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Inside Billings
February 26, 2026
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | As February comes to a close, we want to thank our families for your continued support and involvement. Your kindness and thoughtfulness for Faculty Appreciation was amazing! Thanks to you, our faculty and staff feel supported and valued. Together, we are building a vibrant learning community where educators feel appreciated and students are celebrated every day as they learn, take risks, and grow. | | |
Mike on the Mic 🎤
Welcome back! I hope you all had a restful and refreshing Mid-Winter Break and a reminder that all reenrollment contracts are due tomorrow, which came through Clarity. We are excited for another great year ahead!
As my last hurrah, it would mean a lot to me if you would come to the Annual Celebration on Friday, March 6th. I’m inviting a large number of my friends and I’m hoping you would come, too. This year’s Annual Celebration and Fundraiser’s keynote speaker is Maya Garcia ’17. Her story is remarkable as a Rainier Scholar who got her pilot’s license at 17, just graduated from Scripps College and studied abroad in Morocco and learned Arabic. We are grateful that she is returning to share her journey and her reflections on her middle school years at Billings.
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Annual Celebration and FUNdraiser at Billings on Friday, March 6: invite your friends, get your tickets before the deadline on Friday, and join me and the whole Billings Faculty for a great time!
We are so thankful for how each one of you play such an important role in this community. From putting together a fantastic bowling night, to coordinating a four-week-long staff appreciation event before break, to helping put on an amazing Annual Celebration, your efforts have added that extra spark that is part of what makes Billings so special.
I want to share my deepest gratitude to those of you who have volunteered and to those of you who are planning to sign up and join us!
Thank you for your support,
Mike
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Head of School Search Update
Our Head of School Search Committee is excited to announce the dates for our finalist candidate visits, and invite current parents to meet the candidates on the dates and times below:
Tuesday, 3/3: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Tuesday, 3/10: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
SIGN-UP
All meetings will be held in Mercury. Please sign up ahead of time.
These visits are an opportunity to meet our 3 finalist candidates and provide feedback afterwards via a survey. Reach out to Erika Wright, Search Committee Co-Chair (and mom to Cash, '26) if you have any questions!
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This is your last chance to purchase your tickets to the Billings Base Camp Celebration and Fundraising Dinner. It’s an event you won’t want to miss!
Thank you to everyone who has already purchased your tickets! I am thrilled to share that we will have over 100 attendees already. Ticket sales will close tomorrow, February 27, so don’t wait! If you can't make it to our event, you can still help us light the way for future students by making a donation on our website. Without your vital support, we would not be able to fulfill our mission. Thank you for your support!
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Raffle Reminder!
Indulge in an unforgettable dining experience with a $1,000 gift card to Canlis, Seattle’s iconic fine-dining restaurant. Renowned for its exceptional service, stunning views, and exquisite menu, Canlis offers an unparalleled culinary journey. Whether you're savoring expertly crafted dishes, enjoying world-class wines, or taking in the breathtaking views of Lake Union, this gift card unlocks the ultimate dining experience. Treat yourself and a loved one to an evening of elegance, or use it to create a memorable celebration. It’s the perfect way to enjoy one of Seattle’s most celebrated restaurants!
Tickets are $50 a piece, so don’t miss out on this fabulous chance to win a Canlis gift card!
Base Camp VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
We are looking forward to a fantastic event on Friday, March 6 at the Billings Base Camp Annual Celebration and Fundraising Dinner. And we need your help to make it happen! Please volunteer your time to help us set up the gym or clean up after the event. There will be a variety of specific roles from supporting the decorating committee to setting tables to running errands – something for all interests and skills! Thanks in advance for signing up at the link below:
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LOVE DESSERTS?
Our school auction is a week away and we are looking for just a couple more desserts for our annual Dessert Dash! Please consider bringing a tasty treat (cookies, cake, pie, brownies, etc) that can be purchased or homemade. Desserts should serve ~8 people and not require refrigeration during the event. You can sign up here (we’ll close the form when we are set on desserts!)
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In 6th grade advisories, students are reviewing their grades and narrative comments from the fall term to set academic goals for the remainder of the year. We’ve encouraged students to identify goals in “keep it up” and “self-improvement” categories, to highlight both their academic strengths and areas for growth. We will be on our second expedition in the snow today! Ask your student about their sledding and snowshoeing experiences, and look for new pictures posted in our SmugMug gallery.
Thanks to Dreyden and his family, the 7th grade will be celebrating the Chinese New Year with a party on Friday morning. We will also be giving out our “group-care award,” which is the second award of the winter program. Congratulations to Torvald who won the “self-care award” before break!
| | Before mid-winter break, the 8th graders traveled to Lake Wenatchee State Park for their Winter Immersion Trip. Students did an excellent job working in their advisory groups the first day. Students participated in a Beacon rescue, built fires, and made advisory crests to represent themselves. We had a wonderful nighttime hike as a grade. Students got to observe an abundance of stars on a clear night and even got to look through a super telescope on the lakeshore! See some pictures from the trip at the SmugMug gallery. Let the Front Desk know if you need the password! As we move into the second half of winter term, please help students to stay on top of classwork and their roles in the winter production. | | |
🎓 Deans on the Scene ✒️
High School admissions decisions for independent schools were announced over the mid-winter break. In our class of twenty-six 8th graders, seventeen students applied to nine independent or Catholic schools. These students received twenty-five acceptances, including three with honors and academic scholarships. Nine students will attend five public schools in the fall: Lincoln, Roosevelt, Nathan Hale, Garfield, and Snohomish. Where did the time go? We are really proud of these soon to be graduates!
i-Ready results were emailed today. Thank you for your patience with this process.
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🎾Sports 🥅
We're excited to open registration for the Spring Billings Sports Season, featuring Tennis and Ultimate. We are also looking to see if any parents or volunteers are interested in assistant coaching for Tennis.
Program Details:
- Ultimate Frisbee (North Acres) Tuesdays & Thursdays, start March 5th 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
- Tennis (Home Gym) Mondays & Wednesdays, start March 9th 3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Registration forms were emailed to you yesterday. Completed forms should be submitted to the Front Desk. Parents will be added to GameChanger via email invite after your registration is confirmed. GameChanger is the one platform where parents can view the full schedule - including games, receive updates and communication. Please install the app to stay connected.
Girl's Basketball Update:
Girl's Basketball has a scrimmage this Thursday, February 26th with Explorer West at the Salvation Army of White Center from 4:15-5:00 PM.
Please reach out to Daniel if you are interested in the assistant coaching role or have any questions.
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🖥️Business Office💼
Dear Families,
Your re-enrollment contract is available via our new billing system, Clarity App. Parents/ Guardians must each have their own Clarity account to sign off in order for the contract to be submitted. Please check your SPAM folder if you have yet to receive the alert.
Contracts are due Friday, February 27th, 2026.
If you have any questions or concerns please email Joan or call directly at 206.547.3106.
| | In 6th grade students have been hard at work creating Weather Reports for different regions of the United States. Students are presenting this work this week in class. Next week, we will begin the second half of our unit and focus on our Earth’s climate! | |
In 8th grade Science, students have been learning all about Physics. Students previously competed in a physics minute-to-win-it competition before break. We learned Newton’s Laws of Motion and are now applying our knowledge to an Egg Crash Project. Students are working solo or in small groups to create vehicles that can withstand fast crashes simulating car crash events. This project is due early next week in class.
| | 6th and 7th Grade ELA classes just wrapped up their J-Projects. We spent the last day of school break sharing and presenting our short stories and 3D models. The project was a great success as students were inspired by dystopian texts The Giver and The Hunger Games to create their own dystopian societies and designed a scene from the story for the 3D Model. Next, we’re moving onto honing presenting skills and working on persuasive essays. | |
6th grade artists have been practicing their linear perspective skills, and learning about space and texture in preparation for our cumulative graffiti wall project. They drew brick walls in 2-point perspective this week; next, they'll discuss the history and cultural relevance of modern graffiti art, and start designing graffiti to add to their walls!
7th grade designers discussed the things around us every day that were designed and created by artists, and began designing their own "personal soda can labels" that use everyday design techniques to communicate something about themselves (and the drink inside the can). Once they've attached their labels to a can, they'll use the shading skills they've been practicing to draw their cans from life!
| | Inspired by the counter-narrative themes in Harmonia Rosales' Birth of Oshun (2017), 8th grade art historians took some great photos recreating scenes from famous Renaissance works this week. Next, they'll divide their section's photo up, and start drawing their piece of the photo. We'll put them back together again to make collaborative versions of their chosen artworks, which will reflect their class's unique diversity and personality! | | Billings Family Association | | |
Tomorrow’s Family Movie Event Canceled
Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the after-school screening of Enola Holmes tomorrow Friday, February 27th. The school will process refunds for those who made a donation when signing up. Many thanks to 7th-grade parent Billy Thompson for his work on this. We will try again next year!
LGBTQ+ Families Social on 4/25
Are you or your child in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community? You are invited to a parent-led potluck on April 25th! Our goal is to foster intergenerational community relationships - and have fun! Join us for an afternoon of food and activities, location TBD depending on the weather. Email us for more information or sign up here to get connected.
Co-Facilitating Tech and Kids Conversation
Billings parent Chris Clearfield is looking for a co-facilitator for his kids and technology discussion group. The confidential WhatsApp group connects Billings parents wanting to share what’s working (and what’s not) and to support each other along the way. Please click here to join this safe space for discussion, and let us know if you’re interested in being a co-facilitator.
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- Annual Celebration & Fundraising Dinner: March 6
- All-School Production: March 27-28
- NO SCHOOL: Teacher In-Service Day, March 30
- 7th Grade Central WA Trip: April 8-10
- NO SCHOOL: Spring Break, April 13-17
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Creative Nights for Teens & ’Tweens (Ages ~10–16)
at Squirrelly Art Studio.
🍝Pasta Making – Fri, Feb 27 | 6:30–8:30pm, $55
✍️Poetry Workshop (All Ages) – Tue, Mar 10 | 6:30–8:00pm, $40
🎨Acrylic Painting – Fri, Mar 27 | 6:30–8:30pm, $50
🖌️Stencils & Spray Paint – Fri, Apr 25 | 6:30–8:30pm, $55
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.
| | Embodied STEAM and/as Liberation:
Science, Imagination, and the Right to Be Free in Learning | | |
What happens when education honors the full humanity of every learner—their bodies, their cultures, their histories, and their radical imaginations? In this powerful address, Dr. Christopher Emdin calls us to reclaim education as a site of embodied liberation. Rooted in his work at the intersections of race, science, justice, and the arts, Dr. Emdin explores how learning environments that celebrate the rights of the body—movement, rhythm, expression, rest—and center imaginative thinking can transform not just classrooms, but communities. This is more than a talk. It’s a blueprint for rehumanizing education—and a celebration of what’s possible when we teach and learn with our whole selves.
Join us on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 from 5-6:15 PM (PT) to welcome Dr. Christopher Emdin, a writer and professor at Columbia University’s teacher college who holds a Ph.D in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology. He is best known for his book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education, which he wrote from his own experiences growing up as a young person of color feeling undervalued in the classroom. He will be speaking to us about his writings, Hip Hop, and much more! “Education is not memorization. It is the activation of the imagination and a path towards liberation”- Dr. Emdin. Learn more about Dr. Emdin at his website.
This event is free and open to the public hosted by POCIS Northwest. Please RSVP to get our Zoom Link.
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AI Workshop: Climate, Culture and Mental Health
March 14, 10am-2pm
University Heights Center
This workshop will cover:
- how AI has shifted culture within the home, at school, on social media and beyond
- AI’s impact on natural resources both locally and globally
- how to practice social responsibility with AI, preserving natural knowledge systems while acknowledging and understanding the road that lies ahead
Interested? RSVP here!
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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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