The strength of Millbrook's academic program exists not only in the quality of its offerings or the ability of its teachers, for while both are components of a flourishing and broad program, neither can guarantee its success. Rather, the program's strength resides in the attitude, the ethos that fills each class period, each singular exchange between faculty and students. Classes are places where respect for one another, for the free exchange of ideas and opinions, is a most prized commodity. Within a traditional, rigorous college preparatory course of study, Millbrook students are encouraged to be curious, involved, and active learners, for the teachers with whom they work understand that the success of any educational pursuit lies in the vigor and commitment that students bring to it. The acquisition of knowledge and skills, though critical to our mission, is but a component of a Millbrook education. The ability to read effectively, write clearly, and think independently are of greatest use when students challenge themselves, listen carefully to their classmates, test their own limits, and question their assumptions. Students come to Millbrook in search of great teachers and exciting programs. Once found, they also discover themselves.   Athletics, across all levels, are considered classrooms and are an integral part of Millbrook’s mission. The athletic department teaches character development, integrity, physical fitness, sportsmanship, competitive drive, and teamwork while amplifying school spirit. To fulfill this mission, Millbrook’s athletic program intends to: By providing students the opportunity to develop new skills and enhance existing talents, the athletic program aims to inspire in students a passion for individual and team improvement. We believe that the desire to improve is the foundation of success on the playing fields and beyond.   The arts are a full partner in the academic program at Millbrook. Creative thinking, an expansive imagination, a capacity for disciplined, bold expression—these are skills of timeless value, and are essential tools for building the future. Millbrook has a robust arts program, unmatched among schools its size. With twenty-seven different art offerings, it would be impossible to exhaust the possibilities. More than eighty percent of all students take classes in the arts each semester—from acting to art history, choreography to digital photography, playwriting to instrumental ensemble. Our faculty are working artists, and we host visiting artists from New York City and beyond. Outside the classroom students are encouraged to perform in theater productions, recitals and arts nights.   There are a variety of activities on campus every weekend - from autumn festivals to spring weekends full of games and musical entertainment, there is always something going on. And the Barn, home to the student center, is at the heart of these activities and student life. Students also have plenty of opportunity throughout the year, as weekends are sprinkled with shopping trips to the Galleria Mall in Poughkeepsie, outings to nearby towns like Millerton, NY, special movie showings, all-school dances, and much more. Check the calendar to the right for a sample of upcoming activities. The school also encourages its students to participate in activities which reinforce their Millbrook academic program. Among these might be community service programs, outdoor adventures, scientific study, visual and performing arts programs, and sports-related programs.   Millbrook School is responsible for both nourishing and nurturing its mostly residential population. Purchased from local sources, our food is as wholesome and fresh as possible, made from the purest, least processed ingredients, for the purpose of instilling healthy eating habits. Will Metcalf is our food service director and an employee of ARAMARK Food and Support Services. Will graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree in culinary arts, and from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in hotel and restaurant management. In addition to running the dining hall, he works with an organized dining hall committee made up of a representative group of students and faculty. We appreciate ongoing opportunities to both learn and teach about the foods we eat, so the committee was formed partly to educate and communicate, partly to recommend, and partly to generate ideas for breaking up the monotony that can sometime occur within an ongoing menu plan. The dining hall committee also comes up with themes or different approaches to meals such as Passover and Earth Day, for example.   In the past year, Millbrook’s dining hall has made great strides in supporting one of our core values, environmental stewardship. Following are some examples of these achievements:   Did you know that the Trevor Zoo is one-of-a-kind? It is, in fact, the only zoo in this country that is located at a high school. The zoo was established in 1936 at Millbrook School, a coeducational independent high school in Millbrook, New York. Its founder, Frank Trevor, was Millbrook School’s first biology teacher and a man with a passion for sharing his love of wildlife with all people, especially children. And there are plenty of other interesting facts about the Trevor Zoo:    

School Life

Athletics

• Field highly competitive teams that strive to win

• Teach students at every playing level to reach beyond their comfort zone in order to achieve their full potential as athletes

• Encourage a continuous and healthy balance between academic and athletic pursuits

• Cultivate a healthy appreciation for athletics across multiple sports with a variety of offerings, and require student participation in an athletic or theater option each season

• Continue to hire and develop skilled and passionate coaches who are committed faculty members

The Arts At Millbrook

Weekends & More

The Dining Hall

Environmental Impact of the Dining Hall

• On average the Dining Hall contributes 44 pounds a day to our in-house compost program. During large events requiring use of disposables, we compost everything except animal products resulting in less than 1 bag of “trash” for a meal serving over 450 guests.

• We use Hudson Valley Fresh for all our milk. They are an organic and hormone-free Local Dairy Co-operative of farmers from the local area. One such farm is less than 1 mile away from campus.

• We are using two local produce distributors to maximize local and organic choices. Nearly all of our apples are grown in the Hudson Valley.

• We have removed all serving trays from the dining hall as of August 2008. Tray-less dining reduces food waste by 25-30%, saves energy, water and cleaning chemicals.

• All our paper products are fully compostable and made from post consumer recycled materials, including our dining hall napkins.

• We have reduced the number of vendors visiting our campus each week by 1/3. This has been accomplished by making nearly everything in-house including bread and desserts. The bread and desserts we do purchase all come from a single bakery. They are all baked in Dutchess County.

• All fish served has been approved by the Monterey Bay Aquarium as safe for us and the oceans.

• We purchase all coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters which also produces our paper cups for catering.

Trevor Zoo

• It houses more than 180 exotic and indigenous animals

• 80 different species are represented

• It is home to 7 endangered species

• Its facilities extended over 6 acres

• It operates a veterinary clinic

• It is one of 216 zoos in the U.S. accredited by the AZA (Associations of Zoos and Aquariums)