News from Millbrook High School!

November 2026

We had a great October at Millbrook High School! There was so much energy around Homecoming, and it was fun to see everyone get involved throughout Spirit Week. Thank you to everyone who put time into making these events a success for our students.

Our fall teams also gave us plenty to cheer about. Congratulations to our student-athletes and their coaches for all their hard work. Thank you to our families and Sports Boosters for showing up and supporting our Blazers throughout the season.

The first quarter ends on November 13. I encourage students to check their grades and talk with their teachers about any work they need to complete or concepts they need help understanding. Families, please reach out if you have questions. We want to work with you and help students finish the quarter well.

With the holiday season approaching, I find myself thinking about how fortunate I am to serve this community. Each day brings a conversation or a moment with a student that reminds me how much I enjoy being here. These first few months as principal have meant a great deal to me, and I appreciate the welcome and support you have shown me.

Please take a look below for November updates and reminders. Thank you, and Go Blazers!

Jack Gilroy
Principal
Millbrook High School

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Check out some highlights from spirit week!

Mark Your Calendar!

Important dates for the 2026-2027 School Year

November 3 - Superintendent's Conference Day (no school for students)
November 4 - School Picture Retakes
November 9 - Early Dismissal Drill (15 minutes)
November 11 - Veterans Day (no school)
November 12 - Senior Picture Retakes
November 13 - Marking Period 1 Ends
November 25-27 - No School (Thanksgiving Break)
December 2 - 1/2 Day PTC
December 3 - 1/2 Day PTC
December 9 - Winter Concert
January 26-29 - Midterms & Regents
May 3-7 - & 10-14 - AP Exams
May 27 - Prom
June 4 - Senior Awards Ceremony
June 7 - Academic Awards Ceremony
June 11 - Graduation
June 14 - Last Day of Class

Report Cards and Extra Help

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences will take place on December 2 and 3, with half days for students on both days. Evening appointments will also be available on Wednesday, December 2, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. Scheduling links and additional information will be shared in the coming weeks.

Conferences are a chance to discuss your student’s progress, ask questions, and work together on any areas where they may need support. Before your appointment, consider checking in with your student about what is going well and what has been challenging. Their perspective can help guide the conversation.

Look Out for the MHS Giving Tree!!

Who: The Giving Tree supports families in the Millbrook Central School District during the holiday season.
What: Each tree will display paper hands with anonymous gift requests from families in need. Community members are invited to select a hand, purchase the item, and return it as a gift.
Where: Giving Trees will be set up in each school building lobby.
When: During Parent-Teacher Conferences on December 2nd & 3rd. Gifts should be returned to the District Office by December 12.
Why: To lend a giving hand and brighten the holidays for members of our school community.

The Millbrook Giving Tree is a meaningful tradition that our district takes part in each holiday season. This initiative brings our school community together to support local families in need by providing gifts that help make the holidays a little brighter. Each year, families and staff have the opportunity to select an item from the Giving Tree and lend a helping hand to others in our community.

Winter Sports Registration

Winter sports are right around the corner! Students interested in participating should speak with their families and complete registration through FamilyID.

Please make sure you:

Complete all sections of the registration.
Submit the required health information and paperwork.
Confirm that your student has been cleared before participating.
Watch for team announcements about practices and schedules.

If you have questions about registration, teams, or eligibility, please contact our Athletic Director:

Al Hammell
845-527-0897
alfred.hammell@millbrookcsd.org

We look forward to cheering on our Blazers this winter!

Our new TV's!

Millbrook High School is transforming!

Keep an eye out for our digital bulleitin boards around the building! Many more cool things are happening!

Senior Parking Spots

Our seniors showed off their creativity and Blazer Pride by painting their parking spots over the weekend! The spots came out great, and it was fun to see each student add their own personal touch. Keep an eye out for their designs the next time you pull into the high school parking lot!

Early Bird Special - Yearbooks!

High School Families, the HS Yearbooks are now on sale for a reduced, "early bird" price of $75 until December 31st.

The price will increase to $80 in the new year.

Go to https://yearbookordercenter.com/ and enter our school code of 13569 to reserve your student's copy now so they don't miss out!

Contact cathie.morton@millbrookcsd.org with questions.

School Safety

Keeping MHS safe is a priority every day. Thank you to our students, staff, and families for your cooperation during drills and for taking our safety procedures seriously. Practicing together helps everyone know what to do and gives us a chance to improve.

We also love getting students involved in this work. Their questions, feedback, and observations help us understand what is working and where we can do better. We want every student to know they can speak with a trusted adult when something does not seem right. Thank you for helping us look out for one another.

Congratulations, Lily and Mason!

Congratulations to Lilly Kozera and Mason LaVarnway, the Poughkeepsie Journal Girls and Boys Athletes of the Week for October 19–25!

Lilly earned 60% of the vote after scoring all four goals in Millbrook’s 4–2 win over Arlington B.

Mason earned 48% of the vote after scoring six goals across three games. His hat trick against Webutuck helped secure a postseason spot, and he scored both goals in the 2–1 victory over Pine Plains—Millbrook’s first sectional win in 11 years!

We are proud of both players and their teams. Thank you to everyone who voted and helped recognize our Blazers. Go Blazers!

Olana Field Trip

Ms. Cring’s Advanced Art class recently visited Olana State Historic Site, where students toured the home of artist Frederic Church and learned about the Hudson River School’s place in American art and history.

The trip gave students a chance to connect what they are learning in class with a historic site right here in the Hudson Valley!

Blazer-to-Blazer Assemblies

Our varsity girls soccer and football teams visited Alden Place to help build connections between our older and younger Blazers!

Ahead of Girls Soccer Senior Night and Football Senior Night/Homecoming, student-athletes visited classrooms across the building, handed out blue Blazer bracelets, and personally invited our students to come cheer them on.

At the games, students were able to stop by the Sports Boosters concession stand to trade their blue Blazer bracelets for a soccer or football bracelet. We loved bringing our Blazers together to celebrate our high school seniors and show off our school spirit!

Thank you to the Millbrook Sports Boosters for sponsoring these visits!

Learning at Millbrook Beef & Dairy

Ms. Herzegovitch and Ms. Greene took their class to Millbrook Beef and Dairy to experience life on the farm! It was a great opportunity for our Blazers to learn outside the classroom and visit a local farm.

Thank you to Millbrook Beef and Dairy for welcoming our students!

Senior Updates

January Regents Exam & Midterms

January Regents exams will take place January 26–29, and MHS will hold midterm exams during the same period. An updated schedule with exam dates, times, and reporting information will be shared in November.

Students who would like to take a January Regents exam should notify their school counselor by Friday, November 6, at 9:00 a.m. This is an opportunity to retake an exam, improve a previous score, or complete an outstanding graduation requirement. Your counselor can help you determine which exams you may need.

Preparing for exams also connects to our Portrait of a Graduate work as students apply their knowledge, practice critical thinking, and take responsibility for their learning. Students should speak with their teachers early about preparation and extra help.

A few important reminders for exam week:

Students only need to attend school when they are scheduled for a midterm or Regents exam.
Buses will follow the normal morning schedule, arriving at school at 7:45 a.m. Afternoon transportation will be available at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Courses not listed on the updated exam schedule will hold midterms during regular class time.

Surprise Attendance Day

A Surprise Attendance Day is coming up! We’re keeping the date a secret, so be here on time each day. You won’t want to miss it!

Blazer Spirit

Blazer spirit has been strong to start the school year, and it has been so much fun to be part of! From wearing Blazer gear to cheering on our teams and joining in school events, our students, staff, and families have brought energy and enthusiasm to MHS.

Thank you to everyone who has helped make this a school community we are proud of. Let’s keep it going throughout the year—keep showing up, getting involved, and supporting one another. Go Blazers!

Our Values

Get Your Blazer Gear

Every Friday we encourage students & staff to show their Millbrook Pride by wearing our school colors,

Get your Blazer Friday Fresh Gear Now!

Click here to visit the Millbrook School Store

Halloween at MHS

Check out some of the costumes our Blazers wore for Halloween! It was so much fun seeing the creativity throughout the building. Thank you to our students and staff for joining in and making it a great day!

Updates from Pupil Personnel Services

Consistency Across Schools
We’re working to make sure families have the same smooth experience with PPS District Wide.

504 Plans
Annual and reevaluation consents have been sent out. If you haven’t received yours, please call the PPS office. A special thank you to Danielle Leonardi for organizing this process!

IEP Collaboration Portal
Consent forms were sent home so families can receive secure updates and notifications. Need another copy? Contact PPS and we’ll resend it.

Staff Training

CPI Training: Small group sessions have been organized for staff in CPI

CPR/AED Training; Targetted staff have been organized and trained to keep our students safe

English as a New Language (ENL) Services
ENL support started on the first day of school. We’ve welcomed many new students this month. Thank you to Ms. Ellis, our ENL Coordinator, for helping with assessments, placements, and family communication.

As always, if you have questions regarding your child, please do not hesitate to contact the PPS Office:

Thank you for your help and continued partnership!

Danielle Leonardi- Administrative Assistant

845-677-4200 ext. 1107

danielle.leonardi@millbrookcsd.org

Alexandra Ellis- ENL Coordinator

845-677-4200 ext. 1109

alexandra.ellis@millbrookcsd.org

Joann Hobson- Special Education Coordinator

845-677-4200 ext. 1107

joann.hobson@millbrookcsd.org

Thank You to Our Partners!

A special thank-you to our PTO, Sports Boosters, and Millbrook Educational Foundation (MEF) for all they do for our students and school community. Their time, generosity, and hard work support opportunities in our classrooms, on our playing fields, and beyond. We are grateful for their partnership and for everyone who volunteers to help make Millbrook such a wonderful place to learn and grow.

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