Brookwood Forest celebrates 50 years

Frances Mitchell taught fifth-grade when Brookwood Forest Elementary opened its doors 50 years ago. At age 102, she took part in the school's 50th anniversary celebration on April 26 by cutting a ribbon to enter a new history hall created for the celebration.

Scrapbooks full of memorabilia, old yearbooks and other mementos from the school's history were set out for the anniversary event, which drew students, teachers, parents and other friends of the school from the past five decades.

"It's a place near and dear to my heart," said Linda Mason, who attended the school, has taught there for 25 years and whose children attended the school. "It's like a big family."

Mason, along with two other teachers, organized the Sunday event.

On Friday, the students celebrated the anniversary beginning with a surprise visit from the Mountain Brook High School Marching Band. Band members paraded through the school's hallways, leading the kids out from their classrooms to the school's field, where they formed the numbers 5-0 and were photographed by a drone that flew overhead.