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Inside Billings
December 18, 2025
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | The end of the fall term invites both reflection and celebration. Over the past months, our students have challenged themselves academically, supported one another, and strengthened the sense of community that makes our school so special. As we head into the winter break, we are thankful for our families and faculty whose partnership supports our students’ continued growth. | | |
Mike on the Mic 🎤
Dear Billings Families,
As the 2025 calendar year winds to a close, I continue to be filled with gratitude for the generosity and support of the Billings community. A reminder that school will reopen on Tuesday, January 6th.
I’m already looking forward to the Billings Annual Celebration and Fundraising Dinner which will be on Friday, March 6th from 6-9 pm at Billings! We will have more details in 2026, so stay tuned!
Thanks to parent volunteers, Nadia and Gertrude were transformed last night into a special celebration venue for our annual Faculty Appreciation Dinner. It was an evening of laughter, appreciation, and reflection about this magical community and the importance of our work and the joy in helping your children grow. I’m also thankful for Laurie Alexander for her leadership with our Billings Family Association and the many volunteers who have donated their time and talent this fall. I look forward to so many more connections in 2026.
I’m also grateful for the generous gifts from our faculty, board, almost every current family and so many alumni families to support our Annual Fund. I’m emotionally touched by a number of families who have stretched their family budgets with their donation amounts and a number of alumni families (some from 20 years ago!), that have shared their stories of why they continue to support Billings. Thank you for your support and it is indicative of the power of a community that is involved and supporting our transformative mission.
I hope that you all have a restful and restorative winter break with special time with loved ones.
See you on Tuesday, January 6th!
Mike
| Metro 75 Bus Update/Light Rail Afternoon Carpool | |
Mike had a number of conversations with the City of Seattle over the last several weeks regarding the sudden and long-term change to the snow route for the Metro 75 bus. Unfortunately, there will be no change to the route until later in 2026 when construction is complete.
In the meantime, we are very thankful that several families have stepped up to drive afternoon carpools to the Northgate Light Rail Station. If you are interested in helping to drive students or if your child needs a ride, please email Mike to alert him and also fill out this survey. We need another driver on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Finally, please see this Metro Route 75 Detour Flyer specifically for Billings families from Drue Nyenhuis, that includes walking routes. Families can also subscribe to the project listserv to get the latest construction updates - you can find the NE 130th St & NE 125th St Mobility and Safety project under the “walking & biking” category.
| | We’ve had such a wonderful term with the 6th grade community, with so many great memories from the classroom, off-campus trips, and other activities! Ask your child about their personal highlights from the fall term and what they enjoyed during our Cocoa Lounge holiday party today. Over break, please check out the collection of photos from the term in our school SmugMug gallery. | 7th graders had their “secret snowflake” celebration this morning! In addition to exchanging gifts, students also wrote anonymous appreciation letters to each other and positive vibes abound! We’re so proud of the 7th grade and we’re excited to embark on the winter term when we return in January. We will be changing up the class sections in the new year to give students a chance to connect with different people and we are excited to have students participating in new arts groupings for the winter production! | | |
8th grade ELA students are wrapping up the term with readings from Unit 4 and its Essential Question: “What will people risk to be free?”. They read and discussed personal narrative genres, with examples from an excerpt from Frederick Douglass’ autobiography; the poem “O’Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman; an excerpt from a Harriet Tubman biography, and an article about a college student who was recently deported. Students are responding with creative projects that illustrate a specific freedom using symbols or metaphors that convey the risks and the rewards of obtaining it.
6th, 7th & 8th grade Vocal classes began singing songs in the latter half of the term.
6th graders learned a portion of Iko Iko, a song in the Zydeco genre that is especially popular in New Orleans and Louisiana. The song is a great introduction to a little more challenging call and response singing and singing harmonies.
7th & 8th graders learned the song Wondering Home. It brought out a dynamic soloist, and was enjoyed so much that those new to singing said they had fun singing!
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In PE, all grades have enjoyed time on our climbing wall. Special shout outs to 6th graders who are courageously completing their first autobelay climbs and to a handful of 8th grade students who recently earned their rope-belaying certification. It’s also been great to see a few staff members on the wall with students. We’ve also started a focus on boxing fundamentals in 7th and 8th grade PE. Students are practicing proper stance, footwork, and a variety of punching and defensive techniques.
We’re wrapping up our long unit on ratios and unit rates in 6th grade Math. Some of the themes we studied (fraction, decimal, and percentage conversions) will also be essential when we start our next unit on dividing fractional values in January. If students are interested in any optional enrichment over break, they can look for challenging activities posted on their Delta Math accounts or play the various math games linked in our Google Classroom.
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🎓 Deans on the Scene ✒️
Grade reports and Winter Schedule
Teachers are finalizing fall grades and writing narrative summaries for their students. Please remember that these reports will be emailed over the break by Monday, December 29. While teachers enjoy a break and time with family or friends, please contact April for any urgent questions or concerns that need to be addressed before we return to school in January.
Winter Term begins Tuesday, January 6 and ends Friday, March 27. Please see the attached Winter Schedule. There are a few unique features built into Winter Term to support experiential learning and executive functioning. Thursdays are snowshoeing trips, so please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for cold weather and snow. The rotating schedule for snowshoeing has 8th graders off campus every Thursday and 6th and 7th graders every other Thursday. We offer an additional Arts Block that includes 6th graders. 7th graders enjoy a few additions, including a Climbing period on Fridays, Office Hours on Wednesdays, and an ELA tutorial period every other Thursday.
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🏫 Admissions 👨👩👧👦
Dear Billings Families,
It has been wonderful to see your students thrive and grow since we began classes in September. As we head into the final weeks before our new-student admissions deadline, your voice and perspective are more important than ever for prospective families.
If you are willing, a brief online review can make a meaningful difference in helping families understand the unique, supportive environment we’ve built together. If you’ve had a positive experience at Billings, we would be grateful for a moment of your time to share it. Below are a few links where an updated parent review would be especially helpful:
Thank you again for being such an integral part of our community. We’re looking forward to a joyful and inspiring Winter Term but for now, enjoy the break!
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🖥️Business Office💼
Hello Billings Families,
A brief reminder that if you are currently receiving Tuition Assistance, you need to re-apply every year. The Tuition Assistance portal is currently open. Please apply through our Clarity App HERE Your application needs to be completed and submitted no later than February 1st, 2026. We ask that you apply sooner rather than later so we have ample time to review your application.
If your child is a scholarship award recipient, you do not need to re-apply. That award is valid for your student's entire time at Billings as long as they continue full participation in our program, maintaining strong academic standing, and adherence to the policies outlined in our Student Handbook.
Agreements for the 2026-27 school year will be sent out via Clarity on or before Friday, February 27th.
You are welcome to email or call me directly if you have any questions,
Joan Krussel
joank@billingsmiddleschool.org
206.412.5626
| | Billings Family Association | | |
As Winter Break approaches and we look forward to time with family and friends, it’s a great moment to celebrate our Billings community. Read on for ways to connect with other families. Happy Holidays!
Neurodiversity Affinity Group Meeting on 1/13
Our next meeting will be Tuesday 1/13 at 7pm on Google Meet. Please look for an email from group leader Erika Wright with information about meeting topics. And pssst: It’s not too late to join the group!
New LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Are you a parent/caregiver in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, or raising a child who is? You're invited to join the LGBTQ+ Affinity Group at Billings. Led by a queer Billings parent, this group brings families together for potlucks once or twice a year. Members stay connected between meet-ups via a private message board to ask questions, share invitations, and offer support. Sign up here to join us!
Parenting in the Age of Technology
Navigating technology with our kids can feel overwhelming, and many of us are trying to figure it out as we go. Parent Chris Clearfield has created a confidential WhatsApp group where Billings parents can share what’s working, what’s not, and support each other along the way. Please click here to join this safe space for discussion.
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- NO SCHOOL: Teacher In-Service Day, December 19
- NO SCHOOL: Winter Break, December 22-January 5
- Winter Term: Tuesday, January 6
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Looking for something to do as a family? Check out the Mosaic Room which is located just around the corner from the Billings campus. The Mosaic Room offers family friendly classes from Yoga and Salsa dancing to Yo-Yo tricks! Scan the QR Code to sign-up!
All Billings families will receive 10% off with the code: BILLINGS10
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Executive Function Workout!
Join me (Greg: Director of The Learning Center at Billings) for a regular morning EF workout from 8:30am to 9:30am 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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