DECEMBER 22, 2023

We hope these stories of joy, spirit and giving at Millbrook Central

School District inspire you and brighten the holiday season!

We wish you a wonderful 2024. See you next year!

Individual buildings also created their own initiatives. At Elm Drive Elementary School, School Psychologist Michelle Quattrone led the creation of a free holiday shop; faculty and staff members were encouraged to donate unwrapped toys, gift wrap and tape to be set up in the conference room so families could come in and “shop.”

“This was the first year we’ve done this at Elm and everybody was so willing to help,” said Quattrone. “We sent out one email and got hundreds of responses. It speaks volumes to the community. It’s one of the things that I love about working here.”

Elm Drive first graders also got in the spirit of giving and gratitude. First grade teacher Alicia Dorsman said that her students spent time before Thanksgiving reflecting on the things they use daily in school or in their lives that other children may not have access to, like toothbrushes, pencils or activity books. Their families sent in these items with their children to be donated to Dutchess Outreach.

"It is a great simple way for a six year old to be grateful for daily things and be a part of helping others,” said Dorsman. “The students love to place their items in the box and join us in giving to the community.”

Led by School Psychologist Tonya Pulver, Alden Place Elementary’s Kindness Club made holiday cards to donate to the Angels of Light, a local nonprofit organization that provides support to hospitalized children and their families. The cards will be delivered to children in seven local hospitals this year.

“The Kindness Club is all about teaching kids empathy and compassion, and this was a great way to show them how they can make a difference in someone else’s life,” Pulver said. “The cards were very creative and heartfelt, and I’m sure they will brighten the days of the children who receive them.”

The school’s Jr Interact club, advised by fifth grade teacher Maryellen Link, also participated in several charitable initiatives this fall to support families in need for Thanksgiving and the winter holidays.

The club organized a read-a-thon, where students’ families and friends donated a certain amount of money or non-perishable food items for each book that a student read. Proceeds went toward providing holiday meals as well as gift cards to those in need, and the club also coordinated donations of turkeys for each family generously provided by Marona’s Market. Students also made Christmas cards for veterans at Castle Point as well as injured veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland.

In past years Millbrook Middle School families in need have been provided with funds for essentials like clothing and blankets from local organizations, but when Holsborg and Chanowsky found out that the school wouldn’t be receiving assistance this year they reached out to faculty and staff members for help. Donations immediately began pouring in – and not only from middle school employees.

“The entire district immediately stepped up,” said Holsborg. “So many faculty and staff members as well as anonymous donors gave personal funds to our Millbrook families on top of what they had already done.”

Middle School Psychologist Jennifer Obrizok said that it was a true team effort, with secretaries keeping in touch with families (who remained anonymous to other teachers and staff, as is customary throughout the district) to gather information about clothing sizes and coordinate pickups..

School Counselor Kelly Domino and science teacher Sabrina Dupont made sure that each family had everything they needed for the holidays, using donated funds to purchase items like socks, sweatshirts and sweatpants, gloves, hats and hygiene products before a team of teachers and staff wrapped each gift.

“Even without the additional funds we were still able to provide for every family on our list,” said Obrizok. “Nobody was left out. We’re very grateful for the amazing effort and generosity put forth.”

The middle school’s Jr. Interact club also spent time giving back to the community by collecting over 300 activity books and 500 holiday cards from students throughout the school district for Angels of Light. They will be carrying their activities into the new year as well; members plan to meet in January to make sandwiches for the local charity, Hope on a Mission, which provides food and necessities to those who are homeless and/or addicted in the northern Hudson Valley.

Visitors to Millbrook High School throughout the month of December might have noticed a giving tree adorned with paper “ornaments,” each one providing information about an anonymous child who could use a toy for the holidays. The high school’s Interact Club has historically sponsored families for the holidays, but this year Angels of Light asked them if they would be interested in hosting a toy drive instead – and they made it happen. Members created flyers to hang up around the school spreading the word and encouraging students, faculty and staff to take an ornament from the tree and bring in a corresponding gift.

Overall the club collected more than 50 toys and games to be distributed to children in area hospitals. Some members even had the chance to witness the generosity throughout the Millbrook community as they visited village businesses – who also participated in the effort – to pick up donated toys and deliver them to the Angels of Light office.

Student Interact member Ryan Marano kept the spirit of the holidays close at heart. 

"It was a wonderful experience and I loved helping the children,” he said. “This is what Christmas is all about, spreading love, joy, and giving to others." 

High School Counselor Lauren Prince commended the school community for mobilizing for local families.

“One of the things I love most about Millbrook is the feeling of community,” she said. “It's a reminder that kindness is so important in every aspect. You never know when you might find yourself in a situation where you could use support, too.

"These kindnesses are simple yet profound and can really change the course of someone's life."