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Inside Billings
April 30, 2026
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Congratulations to our Billings Soup Ultimate Frisbee team on their Championship win at the DiscNW Spring Reign Tournament, held April 25–26 at Skagit River Park!
Their dedication, teamwork, and positive attitudes carried them through an incredible tournament and brought the trophy home. What an amazing achievement for our student athletes and a proud moment for the Billings community!
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | Spirit Week is a vibrant celebration of school spirit, giving students the opportunity to show pride in their community while adding creativity, energy, and fun to each day. Through themed dress-up days and shared experiences, students build connections, strengthen a sense of belonging, and contribute to the positive culture that defines our school. | | The final theme tomorrow, 5/1, will be Pajama Day. | | |
Every Monday at All School Meeting (ASM), our students do more than just gather—they recognize one another. Through Core Value Award nominations, students celebrate peers who embody what it means to be part of our community.
From individuality and creativity to collaboration and integrity, from inclusivity and social justice to exploration, intellectual challenge, and fun—these values aren’t just words on a wall. They show up in everyday actions, big and small.
It’s a powerful reminder that who we are is shaped not only by what we learn, but by how we show up for each other. Speaking of showing up, we had a very special guest join us on Monday at ASM - Nick Cofod, our incoming Head of School, dropped in to say hello!
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Faculty Update: Kruthi Isola, Spanish teacher, shared an update with our community about her plans for next year:
"I will be leaving Billings at the end of this school year to move closer to family for personal reasons. I’ve really valued my time here and feel grateful to have worked with such a supportive community of students, families and colleagues for the past two years. Thank you for all your support!"
We are so grateful that Kruthi has shared her love of Spanish language and culture with students and community for the past two years. Her ofrenda altar project to honor deceased loved ones on el Día de los Muertos is an example of impactful ways in which she combined language acquisition and hands-on learning. Kruthi has been a great colleague as well, and has volunteered to sub in just about every class at Billings. We will miss her, and wish her the very best with her move and plans for the future.
Spring Fling Permission Form
We are excited for the upcoming spring celebration on Friday, May 1 from 6-8pm! Like the winter celebration, this event will have dancing, games, and a "calmer" room for board games and a movie. A full dinner will not be provided, but there will be food and drinks for students to enjoy. If your child is attending, please complete the permission form and return via email or a copy to the Front Office.
i-Ready
Students will complete their 3rd and final i-Ready assessment of the year during the first half of May, depending on the grade level. 8th grade math and reading will begin next week with alternating days. We will schedule make-up sessions for students who are unable to complete the diagnostic in the allotted time. You will receive your child’s results after teachers have reviewed them, typically within two weeks after the last diagnostic is administered.
Pinehurst Light Rail Construction Updates
Please monitor the road closures and traffic flow near campus as the construction projects have been progressing closer to our campus and updates are made weekly HERE.
Details of the overall project may be found HERE.
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- Spring Dance: May 1, 6:00-8:00pm
- 7th Grade Backpacking Trip: May 6-8
- 8th Grade Backpacking Trip: May 18-22
- 6th Grade Overnight Trip: May 20-22
- NO SCHOOL: Monday, May 25
- 8th Grade Parent Dinner: Wednesday, May 27
- End-of-Year Conferences: Friday, May 29
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See our full calendar below:
Community Calendar
| Billings Family Association | |
Monthly BFA Meeting Tomorrow 5/1
The BFA meeting follows Friday morning coffee! All are invited to come grab a cup, meet other Billings family members, and get the latest school and BFA news.
LGBTQ+ Families Social This Saturday
Are you or your child in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community? You are invited to a potluck hosted by Billings parent Shannon Otto this Saturday 5/2! Our goal is to foster intergenerational community relationships and enjoy some good food and fun together. Email Shannon to RSVP.
Family Help with May Faculty Appreciation Week
The week of May 11-15, we will observe Faculty Appreciation Week! We are asking all families to contribute messages of appreciation for staff. If you’re able, please also sign up to help with the planned celebration activities. Thank you!
Save the Date: Family Camping Trip in October
Mark your calendar for the Billings family camping trip at Rasar State Park this October 2-4, 2026! Plan to join for the whole weekend or whenever it works for you. This is a parent-organized event, and all Billings families are welcome. More info coming soon!
Parenting Resources
The Family Tech Reset: Hope and Help for Rebuilding Connection, with Andrea Davis, educator and founder of Better Screen Time
May 12, 12-1pm
Register here for this webinar from ParentMap and Seattle Children’s on charting a slow-tech path that prioritizes family connection.
How to Talk to Youth about Alcohol & Vaping, with Ray Lozano of Prevention Plus
May 19, 12-1pm
Register here for this free webinar from PNW Parent Education on teen alcohol and vaping use.
| | Next week, 6th graders will start ramping up their awareness and preparation for our Mt. St. Helens Frontcountry Trip (May 20th-22nd). In science, they are already learning about the region’s geology and the effects of the eruptions decades ago (many of which are still very conspicuous today). In advisories, we’ll start discussing the logistics of the trip. Students will learn about the main activities, meal options, and review their packing lists. The following week will include some hands-on practice with group supplies, tents, etc. Students will learn their tent groups the day before the trip. Please check Nathan’s email (sent on April 23rd) for important due dates for gear requests, permission forms, and medications. | | We are so excited for the 7th grade Baker Lake Backpacking Trip next week! In preparation for their first backpacking experience, we will be taking the 7th graders off campus to North Acres park on Tuesday (5/5). Students do not need any school supplies on this day, but they do need all of their backpacking gear and a packed lunch! On Wednesday, we have a two hour drive to the mountains followed by several miles of hiking. As a result, we are looking to get on the road early to ensure we make it to camp at a reasonable time. Please ensure your student is here by 8:30 with a packed lunch for the day. Packs will be staying at school on Tuesday night. | | |
As 8th graders are gearing up for the Coast Trip at the end of May, please check your emails for important trip reminders. Coast Trip forms are due by May 8th. Additionally, students have their first pack check this Friday, May 1st. Please support the 8th graders by making sure they have gone through the full packing list. Students should be bringing in all items that they do not need to borrow for the trip. Please email Nathan if you have any pack check or trip specific questions.
This week Dean Rob started talking to the 8th graders about their Graduation Capstones! Remember that 8th grade graduation is on Tuesday, June 9th. We will have a graduation celebration day with students on Friday, June 5th. This will be an extended schedule day that goes beyond normal school hours. More details to follow.
| | 6th grade artists have continued their exploration of the Elements of Art in learning all about value. They've been practicing shading skills, and are now putting it all to the test with an optical illusion drawing! They have a choice of five designs (or one they research themselves) and are beginning to draw and shade their designs to create convincing three-dimensional shapes and patterns. Next, we'll be leaping into color! | 7th grade designers learned about unity, harmony, variety, and the relationships between the three this week, and have started designing a "unified" bedroom with a limited, harmonious color scheme, and plenty of variety in the objects and textures they use to decorate it. On Wednesday, we took a brief interlude to enjoy the beautiful weather with some chalk drawing, weaving, and work time on their designs. When we come back from the trip, they'll begin constructing their rooms in 3D, using real fabric and other found objects to bring their designs to life! | | |
8th grade art historians have been exploring protest art and zines this quarter! They began by tracing the origin of zines back to literary magazines in the Harlem Renaissance, then practiced disciplinary literacy skills by analyzing classic protest artworks and the way artists communicate messages visually. Now, students are designing their own zines that relate to a cause they care about, which will be stocked in the local pop-up zine shop, Paper Pushers– where the proceeds from each zine will go to a relevant nonprofit organization of their choice. Later this year, we'll visit Paper Pushers in person!
The 6th graders have begun to learn all about Geology in Science class. The Geology unit encompasses Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, The Rock Cycle and so much more. Students are becoming mini geologists themselves in preparation for the upcoming Mt St Helens trip at the end of May. Students will apply their geology knowledge in field activities during the trip. Please make sure to get all trip forms completed and turned in by their deadlines for this exciting opportunity.
In 8th grade, students have completed their first Physics unit of the year and are now learning about Waves. Students recently completed a sound waves lab in which they experimented with different sounds to see what types of waves they could produce. Next week, students will start learning about light waves and the visible light spectrum.
The 6th graders have continued their ELA unit on The Outsiders by studying Robert Frost’s poem Nothing Gold Can Stay:
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
After analyzing the deeper meaning of “Gold” and discussing how it relates to the protagonist in The Outsiders, students wrote their own Frost-inspired versions, tapping into different themes including childhood, youth, and innocence, all which, 6th graders determined, are fleeting.
In 7th grade, students recently selected their Spring Choice books and have been working in small Literature Circles reading and discussing the books together. The Essential Question of the unit is, “How do individuals respond to injustice, challenge power, and define leadership in difficult circumstances?” The books include Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, and the Graphic Novel March (books 1, 2 & 3) by John Lewis. Currently, 7th graders are creating Theme Symbol Collages that visually represent major ideas in their choice book.
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Spring 2026 BIPOC Voice Summit
The Art of Becoming: Reshaping Ourselves
and the Spaces We Lead
This retreat creates space for educators to step away from the daily demands of school life to pause, reflect, and reconnect with their leadership during challenging times in which we are caring for students in community with one another. Through community-building, guided reflection, dialogue, and creative practices, participants will explore how intentional, healing-centered leadership can deepen belonging in schools. Facilitators will lead experiences that reconnect participants to their purpose, strengthen relationships, and highlight their impact as educators and administrators. Participants will leave with new insights, resources, and a renewed sense of grounding for their leadership. Join us and learn more about our Presenters.
May 1, 2026
8:30am— 2:30pm
Hamlin Robinson School
1701 20th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144
Free for POCIS NW member schools
RSVP Here by April 20
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Hands-on, social, and screen-free.
Register at squirrellyworkshop.com (spots are limited, invite a friend!).
Located in NE Seattle at: 5414 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105.
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Executive Function Workout!
Join me (Greg: Director of The Learning Center at Billings) for a regular morning EF workout from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM on Mondays. Developing EF, or Executive Function, requires the exercise of the brain in specific ways. Drop in on any Monday morning to share stories and explore strategies for strengthening our EF muscles and by extension, that of our students.
Think of EF (Executive Function) as the CEO of the brain, helping us improve our self-regulation and aid our ability to make both short and long-term plans that enhance our performance in many aspects of our life. At a middle school pragmatic level this includes things like: doing your nightly HW, working on long term projects, or doing chores around the house. This is not a class. This is an opportunity to share collective wisdom. While 30 plus years as a middle school educator has certainly allowed me to garner some wisdom, I am really a facilitator on Monday mornings. Regular attendance is not a prerequisite. I don't need advanced notice. Drop in as you are able.
We will be meeting in person in Mercury during advisory and the beginning of first period. If you do not want to attend in person and prefer Zoom, let me know and I will send you a recurring Zoom link. Masks are not required but can be worn upon request.
And if Monday mornings are not a viable option for you but you want to learn more, don't hesitate to e-mail me, and let's find time to chat 1-1.
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