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Inside Billings
March 12, 2026
| | 🎒 What's Happening at Billings? 📚 | | We are filled with gratitude for the generosity and Billings spirit of our community. Because of you, our Annual Fundraiser: Billings Base Camp was more than an event - it was a celebration of shared values and a commitment to the growth of our students. | | |
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 reimagined into a beverage bar, and the gym transformed into a campground under the sky. 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 Class of 2017 speaker, Maya Garcia:
“The foundational experiences at Billings empowered me to lead and take risks in other environments. I would go on to fly planes, found and host a conference for Black students, and lead as a student advisor while in high school. While attending Scripps college, I was given the opportunity to study abroad in Morocco, where I discovered my love for the Arabic language. I dedicated the two years after that to learning Arabic and had to become comfortable in the deeply humbling experience of being illiterate and unable to convey complex emotions in the beginning. Just as I had at Billings, I relied on my teachers and peers for support. With perseverance, I was able to study abroad in Jordan and end my senior year with an advanced level of Arabic. I felt empowered to embark on these various expeditions, because I had an amazing base camp.”
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Photos of event done by Amy Keljo Photography
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, 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. 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 Mike 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! And if you would like to make a gift, please head to our website and make your gift today! Every gift truly helps.
With deepest gratitude,
Mike
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We’re still riding 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 set a Billings historical record…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.
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 donate, 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.
| | ☀️ Billings Summer Program 🎣 | | |
We have so many exciting adventures planned this summer! Check out the offerings in detail HERE.
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Exploring the Backcountry | June 15-18
- Billings Backpacking Adventures | June 22-26
- Gone Fishin’! | July 13-17
- GeoloG&D: Journey to Mt. St. Helens | July 7-10
- Survival Showdown: Innovate, Create, DOMINATE! | July 13-17
- Cancelled: Nature Art July 20-24
| | Has a 6th grader told you about the Winter Olympics? The Billings Winter Olympics, that is, with events occurring during our Monday All School Meetings. We’ve had a variety of events that honor Olympic sports with a dash of middle-school creativity, including two versions of speed skating and the infamous human curling event. | | |
The 7th grade will be heading on a field trip to The Heron’s Nest all day on 3/26. This should be a fun day of service and learning, and students should be prepared to be outside for most of the day. Look for an email from Maya in the near future with more details! In other news, congratulations to Theo for winning the “Group-Care Award” on the second snowshoeing day. We’ll be selecting the winner of our third award, “Morale,” on Friday!
8th grade students spent last Thursday visiting the Holocaust Center for Humanity and the Pike Place Market. Students had a tour of the museum’s artifacts and focused on the “pyramid of hate” and the idea of interrupting biased and discriminatory behavior. Students also focused on examples of resistance and resilience throughout the museum. Students were very respectful and engaged. After lunch at the sculpture park, students split into Advisory groups and had fun with a scavenger hunt at the market.
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✒️ Deans on the Scene 🎓
March is an incredibly exciting month at Billings. Students are hard at work preparing for the Winter Production on 3/27 and 3/28, spring sports have begun, and, of course, there are lots of fun and engaging classroom projects and lessons. We are well aware that our students are balancing many things during this month, and teachers are prepared to support the process. In some cases, there might be conflicting activities at the same time, specifically with regard to after-school sports and clubs, and the Winter Production rehearsals. We ask that students prioritize the Winter Production over any Billings after school activities! Please reach out to us if your child has scheduling conflicts or needs support balancing their after school schedule.
| | 8th grade ELA students are well into their 8th grade projects and looking forward to presenting them to the Billings community in the spring! They submitted research proposals last week, and they’re preparing 1-pagers for next week. Students are practicing the research and writing skills they’ve learned this term by collecting and evaluating sources, documenting, organizing, and workshopping draft material with the class. Workshop days provide time for students to share and receive feedback and complete individual work. Final projects are due at the end of winter term. | | |
In 6th grade Math, we’re wrapping up our fraction division unit with a review of area and volume. Students are learning to meticulously check their process with these multistep problems as they pivot from multiplication to division, convert fractional side lengths, and simplify final answers. Deciding when to rely on quick mental calculations and when to record steps is an essential consideration as problem-solving gets more complex. Next week, we’ll have a dessert-based lesson to celebrate Pi Day before transitioning to our next unit: Positive and Negative Numbers. A friendly reminder that Delta Math homework is assigned every Wednesday and due the following Monday. There is usually an optional enrichment activity assigned as well for students looking for a higher-level challenge.
Arts Department Family Work Parties
As you know, the annual Winter Term Arts Production is coming up with performances at 7:00pm on Friday, March 27th and Saturday, March 28th.
We welcome all skill sets! From organizing costumes, building specialty props, climbing ladders to hang lighting or painting walls and using power tools. Please come out to support the ARTS at Billings.
WORK PARTIES
- Saturday, March 14th, 11am-2pm
- Saturday, March 21st, 11am-2pm
Available jobs and sign-up: http://bit.ly/4d7r5xl
We are happy to answer any questions you may have about any jobs or skill level, but we've got something for everyone and all are welcome!
Gillian, Sabrina, Birch, Amira, and Greyson
| | Billings Family Association | | |
Parenting Resources
Kids On the Brink: Raising Emotionally Healthy Youth
With Donna Jackson Nakazawa
March 19, 12-1:30pm
Register here for this free webinar from PNW Parent Education
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Upcoming Events: 📅
- All-School Production: March 27-28
- NO SCHOOL: Teacher In-Service Day, March 30
- 7th Grade Central WA Trip: April 8-10
- NO SCHOOL: Spring Break, April 13-17
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Holy Names Academy
Walk & Talk Tour for 7th Grade Parents
March 17 & April 14
HNA Walk & Talk Tuesdays are 90-minute events specifically for parents of 7th grade students. Parents have the chance to meet our administrative team, learn more about the high school application process, tour our beautiful campus, and see classes in action. Click here to sign up.
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Creative Nights for Teens & ’Tweens (Ages ~10–16)
at Squirrelly Art Studio.
🎨Acrylic Painting – Fri, Mar 27 | 6:30–8:30pm, $50
🖌️Stencils & Spray Paint – Fri, Apr 25 | 6:30–8:30pm, $55
Hands-on, social, and screen-free.
Register at squirrellyworkshop.com (spots are limited, invite a friend!).
Located in NE Seattle at: 5414 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105.
| | Embodied STEAM and/as Liberation:
Science, Imagination, and the Right to Be Free in Learning | | |
What happens when education honors the full humanity of every learner—their bodies, their cultures, their histories, and their radical imaginations? In this powerful address, Dr. Christopher Emdin calls us to reclaim education as a site of embodied liberation. Rooted in his work at the intersections of race, science, justice, and the arts, Dr. Emdin explores how learning environments that celebrate the rights of the body—movement, rhythm, expression, rest—and center imaginative thinking can transform not just classrooms, but communities. This is more than a talk. It’s a blueprint for rehumanizing education—and a celebration of what’s possible when we teach and learn with our whole selves.
Join us on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 from 5-6:15 PM (PT) to welcome Dr. Christopher Emdin, a writer and professor at Columbia University’s teacher college who holds a Ph.D in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology. He is best known for his book For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education, which he wrote from his own experiences growing up as a young person of color feeling undervalued in the classroom. He will be speaking to us about his writings, Hip Hop, and much more! “Education is not memorization. It is the activation of the imagination and a path towards liberation”- Dr. Emdin. Learn more about Dr. Emdin at his website.
This event is free and open to the public hosted by POCIS Northwest. Please RSVP to get our Zoom Link.
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AI Workshop: Climate, Culture and Mental Health
March 14, 10am-2pm
University Heights Center
This workshop will cover:
- how AI has shifted culture within the home, at school, on social media and beyond
- AI’s impact on natural resources both locally and globally
- how to practice social responsibility with AI, preserving natural knowledge systems while acknowledging and understanding the road that lies ahead
Interested? RSVP here!
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Executive Function Workout!
Join me (Greg: Director of The Learning Center at Billings) for a regular morning EF workout from 8:30 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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