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Inside Billings
September 18, 2025
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | The school year is off to a great start, and we're already seeing students building meaningful connections with one another and growing in their learning. Welcoming families to campus for Curriculum Night is another important way we foster connection at Billings. We deeply value the strong partnerships between home and school—these relationships are at the heart of student success and our shared purpose. | | |
Mike on the Mic 🎤
It was wonderful to welcome so many families to Convocation and Curriculum Night.
Each year, Convocation serves as an important beginning for students, staff, and families to set intentions for growing as individuals and growing together within the supportive Billings community. Special appreciation to Rob for leading us through a joyful history lesson about EGGS from dinosaur fossils all the way to Billings Essentials, Gear (Group), Gear (Personal), Self and highlighting the importance of supporting our community first. And all the egg drops were successful! Fittingly, we are excited that our 6th and 8th graders will be embarking on their fall overnight trips next week. We look forward to hearing their stories of perseverance, support and self-care, and independence.
An additional thank you to Erika Wright who shared last night why she serves on our Board of Trustees. Serving on the Board or on a Board Committee is a great way to use your professional and personal connection skills to serve the school and our mission. People with community engagement, marketing, financial, legal, educational, event-planning, fundraising, and “friend-raising” experience are always helpful! If you are interested in serving on one of the Billings Board Committees, please fill out this very brief Board Committee interest form to connect with Erika.
As always, join us for Billings Spirit Fridays tomorrow by wearing blue and green or Billings apparel!
Thanks for your support,
Mike
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Staff Updates
Brian Kutzera has left his position as Billings Business Manager. We are grateful for his service to Billings and the many contributions made to our school community.
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We are pleased to announce that Joan Krussel has joined us as our new Business Manager. Most recently, Joan worked at International Friends School and she brings a proven track record of excellent independent school fiscal management and accounting, along with extensive experience in benefits administration and human resources support. Just as importantly, Joan is known for her warm and responsive customer service, and we are confident she will be a strong partner to staff and families alike. Joan will be the point of contact for families with billing and tuition assistance questions. Her email is joank@billingsmiddleschool.org and her direct Billings phone extension is 206-971-3106.
Outside of work, Joan keeps busy with her two boys, ages 16 and 13 — whether she’s cheering from the sidelines at her younger son’s soccer games, working on Boy Scout merit badges with her older son, or heading out on camping and travel adventures together as a family. She also teaches barre and loves to relax with a good book whenever she can.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Joan to Billings!
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In 6th grade advisories this week, we’ve emphasized the importance of reviewing the Deception Pass Trip packing list with families at home as soon as possible. Next Tuesday, students will learn more details about the trip, including meals and tent groups, and will practice setting up their tents at school during PE/GO. If you have any last-minute gear requests, they must be submitted by tomorrow!
We were excited to see everyone at Curriculum Night yesterday! As we relayed last night, 7th grade advisory revolves around the 4 R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and the mysterious 4th R. Over the next few weeks, students will be diving into each of the R’s as we prepare for the 7th trip on October 7.
| | 8th grade students are prepping for their upcoming Fall Leadership Outing (FLO) which will be backpacking at Mount Adams. The final pack check will be on Monday, Sept 22nd. A reminder that students will have their local preparation day on September 23rd at North Acres park and then leave in hiking groups on the morning of September 24th. Students spent this week working in their FLO groups to pick meals and to determine leadership roles for the trip. | | |
8th Grade ELA students submitted their essays on the summer novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Students were asked to reflect on their notes from the summer assignment, class discussions, and the group presentations to write about how one of the elements (e.g., context, characters, conflicts) is related to an important theme in the novel. They used a brainstorming document and a graphic organizer to help them draft ideas and paragraphs. To wrap up our week, we’re watching a movie that offers another perspective of adolescent life on a reservation. Next month, we’ll consider yet another perspective on Native American life with the play Fancy Dancer at the Seattle Rep.
Drama students in all grades have been using the structural framework of scripts to show what they already know about Drama and how they apply that knowledge and the skills that come with it. Using a “Mad Libs” style script and a class-by-class generated work bank, small groups made choices in interpretation of text, playwriting, acting, and artistic consensus. These mini presentations actively demonstrate what individual classes will enjoy and be challenged by as curriculum progresses. Ask your Drama student what prop their group chose for their unexpected action!
In 6th Grade Math, students are studying area and surface area. We’ve looked closely at a variety of quadrilaterals and triangles, identifying their bases and heights to apply appropriate area calculation strategies. We’ve recently transitioned to the three-dimensional world of polyhedra, and will soon learn strategies for calculating surface area. Ask your child to explain any of these essential terms in our current unit: polygon, parallelogram, triangle, trapezoid, base, height, length, sides, area, vertex, edges, faces, polyhedra, prism, pyramid.
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For their first Design Lab project, 7th graders enjoyed a mixology activity where they collaborated in small groups to create original drinks. They experimented with different ratios of Mio-flavored water, sparkling water, and lime or lemon citrus. They named and created slogans for their beverage inventions. Maybe Orange Bliss, Witch’s Brew, Stomachache, and others will join Gatorade, Sprite, Pepsi, etc. in grocery store aisles someday! We invited 6th graders to taste our creations and vote for their favorite drink, name, and slogan.
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🎓 Deans on the Scene ✒️
Teachers will begin administering i-Ready diagnostics in ELA and Math classes over the next few weeks. 6th graders will take the reading diagnostic in ELA class tomorrow and the math diagnostic on Tuesday 9/23. For new families, or those unfamiliar with i-Ready, it is an online program that provides another means by which to measure students’ strengths and areas for growth in reading and math. The diagnostic offers options to personalize student learning and tools to monitor progress throughout the school year. The program helps teachers meet your child where they are, and provides the data to inform instruction. We use the diagnostics only; we do not use the instructional components of the i-Ready program. For more information about the i-Ready diagnostic please visit the i-Ready Family Center and to learn how we use it at Billings, click to read more here.
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🏈Student Life 🤸
Congratulations to our ASB Executive Council! Elected this Tuesday, President Jack, Vice President Wila, and Secretary Clara are eager to live up to their campaign promises and help to inspire leadership at Billings. We feel lucky to have so many wonderful leaders at Billings, and there were several other excellent campaigns and great candidates. Despite being home sick, President Jack relayed, “I look forward to working for you all and I'm very excited to make good on some of the promises from my speech.”
| | Billings Family Association | | |
Friday Morning Coffees
Every Friday at drop-off, you’re invited to join fellow parents/caregivers and our Head of School Mike for an informal coffee by Billings’ front entrance. Wave bye to your kiddo, help yourself to a cup of coffee or tea, and hang out for a beat with others who have stayed to chat. It’s a friendly and easygoing way to build connections with the school and other families.
Family Camping Trip Oct 3-5
We’re just 2 weeks away from the family camping trip at nearby Dash Point State Park! This is a parent-organized event, and all Billings families are welcome. Still thinking about coming?
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It’s not too late to reserve a campsite.
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If you’d like to stop by just for daytime or evening activities, check out the tentative schedule of events here.
We will post more information and activity/potluck signups shortly, but let us know if you have any questions or thoughts in the meantime.
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- 8th Grade FLO Trip: September 24-26
- 6th Grade Deception Pass Overnight - September 25-26
- 7th Grade Overnight Trip: October 7-9
- [NO SCHOOL] WA State In-Service Day: October 10
- [NO SCHOOL] Teacher In-Service Day: October 13
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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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