When people think of Millbrook, a few things come to mind, such as our bright buildings, our IB Programme and well developed AP curriculum, or our highly advanced technology that allow our students and faculty to thrive. These benefits come as a result of fifty years of hard work put in by the school.

 Millbrook was founded in 1923. Fifty years ago in the fall of 1967, Millbrook moved from its former location on Millbrook Road to its current location on Spring Forest Road. That previous location was where Millbrook Elementary stands today.  Then, in  1985, renovations were made to add a gym, vocational wing, science building and fine arts facilities.

 Millbrook is known for being one of the largest and most competitive schools in the state, constantly preparing their students for life beyond high school and encouraging a more global perspective. However, Millbrook was not always the unstoppable machine that we see today. Principal Dana King recounts her experience as principal in 2004 by explaining, “This facility was not like it is. It was dark, broken, and I described the auditorium as being creepy.”

 In January of 2005, demolition of Millbrook’s original building began, and that April the last drama production was held in the old auditorium. Ironically, the first production performed in the new auditorium was Fools by Neil Simon, the same production being put on this upcoming November! The current main building that we know today was not opened until August of 2006.

 Millbrook has evolved over the past fifty years in ways other than the physical structure of our buildings–we have also changed the sorts of clubs incorporated in Millbrook culture. While clubs like Student Council, the Laurel, Marching Band and DECA have been a part of Millbrook culture for the past half-century, there also used to be female-dominated “Future Homemakers of America.” Now in the 2017-2018 school year, we have clubs like the Gay-Straight Alliance and the African Student Association that more so reflect our 21st century values.

 Recently the school has gone through even more significant changes with the installation of the junior and senior lounges, as well as the implementation of higher end technology such as SmartBoards, flat screen televisions, and Mac computers for the digital media department. Senior Alexandra Butler comments on these improvements by saying, “I have appreciated  the recent upgrades at Millbrook, and they have so far improved my experience senior year. I’m glad teachers and students have been able to use the new resources.”

 These past fifty years have been an exciting time full of renovations for Millbrook High School, and the Cat Talk staff cannot wait to see how Millbrook further improves in the next half-century.