Billings Middle School

There were many reasons why we chose Billings, but a primary selling point was that it was the one school we looked at that didn't frame middle school as a nightmare to survive with minimal trauma. Billings truly sees middle school as an opportunity, a time for exponential growth, and this perspective is reflected in their culture of joyful learning through failure and embrace of the inevitable challenges of adolescence. My child is thriving at Billings. In elementary school, my kid refused to participate in any activities or do more than the minimum work. Now he is happy to go to school each day and try new things, and he comes home talking about cool stuff he learned that day. He loves the teachers and feels that they really care about him and his learning. I've appreciated the school's responsiveness to my child's learning disabilities as well. Billings is a caring community invested in all students' success. We feel so lucky our child is spending his middle school years here.

Our son started 6th grade at Billings at the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year. We chose Billings because we wanted a supportive environment that would support our creative and quirky kiddo. They've delivered on all fronts! We've never seen him so excited about what he's learning. The teachers are doing a great job learning about our son and finding creative ways to engage him. He's trying new things and making good friends. We couldn't hope for more.

My daughter started at Billings this year, and we are so grateful she is attending. The teachers are dynamic, engaging, fun, warm, and accessible. The work she is doing is meaningful and challenging. Well before the start of the school year, Billings staff developed an intentional, thorough and safe plan for a balance of remote learning and in-person outdoor education opportunities. They have been incredibly organized, nimble, and communicative throughout these difficult times. They have managed to forge a close-knit community of learners, despite learning at a distance. I can even hear my daughter laughing with delight during her remote classes!

Billings has been a wonderful place for our oldest to thrive. The staff connect with students and do a wonderful job of teaching middle school and getting students to do deeper work while keeping it interesting and not just a grind to tick off the boxes. Our extrovert has gained the confidence to match her academic abilities and has learned skills to advocate for herself and others that she'll need as she moves to high school and beyond. Her experience encouraged her introverted brother to apply and while we're sure his experience will differ, we're confident that staff will engage just as effectively and he'll come away with skills we didn't know he had.

Billings Middle School is the best decision our family could have made for our son. The staff's commitment, compassion and dedication is exceptional as is the hands on, experiential approach to learning. This school changed our son's life, and our family will be forever grateful.

We sent our child to Billings 14 years ago and can now say, with high school, college, and graduate school under our belts, that Billings was a game changer for our kid. She still relies on the life lessons she learned there - to understand herself as a learner, to advocate for herself, and to work in teams. She learned grace and patience at Billings. The outdoor program taught her resilience, perseverance, and confidence. When she graduated from college back east, two of her Billings friends came to celebrate with her. The friendships built here are life long. I cannot say enough about how this school changed the trajectory of our daughter's education! It is one of Seattle's hidden gems.