Billings iNews: October 10, 2024

Inside Billings

October 10, 2024

There and Back Again... Again

🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚

Later today, the 7th graders will be returning from their first trip of the year. With that, all grades will have completed their first Billings trip! Next week, the link to the SmugMug gallery of trip photos will be available. If you missed the galleries from the 6th Grade Overnight and 8th Grade FLO Trip last week, click the text to access them. Please reach out to the Front Desk for the password if you don't have it already.

Mike on the Mic 🎤

Our 7^th graders have had such a diverse and impressive trip in the Yakima area this week and we are excited to hear their stories this afternoon!

A reminder that there is no school Friday, October 11 and Monday, October 14 for professional development days for our teachers. We look forward to seeing families on Tuesday, October 15 for Curriculum Night from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Doors will be open at 6:15 and we will have light refreshments to welcome everyone. We will start promptly at 6:30, so that you can experience 10-minute curricular presentations from each teacher.

As you know, we have officially kicked off the Annual Fund: Empower, Explore, Excel. I am energized by the dedication, volunteerism and generosity that you have shown us already. I would love to share why I give to the Annual Fund in hopes that each of you will make a gift and join me in helping us reach our goal.

As a longtime science teacher with a nerdy passion for the neuroscience of learning, I give to Billings because I see it as the school that is authentically teaching middle schoolers “the way it ought to be.” We use experiential learning-by-doing to engage and encode deep, rich memories, discuss social justice and our place in the world, and challenge students to take risks and develop perseverance, integrity, and courage. I’m increasing my gift this year because I love teaching robotics and empowering students to create innovative solutions to environmental science issues. The Annual Fund provides critical funding for our program, helping students explore new passions and excel academically and socially.

Finally, to those who celebrated Rosh Hashanah last week and are observing Yom Kippur this week, I wish you a meaningful new year. We will provide more information next week about how Día de Los Muertos and Halloween will be observed at Billings.

Thank you for your support,

Mike

✒️ Deans on the Scene 🎓

Deans have been busy this week! Rob hosted The Downtown School who spoke to 8th graders about high school. This is the first of several high school visits we will host this Fall. April just returned from her first Billings trip with 7th grade... and she loved it!

Break Camps at Billings - Steve & Kate's Camp

With Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks quickly approaching, we wanted you to know that Billings will be hosting Steve & Kate’s Camp on our campus for Fall, Winter, Mid-Winter, and Spring Breaks this year.

Mike had the pleasure of touring a Steve & Kate’s Camp location this summer and it was a joyful experience where children planned their own days with all kinds of activities. As soon as we put up a flyer outside the main office this week, we immediately had one staff member and one student ask about it with excitement!

Steve & Kate’s Camp is very flexible - families can buy any number of days to use whenever and drop off and pick up any time between 8 am and 6 pm. Many large companies like Microsoft provide Bright Horizons Enhanced Family Supports benefits that can be applied directly to Steve & Kate’s Camp.

For more information or to help spread the word, please visit their website and check out their Fall Break Flyer and Winter Break Flyer.

Philanthropy at Billings

We have officially kicked off our 2024-2025 Annual Fund Campaign! It was great to see those of you who stopped by for a cup of coffee on Friday!

If you haven't already, please check your inbox for our Annual Fund appeal. Inside, you'll find information about where your contributions go and the impact they're making as well as a heartfelt message from this year's chair, Erika Wright. Gifts of every size matter and our hope is to achieve 100% participation by all Billings families. Now more than ever, we depend on your support to be able to continue to provide the Billings experience to all of our students.

Participation standings:

6th Grade: 24%
7th Grade: 8%
8th Grade: 19%

Help your student’s grade meet the 100% participation goal by October 31st and win a free pizza party!!

You can make a donation by dropping off a check at the front desk or by clicking here to make a donation online. You can also click here to make a pledge for a future donation. Don’t forget to check with your employer to see if they will match your donation! Boeing, Microsoft, Nintendo, Pokémon, and many other major employers offer an employee match program. This is a really great way to double the impact of your donation!

Upcoming Events: 📅

Tuesday, 10/8 – Thursday, 10/10: 7^th grade trip to Yakima
[NO SCHOOL] Friday, 10/11: WA State In-service Day
[NO SCHOOL] Monday, 10/14: Teacher In-service Day
Curriculum Night: Tuesday, 10/15 - 6:30pm - 8:30pm

See our full calendar below:

Community Calendar

👀 Inside the Classroom 📖

6th grade advisees received their permanent advisory groups over the weekend, and spent the week getting to know these new advisories. The 8th graders returned from their FLO trip and reflected as a group. Students shared their trip highlights in all class meeting. Trip highlights were sent out to all parents and families, so check for a message from Amy or Emily if you did not see that. The 8th graders continue to work towards their yearly goals of: Academic Perseverance, Kindness and Empathy, Stewardship, and Leadership.

6th graders completed their first ever ELA quiz at Billings last Friday, showing off what they know about folklore and how they can make connections with what they read.

7th grade students are winding down their unit on informational nonfiction texts in ELA, having taken a quiz on text features and finding the main idea within a text. They now look forward to a mini research project to show off what they’ve learned!

6th graders have started their Astronomy unit in Science! After working hard for the first five weeks of the school year, students have demonstrated knowledge of the scientific method and lab safety. Students began the Astronomy Unit by completing research projects about the different planets in our solar system.

8th graders have continued to work in the chemistry unit. Last week we completed a lab to answer the question “Which metal ion is responsible for turning fireworks red?” Students observed different colored flames and learned about the nature of the movement of electrons. This week students will learn how to build molecular structures in class.

6th & 8th graders have been learning about how to use the structure “A mi me gusta” (I like ____) in Spanish. They have been asking about and discussing their likes/dislikes and hobbies. This week and next week, they will be working on a project describing their likes and dislikes to others and presenting it to their classmates. 7th grade will start this next week, after they return from their Yakima trip.

The 6th graders have been working on a Singing/Music Identity project as a way for them to come to a deeper understanding of themselves as musical/singing beings, and to feel more secure and comfortable in their ‘singing skins’ prior to actual singing, which we’ll start soon.

The 7th & 8th graders in Vocals class first learned the definition of Singing Qualities: Timbre, Volume, Pitch Accuracy and Vocal Range, then proceeded to learn the vocal range of each person in the class. It’s always fun for the entire class to see how low and high each person can sing! There are always some surprises, which creates a great SEL lesson about making assumptions.

From the BFA:

Helping with Upcoming Admissions Activities

Admissions Director Stephanie Hagedorn is looking for Billings parents and caregivers to help with the school’s open houses on:

Tue 10/29 - 5:30-7:30pm
Sat 11/16 - 10:30am-12pm
Wed 12/11 - 5:30-7:30pm

She also has yard signs and posters for families to put around their neighborhoods. Please email Stephanie if you are interested in helping out!

Save the Date – Hot Topics Event: The World of Middle Schoolers

On November 7th from 6-7:30pm, Dean of Students Rob Heavner and the BFA will co-host an in-person event for Billings parents and caregivers. Rob will speak on the big-picture themes in middle schoolers’ development and parents’ roles in supporting them. We will have breakout group discussions by grade. Attendees may participate online as well. Mark your calendar, and stay tuned for more information!

Event Teams for UW Bowling Night & Faculty Dinner

In the next few weeks, we will launch the planning teams for the December Faculty Appreciation Dinner and January’s all-school UW Bowling Night. If you are interested in helping with the planning or learning more, please complete the volunteer survey.

Notes & Recording of October BFA Meeting

If you weren’t able to make last Friday’s BFA meeting, please check out the meeting notes and video recording (passcode: uWeCLK^8). BFA meetings are held on the 1st Friday of each month, from 8:30-9:30am. All parents and caregivers are invited to attend in person or online.

Parenting Resources

The Anxious Generation: Essential Strategies for Rewiring Childhood, with Jonathan Haidt

October 15, 12–1pm

Raising Resilient Teens: Practical Skills for Parents, with Dr. Kira Mauseth

October 23, 6:30-8:30 pm

Register here for this free in-person community workshop on managing stress and anxiety using the “Cope, Calm, and Care” method, presented by PEPS.

📣 In the Community 🏘️

Theresa (Sam, Class of 2027) and Rebecca (Jake & Avi, Class of 2027) are hosting a 6th grade family get-together on Sunday, October 27th at 12:30pm at Phinney Station. Join your student's cohort to connect outside of school!

Hello 8th grade families,

If your student will be considering private high school applications, click this link (English & Español) to learn about the test prep sessions Billings will be offering from September 9th through December 19th.

Executive Function Workout!

💡 FEEL THE BURN! 💡

Join me (Greg: Director of The Learning Center at Billings) for a regular Tuesday morning EF workout from 8:30am to 9:30am starting Tuesday, September 10th. 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 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 Tuesday mornings. Regular attendance is not a prerequisite. I don't need advanced notice. Drop in any Tuesday morning.

We will be meeting in person in Mercury, during advisory and the beginning of first period. Check-in at the front desk before heading down to Nadia. 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 Tuesday 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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