Pacific Ridge School Header
Pacific Ridge School DotsA View From The Ridge
Weekly E-Newsletter
March 27, 2014
In This Issue
Bulletin Board
New & Noteworthy
Educational Insights
Curricular Adventures
Service Learning in the Field
Parents Association
Sports on the Ridge
Beyond the Ridge
Class Notes
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Performers from Flip Force San Diego help announce this year's Prom theme: "Cirque du Prom."

Bulletin Board

NO SCHOOL March 31st - April 6th
Enjoy a safe and happy Spring Break!

 

The Birds' Nest: Your One-Stop Shop for Spirit Wear!

Check out the Birds' Nest's website for fashionable Pacific Ridge spirit wear and gear, such as hoodies, sweatpants, license plates and more! Look for our upcoming spring line of clothing, which will feature a new shade of blue and more products such as windbreakers! All profits from the Birds' Nest go to support other Pacific Ridge service learning groups.

 

 

Recycle Your Old Electronics and Help Send Students in Advanced Theater Arts to Scotland!
Bring your old computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, ink cartridges, microwaves and other electronics to Pacific Ridge on April 26th, and All Green will recycle or dispose of them responsibly. Proceeds will help students in the Advanced Theater Arts class travel to Scotland this summer to perform at the American High School Theater Festival in Edinburgh. Thank you for your support.

Date: Saturday, April 26th

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Place: Pacific Ridge campus

 

Spring Cleaning? How About Spring Reading!

Ms. Cothran and the Student Reading Club are encouraging everyone on campus to develop an appetite for a good book! Students who complete 15 hours of non-school reading before Tuesday, May 6th, will be treated to a free In-N-Out lunch on Friday, May 9th.  All student reading hours must be confirmed via parent email to Penny LeMasters at plemasters@pacificridge.org. Questions? Please contact Ms. Cothran or Ms. LeMasters.   

 

Reminder: Order Your Yearbook Today

2013-2014 Pacific Ridge yearbooks are available for order. Please visit the Announcements section of the School Information Page on Haiku for instructions.

 

New & Noteworthy

 

Global Vantage Wins Coveted Journalism Awards

On March 19th, six members of Pacific Ridge's Global Vantage service learning group traveled to Columbia University to attend the Columbia Scholastic Press Association's annual convention and to receive two special awards. Global Vantage magazine earned a Gold Crown award - the highest recognition given by the CSPA for overall excellence in a print and online publication. The magazine's staff also received the Edmund J. Sullivan Award, a discretionary award that recognizes students whose publishing efforts reflect extraordinary idealism, resilience and pragmatism while trying to serve their audiences. At the convention, students also presented the Global Vantage publication and business model to attendees from around the country and connected with former Global Vantage editor-in-chief Dillon Lerach '13, who currently attends Columbia University.

 

Students receive top honors at Columbia conference.

 

8th Grader Earns Second Place in Countywide Spelling Bee

On March 25th, Christopher Ong '18 represented Pacific Ridge with pride at the Union-Tribune Countywide Spelling Bee. After outlasting 90 competitors from middle schools around San Diego County, Christopher and the contest's eventual winner battled word for word in what was described as a "marathon finale." Officials had to call a short break in the proceedings to prepare additional words for the unprecedented situation. Congratulations to Christopher on his outstanding performance!

 

 

Educational Insights

Visit Dr. Ogle's blog to read his latest post: "Underdogs and Orations."

Curricular Adventures

9th Graders Explore America's Finest City

On March 24th, Pacific Ridge's 9th graders spent the school day in downtown San Diego. The purpose? To practice street-smart city exploration in advance of their global trip to China, which includes stays in Beijing and Shanghai. San Diego-based Where You Want To Be Tours worked with the 9th-grade faculty team to target the specific skills the students will need in China, and developed a fun and challenging scavenger hunt in response. Students and faculty navigated their way around the city without the benefit of maps or cell phones, crossing both serious and whimsical items off their lists. Following the hunt, students headed to Jasmine restaurant to practice the etiquette of chopsticks, Lazy Susans and ordering food in Mandarin. 

 

Asking directions from unlikely sources 

 

7th Graders Become Scientists in the Classroom

Students in 7th-grade Life Science have recently been experiencing the scientific method and academic research first-hand. Students were tasked with designing original experiments to investigate the factors affecting plant growth and planarian regeneration. After all ideas were presented, several were selected by the class, and research teams were formed to conduct the experiments. Students discovered that scientific inquiry sometimes ends with surprising results, and unexpected outcomes are often when we learn the most.

 

Thinking like a scientist in the lab

 

Service Learning in the Field

Alternative Energy Sources: Power to Do Good
Upper School service learning group Alternative Energy Sources (AES) has been hard at work developing energy sources to assist communities that can benefit from them. Group members spent the first part of the year redesigning a wind turbine and recently completed a successful first prototype. Efforts this spring have turned to the creation of a biofuel reactor that will purify unprocessed waste products, such as restaurant cooking oil, to create biodiesel. Originally derived from plants and animals, biofuels are a clean and cost-effective source of energy. AES, working in conjunction with the 10th-grade integrated biodiesel project, hopes to provide power for some of the Spring Arts Festival's performances and activities.


Biodiesel reactor schematic

Parents Association

Reminder: Parents Association Seeking Volunteers for 2014-2015 Officer Positions

The Parents Association executive board is beginning its search for volunteers to serve as officers for the 2014-2015 school year. If you are interested in joining the board or have questions, please email parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.

 

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

 

Sports on the Ridge

Senior Firebird Scores 100th Goal
On March 21st, Varsity Boys Lacrosse co-captain Parker Lawlor '14 scored the 100th goal of his career in the team's win over Canyon Crest Academy. Parker, who plans to continue playing lacrosse next year at Middlebury College, has been a four-year impact player for the varsity team. Congratulations, Parker!



Winter Sports Teams Celebrated
On March 12th, winter sports team athletes were celebrated for their successful seasons, including all four varsity teams' inclusion in the CIF playoffs. The following athletes also received individual recognition: 

Boys Varsity Basketball
Firebird Award: Scott Nalbandian
Coaches Award: Ethan Kuo
Most Improved: Ben Gottesman 
 
Girls Varsity Basketball
Firebird Award: Alex Hanlon
Head, Heart & Hustle: Louisa Ballif
Coaches Award: Simone Carter
 
Boys JV 'A' Basketball
Coaches Award: Kyle Ramsay
 
Boys JV 'B' Basketball
Coaches Award: Derek Zhang

Boys Varsity Soccer
Firebird Award: Sam Carney
Coaches Award: Hugo Curiel and Andrew Sinow
Head, Heart & Hustle: Kai Welsh
Rookie of the Year: Derek Enge

Boys JV Soccer
Coaches Award: Matthew Vaughn

Girls Varsity Soccer
Firebird Award: Katie O'Laughlin
EeGiJa Award: Emily Yun

Upper School Home Games, Week of April 7th
Schedules are subject to change, so please check Schedulestar regularly for accurate information.
 

4/9/14

4:00 p.m. - Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Bishop's

 

 

 

 

Scores:

 

Coed Varsity Track

Dual Meet vs. Maranatha Christian and Escondido Charter

 

Girls vs. Maranatha Christian 71 33 W

Girls vs. Escondido Charter 64 49 W

 

Boys vs. Maranatha Christian 32 64 L

Boys vs. Escondido Charter 25 62 L

 

Coed Varsity Golf

3/18/14 Santa Fe Christian Schools 224 232 W

3/20/14 Francis Parker 113 150 W

 

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

3/19/14 La Jolla High School 15 4 W

3/21/14 Canyon Crest Academy 15 6 W

 

Girls Varsity Lacrosse

3/18/14 Carlsbad High School 1 12 L

3/20/14 Patrick Henry High School 11 4 W

 

Girls JV Lacrosse

3/18/14 Carlsbad High School 5 14 L

 

Boys Varsity Tennis

3/17/14 La Costa Canyon High School 7 11 L

3/20/14 Carlsbad High School 11 7 W

 

Boys Middle School A Lacrosse

3/22/14 Carmel Valley AI 11 5 W 

  

Girls Middle School Lacrosse

3/17/14 Pythons A 10 11 L 

 

Girls Middle School A Basketball

3/20/14 Tri-City Christian Schools 12 31 L

 

Girls Middle School B Basketball

3/20/14 Tri-City Christian Schools 16 19 L

 

Boys Developmental Volleyball

3/20/14 Christian Jr./Sr. High School 2 0 W 

 

Beyond the Ridge

Coastline Case Studies for Juniors and Parents

Juniors and their parents are invited to learn first-hand what goes into the evaluation of college applications. College admission officers from 100 schools across the country and overseas will lead small groups of participants in a comprehensive review of several mock application files. The evening will conclude with a college fair, at which families can speak to representatives from all the schools about their respective institutions. This program is for juniors and their families only. A list of attending schools will be posted in the Junior Documents folder in the Naviance Library after Spring Break.
Date: Wednesday, April 30th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: San Diego Jewish Academy, 11860 Carmel Creek Road, San Diego

Class Notes

Students Honored as National Merit, National Achievement Finalists
Seniors Emily Chong, Delaney Miller and Soren Schlassa have been named Finalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Senior XhiDae Otam has been named a Finalist in the National Achievement Scholarship Program. The distinction of Finalist is bestowed upon less than 1% of applicants nationwide, and is based on students' performance on the SAT and a detailed scholarship application. Scholarship awards totaling over $37 million are given each year. Congratulations, seniors!




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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.


Schedule of Events
Schedule of Event Calendar
March 31st-April 6th
NO SCHOOL
Spring Break

April 26th
E-Waste Recycling Event
8 - 3 p.m.

April 28th
Parent Book Group
7 p.m.

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