A Supportive Community

Student-Teacher Connection

A Menlo teacher’s role goes beyond the classroom.  At the center of our mission is a deep commitment to the development and welfare of each student. The adults at Menlo—teachers, coaches, counselors, and staff—create close, respectful, and inspirational relationships with their students, promoting courage, integrity, and ethical behavior. Special programs like those below focus directly on students’ personal well-being.

“Menlo School is a relational campus. Teachers and all staff thrive if they feel closer to their students (we are hard-wired for relationships). This way of thinking—how to enhance relational teaching, while continuing to nurture the student and advocate bond—will lead to a harmonious, well-balanced campus, head and heart.”
— Dr. Ellen Honnet, Director, Stanley King Counseling Institute 

Advocacy

The Menlo School Advocacy Program provides a safe place to develop supportive relationships between a student and his or her advocate as well as between a student and his or her peers.  The advocate provides a positive adult presence in the student’s life which is seen as vital for a successful Menlo School experience.  As a significant adult, the advocate can become a guide, a facilitator, or a mentor for the student, his or her family, and the faculty.  The advocacy program bridges home, school, and real-world concerns. Upper School advocates stay with their students for all four years. Middle School students get a new advocate each year as Middle School advocates are members of the grade-level team.

Each Menlo School student belongs to an advocacy group that respects individual differences, explores issues, and increases caring for self and others.  Each group establishes norms, supports members through good and bad times, fosters positive learning experiences, engenders cooperation in special projects, and works to establish collaboration with others.  Groups meet at regular times, in an environment conducive to the group experience.

Counseling

Menlo’s credentialed school counselors are available to students who wish to discuss personal issues in a relaxed, private atmosphere. The counselors also coordinate programs relating to overall wellness and social-emotional issues, including: 

• Healthy school/life balance
• Media literacy and digital citizenship
• Personal challenges 
• Transitions
• Loss 
• Overall wellness and developmental social issues

The School Counselors operate in a private and supportive manner. They coordinate programs aimed at increasing student awareness of lifestyle choices such as healthy relationships, social norms and stress reduction, substance education, diversity of thought, and management of depression and anxiety, and overall wellness. 

The school counselors also sit on various parent education and student support committees aimed at proactive management of issues related to adolescent development. In addition, they teach the Middle School Human Skills Program and the Upper School Human Behavior and Human Sexuality Curriculum.

If you would like to discuss any of the counseling programs or if you have any concern about your child, please contact Tracy Bianchi (tracy.bianchi@menloschool.org or ext. 2227), Jake Fauver (jake.fauver@menloschool.org or ext. 2228), or Stefie Dominguez (stefie.dominguez@menloschool.org) the Upper School or  Kaila Uniacke (kaila.uniacke@menloschool.org or ext. 2461) in the Middle School.

Learn more about our counseling program here, or if you need support, please contact any of our counselors.

Middle School: Human Skills Program


Human Skills is a comprehensive wellness curriculum that students take in all three years of Middle School. During the Human Skills program, students learn skills that aim to develop their personal, social, and emotional competencies. In addition, these classes provide a trusting environment for students to explore their pre-teen and teen experiences. The Human Skills program is created and facilitated by the Middle School Counselor.

• Human Skills 6: meets twice per rotation for a trimester. In this course, students explore personal development, emotional intelligence, and relationships with peers. Topics include new friendships, effective communication, self-esteem, bullying, and how to navigate the transition to middle school.
• Human Skills 7: meets twice per rotation for a trimester. The course centers on the theme of choices and consequences. Topics include identifying personal goals, digital citizenship, brain fitness, mindfulness-based stress reduction, diversity and inclusion, media literacy, drug education, and refusal skills.
• Human Skills 8: meets twice per rotation for a trimester. In this course, students learn about human sexuality. Topics include anatomy and physiology, healthy relationships, sexual health, contraceptive choices, gender/sexual identity, and setting limits.

Upper School: Freshman Rotation

In their first year in the Upper School, all 9th graders participate in one semester of Freshman Rotation’; their other semester is spent taking one of the Freshman Arts Experiences (FAX). Freshman Rotation is designed to give students an opportunity to acquaint themselves with diverse members of our adult community and to explore varied topics that fall outside of the traditional academic program. There are many facets of the Freshman Seminar Rotation series, ranging from ethics and identity to service-learning. All are designed to educate the freshman on internal and external facets of Menlo life and beyond.

The Upper School’s Human Sexuality curriculum, also taught in Freshman Seminar, is centered around Teen Talk High School, a 10-hour comprehensive sexuality education course developed by Health Connected. Teen Talk High School complies with California’s Healthy Youth Act and meets the California Health Education Content Standards for “Growth, Development and Sexual Health.” Both courses, Human Behavior and Human Sexuality, serve as a foundation for later 10th, 11th, and 12th grade workshops, presentations, and discussions related to decision making, healthy relationships, consent, sexual health, and substance education during Student Life time.

The seminar offers opportunities for students to explore their attitudes on topics ranging from peer pressure, substance use and abuse, sexuality, and positive decision making to the exploration of teenage brain development. In a rapidly changing world in which young people face many challenges, the inclusion of these topics within our curriculum is welcomed and embraced by the freshmen.

Menlo Mentor Program

A transitional support program for freshmen, Menlo’s Mentor Program aims to provide the mentee with a strong sense of community belonging, a student support network, and a positive role model. Mentors are selected from the rising Senior class and trained to provide support and guidance as each freshman finds their way on campus, navigates making friends, and adapts to high school academics. Mentor groups meet informally once a week and use this time together to build relationships and support each other with the inevitable social and academic transitions that are a normal part of the freshman experience. Mentors are supported by the Student Life Department in this role.