Menlo School

Menlo School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory school for students in grades six through twelve. Established in 1915, the School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National and California Associations of Independent Schools.

Our world is changing at an exponential rate, and the world our students know today will be different from the one they enter tomorrow. At Menlo, we strive to ensure that our students are prepared to meet these challenges. Our students learn from an array of perspective, experiences, and cultures that open their minds to new possibilities. Our program, led by outstanding faculty and coaches, strives to help students discover their interests through an engaging and challenging curriculum and strong arts and athletic programs.

Menlo is home to a tight-knit community where everyone matters and diverse thoughts and ideas are celebrated. This supportive community empowers each student to find their voice as they build relationships faulty that will last a lifetime and foster a lifelong love of learning. There’s an atmosphere of kindness, trust, and respect here, and we believe that learning is a journey that should be enjoyed. You’ll find evidence of joy spread throughout our campus.

Menlo School is dedicated to providing a challenging academic curriculum complemented by outstanding creative arts and athletic programs. The School helps students develop positive values and nurtures character development in a supportive environment that upholds the highest moral and ethical standards. Menlo’s program encourages students to reach their fullest potential and to develop the skills necessary to respond intelligently and humanely to the complexities of a diverse and increasingly interconnected world.

Menlo School’s mission is to empower students to explore and expand their interests, reach their fullest potential, develop the skills necessary for success in college, and become ethical, responsible, and engaged members of ever wider communities. At Menlo School, we are passionate about encouraging students to:

• Pursue high standards of academic excellence.
• Discover the joy of learning.
• Stretch themselves and raise challenging questions.
• Demonstrate courage, integrity and a commitment to ethical behavior.
• Develop a sense of commitment to purposes larger than themselves.
• Appreciate the richness of diversity.
• Think independently and creatively.
• Take progressively more responsibility for themselves and their education.
• Lead healthful lives.

Menlo School is committed to being a heterogeneous and inclusive community. We believe students are better educated and prepared to succeed when the School community—students, families, faculty, administration and staff—is diverse and inclusive. Diversity benefits the entire community by providing a wide range of perspectives and experiences. We embrace a broad definition of diversity: an inclusive community comprised of people with different racial, cultural, economic and religious backgrounds, as well as different gender identities and sexual orientations. In addition, we support students with a wide variety of interests, talents, physical abilities, personalities and politics.

At Menlo, we know the world our students will graduate into is rapidly changing, increasingly global and interconnected, and requires creative and critical thinkers to solve complex problems. We want our students to thrive in this world. Their Menlo experience is a crucial time of growth and self-discovery. As educators, our challenge is to continue to enhance our program today so that our students are prepared to lead lives of meaning and fulfillment tomorrow.

At Menlo, we defy the notion that learning cannot be playful and that an academic community cannot be irresistibly joyful. We believe that balanced students will serve the world more effectively, and we have built strong and vibrant academic, artistic and athletic programs to serve this ideal. And finally, we believe that education is about relationships: between peers engaged in the pursuit of excellence and between students and teachers working inside and outside the classroom. We structure our programs and hire our faculty and staff with this goal in mind.

When our students walk across the graduation stage, they will live in a world that isn’t limited to the United States, the English language, face-to-face interactions or problems that can easily be solved through one discipline. Menlo offers our students a relevant education, one that prepares them for this world. And when they leave Menlo, we know they will live a life that will make all of us proud.