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

Slabs of the former walkway between the Middle School and Mullady Hall decorate the drive around campus.

Please click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post about "Updating Old Favorites" at Pacific Ridge School.

This week, the Pacific Ridge freshman class is participating in an annual tradition applauded and appreciated by the entire school community. Each 9th grader has selected a topic of personal interest and has written a compelling speech that includes personal anecdotes, research and a call to action. Students are presenting their orations throughout the week to audiences of their peers, upperclassmen and faculty. A number of orations selected by the class will be presented to the entire school community in April.

 

 

Honors Jazz Rock Plays the Big Easy

On March 13th, Pacific Ridge's Honors Jazz Rock ensemble headed to New Orleans for three days of music and culture. Highlights included performing at the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and participating in a jazz improv clinic at the University of New Orleans. Accompanied by music teacher Steve Morell and Coach Casey Wheel, the group also went on a walking music tour of the city and visited the Superdome, St. Louis Cemetery and the Katrina and Beyond exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum. Delicious meals in the French Quarter and Belle Chasse rounded out the satisfying, whirlwind trip.

 

 

 

AP Psychology Explores Mental Health and the Law 

Today in Ms. Belo's AP Psychology class, students participated in a guided discussion about the intersection of mental health and the legal system. Students examined several hypothetical scenarios and discussed the ethical and legal factors involved in each. Contributing to the discussion were the opinions of several "virtual panelists", including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Eric Kandel, who provided important considerations for students to address. Video interviews of the panelists were included courtesy of the PBS Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness video project.

 

Upper School service learning group Project Dance will be holding a dance-a-thon on Friday evening, April 11th. Students are gathering dance-a-thon pledges to support the education of a boy in Rwanda through the Rebecca Davis Dance Company. In post-conflict and developing countries, the dance company also operates programs that combine dance classes with skill-building and educational workshops about topics such as technology, health and sanitation.

 

Parents Association Seeking Volunteers for 2014-2015 Officer Positions

Parent Book Club on April 28th

Title: The Lowland, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Date: Monday, April 28th

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Library Learning Commons

 

Supper Club Save the Date!

Mark your calendars! The year-end social for all Pacific Ridge Supper Club participants is scheduled for Sunday, June 1st at 5:00 p.m. Details will be emailed soon.

 

Sports on the Ridge

Pacific Ridge student-athletes and parents curious about the NCAA recruitment process are encouraged to attend a panel discussion on the evening of March 26th. In addition to current seniors who have signed on to compete in college (and the parents who supported them through the scouting and recruiting process), college coaches and a recruiter will join us to discuss NCAA rules and regulations, timelines that affect different sports, tips on creating personal profiles, and outreach to coaches. Our NCAA panelists, former DI and DIII competitors who have experience recruiting across NCAA divisions I-III and the NAIA, include collegiate All-Americans, a College Coach of the Year, and a college athlete who went on to thrive in Major League Baseball. The program will explain the guidance and resources available at Pacific Ridge to help families looking to take charge of the recruitment process.

Date: Wednesday, March 26th

Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Senior Wins Kyoto Scholarship 

For eight weeks this winter, faculty intern Marian Krueger has served as an assistant coach to the Boys Varsity and JV Basketball teams and is now assisting with Girls Middle School Basketball. Mr. Krueger, who is pursuing a masters degree in education from Germany's University of Paderborn, has also observed classes and led several 7th-grade English discussions. According to Mr. Krueger, the resources available at Pacific Ridge and the Harkness teaching method are quite impressive. "I'm amazed at how comfortably your students express their opinions," he says. "This is something that students in Germany find challenging, even at the university level."  Mr. Krueger's internship is being funded in part by a grant from the Foundation of German Business, an organization formed to inspire young teachers to improve education in Germany. He says Pacific Ridge's growth mindset has given him valuable insights into crafting education for the 21st century.

 

Upper School Social Event

6-9 p.m.

Middle School Dance

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

NCAA Night

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

NO SCHOOL

Spring Break

Parent Book Group

7 p.m.