Millbrook Middle School Elective

Inspires Autonomy and Exploration

When eighth grade student Johnny Jacob signed up for eighth grade social studies teacher Jack Gilroy’s Press Room elective, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

“Mr. Gilroy was my basketball coach and I like him as a teacher, so I thought it would be a fun class,” he said. “I figured it would have something to do with journalism but just signed up to see what it was all about.”

What he encountered was the experience of building a newspaper from the ground up as well as producing a public newscast – and writing, writing and more writing.

In his second year teaching at Millbrook Middle School, Gilroy said that the goal of his Press Room elective is to offer a student-led opportunity to delve into the world of journalism, digital media and both creative and news writing. An elective that has been offered to eighth graders for around six years, the class’s structure underwent a transformation under his guidance this year.

“It was already established before I took over but when Steve Cabello (Millbrook Middle School Principal) approached me about teaching it he said, ‘Let’s redirect it and give it a new spin,’” said Gilroy. “I was able to put my own stamp on it, which was exciting and led to some neat things.”

One of the biggest changes he made was to shift the class to a primarily writing-based experience. Press Room students journal every day, choosing from a wide range of topics as well as introducing their own ideas. So far, topics have ranged from sports, school dances, locker sizes, cell phones as well as events, experiences and social issues related to school. 

Anchala Sobrin Elevates Math Education at Millbrook Central School District

With a career journey that has spanned over 20 years and taken her from the classroom to administration and beyond, it’s safe to say that Anchala Sobrin has been around the block in the world of education – and this year, Millbrook Central School District is benefitting from her expertise.

Sobrin began her career as a math teacher for over 14 years at John Jay High School in Wappingers. Toward the end of her time in the district she also took on the part time duty of Dean of Students: a move that she said helped her transition from teaching to administration.

“That role was a great bridge from one aspect of education to another,” she said. “I loved working with students so I was still able to stay connected with the kids before later making the jump to building and then district leadership.”

Sobrin’s path took her from this transitional experience to full time administrator at two other districts before landing in her current position as Regional Coordinator of Mathematics, Data, & Grant Programming at Putnam Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (PNW BOCES). There Sobrin oversees program development, professional development, leadership guidance, and strategic planning for math education in a number of districts throughout the lower Hudson Valley – and this is where Millbrook comes in.

Sobrin has been working with the district since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, leading professional development efforts largely at Elm Drive and Alden Place Elementary Schools. She was brought in during the district’s transition to Eureka Math, a program designed to advance equity in the math classroom, to support teachers as they shifted from the Common Core curriculum. Not only has her role involved developing their capacity to teach the new standards, but also assisting with adjusting and implementing the program.

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