Pacific Ridge School Header
Pacific Ridge School DotsA View From The Ridge
Weekly E-Newsletter
September 11, 2014
In This Issue
Bulletin Board
New & Noteworthy
Curricular Adventures
Service Learning In The Field
Parents Association
Sports on the Ridge
Class Notes
Beyond the Ridge
New Faculty & Staff Snapshot
North County Happenings
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Mr. Webber and Dr. Burckin: lean, mean, grilling machines! 

Bulletin Board

Picture Day is on Tuesday, September 16th 

Back-to-School Night on September 18th
Come prepared to meet Pacific Ridge teachers and have a mini-experience of your child's day at school. Bring along any questions you may have.
Date: Thursday, September 18th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center
Parking: 2765 Loker Ave. (see map), shuttle service begins at 5:45 p.m.
California Coastal Cleanup Day on September 20th
Service learning group New Ocean Blue is coordinating Pacific Ridge's volunteer cleanup efforts at Tamarack Beach in Carlsbad on Saturday, September 20th from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Come help keep our shoreline pristine! Interested in participating? Contact Mrs. Symington at 

Parents Association General Meeting on September 23rd

Join Dr. Ogle and other members of the academic team to learn more about exciting changes in leadership, programs and processes at the first Parents Association General Meeting of the year. All parents are welcome to attend.

Date: Tuesday, September 23rd

Time: 8:15 - 10:00 a.m.

Place: Carlsbad Dove Library, 1775 Dove Lane


Upcoming Middle and Upper School Social Events!
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 26th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

Upper School students:
Upper School students are encouraged to don their best black and white attire for an evening of dancing and fun. This will be the final dance to take place in the Commons! Tacos and dessert will be served. 
Date: Friday, September 26th
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Middle School Commons 

Family Directory Now Available Online

Two versions of the Family Directory are now available online. For a searchable directory, please go to My Backpack. For a downloadable print version, please go to Haiku. The directory can be found on the At Your Fingertips page of the School Information Hub.

 

California Scholarship Federation Deadlines 

Attention juniors and seniors: Applications for the California Scholarship Federation for Trimester 3 of the 2013-2014 school year are due by September 30th. Please return your forms to Ms. Serafini in the library. Parents of sophomores, juniors and seniors, please check your email for more information about CSF requirements and deadlines.

 

Event Volunteers Needed

The Development Department hosts events throughout the year and can always use the help of parent volunteers. Activities include checking-in and escorting guests, event set-up, etc. Most events require a commitment of just one or two hours. Please email Monique Benjamin at mbenjamin@pacificridge.org to be added to our volunteer list. Thank you for your support!

 

New & Noteworthy

 

Back-to-School BBQ Serves Up Food and Fun

Faculty, students, family and friends gathered in the Middle School Town Square on September 5th to enjoy good food and great company during the annual community BBQ. Hot dogs and hamburgers were plentiful, and attendees ate their fill while socializing and listening to the musical stylings of the Honors Jazz Rock Ensemble. After the BBQ, the good times continued in the Athletic Center, where Firebird fans helped cheer Girls Varsity Volleyball on to victory!      

 

 

Mrs. Enge gets into the grilling spirit.

 

 

Honors Jazz Rock Ensemble entertains the crowd.

 

Upper School Clubs Offer Something for Everyone!

Upper School students have spent the past few weeks exploring this year's extensive club offerings. Returning favorites include Improv Theater, Robotics, Be The Change, Sports Clubs, Model United Nations and Student Council. New choices include Barbershop Harmony Club, Television and Media Studies, Developmental Debate, Music and Video Production Clubs, Finance and Investment, Dance Media, and Journalism.  

 

Educational Insights

Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post: "A School Experience Worth Replicating."

Curricular Adventures

 

Seventh Graders Demonstrate Sense Of Self 

Seventh graders in Mr. Michel's Social and Community Studies class kicked off a unit on identity by attempting to answer one of mankind's most puzzling questions: "Who am I?" Students created visual representations of "self" by using drawings, photographs and magazine clippings to represent how family, beliefs, geography and more have influenced their self identity. The assignment yielded a variety of creative projects as unique as the students themselves. After sharing their "identity webs" with the class, students engaged in a Harkness discussion about the many similarities and rich diversity found among their peers.           

 

Gender, geography, family, values? What makes you who you are?

 

Service Learning In The Field

 

BESTOW Takes to the Stables For Foster Youth

On September 6th, members of Upper School service learning group BESTOW helped "roundup" funds for The Friends of San Pasqual Academy during the 10th annual "Teens, Jeans and Dreams" fundraiser at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. In addition to a cow penning contest involving 20 teams of western horse riders, the event featured a silent auction, which was managed by BESTOW. Funds raised during the event will go toward providing quality resources, services and programs for San Pasqual Academy, a residential high school campus for San Diego foster youth.

 

 

BESTOW members don boots and blue jeans for a day 

of fundraising at the fairgrounds. 

 

Students Prepare To "Do Good" and Do It Well

Upper School Service Learning is officially underway. Students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade have started meeting in groups or working individually to set goals and prepare projects for the school year. This year's 9th graders will undergo several units of service learning philosophy, research, problem solving, and leadership training before joining established service learning groups or electing to start groups of their own. Taking time to reflect, explore and learn will help students transition from middle school to upper school Service Learning, and prepare them for the responsibilities to come.   

    

Ms. Behr consults with 10th graders about their service learning groups.  

 
Parents Association

 

Used Uniform and Textbook Collection

Do you have textbooks or uniforms that you no longer need? The Parents Association is sponsoring a textbook drive and used uniform collection  from September 12th to September 29th. Current and past textbooks in at least fair condition, and gently used uniforms can be dropped off Monday through Friday at Building 'A' reception. You can also bring books or uniforms to the Parents Association General Meeting on September 23rd. 

 

Parent Grade-Level Parties

If you are looking to meet and get to know the parents of your child's classmates, these grade-level parties offer the perfect setting. You will receive an email invitation with details as each party is scheduled.

9th Grade: Sunday, September 21st, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

7th Grade: Saturday, September 27th, early evening (TBD)

8th Grade: Saturday, November 1st, early evening (TBD)

 

  Book Club Meeting on September 22nd 

The Pacific Ridge Parent Book Club will meet on September 22nd to discuss A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. The Book Club is open to all Pacific Ridge parents. For more information please email parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.

Date: Monday, September 22nd

Place: Pacific Ridge School Library

Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. 

 

Join the Parent Walking Club 

Come one, come all for a bit of exercise and another chance to socialize with Pacific Ridge parents. Please join us for the first walk of the season.  

Date:  Wednesday, September 24th 

Time: 8:15 a.m. 

Place: Meet at Peet's Coffee in Bressi Ranch

 

 

Fall Fest Coming Up on October 18th!
Mark your calendar for one of Pacific Ridge's favorite family events! Fall Fest is a once-a-year opportunity for our 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. Here's just a sampling of what you will likely find at this year's event: a farmers market, obstacle course, cake walk, face painting, pumpkin patch, and the renowned Parents Association bake sale!
Date: Saturday, October 18th
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge campus
Parking: 2765 Loker Avenue (see map), shuttles provided

 

Sports on the Ridge

Upper School Home Games, Week of September 15th
Schedules are subject to change, so please check Schedulestar regularly for accurate information.

9/16/14
4:00 p.m. - Girls Varsity Volleyball vs. Tri-City Christian Schools
6:00 p.m. - Girls JV 'A' Volleyball vs. Tri-City Christian Schools

Varsity Volleyball Gives Firebird Fans Reason to Cheer
The atmosphere in the Athletic Center was electric as Girls Varsity Volleyball opened its season against Temecula Prep on Friday, September 5th. The Firebirds defeated their opponents handily, winning in three straight games to the delight of a large and energetic home crowd. The offensive attack was led by outside hitters sophomore Emma Price and freshman Emily Napoli with 11 and 8 kills, respectively. The impressive defensive effort by senior captains Kelly Cortes and Roxanne Corbeil had fans on their feet and cheering through the final point. What a way to kick off the season! Congrats, Firebirds! 






Scores:

Girls Varsity Volleyball
9/5/14 Temecula Preparatory School 3 0 W 

Girls JV B Volleyball
9/4/14 Granite Hills High School  0 2 L

Class Notes

Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists
Seniors Tyler Chen, Nathan Cheng, Sebastian Green, Ethan Kuo, Dashiell Tan, and Bianca Yang have been named Semifinalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. 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! 



Beyond the Ridge

College Representatives Are On Their Way

Admission officers from colleges and universities around the country will be visiting Pacific Ridge throughout the fall. Seniors know the process to register for visits, and juniors are invited to attend sessions that happen during their free periods. Visits are being added and updated daily in Naviance. Juniors can stop by the College Guidance Office for more information, or assistance with their Naviance login. All sessions are hosted in the College Guidance Office unless otherwise indicated. 


Week of September 15th
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering; Lafayette College; Occidental College; University of Connecticut

Week of September 22nd
American University; Bates College; Bentley University; Boston College; Claremont McKenna College; Colgate University; Hamilton College; Harvey Mudd College; Fordham University; Miami University, Oxford; Northeastern University; St. Mary's College of California; University of Nevada, Reno

Week of September 29th
Arizona State University; Babson College; Boston University; Lynn University; Skidmore College; The University of Arizona; University of California, San Diego; University of Chicago; Wagner College; Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Regional Programs:

University of Edinburgh & University of Oxford
Date: Sunday, September 14th
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Viewpoint School, Los Angeles

UCLA Fall Open House
Date: Saturday, September 20th
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 
Place: UCLA campus

Boston College
Date: Sunday, September 28th
Time: 2:00 p.m. 
Place: Omni La Costa Resort, Carlsbad

 

Boston University

Date: Monday, September 29th

Time: 6:30 p.m. 

Place: San Diego Marriott, 4240 La Jolla Village Dr, La Jolla

Registration & RSVP

 

 New Faculty & Staff Snapshot 

 

 

Julian Jones, French

 

Favorite Book: Heat: Adventures in the World's Fiery Places by Bill Streever
Favorite Movie: Last of the Mohicans 
Favorite Sport to Play or Watch: Basketball all day!
Greatest Indulgence: Cheesecake 
If you Make Him Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon
In His Free Time: Plays basketball, bird watches, camps, hikes, and travels
Dream Vacation: Kenya
Hometown: Oakland, CA

 

North County Happenings 

Free Heart Screening for Teens on September 28th
The Eric Paredes Save a Life Foundation is sponsoring free Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) screenings for teenagers on Sunday, September 28th. 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, September 28th 
Time: By appointment, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: La Jolla High School, 750 Nautilus St., La Jolla 

Carlsbad Music Festival September 19th - 21st

The 11th Annual Carlsbad Music Festival promises a weekend of "adventurous music by the beach" featuring world-class performers and composers. Free community events include the popular Village Music Walk on Saturday and Concerts in the Park on Sunday afternoon. Information about the artists, schedule and tickets can be found here.

 


Pacific Ridge School Logo 





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
September 16th

Picture Day

 

September 18th

Back-to-School Night

6:00 p.m.

 

September 21st

9th-Grade Parent Party

4:00 p.m. 

 

September 22nd

Parent Book Club Meeting

7 p.m.

 

September 23rd

Parents Association General Meeting

8:15 a.m.

 

September 24th

Parent Walking Club

8:15 a.m. 

 

September 26th

Middle School Social Event

6:30 p.m.

 

Upper School Social Event

6:00 p.m. 

 

September 27th

7th-Grade Parent Party


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