Assuming no previous experience with computers or computer programming, CS1 introduces students to the infinite possibilities of computer science and the art of programming. Students will use multiple programming languages to learn to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently. Programs and projects are inspired by real-world applications of computer science to the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences. To end the year, CS1 culminates in a gratifying final project: a highlight of many students’ coding experiences at Menlo. CS1 is offered Pass/No Pass, rather than for a letter grade. 

Watch a video about Computer Science at Menlo here.

Watch a video overview of this course here.

Prerequisites: None

Building off of the foundation laid in CS1, CS2 dives deeper into the field of computer science while expanding students’ programming skills. Students begin the year learning Java, one of the most popular and important programming languages. Students will learn about new topics, such as classes, objects, inheritance, and recursion. As the year progresses, CS2 challenges students to work on progressively larger and more creative programming projects. This culminates in the final project: a month-long endeavor to design and program a video game complete with mouse and keyboard input. In addition, students will be given significant preparation for the AP Computer Science A exam.

Watch a video about Computer Science at Menlo here.

Prerequisite: CS1

In App Design and Development, students learn how to build apps that solve real problems for real people. The course focuses on iOS app programming, using the language Swift to build applications for iPhone or iPad. The course teaches students to program in Xcode, the same platform that real Swift programmers use daily. Students also learn to use graphics editors to design app layout and user interface. As the course progresses, students build multiple apps, each more complex than the last. The course culminates in the design and creation of an original app to be published in the App Store.

Prerequisite: CS1

Advanced Calculus I (H) is a rigorous mathematics course that prepares students for challenging college level calculus courses. We encourage students who have been successful with the previous Introductory Calculus courses to consider the Advanced Calculus class the following year. Advanced Calculus I (H) can be thought of as a turning point in a student’s study of mathematics, as the course demands a highly developed ability to think abstractly and aptly draw on skill sets developed in previous courses to tackle the calculus tasks before them. Teachers are dedicated to encouraging the development of a self-reliant learning style with strong inductive, deductive, and abstract reasoning skills to serve students well in a collegiate environment. 

With some independent preparation, students who take this course may feel equipped to take the AP Calculus AB exam.

Prerequisites: Recommendation from Introductory Calculus teacher or completion of Introductory Calculus Honors.

Advanced Calculus II (H) is a year-long course in which the content of a standard year-long college-level single variable calculus course is covered. The course begins with a review of the concepts of a limit and a derivative and their underpinnings. From there, it moves on to explore techniques and applications of limits and differentiation, analysis of functions, antiderivatives, Riemann sums, definite integrals (and their applications to modeling, area, length, and volume problems), integration techniques, solving and finding approximations to solutions for first order ordinary differential equations, the calculus of polar and parametric curves, sequences, tests for convergence of infinite series, power series, and Taylor series.

With some independent preparation, students who take this course may feel equipped to take the AP Calculus BC exam. This class is meant to prepare students to take a multivariable calculus class upon completion and offer them the same level of preparation for that multivariable calculus class as a standard college calculus course; therefore, it covers some content beyond the scope of the AP Calculus BC examination.

Prerequisite: Placement in this course requires the recommendation of the student’s Introductory Calculus (H) teacher or the recommendation of the student’s Introductory Calculus teacher with a strong performance on an additional placement test.

In Advanced Topics, students begin applying their programming skills in a truly project-driven course. After taking at least two years of computer science at Menlo, students are ready to tackle applications fields of computer science such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, and more. While engaging with these new topics, students learn new programming languages—such as Javascript and SQL—while working with advanced data structures and algorithms. Choice plays a big role in the class, as students spend significant periods of time working in teams on a variety of ambitious programming projects. Topics vary from year to year, so the course may be taken more than once.

Watch a video about Computer Science at Menlo here.

Prerequisite: CS2, or App Design and permission from instructor

Advanced Topics in Mathematics is designed to provide students who have completed the traditional calculus sequence with the opportunity to continue their mathematical studies, deepening and broadening their understanding and preparing them for the possible further study of mathematics. Topics covered may include multivariable calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, topics in discrete mathematics, and calculus-based probability theory.

Prerequisites: Completion of Honors Precalculus plus either concurrently enrolled in Advanced Calculus (H) or have completed BC Calculus/Advanced Calculus (H).

This course introduces students to several topics in secondary mathematics, including functions and their transformations, inverse functions, inequalities, quadratic functions and their transformations, polynomial inequalities, exponential functions and sequences and series.  Students should elect to take this class if they are looking for an approach to algebra 2 that will allow them to study specific topics for longer periods of time. This course prepares students for Precalculus but not Advanced Precalculus.

Prerequisites: Completion of AGA or AGA (H) or completion of IGA plus recommendation from IGA instructor.

This course introduces students to several topics in secondary mathematics: Functions and their transformations, Inverse Functions, Inequalities, Quadratics, Polynomials, Exponentials, Radian Measure and the Trigonometric Functions, Logarithms, Probability and Combinatorics, and Sequences and Series. Emphasis is placed on process, depth of understanding, and the development of mathematical intuition, not on memorization of rote facts. Students are encouraged to use mathematical methods that are meaningful for them.  From this course, students can move on to either Precalculus or Advanced Precalculus.

Prerequisites: Completion of AGA or AGA (H) or completion of IGA and recommendation of instructor. 

This is an Honors course in Algebra 2. Topics studied include those listed for Algebra 2 plus a thorough treatment of rational functions, principles of end behavior as a precursor to studying limits, modeling with trigonometric functions & inverse trigonometric functions. Problem Sets are designed to challenge students depth and flexibility of understanding, in addition to their mathematical creativity.  This course prepares students for Advanced Precalculus or Honors Precalculus.

Prerequisites: Recommendation from freshman math instructor in conjunction with the department chair.

A primary goal of the freshmen math program at Menlo is to shape a student’s conception of what it means to study mathematics. We want students to shift from thinking of their teacher as a sole locus of knowledge, to thinking that mathematics is a subject in which each student can construct his or her own mathematical understandings. To that end, the AG&A class is, by choice, textbook free. Within each unit of study, students are given daily problem sets from their teachers. New definitions are explained in the context of new problems. Students spend little to no time “taking notes” in a traditional sense. Class time is devoted to students solving problems and engaging in meaningful discussions about these problems, either with a nearby peer, in a small group of peers, or, sometimes, as an entire class. Because any study materials the students have are in large part self-created (they must work through the written problems, rather than reading a textbook author’s solution), we find that the materials are both relevant and meaningful. Topics studied include but are not limited to: systems of equations, angles in a plane, properties of quadrilaterals and regular polygons, properties of parallel lines, problem solving with circular sectors, triangle congruence, polygon similarity, right triangle trigonometry, coordinate geometry, transformations, graphing lines, and finding volumes of solid figures.

Prerequisites: Placement into this class happens via departmental placement test,  or via completion of IGA.

Honors Analytic Geometry & Algebra covers the same course content as the non-honors course. Students move through basic principles and new concepts quickly, spending less time gaining basic practice, and more time engaging with larger multi-step problems. The Honors Analytic Geometry and Algebra course is as much a course in mathematical problem-solving as it is a course in traditional Euclidean geometry.

Prerequisites: Place into this class via departmental placement test.

Have you ever wondered whether athlete performances were lucky or legit? Are you curious about how to study design for diseases or drug trials? Would you be at all interested in acquiring tools to manage complexity or spot when someone might be lying to you? Do you like thought experiments that avail you those a-ha moments? This course blends statistical exploration, probability, epidemiology, game theory and discussion of social phenomena in one course! In terms of rigor, we start light to build confidence and community before we ramp up into deep investigation of the aforementioned disciplines. Students walk away with greater savvy as to sampling, bias, (mis)representation of findings, and certainly the gift of simulation to arrive at statistical inference.

Prerequisites: Completion of Algebra 2.

This course introduces students to the elements of differential and integral calculus, placing particular emphasis on applications drawn from economics, finance and the life sciences. It is designed for those interested in managerial studies, business, economics or the life sciences. We will feature units on financial literacy, investment mathematics, consumer loans, income taxes, budgeting, and retirement planning. This course is different from other calculus courses in its focus on problem solving over rigorous theoretical depth, modeling over abstract theory, and the use of technological tools over lengthy computations.

Prerequisites: Completion of Advanced Precalculus, completion of Precalculus with a B- or better, or permission from the department.

Integrated Geometry and Algebra is designed for students who enter the ninth grade needing additional review and practice in foundational algebra skills. Although the focus of the first several units is on developing mechanical proficiency, we expect students to move beyond basic procedural competence to develop a strong conceptual understanding of the material. In addition, students will learn how to document their work and how to study effectively for assessments in mathematics. Beginning in the second quarter, the curriculum is integrated with geometry through examination of the following topics: points, lines planes, angle types and angles formed by parallel lines with transversals, triangle types, congruence, similarity, trapezoids, applications of the Pythagorean Theorem, solution of Pythagorean inequalities, basic right triangle trigonometry, circles, tangents to circles, 3-D solids surface areas and volumes. The course ends with an introduction to functions, quadratics and factoring.

Prerequisite: Place into the class via departmental placement test

This course is designed for those students who want an alternative to traditional math courses. Data Science is a field of mathematics that uses mathematical reasoning, statistics, and graphical visualization of data to understand the world around us. Big Data also comes with concerns around digital privacy, data ethics, algorithmic bias and the concerns with artificial intelligence. In this course, students will explore the societal concerns associated with Big Data, explore how to display and analyze data, and create and use mathematical models based on linear, quadratic and exponential data. Students will complete the course with an exploration into the designs of experiments and surveys culminating with the implementation and analysis of a school-wide survey. In order to complete the goals of the course students will make substantial use of the statistical software language R.

Prerequisites: Algebra 2. This class is designed for students who are not likely to take Calculus

In this course students will explore the precalculus topics of exponential and logarithmic functions, polynomial and rational functions, analytic trigonometry, and conic sections. Emphasis will be placed on careful derivations, problem solving, and applications. In addition, students will begin the study of differential calculus, including limits, continuity, and the concept of a derivative. Additional topics may include the study of probability, sequences and series, polar coordinates, and parametric equations. This course prepares students for AB Calculus.

Prerequisites: Recommendation of Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 with Trig teacher. 

This challenging course is aimed at the independent learners who are comfortable with handling symbolic language and abstract thinking challenges. Students work together in small groups in an effort to discover new concepts and explain new ideas from multiple perspectives. The course is aimed at honing the individual student’s mathematical creativity and providing a broad base of skills prior to taking advanced calculus courses and higher. There is greater emphasis on formal justification and proper notation. Students begin the year by engaging with contest level math problems that address many of the topics from Honors Algebra 2. In addition to extending previously studied topics such as transformations of functions, quadratic maximization, graphing rational functions, and exponential and logarithmic functions, the course includes a thorough introduction to differential calculus, going beyond and deeper into what is covered in the Introductory Calculus course. In addition, the course covers an extension of trigonometry, including trigonometric identities, the Law of Sines and the Law of Cosines, parametric and polar functions and their graphs, an exploration of methods of proof, and a thorough treatment of vectors. This class prepares students for BC Calculus.

Prerequisites: Recommendation of Honors Algebra 2 Teacher

Building on the algebraic skills acquired in previous classes, this course attempts to deepen and strengthen students’ conceptual understanding and computational fluency. We extend and reinforce key algebraic concepts in the definition, application and manipulation of polynomials and rational functions, refining students’ graphical skills and exploiting technology as an aid to visualization and as an invaluable tool in tackling more complex problems. The heart of the course is devoted to a thorough presentation of the elementary transcendental functions: exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric, and inverse trigonometric functions. During the second semester students also explore some topics from discrete mathematics including sequences, series, elementary counting techniques and probability. This class prepares students for Calculus during their senior year

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Algebra 2.

Probability and Statistics (H) will provide students with the skills to understand and to apply elementary probability theory and to collect, organize, describe, and analyze numerical data. Students will study and then use computational, simulation, and visualization tools and techniques to gain insights from datasets drawn from domains such as genetics, politics, finance, sports, marketing, engineering, and economics. 

With some independent preparation, students who take this course may feel equipped to take the AP Statistics exam.

Prerequisites: Completion of Honors Algebra 2, Introductory Calculus, or Introductory Calculus (H)