Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.

Students enjoyed a slice of New Orleans culture and cuisine when the Euphoria Brass Band visited campus - bringing beignets with them.

Middle School students are welcome to attend the Middle School Movieplex, with several options available for their viewing pleasure. Candy and refreshments provided.

Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Place: D Building

The San Diego Blood Bank will be conducting a blood drive at Pacific Ridge on November 16th. If you have volunteered to donate blood, please come to campus at your appointed time. Thank you for supporting this important effort.

Date: Friday, November 16th

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Place: Middle School Commons

One is required on campus, while the other is not allowed! Parents, kindly help us enforce the dress code and remind your children that chewing gum is not permitted on campus. Please refer to the 2012-13 Student Handbook for detailed information about the dress code.

Performers played to a packed house for each of the two Arts Showcases held at Vista's AVO Playhouse on Saturday, November 10th. Ninety Pacific Ridge musicians, actors, vocalists and dancers treated audience members to an array of art forms, genres and styles, ranging from Tahitian dance to tap and Irish clogging, from electric guitar to piano and ukelele, and vocal music from Oscar Hammerstein to Beyonce and Radiohead. Teachers even got into the act with a singing duet and rocking 90's-style dance medley. Thank you to all our terrific performers, and to the Pacific Ridge community for supporting the school's arts program. DVD's are available for $15 each. Interested in purchasing one? Email Mr. Dziekonski at sdziekonski@pacificridge.org. 

On Monday, November 12th, the Pacific Ridge community was treated to presentations by three recipients of Travel Grant awards given for summer 2012 student-designed trips. Niraj Madhani '13 shared stories from his travel to India, where he helped a community of African-Indians living in the village of Jambur to develop sustainable businesses from composting manure. Alex Ryan '13 described the contrasts of his trip to Brazil, in which he toured some of the country's largest businesses, while also visiting several favelas, or slums, that surround major cities. Casey Tirshfield '13 explained his work assisting with university English classes in Minsk, Belarus, as well as his service learning related to the longterm effects of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. All three students applied for travel grants last year by presenting detailed plans to a faculty committee and panel of community members. Applications for 2013 Travel Grant awards will be considered in January.

On Thursday, November 8th, Pacific Ridge's Athletic Department hosted 15 students from Collège Jean Vilar, a secondary school in suburban Paris. The students, many from African immigrant families, took part in a 10-day exchange program sponsored by the Banque Nationale de Paris and the French government. Their destination? Southern California, including a stop in Carlsbad for a friendly flag football match against Pacific Ridge's middle school team. The Americans won the close match 14-7, making several new international friends along the way.

The Upper School Second to None Service Learning group is leading a care package drive to support Camp Pendleton Marines serving abroad. On November 19th - 30th, bins will be located around campus to collect donations. Requested items include: soccer balls and footballs, newspapers and sports magazines, school supplies, playing cards, disposable razors, wipes, bug spray, white and black boot-length socks, books, moleskin, rat traps, granola bars, beef jerky, Gatorade mix, canned soup/fruit/tuna, toothpaste, soap, hand sanitizer and Gold Bond/foot powder. Thank you for supporting our troops.

Shop online? Register your credit and debit cards with eScrip, and Pacific Ridge will automatically receive a portion of your holiday shopping dollars when you shop via the eScrip online merchant mall. It's easy! Go to "my eScrip" at escrip.com to add cards. When you're ready to shop, visit the eScrip Online Mall which lists participating merchants. Click on the merchant you want, and you will be taken to its site. Once you are there, use your registered cards and start earning dollars for Pacific Ridge! Questions? Email the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.

Parents' Supper 8 Club: Still Space at the Table

The new Supper 8 Club for parents is up and running with over 80 families participating. If you are interested in signing up, there are immediate openings in 7th and 11th grade. New Supper 8 Clubs (by grade) can be formed based on interest. Want to join? Please email the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org, with the following information: parent name(s), child name(s), grade(s) and city of residence. 

Date: Friday, November 16th

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Place: Peet's Coffee, Bressi Ranch

Details are available on the school portal calendar. 

The Pacific Ridge Parent Book Club will be honoring the memory of Elizabeth Sinclair prior to the start of its next meeting. Elizabeth led the club for the past two years. All past and present members are welcome to attend. Discussion of the book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith, will begin at 7:00 p.m. For more information, or to be added to the Book Club mailing list, please email the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.

Date: Monday, November 26th

Time: Reception honoring Elizabeth Sinclair, book club meeting, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Place: Pacific Ridge Library

 

On Saturday, November 10th, the girls Varsity Cross Country team closed its season with a flourish, receiving the Division V league champion trophy at the CIF Coastal finals in Escondido. The girls breezed past the competition, clinching four of the top seven spots in the race. Delaney Miller, Eva Loeser, Lauren Lipman and Gaby Clarke received All Coastal League and All Coastal Conference honors, with Delaney being selected as Coastal Conference Runner of the Year. The boys team won a tie-breaker to finish in 4th place, with nearly every runner posting a personal best time to achieve that strong result. Congratulations on a stellar performance!

 

On Friday, November 9th, the girls Varsity Volleyball team traveled to Santa Fe Christian for the CIF Quarterfinals. The girls arrived ready to compete, and showed determination and enthusiasm for every hard-won point. While they won't progress farther in the tournament, Coach Aly Dahl couldn't be more proud. "I am so impressed by the character every player showed. They held their heads high and played with true Firebird spirit." Special thanks go to the dedicated fans who supported the volleyball program throughout another successful season. 

The view of Firebirds competing on the athletic field just got even better with the addition of bleachers that can hold up to 400 cheering fans. Track athletes can practice hurdles, starts, short sprints and relay hand-offs using the new 110-yard speed track installed at the field's edge. Additional grass fields for practices and warmups are now open, located at the southwest corner of the campus. Go Firebirds! Go fans!

11/10/12 Coastal League Finals, Kit Carson Park

(low score wins)

Pacific Ridge 34 

Francis Parker 53 

Bishops 67 

Santa Fe Christian 114 

Escondido Charter 145  

La Jolla Country Day 146 

Calvin Christian 155

La Jolla Country Day 33

Bishops 34

Francis Parker 69

Pacific Ridge 149

Calvin Christian 149

Horizon 188

Santa Fe Christian 217

Escondido Charter 221

Army Navy 253

The Rock Academy 257

Maranatha Christian 295

11/7/12 Middle School Finals, Crown Point

Coronado 42

Francis Parker 80

Santa Fe Christian 91

Rancho Santa Fe 103

Horizon 108

Pacific Ridge 129

Warren Walker 159

Christian 186

11/9/12 Santa Fe Christian 0 3 L

11/06/12 Bishops 1 2 L

The PLAN test (practice ACT) will be given to Pacific Ridge sophomores on Monday, November 19th, at 8:00 a.m., in the Athletic Center. Be sure to bring pencils, erasers and calculators. Students will receive details about the test in Advisory, the week of November 12th.

Date: Monday, December 3rd

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Place: East Reading Room

Parents of juniors are invited to attend this meeting to learn more about next steps in the college search process. A Test Prep Mini-Fair will precede the College Counseling presentation, for those parents who are interested in exploring test prep options.

Date: Wednesday, December 5th

Time: Test Prep Mini-Fair, 6:30 p.m.; presentation, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Place: Test Prep Mini-Fair, library; presentation, East Reading Room

Ten Pacific Ridge students participated in the Greater San Diego Hunter Jumper Association Championship on October 31st - November 4th, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Together, the Pacific Ridge riders accumulated 6 Championships, 3 Reserve Championships and 33 other ribbons for 3rd through 10th places. Special congratulations go to Camille Burdick, Margaux Burdick, Melissa Ordas and Anna Sepkovic for receiving Grand Championship awards in their events. Also participating were Miela Gross, Erin Lichter, Noelle Reich, Julianna Sapp, Julia Sevigny and Julia Ventura.

Favorite Book: The Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod, by Henry Beston

Favorite Film: Jaws - He's still recovering from the fright of watching it as a young boy!

Favorite Sport to Watch or Play: 2-Man Competitive Beach Volleyball, to watch and play

Greatest Indulgence: "The Walking Dead"

If You Make Him Breakfast: Coffee - super-strong Italian roast with cream and sugar

In His Free Time: Plays beach volleyball and travels - both internationally and to visit family on the east coast and in the Bahamas.

Dream Vacation: Visit other inhabited worlds in the universe to learn about their cultures (remember, this is a "dream" vacation...)

Hometown: Norwell, Massachusetts 

End of First Trimester

Parent Walking Group

8 a.m.

Peet's Coffee

Middle School Movieplex

6-8:30 p.m.

Upper School Movie Night

6-9 p.m.

10th Grade Parent Party

4-6 p.m.

PLAN Test for Sophomores 8 a.m.

NO SCHOOL

Thanksgiving Holiday

Parent Book Club

7-9 p.m.

Reception at 6 p.m.

 

Senior College Financial Aid Night

7 p.m.

Parent Walking Group

8 a.m.

Peet's Coffee

Junior Parent College Night

7 p.m.

Test Prep Mini-Fair

6:30 p.m.