MENLO SCHOOL • SINCE 1915

Academics

Daily Schedule

It’s all about Time! 

Menlo’s daily schedules are designed to offer more sleep, greater balance, and a slower daily pace.

Both the Middle and Upper School follow seven-day rotating block schedules that are designed to enrich the student experience by giving students and teachers time to cultivate stronger relationships with one another and allow for deeper dives into the curriculum with extended class periods. Here are some features of our schedules in each division:

Middle School

  • A later start time (8:35 am) helps our students get more sleep. 
  • A rotating schedule benefits students by having classes at different times during the seven-day block rotation.
  • 65 minutes of instructional time per class creates opportunities for deeper dives into the curriculum and opportunities for more project-based learning. It also reduces the number of transitions students experience in a day, helping to slow the pace down a bit.
  • A 40-minute lunch break offers time to enjoy lunch as well as time for to connect.
  • More tutorial time for students to reach out to their teachers and get the individual support they need.
  • Students will be dismissed at 3:20 pm, except on Day 1s, when they are dismissed early at 2:50 pm.
  • View the 2024-2025 Middle School schedule.

Upper School

  • A later start time (8:45 am) helps our students get more sleep.
  • Four class meetings per day allow students to prepare for fewer classes each day and be pulled in fewer directions.
  • 70 minutes of instructional time per class provides opportunities for deeper dives into the curriculum and slow the pace by reducing the number of transitions students experience in a day.
  • More tutorial time and increased teacher office hours for students to reach out to their teachers and get the individual support they need.
  • A 40-minute lunch break accommodates time for clubs, meetings, and community building.
  • Flexibility to run special schedules that allow for more guest speakers and special assemblies.
  • School ends at 3:00 pm.
  • View the 2024-2025 Upper School schedule.

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