Menlo School Logo: yellow circle with blue tree. The school was founded in 1915.

Support, trust, and friendship.

What does it feel like to be a student at Menlo? You feel like you’re home.

In every class, your teachers listen to you, inspire you and laugh with you. You’ll find yourself deep in discussion with your classmates about the books you’re reading, or working with a peer editor on a paper you’re writing, or using a hammer to build your engineering project.

You’ll make the best friends you’ve ever had. You’ll play volleyball together on the Quad, share headphones as you listen to music, help each other study for a test or give each other a hug when you’re having a bad day. You’ll cheer each other on during games and give a standing ovation at the concert.

Your teachers will be there for you when you need a little extra help—or just to chat. They’ll know how you did in the soccer tournament or come watch you in your outside ballet performance. They’ll trade funny comics about statistics with you or help you start a graffiti appreciation club. They’ll trust you to do what’s right, and support you when you’re trying to figure that out.

The heart of Menlo is close, supportive, and trusting relationships: between students and teachers, and between students and their friends.

The Middle School

Middle School students are encouraged to try new things (there are over 20 different clubs!) and to find their own opportunities to shine. The Advocacy and Community Service programs are linked, and students frequently enhance these activities with their own passions. The Creative Arts program is as welcoming as it is varied. In sports, every student participates every day, thanks to the Athletic Department’s “no cut” policy. Middle Schoolers’ lunchtime schedule and use of facilities such as pools and athletics fields are separate from that of Upper School students. And the Middle School quad provides a setting for games and activities that are age-appropriate and fun.

The Upper School

Students in the Upper School learn to become self-sufficient, not just in their Academics, Creative Arts and Athletics choices, but also in life skills. A vital clubs program, developed and initiated by students, continues to thrive. Student government is the voice of the student body, and those voices are heard and valued on a wide-range of committees, including those at the Board level. The Upper School quad fosters interaction, allowing students to relax and develop a wide range of friendships.