Northbrook Middle School
Principal: Dr. Brooks Baggett
1221 Northbrook Parkway, Suwanee, GA 30024
School Highlights
The following school highlights showcase how Northbrook Middle School is fulfilling Gwinnett County Public School's four strategic priorities of Empathy, Equity, Effectiveness, and Excellence. Visit the School Profile Dashboard to find more detailed data on our school.
- Northbrook Middle School social studies teacher, Becca Rackley, was named the 2023 GCPS Middle School Teacher of the Year.
- Northbrook Middle School offers students the opportunity to engage in a variety of extracurricular activities, including Debate Club, Crochet Club, Anime Club, Art Club, Drama Club, Film Club, Environmental Club, Readers Rally, Robotics, Technology Student Association, intramural sports, and Girls on the Run. Members of Girls on the Run competed in the Run of Atlanta 5k and engaged with community volunteers and coaches, helping the girls learn to be joyful, healthy, and confident. The Northbrook Drama Club performed an original play, “Macaroni’s Circus.” The Film Club led students through the filmmaking process of writing, directing, and filming their own short films. The Eco Warriors Environmental Club received a $1,700 grant from Jackson EMC, began a “Pollinator Garden,” and earned a $3,300 grant to beautify the school with box gardens and student outdoor seating.
- The Northbrook Concert Band earned Excellent ratings in performance and Superior ratings in sight-reading at Large Group Performance Evaluation. Three Northbrook students earned spots in the GMEA District 13 Honor Band. Two students were selected to participate in District 13 Honor Jazz Band. Three Northbrook students participated in the District 13 Solo & Ensemble event, earning Superior ratings. The 7th & 8th Grade Concert Band, 6th Grade Beginner Band, and the Jazz Band all performed at our annual Winter and Spring concerts.
- The Northbrook Orchestra earned Superior ratings in performance at Large Group Performance Evaluation. Two students were selected for District 13 Honors Orchestra. One orchestra student was selected for All-State Orchestra and advanced to the state level. Two Northbrook students successfully auditioned and were accepted into GCPS Kendall Orchestra, a county-wide honor orchestra. 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade orchestra students performed at our local Winter and Spring school concerts.
- The Northbrook Chorus earned Excellent ratings in performance and sight-reading at Large Group Performance Evaluation. Thirteen chorus students participated in the Athens, Georgia, District 13 Honor Chorus event. Two chorus students participated in auditions for the All-State Chorus. The Northbrook Chorus performed at the Peachtree Ridge Cluster Concert, and the 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade choirs performed at our annual Winter and Spring concerts.
- Northbrook offered Music Technology as a Connections course for the first time this school year. One Northbrook student was chosen as the only middle school student out of 14 for the GMEA Music Technology Showcase and featured his original music at the GMEA In-Service Conference at Tweed Recording in Athens, Georgia. Many Music Tech students’ music was shared in the Northbrook Morning News for "Music in Our Schools Month" in March.
- Northbrook students shined in athletics this year. Our girls and boys basketball teams had successful seasons, earning spots in the Western Division Tournament. The boys basketball team finished the season with a 12-2 record and reached the Western Division semi-finals, the highest finish in school history. The girls basketball team finished the regular season with an 8-6 record. Northbrook students participated in the Peachtree Ridge Cadet Winter Guard, learning a choreographed routine incorporating dance, flags, and rifles. The Winter Guard earned first, second, and third place medals in-season competitions and placed eighth in the championship.
- Northbrook Middle School has a robust STEM program. All grade-level students participated in quarterly project-based learning (PBL) units. These PBL units included driving questions requiring students to work collaboratively, apply their classroom learning, and develop solutions. Students presented their solutions using technology-infused tools to community stakeholders. Students demonstrated content and skill proficiency and important soft skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, organizational management, and problem-solving. Seven Northbrook students participated in the Gwinnett County Science & Engineering Fair, earning one-second place and two third-place prizes. Northbrook Middle received a $3,774 grant from the Bosch Community Fund to support STEM instruction and to expand access to STEM experiences for our students. The STEM Exploration lab allows students to explore various STEM kits, from building hydraulic arms and solar cars to exploring how atoms and molecules are made.
- This school year, Northbrook Middle School created a Parent Liaison/Family Engagement position and Parent Center. Our Parent Center successfully partnered with community members and parents to expand parent volunteer opportunities and increased parent involvement in many school activities. By the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the Northbrook Parent Center assisted approximately 475 families, serving as a bridge between families and the school and helping to close the language gap among parents, teachers, and staff.
- Northbrook Middle School promotes literacy. Our Media Specialist led school-wide reading initiatives through reading challenges in the summer, fall, and spring semesters. Participating students earned prizes and recognition for their reading successes. The Media Specialist partnered with language arts, science, and social studies students to provide cross-curricular lessons on research skills. In addition, the Media Specialist partnered with engineering students to develop videos for entry into the Gwinnett County Media Festival.