| Snapshot from the Ridge | |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
Put a ring on it! Seniors look forward to celebrating at graduation while shopping for class rings.
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| Bulletin Board |
Middle & Upper School Social Events on September 27th
Middle School students: Come enjoy an evening of laser tag and games! A $5 fee will cover unlimited rounds of laser tag. Free food and drinks provided. Come wearing your game face!
Date: Friday, September 27th
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
Upper School students: You are invited to the second annual Gymania event! Games, videos, and free food for all who attend.
Date: Friday, September 27th
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center
Science Olympiad Information Meeting on September 28th
Students and parents are invited to attend an informational meeting about this year's Science Olympiad program. New students and parents are especially welcome! Come learn how you can be a part of the highly successful Pacific Ridge team. Visit the Science Olympiad website for more information about this national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting interest in science. Curious about Pacific Ridge's student teams or interested in volunteering as a coach? Contact Programming teacher and Science Olympiad coordinator Jug Venkatesh at jvenkatesh@pacificridge.org.
Date: Saturday, September 28th
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (breakfast provided!)
Place: West Reading Room
Admissions Applications Available October 1st
Families interested in applying for the 2014-2015 school year: applications will be available beginning October 1st. We encourage families to complete the online application, but paper applications are available upon request. The first Admissions Open House is on Saturday, November 2nd, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Interested in attending an Open House event? To RSVP, please contact Monique Velde at mvelde@pacificridge.org. Click here for all Open House dates and more information about the application process.
Be a Parent Ambassador During Admissions Season
We are looking for parents of current students and alumni to help families learn about Pacific Ridge during admissions events. Come to a Parent Ambassador meeting on October 16th to kick off the season. Mrs. Nassif will give an overview of the admissions process and explain how you can be an important part of admissions events. Email Monique Velde at mvelde@pacificridge.org to RSVP.
Date: Wednesday, October 16th
Time: 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Place: Athletic Center Lobby
Parent Teacher Conferences on October 9th - 11th
Parent Teacher conferences are soon approaching! An email with specific information, times and instructions on how to schedule your conference will be emailed shortly.
No School on Friday, October 11th & Monday, October 14th
Parent Grade-Level Parties Coming Up Soon
Parents, take advantage of these opportunities to socialize with other parents in your child's grade. Locations and times for the parties will be emailed and posted on Haiku soon.
9th Grade: Saturday, October 5th
11th Grade: Sunday, October 6th
7th Grade: Sunday, October 27th
12th Grade: Saturday, November 2nd
8th Grade: Sunday, November 3rd
10th Grade: Saturday, November 16th
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| New & Noteworthy | |
Making Music to Celebrate the End of a Busy Week
On Friday, September 20th, students gathered in the Middle School Town Square to relax and enjoy the music of student rock band Revival Sounds. Band members Sage Sanders '14, Henry Poole '14, Matthew Peterschmidt '14, Andrew Poole '17 and guest Kurtis Shaffer entertained the crowd with an impressive selection of original songs. Students also had the opportunity to wander over to the gym to watch volleyball teams from around the county participate in the Firebird Classic tournament.
Thank you to Coastal Cleanup Volunteers
Many thanks go to the Pacific Ridge students and parents who helped keep local beaches pristine when they participated in Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 21st. Approximately 7,000 San Diego volunteers removed over 150,000 pounds of litter and debris from 102 cleanup sites.
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| Curricular Adventures |
Honors Physics Students Take Aim
Over several days last week, students in Honors Physics spent their class period out on the athletic field. Under the guidance of teacher Doug Blackington, students experimented with the concepts of acceleration and free fall by calculating the velocity of pneumatic rockets and testing various trajectories. Their goal? To shoot the rockets 150+ yards across the field toward a small bullseye -- being firmly held by their fearless teacher! After several tries, most students were able to shoot their rockets, which reached speeds of up to 70 miles per hour, right on target. Thankfully, the agile Mr. Blackington is still in one piece.
 
8th Graders Study Theme of Identity in Lord of the Flies
Students in 8th-grade English recently explored the meaning of identity during their study of William Golding's Lord of the Flies. In addition to journal reflections and Harkness discussions, students created personal masks that they wore to school over two days. The masks, representing facets of the students' personalities or interests, fostered deeper conversations about how people, both young and old, choose to present themselves to the world.
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| Service Learning in the Field |
Middle School Service Learning Groups In Action This year's Middle School Service Learning groups are quickly getting busy, with teams already working both on and off-campus. Students are learning and contributing in a number of venues:
Animal Allies: assisting staff and working with animals at a Department of Animal Services shelter ARC: engaging with clients of the ARC of San Diego, a non-residential facility for developmentally challenged adults Head Start: reading to and playing with preschoolers at two Head Start locations Seniors: developing friendships with residents at Sunrise at La Costa and ActivCare in Bressi Ranch Stewardship: taking care of the Pacific Ridge campus by gardening, composting, recycling and learning about LEED certification Sustainability: assisting the Center for Natural Lands Management restoring a local preserve in Carlsbad
Look for Middle School Service Learning highlights in coming weeks!
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| Parents Association |
Fall Fest Coming Up on October 19th! Fall Fest is a once-a-year opportunity for Pacific Ridge students to raise funding and awareness for their service learning groups and clubs. Students generate enthusiasm for their programs by sharing information, selling goods and services, and showing their entrepreneurial spirit throughout the day. Food, raffles, entertainment, and a pumpkin patch and bake sale are also available for the entire Pacific Ridge community to enjoy. Date: Saturday, October 19th Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Place: Pacific Ridge campus Parking: 2765 Loker Avenue (see map), shuttles provided Fall Fest Volunteers Needed Parent volunteers are needed to make Fall Fest a success. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here. Able to provide pre-event help? Attend our volunteer meeting on October 1st. Date: Tuesday, October 1st Place: Library Contribute to Fall Fest Raffle Baskets! Do you have an item you'd like to donate for a Fall Fest raffle basket? Contributions such as sports tickets, golf rounds, hotel stays, spa packages, sports equipment and gift cards make terrific raffle items. Most donations qualify for charitable income tax deductions. Interested? Contact the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org. Thank you! Last Week to Sign Up For the Supper 8 Club!
The Parents Association is preparing to launch this year's Supper 8 Club - a fantastic opportunity to connect with other Pacific Ridge parents in a social setting. Groups of eight Pacific Ridge parents will organize dinner parties every other month (or four times per year) that can be held at homes, restaurants, or whatever setting works for each group. Both couples and single parents are welcome! Participants will be grouped by grade level.
If you are interested in joining, please click here and submit your online Supper 8 participation form by Friday, September 27th. Groups will be formed by the end of September for start up in October/early November. Questions? Contact the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.
eScrip - Help Support Pacific Ridge School!
Sign up for eScrip, and start earning money for Pacific Ridge School by having a percentage of your purchase dollars donated to the school! All you have to do is log on to escrip.com and register your Von's club card and/or debit and credit cards with eScrip. Over 700 online and storefront merchants partner with eScrip, including Von's, Seaside Market, Amazon, Nordstrom, and many more. When you register with eScrip, designate Pacific Ridge School under "Group Selection," or use our Group ID number: 500017582. If you have children at more than one school, eScrip will allow you to benefit up to three schools.
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| Sports on the Ridge | |
Girls Varsity Volleyball Hosts Firebird Classic
On Friday and Saturday, September 20th and 21st, the Girls Varsity Volleyball team hosted 12 teams from all over San Diego County at the 2nd annual Firebird Classic tournament. The team enjoyed competitive play, earned third place, and raised money for its trip to Phoenix in October for the Nike Tournament of Champions invitational event. Go Firebirds!
Positive Coaching Alliance's Latest 2-Minute Drill
Check out this message from the PCA about one of the most important components of honoring the game: Respect For Self.
Scores:
Varsity Coed Cross Country
9/21/13 Mt. Carmel Invitational, 2.75 miles
Delaney Miller, 12th Place
Girls Varsity Volleyball
9/17/13 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 3 L
Girls JV Volleyball
9/17/13 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 2 L
Girls Frosh Volleyball
9/17/13 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 2 L
9/19/13 High Tech High 2 0 W
Girls Varsity Tennis
9/17/13 Tri-City Christian Schools 9 9 T
9/19/13 Santa Fe Christian Schools 11 7 W
Boys 8th-Grade Flag Football
9/19/13 Maranatha Christian 12 26 L
Boys 7th-Grade Flag Football
9/19/13 Maranatha Christian 27 7 W
Girls Middle School A Volleyball
9/17/13 Maranatha Christian 2 0 W
Girls Middle School B Volleyball
9/17/13 Maranatha Christian 2 0 W
Girls Middle School Blue Volleyball
9/17/13 Maranatha Christian 2 0 W
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| Beyond the Ridge | |
Bucknell University Reception on October 7th
Date: Monday, October 7th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
College Reps Are On the Way
Seniors: Don't miss your opportunity to meet with college representatives who will be visiting the Pacific Ridge campus throughout the fall. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will take place in the College Counseling office. The full list of college rep visits can be found in student and parent Naviance accounts. Questions? Contact Ms. Bergmanis at rbergmanis@pacificridge.org.
Week of September 30th
Babson College; Chapman University; Harvey Mudd College; Lynn University; Muhlenberg College; New York University; Santa Clara University; Texas Christian University; Trinity College; University of Arizona; University of Richmond; Wagner College
Week of October 7th
Carleton College; Colgate University; Eugene Lang College/The New School for Liberal Arts; Fordham University; Georgetown University; Hofstra University; Hope College; Johns Hopkins University; Rider University; Skidmore College; Stevens Institute of Technology; Syracuse University; University of California, San Diego; University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; University of the Pacific; University of Pennsylvania; University of Redlands; University of Rochester; University of San Francisco; Whitman College; William Woods University; Willamette University
Week of October 14th
Bentley University; Bowdoin College; Bucknell University; College of the Holy Cross; Columbia University; Dartmouth College; Franklin and Marshall College; Franklin College Switzerland; Loyola Marymount University; Miami University, Oxford; Northwestern University; Occidental College; Polytechnic Institute of NYU; Saint Mary's College; Simmons College; St. Edward's University; University of Dallas; University of Glasgow; University of Puget Sound; Vanderbilt University; Waynesburg University; Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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| Class Notes |
 Students Honored as National Merit, National Achievement Semifinalists
Seniors Emily Chong, Anny Huang, Delaney Miller and Soren Schlassa have been named Semifinalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. In addition, XhiDae Otam has been named a Semifinalist in the National Achievement Scholarship program, which acknowledges the high achievement of Black American high school students. The distinction of Semifinalist is based on the students' scores in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test, and allows them to compete for Finalist status and scholarship awards totaling over $37 million. Congratulations, seniors!
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| New Faculty & Staff Snapshot |
Luke Michel, History & English
Most Recent Book: The Alienist, by Caleb Carr Favorite Movie: The Usual Suspects Favorite Sport to Play or Watch: Golf Greatest Indulgence: Cheese! If you Make Him Breakfast: French Toast In His Free Time: hangs out with his kids, plays bass guitar and reads the newspaper Hometown: New York City and Woodstock, NY
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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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September 27th
Upper School & Middle School Social Events On Campus
September 28th
Science Olympiad Information Meeting
9 - 11 a.m.
October 9th - 11th
Parent Teacher Conferences
October 11th & 14th
No School
October 19th
Fall Fest
11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
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A View From The Ridge
