Billings iNews: May 7, 2026

Inside Billings

May 7, 2026

May in Motion

🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚

As we move into May, it’s hard to believe how quickly this school year has flown by. This season offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on all that our students have accomplished—academically, socially, and as a community. From engaging classroom projects to spirited events and competitions, it has been a spring filled with growth, creativity, and connection.

At the same time, May is a month of celebration. With exciting events, expeditionary over-night trips, and milestone moments on the horizon, our campus is buzzing with anticipation. We look forward to honoring our students’ hard work and sharing these special experiences together as a community.

While the finish line is in sight, there is still important work to be done. We encourage our students to stay focused, engaged, and motivated as they complete the final stretch of the school year. Finishing strong is not only about academics—it’s about continuing to show up with curiosity, integrity, and care for one another.

We extend our deep appreciation to our parent community for their continued support and partnership.

Announcements

Billings "Little" School

Attention 8th grade parents! As part of the upcoming Graduation ceremony, we are putting together a Baby Picture Slideshow.

Please email Becca with two pictures: one with your student as an infant/baby, and one from their elementary school days by May 15th. If you have a physical picture, we can scan it here on campus!

Volunteers:

Lend a Hand and Donate a Sweet Treat

Class of 2027 and Class of 2028 Parents & Guardians! We are looking for volunteers to help make our annual 8th Grade Parent Dinner on May 27 a special and memorable evening for our community. If you’re available to lend a hand with set-up and decorating, or would like to contribute a favorite dessert, please sign up using the link HERE.

We’re also planning ahead for Graduation on June 9 and would greatly appreciate donations of sweet treats for guests to enjoy after the program. If you’d like to contribute, please sign up HERE.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Stephanie. Thank you for helping us celebrate our 8th graders and their families in such a meaningful way!

Upcoming Events: 📅

7th Grade Backpacking Trip: May 6-8
8th Grade Backpacking Trip: May 18-22
6th Grade Overnight Trip: May 20-22
NO SCHOOL: Monday, May 25
8th Grade Parent Dinner: Wednesday, May 27
End-of-Year Conferences: Friday, May 29

See our full calendar below:

Community Calendar

Billings Family Association

Thank-You Messages for Faculty Appreciation Week

Faculty consistently say that personal messages from families are the most meaningful gifts they receive all year. For next week’s faculty appreciation celebration, please take a few minutes to write messages of appreciation for teachers and staff via Ellacard. It’s quick and easy, and your words of gratitude mean a lot! The deadline for submitting messages is next Thursday, May 14th.

If you have bandwidth for something like bringing in a bag of candy or plant, we still have slots available to help with the planned celebration activities. Thank you!

Rescheduled Neurodiversity Affinity Group on Thursday 5/21

On Thursday, May 21 at 7pm, Billings parent Shannon Otto will host a discussion on navigating the summer with our neurodiverse kids. We will email the online meeting link to group members, and it’s not too late to join the group if you’re interested!

Parenting Resources

The Family Tech Reset: Hope and Help for Rebuilding Connection, with Andrea Davis, educator and founder of Better Screen Time

May 12, 12-1pm

Register here for this webinar from ParentMap and Seattle Children’s on charting a slow-tech path that prioritizes family connection.

How to Talk to Youth about Alcohol & Vaping, with Ray Lozano of Prevention Plus

May 19, 12-1pm

🚸 Advisory 📖

This week, you will receive an email from 6th grade advisors with details and a sign-up form for Portfolio Conferences on May 29th. Students will lead these conferences, highlighting their favorite projects, achievements, and examples of growth from their first middle-school year. Advisors will help students organize their portfolio selections and prepare presentations in the coming weeks. Please turn in your Mt. St. Helens Trip permission forms and gear surveys ASAP if you have not done so already. We are reviewing our menu options for the trip this week; please contact advisors if your child needs to bring any specific snacks or meal substitutes on the trip. Students will not be allowed to pack and store extra food themselves (i.e. no food in tents), but we will make any necessary accommodations and store food for them.

7th grade parents: as you read this, your child will be just about at the halfway point of their trip along Baker Lake! We’ve been so impressed with how prepared and engaged the 7th graders have been in the days leading up to this experience and they are definitely ready for any challenges the North Cascades may throw at them! Thanks to Nathan, Greyson, Ryan, and our two seasoned adjunct trip leaders, Bennett and Matt for making this possible.

Next week, we’ll shift gears to Portfolio Conferences which will take place on May 29th. Students will spend time in advisory collecting work to share with you during their conference! Expect an email next week from your advisor for sign-up times.

8th graders have had one pack check and students were asked to fill out the gear survey if they need to borrow any equipment including rain gear, sleeping bags, backpacks or hiking boots. It’s really important that students ask for what they need so we can borrow things in time from the Washington Trails Association gear library. The next and final pack check will be next Thursday May 14th; students will leave their backpack at school until departure on Monday May 18th. Additionally, students are beginning to work on preparing for their last portfolio conference with parents on Friday, May 29th. Advisors will be reaching out soon to schedule your conference.

👀 Inside the Classroom 📰

6th grade Social Studies students are wrapping up their unit on Ancient Egypt by making 3-d models (dioramas) of some of the concepts we’ve worked on in class. Students made excellent rivers, pyramids, mummies and sarcophagi. Students wrote an artist statement and displayed their treasures to their classmates.

7th grade Social Studies students are almost finished with Washington State history! Students turned in their completed and edited One-Pagers of their Artifact Projects and will be finishing their related persuasive essays in ELA. Next week students will complete a mini-unit focused on human-engineering the landscape of Washington and Seattle, highlighting the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the Ballard Locks. Coming up will be a student mock trial and individual research into a local musical, culinary or artistic topic.

8th grade students finished their Christianity unit with a visit from two Sisters of the Holy Names. Students had visited Blessed Sacrament Catholic church and the IFGF church next door to Billings. This week, we will begin our study of Islam which includes a field trip Friday, May 8th to the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS ), the largest mosque in Washington state.

In Spanish, 6th graders are finishing their “En Mi Mochila” projects, showcasing the items they bring to school in their backpacks. 7th graders are hard at work on their Dream House Projects, laying out their homes in great detail, with multiple floors, gardens, basketball courts and other amenities they would like. Please ask your 7th grader what they chose to include in their dream home! 8th graders will be starting a project researching traditional clothing in various Spanish-speaking countries.

📣 In the Community 🏘️

Hands-on, social, and screen-free.

Located in NE Seattle at: 5414 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

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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