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Inside Billings
May 1, 2025
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | |
The spring dance is this Friday from 6-8pm at Billings! Students are excited to cut loose on the dance floor, or hangout in the game and movie room. Please remember to fill out the permission form.
We're excited to share the photography of parents Julie (Lucy, Class of '26) and Amy (Ian, Class of '26) from our All-School Production, The Nut-Brown Girl! You can view the galleries at the links below.
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Mike on the Mic 🎤
In the school world, we affectionately refer to May as “The 100 Days of May” given all the amazing experiences we fit into our narrow wonderful weather window! We are excited for the dance tomorrow, the 7th grade trip next week, and our upcoming 6th and 8th grade trips later this month.
It is also the time that we start looking ahead to next year’s planning. At Billings, we are always striving to improve, and we would love your feedback. Please complete the Family Survey by Friday, May 16th.
English Survey Link
Enlace de la Encuesta en Español
Speaking of next year, we have a small update to the academic calendar for the 25-26 school year, moving our Annual Celebration and Fundraiser to March 6, 2026 and our Winter Performance to March 27 and 28, 2026. Our annual calendar has all of the student non-attendance days and our important academic events for your planning for next year. You can always find the 25-26 calendar as a link above the Community Calendar on our website.
Next week, I’ll be away at the Spring Heads of School meetings on Monday and Tuesday - I will miss greeting you all in the morning!
Thanks for your support,
Mike
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On Tuesday, the Children’s Hospital Research Project (CHRP) club traveled to Harborview Hospital. Here, students interviewed Dr. Chris Chambers and had a tour of the hospital. Students practiced ethnographic note-taking skills they have been working on as part of the club, and they made observations and reflections around the youth-patient experience at the hospital. Special thanks to Dr. Kimberly Perkins for facilitating this experience and teaching critical research skills to these students.
Students will take their final i-Ready diagnostic in ELA and Math classes at staggered grade level intervals in the next two weeks.
- 8th Grade ELA - 5/8 - 5/9
- 8th Grade Math - 5/13-14
- 7th Grade ELA - 5/13 - 5/14
- 7th Grade Math - 5/15 - 5/16
- 6th Grade ELA - 5/13 - 5/14
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6th Grade Math - 5/15 - 5/16
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🚸 Admissions 👩👧👦
Thank You for Your Support – Help Us Keep Billings Strong!
Dear Billings Community,
It’s hard to believe we’re already in May and approaching the final stretch of the school year! As we look ahead to Spring Expeditions and end-of-year celebrations, I want to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you—our parent volunteers, Board members, alumni, faculty, and staff—who have generously given your time and talents. Your contributions are what make Billings a vibrant and thriving learning community.
As we continue to welcome new families and grow our school, your voice is more important than ever. Recently, Google stopped publishing school reviews on Business Profiles and Maps, which impacts how prospective families discover and evaluate schools like ours.
That’s why we’re asking for your help: a brief online review can go a long way in helping families get a sense of the unique and supportive environment we’ve built together. If you’ve had a positive experience at Billings, we would deeply appreciate you taking a moment to share it at any of the review sites below.
In addition, we have Billings yard signs available! If you’re interested in displaying one in your yard or neighborhood to help spread the word, just let us know—we’d love to get one to you. Thank you again for being such an integral part of our community. We’re looking forward to a joyful and inspiring conclusion to the school year!
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🚩 Save the Date! 🍽️
All 8th grade parents and guardians are invited to join us on Wednesday, May 28th at 6pm in celebration of all your 8th grader has accomplished during their time at Billings! Enjoy a delicious buffet dinner, a heartwarming slideshow of your students, fellowship with other 8th grade parents and guardians, and shared stories of the adventures of your Billings student.
Please RSVP by May 14th so we can provide an accurate headcount to the caterer! This event is for parents and guardians only, no students or siblings please.
You have reached the summit, now it's time to celebrate!
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🎾 Sports 🎳
Over the weekend, Billings Soup played in the Spring Reign ultimate tournament! After going 1-3 on Saturday, Soup rallied to go undefeated on Sunday to finish the competition with a 4-3 record. Despite some tired legs and a few sunburns, the team left the tournament feeling proud of their effort and newfound togetherness with their teammates. Who can? Soup can!
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- BFA Meeting: Friday, May 2, 8:30am-9:30am
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Spring Dance: Friday, May 2, 6:00pm-8:00pm
- 7th Grade Backpacking: Wednesday, May 7 - Friday, May 9
- Kid Bike Check: May 10, 9:00am-11:00am
- 8th Grade Backpacking: Monday, May 19 - Friday, May 23
- 6th Grade Overnight: Wednesday, May 21 - Friday, May 23
- 8th Grade Parent/Guardian Dinner: Wednesday, May 28, 6:00pm-8:00pm
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From the BFA:
Join Us for BFA Meeting Tomorrow Friday 5/2
The May BFA meeting will be tomorrow from 8:30-9:30am. You can check out the agenda here. Come by to learn about upcoming events, meet fellow parents and caregivers, or get involved! You’re also welcome to join by Zoom.
Kid Bike Safety Check Event on Sat 5/10
Billings students are invited to bring their bikes to school for a free safety check on Saturday, May 10th from 9-11am. Mike Jenness, 6th grade parent and owner of Shots & Sprockets bike shop, will inspect bikes and share tips for getting them summer-ready. The event will also include a fun bike rodeo with games, plus donuts and drinks. We’ll need to cancel the event if there aren’t enough signups, so be sure to RSVP today to join the fun!
Family Camping Trip in October 2025
We’re excited to announce a family camping trip at nearby Dash Point State Park from October 3–5, 2025! Plan to join for the whole weekend or stop by for daytime activities or an evening potluck. This is a parent-organized event, and all Billings families are welcome. Check out this link for details, including how to reserve your campsite or cabin.
Parenting Resources
Let Go and Let Grow: Raising Confident, Independent Children, with Lenore Skenazy, author of “Free Range Kids”
May 6th, 12-1pm
Register here for this webinar from ParentMap
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This week, students began discussing their spring conference portfolios. 6th graders are starting to identify the assignments they would like to use to talk about their growth as students and experiential learners this year. Have a chat with your student about the assignments they’ve felt the most proud of this year to help them start thinking about their portfolios.
Between working on their portfolios, students have also been practicing their marble run – a collaborative game in which students transfer a marble through a series of tubes from one point to another!
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This week, 7th graders began their backpacking prep for their upcoming Baker Lake Trip. Students found out their backpacking groups by piecing together unique puzzles. This Friday, May 2nd, the 7th graders will vote on their meals for the trip and have their first pack check at school. Please make sure that your student brings their gear to school tomorrow, and that all forms (such as gear request forms and Alma Start forms) are completed.
8th graders are beginning to discuss the big four events coming up: the Olympic Coast Trip, 8th Grade Project presentations, final Portfolio Conferences, and Graduation. Students will be taking steps during Advisory and Class Meeting to prepare for all of these important events.
6th grade students are working towards taking their Latin root words and prefixes test this Friday! To prepare, students played a game of BINGO and practiced deciphering new words using roots and prefixes. Students also learned and reviewed several test-taking strategies which they then used to crack the code of a “test” in a digital Escape Room!
In Science, 6th graders have been busy learning all about geology. Last week students worked together to classify different types of rocks. This week they spent some time learning about different types of volcanoes and built volcanoes out of kinetic sand. Students have their last major unit test this week and then will begin to prepare for the Mt. St. Helens trip!
| 7th graders are in the midst of their Cells & Genetics Unit. Last week, students got to explore plant cells through their microscopes in the Onion Cell Lab, and also created a model of a cell using Jell-O (as cytoplasm) and various candies that they chose based on their similarities in appearance to certain organelles. | | |
6th graders are currently in their Clothing & Shopping Unit for Spanish. They are working on short skits about shopping to use phrases and vocabulary we have been learning in class.
In Theatrical Design, 7th & 8th graders have been experimenting with the various production design elements as they work toward their final project. This week’s focus was fight choreography mixed with puppetry: students set choreography on stuffed animals and household objects, resulting in entertaining–and safe!–scenes from local playwright Maggie Lee’s adaptation of The Monkey King: Journey Westbound.
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Our final design challenge in 7th grade Design Lab (right) required students to build a boat that will: 1) stay afloat in turbulent waters, 2) carry at least 12 “passengers” and 3) sail downwind. Students completed phase 1 of this project this week–and every boat remained afloat amidst simulated waves!
Last week 6th grade students participated in a simulation of the Silk Road for their Social Studies unit on Ancient China. They chose various routes and collected products to trade such as spices, jade, gold, horses, and more! Students rolled dice to see their consequences: did they benefit from traveling with others in a caravan or suffer the misfortune of encountering a sandstorm in the Gobi Desert?
8th grade students are diving into the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Students will memorize the Preamble and make distinctions about the three branches of government, exploring the roles each plays and the checks on power written into our Constitution. Next week we will begin analyzing the Bill of Rights and make connections to current events.
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Check out these ParentMap articles:
For more support and resources surrounding the youth mental health crisis, screen time and social media, and the importance of play, visit ParentMap’s Antidote for the Anxious Generation page.
Speaker links
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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 Wednesdays. Developing EF, or Executive Function, requires the exercise of the brain in specific ways. Drop in on any Wednesday 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 Wednesday 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 provided upon request.
And if Wednesday 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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