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Inside Billings
October 15, 2026
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👀 Inside the Classroom 📰
Click on the buttons below to read up on what's been happening on-campus here at Billings!
| | 🏕️ OUTside the Classroom 🥾 | | |
Our fall trips offer our students a meaningful opportunity to bring classroom learning to life through outdoor exploration and hands-on experiences. By connecting curriculum with the world around them, students deepen their understanding, make real-world connections, and engage with new perspectives. Just as importantly, these shared adventures foster independence, resilience, collaboration, and a stronger sense of community—learning that extends well beyond the classroom and stays with them long after they return to campus.
Click the buttons below to read about the Fall trips our students have been on and get links to the SmugMug photo galleries.
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Fall Conferences
Fall conferences will take place on Thursday, October 29 from 4-7pm and Friday, October 30 from 8:30-2:00pm. We’re pleased to offer this opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s advisor and teachers on campus. To accommodate all families, we've designed a schedule that provides a 15-minute appointment for each teacher. Meetings with advisors will include a check-in on the child's social, emotional, and community growth, while meetings with teachers will focus on updates about student progress in class, areas for support, improvement, or challenge. This is also a time for parents to share insights or ask questions to help teachers support their child’s learning. Please look for a separate email with a SignUp Genius link to register for appointments. Thank you, and we look forward to meeting you at conferences later this month!
School Pictures & Retake Day
Your student's school pictures have been emailed to each family by our photographer Julie Nimmergut. If you do not see an email from her at thehiddenlens@gmail.com by the end of the day, please reach out to her! Retakes will happen on Wednesday, October 21, in case your student missed picture day or wants to take a different picture. If your student is having a retake done, please let the Front Desk know so we can facilitate them getting their picture retaken.
Friday Coffee Tomorrow
On the first and third Friday of each month, parents and caregivers are invited to grab a cup of coffee at drop-off and gather with fellow members of our community. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect, catch up, and start the day together! Our next Friday Coffee is tomorrow, October 16!
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In my first months at Billings, I have been blown away by how much teachers and staff appreciate each student’s individuality and how well they understand early adolescence. Middle school students benefit so much from adults who take them seriously, despite the outward messiness that is inherent to this age. When all of this comes together, middle school is an experience that students love. I contribute to the Annual Fund because Billings is a great place to be a middle schooler, and because it sets students on a positive path for life.
Two weeks into this year’s Annual Fund, we’ve raised $42,000. That’s over 40% of our $100,000 goal. Thank you to every family who has already given.
Employer matching has been a big part of our success in past years, and matching gifts are already adding up this year. Many employers, including Microsoft, Boeing, and Google, match their employees’ gifts, often dollar for dollar. If yours does, a quick matching request can double your impact.
Next, we turn to participation. Our Board of Trustees led the way with 100% participation. Their commitment set the tone for the whole campaign, and we’re grateful. Now we’d love the rest of our community to join them. Schoolwide, 15% have given so far. Every gift counts the same toward participation, whatever its size.
Please make your gift by November 11. You can give online, drop off a check at the front desk, or make a pledge and pay any time before June 30.
Thank you for being part of this community!
Nick
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- Open House: Thursday, October 15, 5:30-7:30pm
- Picture Retake Day: Wednesday, October 21
- Fall Academic Conferences: October 29 & 30
- NO SCHOOL: Friday, October 30 (Conferences)
Keep up-to-date with our Google calendar:
Community Calendar
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Break Camps @ Billings:
Steve & Kate's Camp
With Fall Break and Winter Break 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 school year.
"When school's out, give kids what they need—freedom to expand and evolve.”
At Steve & Kate’s, campers choose which activities they do, whom they do it with and for how long. For kids, this experience is pure joy. It’s also a kind of training ground for life, where they’ll need to be empowered and independent and resilient and responsible for their own decisions. Happy human-ing starts HERE!
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Trillium Family Education Series
Your Parent Compass | Beginning October 20, 4:00–5:30 p.m.
Join Trillium Middle School Dean Alexander Stern and faculty for an eight-session series exploring practical approaches to parenting tweens and teens. Our first session focuses on strengthening relationships, staying calm during challenging moments, and knowing when to let minor behaviors go. Additional sessions continue through February.
Join Trillium faculty for a discussion of Dr. Mona Delahooke's approach to understanding children's behavior through the lens of the nervous system. No reading required to participate!
All events are free and held virtually via Zoom.
Families can register for one or more events and sign up to hear about future opportunities. Sign up online!
| | On Saturday, October 24, from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., The Downtown School is hosting their 2nd annual Math Circle for current 7th and 8th graders. Students will spend the morning alongside DTS students and teachers exploring the creative and playful side of math. They can choose to create art with equations in Desmos or dive into puzzles, math games, and hands-on challenges. View the Math Circle flyer here for more information and registration details. | |
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 15th. Developing EF, or Executive Function, requires the exercise of the brain in specific ways. Drop in on any Tuesday morning, to share stories and explore strategies for strengthening our EF muscles and by extension, that of our students.
Read more ->
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