Menlo Upper School students have a new reason to cheer.

At the first Spirit Assembly of the year, Head of School Than Healy and student council leaders unveiled a new tradition in the Upper School: the Menlo house system. Students in grades 9-12 will be mixed and assigned to one of four houses to compete in various events throughout the year for the House Cup. The purpose, beyond just having fun, is to promote inter-grade connection, community, and school spirit.

Each house has its own color, mascot, and traits, and is named for a significant figure in Menlo’s history: Douglass (green/otter), a tribute to the owners of the property prior to the founding of the school; Halverson (red/bear), in memory of the late Fred Halverson, revered Assistant Headmaster and Dean for almost a half-century; Warren (yellow/panther), harkening Menlo’s origins as all-boys military academy the William Warren School; and Lapolla (blue/owl), honoring the beloved school administrators Tony and Cindy Lapolla who helped shape Menlo’s culture of kindness, trust, and connection over their 30-year tenure.

While most schoolwide competitions pit each class against each other, the house system offers a rare opportunity for students to unite with different grade levels in pursuit of a common goal. Houses consist of various advocacy groups—freshman through senior—along with their advocates, and students will stay in the same house through their entire high school journey.

Student Council leaders Cody ’25 and Melanie ’25, along with student body representatives Ellie ’25, Kyle ’25, and Scarlett ’25, were instrumental in the creation and rollout of the house system. They met with Mr. Healy and other administrators to refine their ideas and tap into Menlo’s history for naming opportunities. “If this is going to be a long-lasting tradition as we hope it is, we needed to select names that were not only fitting for the program, but also meaningful and inspiring for the students,” said Melanie.

They created a video to accompany the announcement, and embodied the exuberance they hoped to arouse. While the kickoff seemed well-received, no one really knew what to expect. Would the entire student body embrace this new idea? Would they bring the energy, enthusiasm, and spirit necessary to pull it off?

On the day of their first competition, students were encouraged to come to school draped in the color associated with their assigned house, with points awarded for spirit and participation in addition to performance. At assembly, students filled the four sections of the bleachers according to house rather than class year, with nearly every student decked out in red, yellow, green, or blue. Each house had a giant flag emblazoned with its name and mascot. Let the games begin!

From dodgeball and a drawing competition to spectator spirit and tug-o-war, there was something for everyone to get excited about. This was, according to Cody, by design. “We are planning to reach all sorts of student interests and passions so that all students can participate in the competitions. This includes sports games, trivia, collaborative dances/songs, eSports, and boat-building as just a few examples. This way, everyone can feel like they can compete to represent their house.”

From the minute the assembly kicked off with a call-back cheer, the energy in the Athletic Center was electric. House pride was on full display with chants erupting from the stands and housemates streaming onto the floor to congratulate the victors. And whether they sported a blue owl onesie, a red superhero cape, a green leprechaun hat, or a bright yellow tracksuit, faculty and staff members were as spirited as the students.

“As alumni talking to current students decades from now, I hope that this will be a tradition that is still alive, and that students as they go through Menlo can feel connected by this shared system,” said Cody.

What we do know for now is that the joy and enthusiasm emanating from opening day was certainly one for the books.

View a video about Menlo’s launch of houses.
View the photos from the first house assembly.