| Snapshot from The Ridge |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life. 
Students celebrate Tuesday's "Clash Day" in style.
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Bulletin Board
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Showcase DVDs Are Available
No need to worry if you missed Saturday's sold-out performance, or you would like to revisit your favorite acts - Showcase DVDs are available online. Simply sign on to the school portal, and go the the Arts Information box on the bottom right-hand side of the page. Click on the "Buy Showcase DVD here" link.
Honors Theater Arts Performance on December 14th
Students will perform scenes from Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, and Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler.
Date: Wednesday, December 14th
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
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New & Noteworthy
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Keep Up With Dr. Ogle on his Blog
Did you know that Dr. Ogle writes a weekly blog you can find on the school website? Simply go to the "Who We Are" drop-down menu on the homepage, then click on "Heads of School." You'll see a list of blog entries on the right. He wrote most recently on last week's Service Learning panel assessments: click here for the entry.
First Upper School Open House Draws Interest
This year's Upper School Open House brought a sizable crowd, who came to hear students, faculty, parents, and administrators talk about Pacific Ridge School. The admissions season is well underway, but families interested in the Middle and Upper schools do have another chance to attend an Open House. For remaining Open House dates and information about applying to Pacific Ridge School, click here.
Pacific Ridge Showcase Pleases Sold-Out Audience
Tickets were hard to come by for last Saturday's Pacific Ridge Arts Showcase, and with good reason. Talented musicians, vocalists, thespians, and dancers took the stage for an evening of wonderful performances. Audience members were treated to a panoply of genres, time periods, and art forms. Among the vocalist choices were Adele and Andrew Lloyd Webber, the Pacific Ridge Orchestra opted for Coldplay, student bands played Rock n' Roll favorites as well as original compositions, and one student delighted with a derbake (drum) solo. Thespians performed scenes from an original student play, and dance soloists and groups took the stage accompanied by music from Beyoncé to Nancy Sinatra. The Pacific Ridge A Cappella ensemble ended the show with two pieces: Good Ol' A Cappella and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Thank you to our terrific performers, and to the Pacific Ridge community for supporting the school's young artists.
Parents, Faculty Discuss Harkness at Pacific Ridge
On Monday night, parents and faculty members gathered for the second Harkness discussion in the Parent/Faculty Education series, Harkness and Discussion: The Value of Students Being Heard. With guidance from 11th/12th Grade Dean Scott Mattoon, participants spent time defining what a Harkness discussion is, then assessed some of the technique's values and challenges in developing each student's 'voice.' Three teachers representing math, history, and social studies spoke about their experiences using the Harkness method, and parents participated in a "silent Harkness" and a "pair-share" activity, two different Harkness techniques. Finally, parents shared their own observations about the ways that Harkness discussion has positively affected their children, from speaking with respect, to becoming comfortable with a range of peers, to thinking critically.
The next Parent/Faculty Education Series session, led by Coordinator of Curriculum and Mission Assessment Liz Grossman, will take place on Tuesday, January 31st. Ms. Grossman will facilitate a Harkness discussion on 21st Century Skills and the Pacific Ridge School Mission: Right on Time. For more information, please contact Stephanie Furlong at sfurlong@pacificridge.org.
Reminder:
High Five Challenge Doubles, Triples, or Quadruples the Value of Your Gift/Pledge to the Athletic Center!
Time is fast approaching for our move into the Firebirds Athletic Center. Construction remains on schedule, with "move in" planned for Spring 2012. Funds are now needed to equip the Athletic Center with bleachers, equipment, score boards, baskets and nets, lockers, lights, fixtures, etc. Gifts and pledges to the Athletic Center (which can be paid over a three-year time frame) can be matched by the High Five Challenge. Gifts/pledges of $5k or more are matched 1:1, gifts/pledges of $10k or more are matched 2:1, and gifts/pledges of $25k or more are matched 3:1. For more information, contact Kari Perry at or 760-448-9845.
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| Curricular Adventures |
On Thursday, December 1st, all seventeen Upper School Service Learning groups participated in "panel assessments," where they presented their group missions and goals before panels made up of adults from the Pacific Ridge community. During the course of the presentations, panel members and students in the audience learned about each group's progress in a number of different areas, including planned projects, financial management, assigned roles, and outreach to the community. Panel members asked questions to better understand group missions, requested more details on different aspects of proposed projects, and gave advice on how to create and reach goals. Panelists also subsequently filled out review forms, where they both evaluated the current state of their assigned groups, and offered recommendations to help those groups better define their missions, their goals, and the process for reaching those goals.
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| Service Learning in the Field |
The Upper School group Food For Thought is in the midst of a Food Drive. Working with SuperFood for SuperKids and Capri Elementary, the group is helping to gather low-sodium snacks, nuts, granola bars, popcorn, oatmeal, and other healthy foods to donate to kids who receive "free" and "reduced" lunches from the school. |
Sports on the Ridge
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Scores Boys Varsity Basketball
12/01/11 Preuss School Away 45 34 W
Girls Varsity Basketball
12/01/11 Preuss School Away 34 26 W
Boys Varsity Soccer
12/01/11 Maranatha Christian Home 1 1 T
Girls Varsity Soccer
12/02/11 Carlsbad Home 0 8 L
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Parents Association News
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WeCare Presents Dr. Lisa Boesky
The WeCare consortium of San Diego schools, which includes Pacific Ridge School, presents clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Boesky. An expert on child, teen, and adult behavior, Dr. Boesky has written When to Worry and has been interviewed by Anderson Cooper, Bill O'Reilly, correspondents from CNN and Fox News, and more. Dr. Boesky has two speaking engagements:Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Time: 6:30 p.m.; 7 p.m. program
Place: Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, 3630 Afton Road, San Diego, 92123
Date: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Time: 8:30 a.m. social; 9 a.m. program
Place: La Jolla Country Day School, 9490 Genessee Avenue, La Jolla, 92037 DVDs of WeCare Events Available at School Library
Parents who missed Dr. Ken Ginsburg's talk in October, or would like to hear speakers from past years, can find DVDs of these events at the school library. All DVDs are available for check out.
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College and Beyond
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Reminders:
First Student Alumni College Fair On January 4th
Upper School students and their parents are invited to the first Student Alumni College Fair, when Pacific Ridge graduates will return to campus to represent their respective colleges. Members of the class of '11 will discuss academic preparation, courses, roommates, homesickness, budget, and other topics. Attendees are strongly encouraged to come with questions - about weather, college life, class size, air travel, you name it. Don't miss this chance to hear about the college experiences of Pacific Ridge grads!
Date: Wednesday, January 4th
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
Junior Meetings in January
College Counselors Bonnie Laughlin and Cara Matzen will be meeting with all juniors and their parents in January to discuss PSAT results, testing timelines, senior courses, college planning, and summer opportunities. Meetings will last about 45 minutes and can be scheduled in the morning, daytime, and after school. Please contact Ruth Foresman to make an appointment: rforesman@pacificridge.org or 760-579-4905.
Just for Juniors Lunchtime Seminars Begin Tomorrow
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.
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| Faculty & Staff Snapshot |
Ann Zerlaut, Mathematics
Favorite book: She recently reread her childhood favorite and liked it even more than she did back then: The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Favorite Movie: The Joy Luck Club
Sport: Basketball
Greatest Indulgence: A really good chocolate truffle
If you make her breakfast: A scrambled egg sandwich on buttered toast with bacon and American cheese
In her free time: Craft, garden, cook; pre-kids, she was very Martha Steward
Dream vacation: Driving around France and Italy with her husband and kids (when they kids are old enough)
Hometown: Oxnard, CA - A fifth-generation native!
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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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December 14th
Honors Theater Arts Performance
7 p.m.
December 16th
Half-Day of School
8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
December 17th-
January 2nd
No School
Winter Break
January 3rd
School resumes
January 7th
Middle School
Open House
2-4 p.m.
January 10th
Upper School
Open House
3:30-5:00 p.m.
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A View from The Ridge 
