Menaul Middle School FAQs

At the first signs of trouble, students needing assistance in a class will be assigned to support sessions for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) or Humanities (English and Social Studies) for one-on-one or small group tutoring and skill building. These support sessions take place during part or all of Learning Extension periods. We ensure that students leave for the school day with the support they need to successfully complete homework and studying in the evening.

Second, students are always encouraged to meet with teachers to discuss course topics and get extra help. Teachers are generally available after school, and by arrangement, before school and during part of the lunch period.

In general, the school offers the following accommodations: preferential seating, extra time on tests and other assessments, use of the iPad for note-taking, and use of the iPad for tests and other assessments. Students may also use audio for reading texts, as well as other specific accommodations.

Finally, tutoring is available from a variety of sources. Peer tutors are high school students who volunteer to guide younger students through challenging material, and can be a valuable resource for review. A list of paid tutors who accept individual students or small groups is kept on file in the Tinnin Center. Your student’s advisor will help connect you with a private tutor upon request.

Advisory groups meet each afternoon to help advisors track students’ academic work and technology use. Advisors pay attention to individual students’ progress, both academically and socially. Advisors help to form a safety net for each child. If you have questions about your student, his or her advisor is the first person to contact.

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, school begins at 8:00 am, and ends at 3:25 pm. On Wednesday, school starts at 9:00 am to allow faculty to meet for professional development and collaboration, and ends at 3:25 pm.

Students who earn a GPA of 3.25 in the first and third quarters and the first and second semesters are placed on the Honor Roll. Students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher are placed on the President’s Honor Roll for that period.

Students need to be picked up from campus by 4:00 pm, unless they are participating in a sport or other after school activity. The campus After Care program provides for supervision for Middle School students between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm on school days, while also providing snacks, time to complete homework, games, crafts, projects, and field trips. If your student will be on campus after 4:00 pm and not in a sport or other activity, they will be guided to After Care. Starting in 2022-23, After Care is free of charge!

After school activities are one way for students to develop new interests and bond with friends. The majority (as much a 95%) of Menaul middle school students participate in one or more team sports.

Learning Extension is built in to the school day, providing students with club-type activities that they get to brainstorm and choose. Student Council and other clubs meet during lunch or sometimes after school.

We have found that giving just enough choice, within a provided structure, ensures that more students participate in activities that will expand their horizons. This is why most of the club-type activities you would expect at a middle school, actually take place during the school day.

Unique to Menaul Middle School: ALL middle school students who want to, get to participate in Student Council. Students work collaboratively and learn how to be school leaders, without Student Council turning into a popularity contest.

For the most part, no. The only exception is the evaluation of basic skills that eighth graders complete, using the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS)/Terra Nova in the spring. Testing will take place over the course of two days, and is not used to determine students’ readiness for passage to the ninth grade, but helps teachers and parents better understand students’ progress.

We use EasyCBM testing software created by the University of Oregon’s Behavioral Research and Testing Department. This software helps us to monitor student progress and assess if academic support is needed.

Each spring, 8th grade students take the PSAT to create a baseline for future growth in high school.

There are a variety of ways to get in touch with your student’s teachers. For a faster response, you can email the teacher at his/her school email address, but please be cautious – it’s sometimes difficult to hear the tone of an email, and quickly typed messages can sometimes sound harsh. Teachers also have classroom phones and voicemail, although you’ll probably leave a message and wait for a call back in that case – teachers can’t answer the phone while they are teaching!

Please refer to our Dress Code page for information about ordering uniforms.

The goal of the uniform is to help students focus on schoolwork rather than on outfits, to build community spirit, and to reduce pressure on parents to keep up with the latest fashion trends for students. Along with this, uniforms help us easily identify who belongs on campus for safety purposes.

No. For PE classes, students need to wear sneakers and appropriate workout clothes. T-shirts (no tank tops), shorts, sweatpants, and sweatshirts are all acceptable clothing for PE class.