Families lined up outside Brockett Elementary School ready to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
As soon as the doors opened, the school filled with excitement as people reunited with old friends, educators and former coworkers.
“The community here is what makes this school so special and so important because it really is a hub for people for generations,” Principal Lindsey Girlinghouse said. “There are families where we have grandparents and grandchildren and aunts and uncles and lots of people that have been a part of the Brockett story.”
The school was built in 1986 and was originally called Aubrey Elementary School, serving as the district’s first elementary school.
The school was renamed after Aubrey educator H.L. Brockett in 2008. He served as elementary principal and held several other roles in the Aubrey school district from 1962 to 2017.
H.L. attended the celebration and toured the school with his family, often stopping to take photos and chat with people.
“He's very appreciative of the community keeping the new generation and the old generation involved,” his son Tyson Brockett said. “It's a real community spirit, and he thinks it's great to see how Aubrey and the schools transition in 40 years. He just thinks it's a really nice honor for the school to reach out to him, [and] he wishes nothing [but the] best for the Aubrey School District and the Aubrey community.”
Frances Carter went to school with H.L. and later worked at the elementary school front office at age 60; she is now 85.
“I know all the people that these schools are named after, and I said, ‘when you get there, you're really getting old,’” Carter said. She expressed her gratitude to be able to work with such a close-knit group. “I love these girls. … I just wish I had a few more years.”
Although it was a come-and-go event, most people stayed through to catch up.
“I got to see all my friends, like everybody I taught with for 24 years,” Tina Milacek said.
As people passed through halls and traveled between classrooms, they exchanged stories about their early memories of the school.
Marilyn Hampton was one of them. She worked throughout the district from 1983 to 2022, for 39 years, in maintenance and custodial work.
Hampton says she has never left the district, as she now works as a substitute teacher at the Early Bird Learning Center.
“My favorite memory is just being there for the kids,” Hampton said. “When they [saw] me, they knew that I would help them.”
Outside on the playground and in the gymnasium, bouncy houses, face painting and other activities kept the kids busy.
Inside the cafeteria, alums performed, each showcasing their talents.
But outside the cafeteria, in the hallway, anticipation met excitement as people waited to see who arrived.
“One of my friends is coming back, too, and I'm like, I wonder if she's here yet?" MaryJo Turner said. “... We all taught together back then. We were young, and we had so much fun.”
Turner got her start back in 1994. She left for several years to be a stay-at-home mom, then returned in 2005 as the gifted and talented teacher.
“It's just a special place to me,” Turner said. “Aubrey has been very special to me and Brockett especially because it was Aubrey Elementary when I first started.”
As the event came to a close, people gave their final round of hugs and said their goodbyes, concluding what many deemed a very special celebration.
