| Snapshot from the Ridge | |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
Changing of the Guard: Louisa Ballif '14 turns the gavel over to new Student Council President Christian Potter '15.
|
| Bulletin Board |
 Be a Firebird Fan on April 18th!
Come to an evening of food, fun and fierce competition on Friday, April 18th, when Pacific Ridge will host an exciting lacrosse doubleheader. Girls Varsity Lacrosse takes on Francis Parker at 3:30 p.m., followed by Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs. Carlsbad High at 5:15 p.m. Bring your friends and family and give our Firebird athletes a true home field advantage. Free hamburgers and hot dogs will be served to the first 200 fans!
Date: Friday, April 18th
Time: Girls Varsity - 3:30 p.m., Boys Varsity - 5:15 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge athletic field
Parking: 2765 Loker Avenue; shuttles will run from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
 9th and 10th-Grade Travel Night on April 22nd
Two information sessions on April 22nd will give 9th and 10th-grade students and their families an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming China and Northern Sierras wilderness trips. Excited about your trip? Have questions about itineraries, packing and other preparations? Pacific Ridge faculty chaperones and a representative from Adventures Cross-Country, the company that arranges and leads the trips, will be on hand to provide answers.
Date: Tuesday, April 22nd
Time: 9th-grade session - 5:45 to 7:00 p.m., 10th-grade session - 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
Spring Arts Festival on April 25th!
Pacific Ridge families are warmly invited to campus on Friday, April 25th for the annual Spring Arts Festival. Students and faculty will be participating in visual arts, music, theater and dance events at various venues across campus. Don't miss this opportunity to live and breathe the arts at Pacific Ridge School! For a schedule of the afternoon's events, please click here.
Date: Friday, April 25th
Time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School campus
Parking: 2765 Loker Avenue; shuttles will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.
 From Up Here: Upper School Play on April 24th & 25th
What Kenny Barrett did has everyone worried. He wishes he could just make it through his senior year unnoticed, but that's going to be hard since he has to publicly apologize to his entire high school. At home, his mother is struggling with a rocky start to her second marriage and a surprise visit from her estranged sister. From Up Here, this year's Upper School play, examines a family limping out the door in the morning and coming home no matter what. Contains some adult subject matter and language. Tickets are available here.
Date: Thursday, April 24th & Friday, April 25th Time: 7:30 p.m. Place: Athletic Center
Juniors and Seniors: It's Prom Time!
Pacific Ridge's Prom takes place on Saturday, April 26th. The dance, themed "Under the Big Top," will be held on campus - under a circus tent, of course! Tickets are $55 per person and can be purchased by cash or check at lunch in the Upper School Town Square. Juniors and seniors are welcome to bring high school students from other schools or alumni from the Class of 2013 as guests. Formal attire required. Come to the greatest show on earth!
Date: Saturday, April 26th
Time: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge campus
Middle School Night at Boomers! on May 2nd
Middle Schoolers are invited to meet at Boomers! in Vista for a night of fun on Friday May 2nd. Unlimited activity passes costing $5 can be purchased in advance from Miss DeHaven. Students may also bring money with them for food and arcade games. Parents must provide transportation to and from the event, and are kindly requested to pick up children promptly at 8:00 p.m.
Date: Friday, May 2nd
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Boomers! 1525 W. Vista Way, Vista
Summer Programs and Sports Camps at Pacific Ridge!
From June 23rd to August 1st, Pacific Ridge will be offering a number of summer programs available to all students in San Diego's North County:
For-Credit Classes for Middle and High School Students
A selection of for-credit courses in world languages and mathematics will be available.
Firebird Program for Rising 5th, 6th & 7th Graders
This two-week program will offer mornings of project-based learning in photography, film-making, robotics or creative writing. Afternoons will include fun activities that promote athletic fundamentals. Campers can sign up for mornings, afternoons, or both.
Sports Camps for Middle and High School Students
Four-day camp sessions will be offered in numerous sports, as well as strength and conditioning.
For more information and to register, please visit the 2014 Summer Programs page on the Pacific Ridge School website.
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
|
| New & Noteworthy |
9th-Grade Orations Persuade and Impress
On Wednesday, April 9th, Pacific Ridge students, faculty and staff were treated to a series of articulate and persuasive orations at Community Life. The six speakers were winners of a preliminary round of speeches made by every member of the Class of 2016. Ninth graders prepared topics of their own choosing and spent five weeks writing, peer editing, revising and practicing their presentations. Students also reviewed essays, opinion pieces and TED talks to help them craft convincing and powerfully spoken arguments. The finalists were assessed by a panel of judges including upperclassmen and adult members of the Pacific Ridge community. Congratulations to all orations participants and to the following winners and finalists:
1st Place: Kyle Ramsay, Explicit Music
2nd Place: Jonah Gercke, Blockbusters are Ruining Hollywood
3rd Place: Avery Rogers, The Problem of Competition
Finalists:
Rikki Borkowski, Raising Children with Spirituality
Elena Scott, The Importance of Time to Think
Chris Verheem, Shyness is Not a Weakness
Model United Nations at Claremont McKenna College
On April 12th and 13th, 22 students represented Pacific Ridge at the second annual Claremont McKenna Model United Nations conference. Students participated in committees dealing with wide-ranging topics such as chemical weapons, the global refugee crisis, the invasion of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War and the sovereign debt crisis. Congratulations to all the participants and to Matty Bernstein '15, who was named Outstanding Delegate, UN Development Program and Hunter Headapohl '14, named Honorable Delegate, Kennedy's National Security Council.
|
| Curricular Adventures |
Senior Signatures Leave Lasting Impression
In recent weeks, seniors have completed their Senior Signature projects, culminating works meant to highlight the "purposeful life" aspect of Pacific Ridge's mission and to leave an individual legacy for the benefit of the school community. On Wednesday, April 16th, 14 seniors, nominated by their peers and faculty advisors, presented their Senior Signatures at an Upper School Community Life. The students shared projects that illustrated their commitment to the school, as well as their appreciation for many aspects of their high school experience. Presentations ranged from motivational speeches to proposals relating to technology and the environment. Congratulations to all seniors for their participation and to the following finalists:
Celeste Erlander, Courtney Sinclair, CJ Triana and Hope Schulman: Class of 2014 Time Capsule
Alex Filsinger: Learning from Past Mistakes
Eric Straw: Ridge Chat
Touran Fardeen: Green Roofs and the Future Campus
XhiDae Otam: The Benefits of Intellectual Challenge
Katie O'Laughlin: The Importance of Teamwork
Henry Poole: Service Learning at Pacific Ridge
Lauren Stainback, Max Jorgensen and Beckie Zheng: Sustainable Hydroponic Systems
Nathan Chien: The Importance of Trying Something New
Seniors share reflections and advice.
 Energy Dashboard Gets Green Light
Mrs. Symington and the AP Environmental Science class are excited to announce that the Pacific Ridge School Building Dashboard is online and tracking electricity use in Mullady Hall and the Athletic Center. Values on the dashboard are updated every 15 minutes, and students can observe and measure changes in energy use by running simple experiments such as turning off lights or other equipment in the buildings. Mrs. Symington is enthusiastic about the dashboard's usefulness. "We think this is going to be a great tool for Pacific Ridge," she says. "It can really help us raise awareness of how much energy we are consuming and how we can conserve."
Astronomy Club Brings Stars, Careers, Into Focus
On Tuesday, April 15th, the Astronomy Club enjoyed an informative Skype session with Dr. Bradford Behr, an astrophysicist who works for a spectroscopic technology company based in Toronto, Canada. Students and Dr. Behr discussed celestial research, careers in science and current topics in astronomy, such as Monday's stunning lunar eclipse.
The eclipse, as photographed by club founder Zafar Rustamkulov '15
|
| Service Learning in the Field |
Dance-a-thon Supports Global Education
On Friday, April 11th, Upper School service learning group Project Dance held a successful dance-a-thon to raise funds for the education of a boy in Rwanda. Participants learned and danced several cultural dances, performed solo dances, played dance games and improvised dance to a variety of music. Pledges and donations to the event exceeded $2,000, enabling group members to support another year of education and dance classes for Patrick, the Rwandan student they are sponsoring through the Rebecca Davis Dance Company.
Using a passion for dance to change lives
Upper School Student Groups Put on STEM Workshop
In a terrific example of extra-curricular integration, Upper School service learning groups Educating Near & Far and Tech Team collaborated with the Upper School Robotics team to bring a STEM workshop to the Pacific Ridge campus. On Saturday, April 12th, the students welcomed participants, aged 8 to 17, from the Bressi Boys & Girls Club and the San Diego Center for Children, and provided them with an introduction to Lego robotics and training in the use of Google Docs.
 
|
| Parents Association |
Used Uniform Sale on April 23rd!
Are your uniforms getting too small? Come to the used uniform sale and replenish your supply for the spring.
Date: Wednesday, April 23rd
Time: 1:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Location: Patio outside of Mullady Hall
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
|
Upper School Home Games, Week of April 21st
Schedules are subject to change, so please check Schedulestar regularly for accurate information.
4/22/14
5:15 p.m. - Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Great Oaks High School
4/23/14
4:00 p.m. - Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Santa Fe Christian
Scores:
Coed Varsity Track
4/11/14 League Meet:
Girls vs. Maranatha Christian 84 23 W
Girls vs. Horizon 68 42 W
Boys vs. Maranatha Christian 73 41 W
Boys vs Horizon 46 47 L
Samuel Levin - 1st Place, 400 meters
Will Glockner - 1st Place, 1600 meters
Katie O'Laughlin - 1st Place, 200 meters
Lili Muskal - 1st Place, 1600 meters
Lynnlee Duck-Reynolds - 1st Place, 3200 meters
Olivia Carter - 1st Place, 300 meter hurdles
Click here for full results
Boys Varsity Lacrosse
4/09/14 Bishop's 7 8 L
4/11/14 Francis Parker 13 3 W
Girls Varsity Lacrosse
4/08/14 Olympian High School 11 3 W
4/11/14 Francis Parker 7 15 L
Boys Varsity Tennis
4/08/14 Santa Fe Christian 14 4 W
4/10/14 Bishop's 7 11 L
Coed Middle School Tennis
4/08/14 Tri-City Christian Schools 5 1 W
Boys Middle School A Lacrosse
4/12/14 South Bay 'A1' 4 5 L
Boys Middle School B Lacrosse
4/12/14 South Bay 'C1' 2 1 W
Girls Middle School Lacrosse
4/12/14 Scripps 11 10 W
Boys Developmental Volleyball
4/10/14 San Diego Academy 2 0 W
Girls Middle School A Basketball
4/09/14 San Diego Jewish Academy 23 7 W
4/11/14 Tri-City Christian Schools 35 18 W
Girls Middle School B Basketball
4/09/14 San Diego Jewish Academy 13 30 L
4/11/14 Tri-City Christian Schools 14 29 L
|
| 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 can be found in the Junior Documents folder in the Naviance Library.
Date: Wednesday, April 30th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: San Diego Jewish Academy, 11860 Carmel Creek Road, San Diego
|
| Alumni News |
Alumnus Will Be on Facebook...All Summer Long
Alex Ryan '13 will be spending his summer on Facebook's campus in Menlo Park, CA, attending Facebook U, an internship program designed specifically for college freshmen. Alex is one of 45 students selected out of a pool of 1,000 applicants who will participate in the intensive program, working in small groups to build an innovative mobile application. At the end of the internship, he and his team will present their product to a group of senior executives, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Alex is currently in his first year at Cal Tech.
|
| North County Happenings |
Free Heart Screening for Teens on April 27th  The Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation is sponsoring free Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) screenings for teenagers on Sunday, April 27th. Screenings may reveal undetected heart abnormalities that could put teens at risk for SCA. The screenings are painless, non-invasive and can save lives. To register for a 30-minute appointment, please click here. Date: Sunday, April 27th Time: By appointment, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Place: Scripps Ranch High School, 10410 Treena St., San Diego
Reminder: Host Families Wanted for Live California Summer Camp Host a student from Spain for one month this summer through Live California, a local summer camp for students who visit north county San Diego to study English and learn to surf. Host participants can practice their Spanish, learn first hand what studying abroad is like, and are welcome to attend daily surf camp and field trips with their host student. Share our California lifestyle and learn more about Spanish culture right here at home! For more information, please visit livecalifornia.net or contact Lisa Campillo at lisa@livecalifornia.net. |
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
|  | |
April 18th
Lax Fest
3:30 p.m.
April 22nd
9th-Grade Travel Information Night
5:45 p.m.
10th-Grade Travel Information Night
7 p.m.
April 23rd
Used Uniform Sale
1 p.m.
April 24th & 25th
From Up Here
7:30 p.m.
April 25th
Spring Arts Festival
12:30 - 3 p.m.
April 26th
E-Waste Recycling Event
8 - 3 p.m.
Junior-Senior Prom
7:30 p.m.
April 28th
Parent Book Group
7 p.m.
May 2nd
Middle School Night at Boomers!
5 - 8 p.m.
|
|
|
A View From The Ridge
