It drizzled on my hair

I can imagine the rolling green hills with lots of sheep! Nice job, Jacob!

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

Fran Eldis

$500 to $999

$100 to $499

$50 to $99

James & Alicia Phillips

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