Back to School - Upper School

We’re excited to welcome you to campus. Here’s what you need to know and do to ensure your year gets off to a great start. 

Upper School: Important Dates

Date	Event
Monday, Aug. 7	Instructions for accessing Upper School schedules were sent in this email with online change request instructions.
Saturday, Aug. 19	Auditions for 2023-24 Menlo Dance Enrichment Program. 11:00 am-4:00 pm, CADC Dance Room (CA106). Complete details here.
Monday,  Aug. 21	Parking permits for juniors and seniors are distributed by the security office. Students should complete this form. Questions? Contact Director of Security Mustapha Moutri.
Wednesday,  Aug. 23	Freshman Orientation. 9:00 am-3:00 pm, US Quad/Spieker Center. (Plan to arrive by 8:45 am to check in; activities kick off at 9:00 am.) Lunch will be provided for students. Read more about Orientation in this letter from the Freshman Dean. 9th Grade Parent Coffee. Parents are invited to this optional parent coffee on the Dining Commons Patio at 9:00 am.  Freshman Tech Help (Optional). 1:30-2:30 pm. Menlo Technology Department will be on hand if you are having trouble logging into your Okta/Canvas/Email accounts. 9th Grade Knightbook Photo Makeups and Retakes. Ninth graders who were unable to take their photos in May for Menlo’s online directory or those who would like to have their photo retaken, can do so on Aug. 23 from 1:00-2:30 pm in the CADC Lobby. Knightbook Photos for Seniors: 3:00-5:00 pm, CADC Lobby. Sign up for a time here. Also, see this email about special optional senior mini sessions on campus with Still Light Studios on Aug. 18 and 26. Senior Class BBQ. 6:00-8:00 pm, US Quad.
Thursday,  Aug. 24	First Day of Classes. School begins at 8:45 am with a spirit assembly in the Athletic Center. It will be a Special Schedule.  Schedule Change Requests: students can continue to make course change requests online. If you’ve already made a request(s), you should have received an email that we have logged it. We will continue to work on these requests two weeks into the start of the school year and will notify you with updates as soon as possible.
Friday, Aug. 25	Upper School Back-to-School Dance. 8:00-10:00 pm, in the West Gym. The theme for the dance will be announced on Friday at the Welcome Back Assembly.
Monday, Aug. 28	11th Grade Parents’ Coffee. 9:00-11:00 am on the CADC Patio. Details to come.  9th Grade Overnight Retreat. Menlo School campus. Complete details and permission forms found here. 10th Grade Overnight Retreat. Happy Valley Conference Center. Complete details and permission forms found here. 11th Grade Overnight Retreat. YMCA Camp Jones Gulch. Complete details and permission forms found here. 12th Grade Overnight Retreat. NatureBridge Golden Gate Retreat Center, Sausalito, CA. Complete details and permission forms found here.
Tuesday, Aug. 29	9th Grade Parent Information Evening. 6:00-7:30 pm, Virtual. Details and meeting link to come in eNotes.
Wednesday, Aug. 30	Knightbook Photos for Juniors 10:00-10:40 am and 11:55 am-12:50 pm. Sign up for a time here. Drop-in times are 8:15-9:45 am or 12:35-1:00 pm. Auditions for the Fall Musical, Something Rotten! 3:30 pm-6:00 pm CADC Vocal Room (CA10). Complete details here.
Thursday,  Aug. 31	10th Grade Parents’ Coffee. 9:00-11:00 am on the CADC Patio. Details to come.  Knightbook Photos for Sophomores 10:00-10:40 am and 11:55 am-12:50 pm. Sign up for a time here. Drop-in times are 8:15-9:45 am or 12:35-1:00 pm.
Thursday, Sept. 7	Back-to-School Night. 6:00 pm, Upper School Campus.
Sunday, Sept. 10	11th Annual Peninsula Bridge Fun Run. 9:00 am, Menlo School Loop. Join us for our first community event of the 2023-24 school year. Details can be found here.
Wednesday, Sept. 20	Joint Upper & Middle School MSPA Meeting. 9:00 am, Martin Family Hall. (Coffee at 8:45 am). Please park off campus.
Various	Fall Sports: Baseline testing must be complete before the start of practice. See details below. Parent Events and Socials: Check your Grade Level News pages for details. You can also view and subscribe to the full school calendar.

Before School Starts, Do This:

1. TURN IN YOUR HEALTH AND ATHLETIC FORMS

• If you haven’t already, please submit your forms through Magnus Health Student Medical Record (SMR), our partner in collecting and managing student medical information. Athletic forms and all health forms were due Aug. 1. Questions? Contact the School Nurse.
• Upper School student-athletes will need to complete baseline testing with Menlo’s sports medicine team before any participation starting Aug 4. Students may sign up using the scheduling app here. All testing will be conducted in the Athletic Center. Find fall sports start dates, coaches’ contacts here, and the latest athletics information, schedules, and updates at menloschool.org/athletics.

2. GET YOUR CLASS SCHEDULES AND REQUEST COURSE CHANGES

• Families new to Menlo should get familiar with the daily block schedule. Upper School classes begin at 8:45 am, and students are dismissed at 3:00 pm.
• Instructions on accessing individual student course schedules were shared in this Aug. 7 email, which also outlines how you can request changes to your schedule if needed.
• Students can continue to make course change requests online two weeks into the start of the school year. If you’ve already made a request(s), you should have received a confirmation that it has been received, and we will continue to work on these and will notify you with updates as soon as possible.

3. SIGN UP FOR KNIGHTBOOK PHOTOS

• Students in grades 10-12 need to sign up for a time to take a Knightbook photo for Menlo’s online directory. Freshmen, no need to worry about this, you took your photos in the spring. Any 9th grader who didn’t take a photo in May or those who would like a retake can get their photo taken from 1:00-3:00 pm on August 23.
• Still Light Studios, our photography partner, will send students and parents instructions on viewing and purchasing prints through Still Light’s online gallery system in September.

4. GET YOUR LOCKER, BOOKS, LAPTOP, AND SUPPLIES

• Lockers: Students in grades 10-12 can sign-up for lockers starting Aug. 24 by visiting the Upper School Office. There are a limited number of lockers: first come, first served! Freshmen: no need to do this; you’ll sign up at orientation on Aug. 23.
• Books: To see what books are needed for your courses, please visit the Menlo Booklist generator. Your booklist will specify the correct ISBN # of the edition you’ll need for class, and you can keep track of your shopping list and what you’ve already purchased by marking “Need it” or “Have it.” Books can be purchased from any retailer that stocks the correct ISBN (such as Amazon, Powell’s, Bookshop.org, Kepler’s, etc.)
• Technology: You’ll also need to ensure you have a laptop for the start of school. Get some gadget advice and learn about technology at Menlo.
• Supplies: In case you’re wondering what Upper School students will need for the first day, in addition to their fully-charged laptop, students should be ready with a binder or notebook, assigned summer work, and a pencil or pen. There isn’t a master list of required supplies for Upper School students as each student’s needs will depend on their courses. Teachers will let students know what supplies will be needed for each class.

6. FINISH YOUR SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

• Review and complete your summer reading and assignments. Many classes have multiple summer readings or detailed teacher instructions; please double-check your assignments. 

7. GETTING TO CAMPUS

• Help reduce traffic! GO MENLO is THE way the Menlo community gets to and from school. Commit to walk, bike, carpool, or ride the train or bus. You can also take one of the Menlo buses—view the route schedule here. All buses will arrive at 8:20 am and leave school at 3:35 pm. Additionally, you can sign up for the Caltrain Shuttle here.
• For those interested in carpooling, Menlo is partnering with GoKid, the award-winning carpool solution. Through this platform, you can easily set up and manage carpools with other Menlo families. We encourage families to sign up as soon as possible prior our August 20 launch. To create an account with GoKid and gain access, please fill out this sign-up form. More information can be found here.
• If you haven’t yet signed up for the bus program but would like your student to ride the bus, please complete this form. Already signed up for our bus program? You should have received additional onboarding information by email. If you haven’t received additional information or if you have decided not to have your student ride the bus, please contact Chrissy Orangio as soon as possible.

8. WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE FIRST DAY! 

• Upper School begins at 8:45 am with a spirit assembly in the Athletic Center on August 24. Note August 24 and 25 will be special schedules. The regular 7-day rotating schedule begins with a Day 1 on August 30, following class retreats.

QUESTIONS?

These people may be able to help, or you can email info@menloschool.org. You may also want to check out the Menlo Dictionary to help understand the programs and terminology at Menlo.