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Inside Billings
April 10, 2025
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | |
🌷 Spring Dance & Movie Night! 🎥
Billings will be hosting a Spring Dance for our students on Friday, May 2 from 6:00pm-8:00pm. The dance will be held in our gym, and we are excited to welcome our students for a night of celebration, revelry, and (of course) dancing! In addition to dancing, there will be group games and a room dedicated for quiet play and non-electronic socializing so that any students who might not want to dance will have a space to celebrate. See Deans on the Scene for more information.
We are also excited to invite you and your family to Billings campus for a Movie Night on Friday, April 25, starting at 5:00pm. Bundle up in your sleeping bag with a bowl of popcorn in the gym as we watch Back to the Future. RSVP here!
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25-26 Academic Calendar
Planning ahead for next year? See the link below for the general
25-26 Academic Calendar!
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Mike on the Mic 🎤
Last Friday was an INCREDIBLE night! The school was transformed into “Billings National Park” complete with Birch strumming tunes by the campfire, a canoe remodeled into a beverage bar, and the gym reimagined into a campground under the sky.
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It was a night to remember, building connections and community while raising critical funds to ensure that the Billings program and experience we know and love continues to grow. In addition to the thrilling live items and raffle, we heard from powerful alum parent speaker, Christi Cruz, about how Billings was a truly safe and transformative place personally and academically for 2024 graduate Remi. Thank you to everyone who donated, as it truly ensures that we can provide access and opportunity to anyone, no matter their needs.
And of course with special thanks to Bryan Howell, we have this video, where we heard directly from students about what they love about Billings.
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I am filled with gratitude for everyone who has supported the auction through volunteering of their time, talent and treasure with a special shoutout to our amazing Co-Chairs, Laurie Alexander and Molly Countryman. Not only did we build connections and celebrate this community, we are thrilled that we surpassed our goal and we are still counting final numbers! If your donation will be matched by your employer, please email Koby so we can make sure we have the right total. Thank you!
For those of you who were not able to attend, we missed you! There are still a few spots left in some of our buy-in events, which are great ways to continue the community building experience. If you want to sign up, now is the time! And if you would like to make a gift, please head to our website and make your gift today! Every gift truly helps.
I hope that you all enjoy a restful and restorative Spring Break,
Mike
| | 🌱 Philanthropy at Billings 🌿 | We’re still riding the high from Friday night’s Billings Base Camp Celebration & Fundraising Dinner — what an incredible evening! The event team really outdid themselves with transforming our school into the Billings Base Camp. Thanks to the generosity and spirit of our amazing community, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve surpassed our goal… and donations are still coming in! | |
It was a night full of connection, laughter, and heartfelt support for everything that makes Billings special. We are deeply grateful to our dedicated volunteers, supportive parents, fantastic guests, and our wonderful faculty and staff who helped bring the evening to life. Your energy and commitment created a truly memorable event that celebrated all the things we love about our school.
Couldn’t make it to the event? There’s still time to get involved!
You can still sign up for our Buy-In Events online — these are a great way to connect with the Billings community while supporting the school. From the Basketball Bash with Rob and Nathan to Student Karaoke with Gillian and Emma or Puppy Picnic Playdate with Becca and Frankie, there is something for every student to enjoy! And don’t forget to treat yourself to a relaxing morning at the Donuts and Mimosa’s Pajama Party with Molly Countryman and Laurie Alexander (adults only on this one!). Don’t miss out on these fun community events!
Double your impact with employer matching!
Many companies offer matching gift programs that can double — or even triple — your donation to Billings. If you’ve already donated or are planning to, be sure to check with your employer to see if they’ll match your gift. It’s a simple way to make an even bigger difference for our students and school community.
We’re so proud to be part of such a generous and engaged community. Thank you for helping us build an even stronger future for Billings.
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✒️ Deans on the Scene 🎓
About the Spring Dance:
While this dance is billed as “semi-formal,” students should wear what they are comfortable with so long as it meets our daily dress code requirements found in the handbook. In order to make this celebration fun, safe, and inclusive, each student will be expected to uphold these community expectations:
- The dance is for current Billings students only.
- Cell phones are not permitted during the dance. Students can bring phones to contact their families, but devices are expected to be off and away during the celebration.
- If a student leaves campus, their parents will be notified and the student will be asked to leave.
- Billings will provide light refreshments (not dinner) for enjoyment during the celebration. Students are asked not to bring any outside food, drinks, or other consumables to the celebration.
- While students are welcome to bring board games, students may not bring any electronic gaming devices (Chromebooks, handheld gaming devices, iPads, etc...).
Please download the permission form below and turn it in to the Front Desk by Wednesday, April 30.
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Our Olympic Backpacking trip is now full, but space is available for our other two trips as well as our on-campus workshops. Please check out the website for all the information and register below while there's still time.
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- 7th Grade Trip: Wednesday, April 9 - Friday, April 11
- [NO SCHOOL] Spring Break: Monday, April 14 - Friday, April 18
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Family Movie Night: Friday, April 25, 5:00pm-7:30pm
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Spring Dance: Friday, May 2, 6:00pm-8:00pm
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From the BFA:
Family Movie Night on Fri 4/25
Your whole family is invited to come watch Back to the Future on the big screen and enjoy pizza, popcorn, and drinks in Billings’ gym. RSVP now so we know how many people to expect! We also need a few more volunteers to help with the event; click here to sign up.
All-School Dance on Fri 5/2
Mark your calendar: Billings is hosting its annual all-school dance party on Friday, May 2nd at 6pm. Your student won’t want to miss the fun!
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, hosted by 6th-grade parent Dan Schneider. Donuts and drinks will be provided. RSVP here to join the fun!
Parenting Resources
Parenting with a Coaching Mindset, with Priyanthi Alahendra
April 29th, 5-6pm
Register here for this webinar from the Bush School’s Parent University
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
| | In our all-grade meeting this week, 6th graders enjoyed a fun collaborative challenge called “marble run.” Using sections of pipe ramps, groups have to link up to help a marble travel a designated distance into a target jar. It’s much harder than it sounds, requiring steady hands, communication, patience, and quick recovery after repeated failure. A shout out to our students for being involved in such a wide variety of extracurricular activities! Spring sport seasons have started and the last round of clubs will start after spring break. | |
The 7th grade class had a great first day in Central Washington, touring Wild Horse Wind Farm, getting set up at camp, and opting into one of three choice activities for the afternoon a game of ultimate on the Columbia River, experimenting with weaving techniques, or exploring the petroglyphs at Ginkgo Petrified Forest and making our own with found nature objects imprinted on salt dough. We’re excited for a day of hiking and climbing!
8th graders have been thoughtfully considering and discussing the upcoming Washington Coast trip with their families and their advisors. This trip will take place on the Olympic Peninsula May 19th through the 23rd and is a culminating outdoor experience for all 8th grade students.
The current unit in 6th grade Math is Expressions and Equations, a foundational topic for algebraic thinking. Students are learning to interpret variables and calculate their values in one, two, or three-step equations. Phrases like “reverse the operation,” “isolate the variable,” “balance the equation,” and “simplify or substitute” are common refrains in our lessons. We’re also practicing order of operations with the PEMDAS acronym and studying exponent concepts. We recently analyzed the classic “five million dollars vs. a penny doubled everyday for a month” problem to understand the nature of exponential growth. Ask your child about it!
In 7th grade Science, students collected pond water samples and examined these samples under microscopes as an introduction to our cellular biology unit. Students saw several microscopic organisms in their pond water, from nematodes to diatoms!
| 6th grade students completed a lab activity using crayon pieces to learn all about the Rock Cycle! Students observed the processes of compaction and cementation, heat and pressure, and melting and cooling during this lab activity. One big aspect of this lab was for students to draw detailed observations from what they learned and to answer lab questions. | |
8th grade ELA students are wrapping up their study of the novel, Bread Givers, and preparing for a final test tomorrow before heading off for spring break. The class created infographics to represent important elements from the novel such as characters, conflicts, figurative language, topics, and themes.
6th grade students are exploring Ancient China in Social Studies, beginning with geography, vocabulary, and a dip into four important Chinese dynasties. When students return from spring break, we will analyze three main philosophies as well as the silk road.
7th grade Washington State History class prepped for their upcoming expeditionary trip to Central Washington. Students spent the period reading and hearing about basalt columns and lava flows that contribute to the Frenchman Coulee and the Feathers near Vantage.
8th Graders are examining the Declaration of Independence this week and looking at the specific statements and list of grievances that make up this historical document. Ask your student about the “break up letter” and if they can explain how the list of grievances about King George III is related to our Bill of Rights!
The 7th and 8th grade students were excited to pick up where they left off last week in Ukulele, learning to strum the C, Am, F and G7 chords and how to pluck out melodies on the uke using the TAB system. We strummed and sang Stay by Sam Smith, the old motown classic Stand by Me and Birds of Feather by Billie Eilish and plucked out nursery rhymes and the Star Wars theme with TAB.
This week in Instrumental Music, 6th graders dived into Rhythm, the thing that unites all music and cultures around the world. We learned how to stomp and clamp as a group while singing “We Will Rock You,” then learned how to build a basic drum beat in a digital drum program before exploring making drum beats on their own.
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How to Build Equitable Schools
Join Elena Aguilar, author of the highly acclaimed book Arise: The Art of Transformational Coaching, to discuss the importance of emotional resilience in equity work. Walk away with a number of strategies to cultivate the emotional resilience needed to build equitable schools.
- April 23, 2025
- 5:00-6:15 pm
- Via Zoom
- Free and Open to the Public
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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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