Class of 2026 Raises Its Flag

In an annual tradition, VIth formers took a break from their academic day to gather in Pulling Quad for the Class of 2026 flag raising ceremony on Tuesday.

Head of School Jonathan Downs ’98 opened the ceremony by reading the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. The short poem describes a momentary pause for reflection at the beginning of a lengthy journey toward responsibility, much like the gathered seniors stopping to mark the genesis of their trek toward Millbrook’s 95th Commencement in May.

After the poetry reading and a few words of wisdom from Mr. Downs, Millbrook’s prefects retired the Class of 2025 flag and raised their own, eliciting raucous cheers from their classmates. The new flag will remain in place high over the quad until this year’s Vth formers continue the tradition next September.

The flag raising is just one of the many traditions that make the boarding school experience so memorable for students—and Millbrook has a long list of traditions developed since its founding in 1931 that make ours one of the best boarding school experiences in the world.