Students in Pacific Ridge's Upper School have departed for their global travel programs! Ninth graders are exploring China, while sophomores are just heading out for their wilderness adventure in northern California. Juniors and seniors are partaking of twelve school-designed trips (Argentina; Ashland, Oregon; Cambodia; Costa Rica; El Salvador; France; Grand Canyon; India; Israel; Japan; New Zealand; and Tijuana, Mexico), traveling on self-designed trips (Kenya, Peru and Morocco - just to name a few), or completing internships. Middle School students begin their travel programs to the Santa Monica mountains and Colonial Williamsburg next week.

Curious about the day-to-day activities of our students while they are traveling around the world? Parents are welcome to visit Pacific Ridge's Global Travel website! Simply log into Haiku, click on School Information, and select Global Travel. Each travel program has a blog on the site where updates, photos and videos will periodically be posted.

Teaching English words and phrases to schoolchildren in rural China

Sunrise at the Angkor Wat, near Siem Reap, Cambodia

Making crafts with children in the Angeles Descalsos (Barefoot Angels) program in Santa Ana, El Salvador

Launching the India trip with a visit to the Taj Mahal

Making friends in Colonia Fausto Gonzalez, in Tijuana

Exploring art and history at the Louvre

2013-2014 Annual Fund Completed!

An enormous thank you goes to Pacific Ridge parents, faculty, staff and trustees for your generous support of this year's Annual Fund! Thank you also to our parent volunteers for your dedication to our fundraising efforts. Collectively, the community donated $552,279 and achieved 95% participation. Annual Fund dollars support our wonderful faculty, Service Learning program, global trips and student clubs, while high participation rates demonstrate the commitment of our community to the school's success. Thank you for your incredible support of Pacific Ridge! 

 

Seniors Honored for Success On Field And In Classroom 

Seniors Katie O'Laughlin and Parker Lawlor were named Pacific Ridge School Scholar Athletes of the Year by the High School Sports Association of San Diego. The students were nominated for exemplary performance both on the field and in the classroom. Katie is a four-time All-League soccer player, a two-time captain of the Girls Varsity Soccer team, and is the school's all-time career leading goal scorer with over 100 goals. She is also a member of the Varsity Track & Field team. Parker is a four-time All-League Varsity Lacrosse player and a three-year Varsity Basketball starter. He has served as captain for both lacrosse and basketball, and is Pacific Ridge's lacrosse career leader in goals, assists and points. Katie will play soccer next year at UCSD, while Parker will play lacrosse at Middlebury College. Congratulations, Firebirds!

 

 

Coach Liza Neptune Honored by U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame

Liza Neptune, coach of the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team, has been named as an inductee to the San Diego Chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Coach Neptune has been a leader in San Diego's lacrosse community for many years, and serves as president of the U.S. Lacrosse San Diego Regional Chapter. She is being honored for her leadership skills and her commitment to teaching valuable life-long skills through sport. Congratulations, Coach Neptune!

 

Spring Sports Celebration Honors Athletes

Over 150 players, parents and coaches attended the Spring Sports Celebration on May 23rd. The event saluted the teams, recognized award winners and honored seniors who participated in spring sports. Team award winners include:

 

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

Parker Lawlor - Firebird Award 

Tristan Ruh - Coaches Award

Kevin O'Donnell- Head, Heart, Hustle

Elliot Abbey - Honors the Game

 

Girls Varsity Track

Katie O'Laughlin - Firebird Award

Maddie LeMasters - Most Improved

Hannah Maerowitz - Coaches Award

Emily Chong - Honors the Game

Carolyn O'Laughlin - Head, Heart, Hustle

 

Boys Varsity Track

Will Glockner - Firebird Award

Nathan Chien - Most Improved

Matthew Vaughn - Coaches Award

Sam Levin - Head, Heart, Hustle

Travis Headapohl - Honors the Game

 

Girls Varsity Lacrosse

Britta Gullahorn - Firebird Award

Meredith Wislar - Head, Heart, Hustle

Noelle Reich - Most Improved

Camille Burdick - Coaches Award

Natalie Dederich - Honors the Game

 

Boys Varsity Tennis

Chistopher Meyer - Firebird Award

Keane Hindle - Coaches Award

Logan Elsterman - Head, Heart, Hustle

 

Coed Varsity Golf

Marc Hedrick - Firebird Award

Isabella Salant - Firebird Award

 

Firebird Playoff Update:

 

Coed Varsity Track

The Girls Varsity Track team was named Pacific League Meet Champion and 13 Pacific Ridge track athletes won medals during the Coastal Conference Finals on May 15th. Nineveh O'Connell, Carolyn O'Laughlin and Delaney Miller all qualified to participate in the CIF Individual Prelims on May 24th. Delaney will run the 1600 in the CIF Championship finals on May 31st after finishing 6th of 27 runners in her division during prelims.  

 

Boys Varsity Lacrosse

After earning a bye week in the first round of CIF playoffs, Boys Varsity Lacrosse came out ready to play on May 23rd, defeating Eastlake High School 14-4 in the Quarterfinals. During a hard-fought semifinal game on May 27th, the Firebirds eventually succumbed to Scripps Ranch High School in a 8-10 loss. 

 

Boys Varsity Tennis

During the first round of the CIF Individual Championships on May 20th, Keane Hindle defeated his Health Sciences High School opponent 6-0 in straight sets. The second round saw Keane trading sets before falling to his La Jolla High opponent 10-4 in the third. Joon-ha Bae and Wayne Chong advanced through rounds one and two of the CIF doubles competition, handedly beating opponents from Hilltop and Vincent Memorial High Schools before losing to Torrey Pines.