What’s happening around campus?

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AdvOlympics

Each middle school grade competes in the first AdvOlympics competition of the year.

Fireside Sing-Along

One of the highlights of the junior retreat was the memorable fireside sing-along with Mr. Brown and Mr. Fauver.

Project Reboot

Digital wellness speaker Dino Ambrosi shared his personal battle with tech addiction during an All-School assembly, challenging students to rethink their relationship with technology and offering practical tips for finding balance in a world of constant connection.

S’more Than Fun

Sixth graders kicked off the year with an engaging Outdoor Ed trip in the Santa Cruz Mountains, bonding over s’mores and fun activities focused on teamwork, kindness, and community-building.

Beyond the Classroom: Exploring Interests & Activities

Students got a chance to learn more about the range of clubs Menlo has to offer. Clubs provide a great chance for students to explore their interests and discover their passion.

Welcome to My House

Student body leaders introduced a new house system focused on building community and strengthening inter-grade connections. Read more.

Game On!

Students and staff squared off in the annual volleyball game on the Quad. The staff took the win, but the students brought the heat!

Celebrating 40 Years of Service

Danny Moreno, a facilities staff member for 40 years and Menlo’s longest-serving employee, was honored at an Upper School assembly. Danny recently built a beautiful bench around our newest ficus tree—a lasting testament to his craftsmanship and commitment to the School. We are grateful for Danny’s decades of hard work and contributions to Menlo!

Learning Peace through Conflict

Students welcomed former peace negotiators from each side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an Upper School assembly moderated by the Co-Editors-in-Chief of the Coat of Arms. Read the full story here.

Rhythms of Tradition

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the San Mateo High School Baile Folklórico troupe delighted students, faculty, and staff with their enthusiastic performance. The colorful costumes, lively music, and joyous spirit of baile folklórico filled the Upper School Quad.

Planting Hope

Students in Mr. Nelson’s new history elective, In Gods We Trust, offered interfaith blessings for the newly planted trees on the Upper School Quad. Than Healy shares, “The experience was moving and deeply reassuring, reminding us of our roots, our impermanence, our strength, our potential for growth, and our common commitment to purposes larger than ourselves.”

Election Insights: A Student-Led Discussion

Students shared what they learned in Menlo’s Election 2024 and Modern Middle East electives in an engaging Upper School assembly about the state of the presidential race. John Schafer shares Menlo’s approach to civil discourse: “Our job is to help students think critically, weigh the arguments, listen respectfully, understand the other side, and come to conclusions for themselves.” Read the full story here.

Lights, Camera, Action—en français!

Our Advanced Topics French students took a trip back in time as they transformed into pioneers of talking cinema (film parlant). Students presented their biographies of historical characters who helped shape the art of cinematic storytelling to invited faculty and fellow students.

The Art and History of Piñatas

Upper School Heritage Spanish students explored the history of piñatas and created miniature versions with guidance from Menlo Librarian Annette Fabris, who also shared her personal experience of growing up as a heritage speaker in the Bay Area.

Moments of Joy

This fall, our amazing parent volunteers worked hard to create moments for students to connect and have fun with their peers during the school day—what we affectionately call Random Acts of Fun. We’re so grateful to our MSPA parent volunteers for their dedication and for making our community a caring, joyful place.

Name That Tune: House Edition

Students tuned in to a little lunchtime fun as houses faced off in a game of Guess That Song!

Inspiring Hope in a Cynical World

In a December Common Ground conversation, Head of School Than Healy joined Dr. Jamil Zaki, renowned Stanford psychology professor and Director of the university’s Social Neuroscience Lab, to discuss one of today’s most pressing challenges: how to cultivate hope and empathy in a world often overshadowed by cynicism. Read the full KnightLine.

Smiles for Miles

Menlo showed our true colors at the 2024 Color Fun Run! With more than 450 participants and over $28,000 raised for Peninsula Bridge Programs, we couldn’t be prouder of our Menlo family for their incredible generosity and support.

Time-Honored Tradition

“We love you, sixth grade! Go check your lockers!” —a chant led by Menlo seventh graders as they welcomed our newest Knights with notes and sweet treats on their lockers. A cherished Menlo tradition.

To the Stratosphere and Beyond

This year’s Applied Science Research (ASR) balloon launch was truly out of this world! For this experiment, students used Whitaker Lab’s cutting-edge tools to launch a payload into space via weather balloon.