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Q: How well do the children make the adjustment from a school with fewer than 100 children, to a high school that may have 2000 students?

Helen: We received a striking testimonial that speaks to this. One of our graduates is now in high school, and he wrote us an unsolicited email expressing how astounded he was by what he termed the lack of awareness among his friends, of their impact on other people. He said, “They banter back and forth, and I can tell when somebody’s feelings are getting hurt, but when I bring it up to them, they haven’t even noticed.”

He said, “This is something you taught me.” What he meant by “you” is the culture of the school, because we are seamless in our commitment to nurturing these kinds of awareness.

One of our students told us she went to freshman orientation at Menlo, and the teachers spent a great deal of time and energy reassuring the freshmen that they didn’t have to be afraid of them. And she was sitting there thinking, “Why would any student be afraid of a teacher?” Because we nurture a culture of tremendous respect and affection for one another. We have a very healthy environment.

Our students thrive in high schools large and small – they make the honor role, succeed in sports, and enjoy friendships with like-minded friends. Character development and life skills are tools that work anywhere.

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