| Snapshot from The Ridge |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
The last game at Colt Place, against Calvary Christian on November 9th |
Bulletin Board
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Next E-Newsletter on Thursday, December 1st
There will be no e-newsletter next week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and A View from The Ridge will be back on December 1st, bringing you all that is "fit to transmit."
First Upper School Admissions Open House on 12/1
The first Upper School Open House will be held on Thursday, December 1st, from 3:30-5 p.m. Interested parents, please RSVP to Monique Velde at mvelde@pacificridge.org or 760-448-9841. Click here for more information on Open House events and the application process.
Performance Arts Showcase on December 3rd
Come see some of our accomplished singers, actors, musicians, and dancers in a delightful evening of the arts. Proceeds from this show will help send the Pacific Ridge A Cappella Ensemble to perform at Carnegie Hall in March. Tickets are available online here or by clicking on the "Buy tickets for the showcase" link under "Arts Information" on the school portal.
Date: Saturday, December 3rd
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Star Theater in Oceanside
Opportunity to Host an AFS Student
The AFS Foundation (formerly American Field Service) is looking for families to host international students. The organization offers international exchange programs for students from more than 40 countries throughout the world. Click here to see the AFS website, and contact Jim Dooley, the San Diego Area AFS Volunteer Team Chair, if you are interested: jimafs@gmail.com.
Reminders:
Pacific Ridge School Needs Jurors for the Trial of the Century! Ninth graders, as part of their study of Homer's The Odyssey, will put Odysseus on trial over the course of two days, November 21st and 22nd. For more information, please contact Emma Balina at ebalina@pacificridge.org.
The Pacific Ridge School directory is available on the "Parent" section of the school portal. Go to "Family Directory" in the column on the far right, and choose one of two links: "Family Directory by Alpha," or "Family Directory by Grade." Each link provides a pdf document that families can print out if they would like a hard copy of the directory.
Independent schools, including Pacific Ridge, run an Annual Fund each year to cover the gap between what tuition covers and what it actually costs to educate each child. Please join the entire school community by making your commitment today. You may pledge now, and pay any time between now and May 31, 2012. All gifts are tax deductible in the year in which they are made. You can make a gift or pledge online by clicking here. You can also contact Emma Balina at ebalina@pacificridge.org or 760-448-9883. Thank you for your support!
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New & Noteworthy
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Pacific Ridge Parent Awarded Volunteer of the Year
Congratulations to Tamara Ogg (Parent '12 and '14), who was awarded "Volunteer of the Year" from the North County Philanthropy Council. Mrs. Ogg joined the Annual Fund/Breaking New Ground Committee in 2008, and has established herself as an integral part of our fundraising efforts. Her warm personality and passion for Pacific Ridge has helped our school reach 100% participation in our Annual Fund campaign in years past. We extend a proud congratulations to Mrs. Ogg for receiving this special honor.
2011-2012 Faculty/Parent Education Series Kicks Off
Parents, faculty, and staff met on Tuesday morning for the first Faculty/Parent Education Series topic: Parents, Tutors, and Homework: When Too Much Help Becomes a Hindrance. The two groups enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion, where they discovered that families have dramatic differences in homework strategies but similar commitments to helping their children succeed. Participants agreed on the importance of finding a balance between giving support and fostering independence in their children, and talked about allowing students to stumble and learn from mistakes. At the same time, participants recognized the importance of sustained help in the case of a child who has a gap in knowledge and the role that tutors can play in bringing a child "up to speed." A number of resources are already in place on the Pacific Ridge campus to help students who need to fill those gaps, including the academic coaching center, peer-to-peer tutoring program, and individual tutoring by teachers.
A detailed list of takeaways from this discussion and the ones that follow will be made available to the Pacific Ridge community at a future date. The next discussion, Harkness and Performance: The Value of Students Being Heard, will be held on December 6th. Please contact Stephanie Furlong at sfurlong@pacificridge.org for more information.
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| Curricular Adventures |
Last week, 7th graders completed a two-day legal system project that asked them to analyze evidence and act out official roles in a real courthouse. These hands-on activities followed their study in English of To Kill A Mockingbird, and of the courtroom scene in particular. For the forensics portion of the project, students were asked to solve a staged crime scene on campus. Students had at their disposal a police report with interviews, as well as physical evidence that called for forensic scientific analysis. The "investigators" split into five groups that rotated through five forensic analysis stations: hair, (simulated) blood, ink, chromatography, and DNA samples. The DNA evidence proved conclusive and the culprit was determined.
On the second day of the project, students visited a San Diego courthouse, where they witnessed arraignments, saw a DUI trial in progress, and participated in a mock trial. Students also heard presentations by two judges, one on DNA evidence and its use in court cases, another on choices and consequences in the age of Facebook.
 A student acts as judge. |
Service Learning in the Field
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Upper School Service Learning
On November 9th, Dr. Edward Kavalerchik, an oncologist at Scripps Green Hospital, talked with The Pheonix Foundation service learning group. Dr. Kavalerchik, who focuses mainly on blood cancers, discussed the origin of cancer, the general nature of cancer as a disease, cancer research that has been completed, and progress that has been made against the disease. Members of The Phoenix Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about cancer and is working toward funding a scholarship in partnership with Cancer for College, has been using the first trimester to educate themselves about scientific and social aspects of cancer. Dr. Kavalerchik was the final of three speakers this trimester, and the group now plans to share the knowledge they have gained with the school population.
The StoryShips Service Learning group held its first session of the year on Thursday, November 10th, with a story from English teacher Mr. Strong. The story, by turns humorous and melancholy, recounted Mr. Strong's experience wearing an unwelcome Halloween costume as a child. The group is looking forward to following up this year's debut by hosting a Community Life session on November 30th, when several Pacific Ridge parents will tell a seasonal story that is meaningful to them. During Community Life, children of the storytellers will be on stage and have the opportunity to ask questions about the story and its meaningfulness for their parents. The event, which follows on the heels of StoryCorps' National Day of Listening, will promote storytelling and attentiveness.
Middle School Service Learning
On November 10th, the Solutions Service Learning group met with Frank Downey, Construction Manager for Pacific Ridge School's Athletic Center. They learned about his educational background and path to becoming a construction manager, as well as his work specifically with Pacific Ridge School. Mr. Downey emphasized the importance of getting to know every community with whom he works, and talked about his commitment to Pacific Ridge School and its mission in his role as Construction Manager here. Students also had the opportunity to learn about the planning that has gone into building the Athletic Center, and the importance that careful planning, clear communication, specific goals, and a good relationship among all the constituents - administration, Board of Trustees, subcontractors, students and families, etc. - plays in creating a beautiful, functional, well-designed building.
 Mr. Downey speaks to students.
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Sports on the Ridge
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Fall Sports Award Ceremony on November 29th
The Fall Sports Award Ceremony for Upper School athletes will take place on Tuesday, November 29th, beginning at 6 p.m. Join us as we honor our fall sports teams!
6 p.m.: Food, meet and greet, and slideshow
6:30 p.m.: Ceremony
7 p.m.: Team breakout sessions
Girls Varsity Volleyball Makes Finals
It has been an exciting playoff ride for the Girls Varsity Volleyball team. The team soundly beat Calvary Christian, 3-0, on November 9th, and then did a repeat performance on November 12th, winning 3-0 against Julian. Last night in the semi-finals, the team prevailed once again, beating Foothills Christian, 3-1. They even made it on to KUSI news! The team will play in the finals on this Saturday, November 19th, at Cathedral Catholic, 5555 Del Mar Heights Road, San Diego, 92130. Game time is 9:30 a.m., and the entry fee is $10 for adults and $6 for students/seniors. Come out and cheer for our Firebirds!
Cross Country Fall Sports Roundup, from Coach Edwards
Middle School
The girls team won four meets and tied one in league this year. The team was led by the dynamic duo of Quincy Erturk and Isabella Sevigny, who have both placed in the top three in every league race. Quincy and Isabella also placed 8th and 9th out of 157 runners in their race at Mt. SAC Invitational.
The boys team has placed first once and second four times in league competition. The team was led by the 1-2 punch of Thomas Peterschmidt and Jack Long, who also have placed in
the top four in the league races. Jack placed 24th and Thomas placed 25th out of 250 runners in their Mt. SAC Invitational race.
Upper School
At conference finals last week, the girls team ran hard against
Bishop's and Francis Parker. Delaney Miller, the #1 runner, was named Conference Girls Runner of the Year. Sabrina Harb, seniors Katie Glockner and Abby Perelman, Gabby Clarke, Eva
Loeser, Rachel Kahn, and Emily Chong round out the varsity team. Their goal is to place in the top 10 in State.
The boys team is young and has a bright future. Junior Captain Sean Straw leads sophmores Henry Poole, Matthew Peterschmidt, and Trevor King, freshmen Tai Eubank and Ben DeSoto Mayor, and junior Issac Ahn.
Scores
Coed Varsity Cross Country
11/11/11 (Coastal Conference Finals) Home
Varsity Girls:
Bishop's - 37
Francis Parker - 39
Pacific Ridge - 48
Santa Fe Christian - 111
La Jolla Country Day - 126
Conference Girls Runner of the Year: Delaney Miller
Varsity Boys:
Bishop's - 33
La Jolla Country Day - 39
Francis Parker - 73
Horizon Christian - 149
Santa Fe Christian - 157
Calvin - 166
Army-Navy Academy - 186
Pacific Ridge - 203
Escondido Charter - 219
Coed Middle School Cross Country
11/09/11 (SCMSL Finals) Home
Girls:
Coronado 34
Pacific Ridge 59
Santa Fe Christian 79
La Jolla Country Day 104
Rancho Santa Fe 107
Warren Walker 124
Boys:
Francis Parker 66
Coronado 80
Rancho Santa Fe 84
Warren Walker 99
Pacific Ridge 105
Santa Fe Christian 107
Horizon Christian 174
Boys 8th Flag Football
11/07/11 (Playoff vs. Christian Junior High) Home 13 27 L
Girls Varsity Volleyball
11/09/11 (vs. Calvary Christian Academy) Home 3 0 W
11/12/11 (Playoff vs. Julian) Home 3 0 W
Girls MS− A Volleyball
11/08/11 (Playoff vs. Francis Parker) Home 0 2 L
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Parents Association News
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Reminder:
Parents' Book Group on November 28th The Pacific Ridge School Parents' Book Group will discuss This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman. All are welcome!
Date: Monday, November 28th
Time: 7-9 p.m.
Place: school library
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Beyond the Ridge
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Just for Juniors Lunchtime Seminars Begin in December
Just for Juniors seminars will take place during 5th period in the library. Juniors who have Service Learning during 5th period will meet during lunch period. Attendance is mandatory for all five sessions:
Friday, 12/9: Selective Colleges
Thursday, 12/15: Visits and Interviews
Thursday, 1/12: California Colleges
Thursday, 1/19: Resumes and the Jr. Questionnaire
Friday, 1/27: Application Options
Questions? Contact Cara Matzen at 760-448-9884 or cmatzen@pacificridge.org.
Reminders:
The PLAN test (practice ACT) will be given to Pacific Ridge sophomores at 8 a.m. on Monday, November 21st, in the Commons. Be sure to bring pencils, erasers, and calculators.
Junior Parent Night for parents of juniors is on November 30th. Parents should attend, and juniors are encouraged to attend if they are able. A test prep mini fair will precede College Counseling Night, for those junior parents or juniors interested in exploring test prep options.
Date: Wednesday, November 30th
Time: 6:30 p.m. for test prep mini fair, 7-9 p.m. for Junior Parent Night
Place: Test prep mini fair in the library, Junior Parent Night in the East Reading Room
Upcoming College Representative Visits All meetings will begin in the college counseling office. See the school portal for dates and times. There are no college representative visits on November 21st and 22nd. During the week of November 28th - December 2nd, a representative from the following college will visit Pacific Ridge School: Hawai'i Pacific University For more information on college representative visits or college admissions programs, please contact Ruth Foresman at rforesman@pacificridge.org or 760-579-4905. |
| Faculty & Staff Notes |
Congratulations to faculty members Eva Schmidt and Melissa Sullivan, and staff member Monique Velde, all of whom successfully completed the Silver Strand Half Marathon in Coronado on Sunday, November 13th. Says Ms. Sullivan, "We had sunny, warm weather and the course was nice and flat."
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| Faculty & Staff Snapshot |
Eric Peterson, English
Favorite book: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami
Favorite movie: Hmmm...Raising Arizona
Sport: Soccer
Greatest indulgence: Playing FIFA soccer
If you make him breakfast: Eggs Benedict, fresh fruit, dark black coffee
In his free time: Plays guitar
Dream vacation: Looking forward to a summer in Europe
Hometown: Riverside, CA
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In a community that fosters academic excellence, ethical responsibility, and global engagement, Pacific Ridge School prepares students for college and a purposeful life.
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Schedule of Events
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November 18th
End of First Trimester
November 23rd-25th
No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
November 28th
Classes Resume
Parent Book Group
School Library
7-9 p.m.
November 29th
Fall Sports Award Ceremony
6-7:30 p.m.
November 30th
Junior Parent Night
7-9 p.m.
December 1st
Upper School
Open House
3:30-5 p.m.
December 3rd
Arts Showcase
Star Theater in Oceanside
7 p.m.
December 5th
12th-Grade College Financial Aid Night
December 16th
Half-Day of School
School Ends
12:30 p.m.
December 17th-
January 2nd
No School
Winter Break
January 3rd
School resumes
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A View from The Ridge 
