Grandparents Fill Campus with Joyful Energy

While students studied in their second block of classes on Friday, 175 of their grandparents made their way onto Millbrook’s campus to celebrate Grandparents Day. These special visitors arrived just in time to enjoy lunch with students in Casertano Hall before spending the rest of their day exploring the place their grandchildren call home during the school year.

Termed the “happiest day of the year” by Head of School Jonathan Downs ‘98, the day was appropriately filled with excited smiles, warm embraces, and whizzing golf carts facilitating joyous reunions. After catching up over lunch, grandparents sat in on their grandchildren’s classes and then gathered in Flagler Memorial Chapel.

In the chapel, grandparents were serenaded by the Millbrook Singers’ fresh rendition of “Killing Me Softly,” complete with beatboxing from Devan Bahia ’26. Then came Mr. Downs’ annual came state-of-the-school address. Mr. Downs shared an astute observation from his father-in-law—that grandchildren are grandparents’ gift for not killing their children—drawing uproarious laughter from the crowd. He also reminded the audience of Millbrook’s mission, emphasizing the institution’s goal of teaching their grandchildren to think for themselves in preparation for lives of meaning and consequence.

As grandparents filed out of the chapel, they were greeted by a crowd of students eagerly waiting to take them to their final classes. Grandparents Day day ended with guests cheering on athletics practices, taking in the beauty of the farm, and visiting the animals at the Trevor Zoo.