Menlo believes that a strong parent/school partnership is essential to the well-being and happiness of our students. We strive to work together to create an environment that fully supports our students and provides a community culture for our children to model.
When you choose Menlo as a family, you do so with a set of hopes for what the Menlo experience will provide. We hope that your expectations include embracing the School’s values of engaging students in their learning, supporting them as they stretch to realize their potential, and preparing them to live lives of meaning after Menlo. Our partnership with you is essential in helping the School realize this vision. When the School and parents have a strong collaborative partnership, the students reap the rewards.
Menlo’s Role
Provide a challenging and engaging education designed to prepare students to lead meaningful lives at Menlo and beyond
Instill a lifelong love of learning
Inspire students through a responsive curriculum and a wide array of academic, athletic, and creative arts opportunities
Foster trusted bonds and caring connections between adults and students
Promote ideals core to our values, such as character, inclusivity, empathy, ethical behavior, and the pursuit of purposes larger than ourselves
Nurture student confidence through self-advocacy and belief in their own abilities
Respect parent/guardian perspectives
Communicate with consistency and transparency
Provide opportunities for parent education and engagement
Offer clear avenues for sharing feedback
Guide families through the college admissions process
Parents’ Role
Champion and model school values and community norms
Build positive interactions by starting from a place of trust and gratitude
Respect the School and the expertise of our teachers, coaches, administrators, and staff as they have your child’s best interests at heart
Support Menlo’s rules and student behavior policies
Encourage your child to self-advocate and take ownership of their education
Convey your belief in your child and let them know they are enough
Promote a healthy school-life balance
Remind your child of the resources the School provides
Recognize perceived failures as growth opportunities and be a calming force through adolescent ups and downs
Be an ambassador for Menlo
Engage in the life of the School and partner in parent education events
Contribute positively to our culture of belonging, doing your part to ensure every member of our community feels welcomed, valued, respected, and cared for
Support our extraordinary Menlo community by volunteering and giving in ways that are meaningful for your family
Help hold each other to these expectations
The MSPA
The Menlo School Parent Association (MSPA)
The MSPA raises funds, creates special events for faculty, parents, and students, and offers multiple parent education opportunities.
Common Ground Speaker Series: In partnership with other local independent schools, parents are invited to lectures on various topics of adolescence and learning.
Parent Education Conference: Held every other year, this community event is a great opportunity for parents and faculty to learn together the best practices of learning and child rearing.
MENLO SCHOOL Since 1915
