| Snapshot from the Ridge | |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
The cactus is ready for its close up: Students in Photography 1
practice their craft using the campus as their backdrop.
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| Bulletin Board |
No School on Friday, Oct. 10th & Monday, Oct. 13th
Admissions Applications Now Available
Applications are now available for families interested in applying to Pacific Ridge for the 2015-2016 school year. The first Admissions Open House is on Saturday, November 15th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., with presentations followed by campus tours. Interested in attending an Open House event? To RSVP, please contact Admissions Assistant Tiffany Murphy at 760-448-9841 or tmurphy@pacificridge.org. Click here for all Open House dates and more information about the application process.
Performing Arts Showcase Auditions Begin October 2nd
Middle and Upper School students are encouraged to audition for the annual Performing Arts Showcase. This year's showcase takes place on Saturday, November 8th at the AVO theater in Vista and is sure to sell out! All performers must attend a live, 10-minute audition to earn their spots in the show. Auditions will be held on campus October 2nd - October 9th. For more information, click here.
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences Oct. 8th - 10th
For the first time this year, students are invited to join parent-teacher conferences. These conferences will allow teachers to speak with students and parents together about each student's growth and progress as we near the half-point of the trimester. Assigned conference times will be emailed to parents shortly.
STEAM Carnival on October 25th
On Saturday, October 25th, a group of faculty and students will travel to the STEAM Carnival in Los Angeles. The STEAM Carnival is designed for students with an interest in creating high-tech interactive games, unique robots, and carnival-style events that integrate S.T.E.M. with the arts. 25 complimentary tickets are available for students, and there is no charge for transportation. The bus will depart from Pacific Ridge at 8:00 a.m. and return at approximately 6:00 p.m. Interested students should contact Eva Schmidt at eschmidt@pacificridge.org to apply.
Reminder: Robotics Mentors Wanted
The Upper School Robotics program is looking for additional team mentors from the Pacific Ridge and/or local community who would be willing to volunteer their time to help guide students through the FTC robot design and build process. Mentors should have some experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, robotics or technical project management. For more information, please contact Brooks Park at bpark@pacificridge.org.
Reminder: Haiku Tutorial
Haiku is a useful tool for accessing all kinds of information about your child's classes, school events, programs and policies. Click here for a quick video tutorial that will lead you through the basics of Haiku and show you helpful tips and shortcuts.
Reminder: Pacific Ridge E-mail Archive on Haiku
All e-mails sent from the school are now archived on Haiku in the "At Your Fingertips" tab of the School Information Page. Emails are posted chronologically and the PDF versions can be downloaded as necessary.
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| Fall Fest News & Information |
 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 money for their service learning groups and clubs by offering a day filled with a variety of activities and treats. Here's just a sampling of what you will find at this year's event : a farmers market, obstacle course, cake walk, face painting, living succulent pumpkin centerpieces, 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
Fall Fest Volunteers Needed
Fall Fest is the largest Pacific Ridge community event, and parent volunteers are always needed to help make it a success. Please click here to see how you can lend a hand.
Win An On-Campus Parking Spot!
Don't miss your once-a-year opportunity to win an on-campus parking spot for you or your student driver for an entire trimester! Tickets for the opportunity drawing will be available for sale at Fall Fest. Those who cannot make it to Fall Fest or would like to purchase tickets in advance, may purchase tickets online via PayPal or pay by check. For details please visit the "Especially for Parents" tab on the Haiku School Information Hub.
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| Educational Insights | |
Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post: "Visiting with Our Alumni".
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| New & Noteworthy |
Faculty Announce Annual Upper School Musical: Pippin!
At Community Life on October 1st, Pacific Ridge students were thoroughly entertained by an intrepid group of faculty and staff members performing vignettes from this year's Upper School musical, Pippin. The Tony Award-winning musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, tells the story of a young prince on his search for meaning and significance. Please mark your calendar for performance dates of February 5th and 6th. Auditions commence on October 14th. Upper School students interested in performing or participating as part of the crew can reference the Arts Information page on Haiku for more information. For more photos, visit the Pacific Ridge school Facebook page.
9th Graders Elect Class President, Representatives
The entire ninth-grade class got caught up in the democratic spirit last week, as the race for Freshman Class President and Class Representatives drew to a close. Students cast their ballots for Class President after hearing remarks from the four candidates during Magic Monday. Initial results for the two top candidates were so close that a run-off election was called. After the final tally, Katja Reich was declared Class President. Later in the week, students participated in electronic polling to elect Anurag Aiyer, Anna Bae, Jordan Lee, Emily Napoli, and Nick Rosetta as Freshman Class Representatives. Congratulations to all the candidates and winners!
Magic Monday elections make voter turnout a breeze!
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Curricular Adventures
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The Algebra of an Adrenaline Rush
Students in Ms. Fremgen's Algebra 2 classes sent a few brave Barbie dolls and action figures over the edge of the Mullady Hall balcony this week as part of an exercise in data collection, linear modeling, and linear regression. Students, playing the role of bungee jump technicians, collected data on rubber bands and used linear regression to predict how many rubber bands were needed for each toys' bungee cord. The distance to which the doll fell is directly proportional to the number of rubber bands in the cord, thus creating a linear model. Successful calculations were those that ensured the toy a safe but thrilling ride!
Making the calculations for an extreme adventure
Ready, set, bungee!
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Service Learning In The Field
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Ninth Graders Help Keep Beaches Beautiful
Students in ninth-grade service learning took a trip to Moonlight Beach last week to learn about and play a role in preventing the harmful effects of marine debris. After a presentation from Upper School service learning group New Ocean Blue, the students combed the beach for trash and recyclables. The Pacific Ridge Service Learning Program adopted Moonlight Beach a few years ago through California's "Adopt-A-Beach" initiative. The statewide program, funded by the California Coastal Commission, encourages volunteers to take ownership of a piece of coastland by performing a beach cleanup three times a year.
Students do their part to protect the beaches they love.
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| Parents Association |
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. If you have not received an evite, please contact the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.
10th Grade: Sunday, October 5th, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
11th Grade: Saturday, October 25th, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
8th Grade: Saturday, November 1st, early evening (TBD)
Two Easy Ways to Support Pacific Ridge School
e-Scrip
Sign up for eScrip, and start earning money for Pacific Ridge School by having a percentage of your purchase dollars donated to the school! Over 700 online and storefront merchants partner with eScrip, including Von's, Seaside Market, Amazon, and more. When you register with eScrip, designate Pacific Ridge School under "Group Selection," or use our Group ID number: 500017582. For more information please visit the "Especially for Parents" tab on the Haiku School Information Hub.
Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile, a service provided for Amazon Prime members, will donate 0.5% of all purchases to Pacific Ridge! Just go to smile.amazon.com instead of the regular Amazon homepage and register Pacific Ridge as your nominated charity. Then, just shop as you normally would.
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Athletics
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Dig Pink with Girls Varsity Volleyball on October 7th
Pacific Ridge Girls Volleyball invites the community to attend "Dig Pink," and join in the fight against breast cancer on Tuesday, October 7th. Firebird fans can fill up on BBQ from Back Alley Grill before enjoying a night of competitive volleyball for a cause. A plate of BBQ with sides and a drink costs $10, with all proceeds going toward breast cancer prevention and research. The Girls JV 'A' and 'B' teams kick off the evening with games against San Pasqual High School at 3:30 p.m. Varsity will follow, going head-to-head against San Pasqual at 4:45 p.m. At 8:00 p.m., Cal State San Marcos will play Concordia University Irvine.
Upper School Home Games, Week of October 6th
Schedules are subject to change, so please check Schedulestar regularly for accurate information.
10/7/14 3:30 p.m. - Girls JV 'A' Volleyball vs San Pasqual High School 3:30 p.m. - Girls JV 'B' Volleyball vs San Pasqual High School 4:45 p.m. - Girls Varsity Volleyball vs San Pasqual High School
Scores:
Girls Varsity Volleyball
9/23/14 Guajome Park Academy 3 0 W
9/25/14 Mt. Carmel High School 3 0 W
Girls JV 'A' Volleyball
9/23/14 Guajome Park Academy 2 1 W
9/25/14 Mt. Carmel High School 1 2 L
Girls JV 'B' Volleyball
9/23/14 Guajome Park Academy 0 2 L
9/25/14 Mt. Carmel High School 1 2 L
Girls Middle School 'A' Volleyball
9/24/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 1 2 L
Girls Middle School 'B' Volleyball
9/24/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 2 0 W
Girls Middle School "Blue" Volleyball
9/24/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 2 0 W
Girls Middle School "White" Volleyball
9/24/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 1 2 L
Girls Varsity Tennis
9/23/14 Santa Fe Christian 13 5 W
9/25/14 Tri-City Christian 12 6 W
Coed Varsity Cross Country
9/27/14 Dana Hills Invitational
Girls Medalists: Lili Muskal, Lynlee Duck-Reynolds
Boys Medalists: Will Glockner, Tai Eubank, Travis Headapohl, Wayne Chong, Christian Yun, Jonah Gercke, Bryce Snodgrass
Coed Middle School Cross Country
9/27/14 North Section Meet
Girls finishing "Top 10" in field: Megan Martindale, Zoe Erturk, Agnes Chong, Emily Grob
Boys finishing "Top 10" in field: Nate McClymonds, Leo Diaz, Zayd El Alam, Alex Pentakalos, Owen Hansen, Michael Long
Boys 8th-Grade Flag Football
9/24/14 Army & Navy Academy 21 13 W
Coed 7th-Grade Flag Football
9/24/14 Tri-City Christian 6 7 L
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| Class Notes | |
Senior Named Scholar in National Hispanic Recognition Program
Congratulations to Matty Bernstein '15 for being honored as a 2014-15 National Hispanic Recognition Program award recipient. The NHRP recognizes outstanding academic achievement based on PSAT/NMSQT scores. Just 5,000 of the highest-scoring students from over 250,000 Hispanic/Latino applicants qualify for the honor.
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| Alumni News | |
Richelle Prijic '13 Named Conference Hitter of the Week
Congratulations to Firebird alumna Richelle Prijic on being named Hitter of the Week by the Appalachian Athletic Conference on September 22nd. Richelle was honored after helping Columbia College go 2-0 in conference games for the week, hitting double figures in kills in both victories. Richelle is excelling in her second year as an Outside Hitter for the team.
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| Beyond the Ridge | |
Camp College for Seniors on October 10th
On October 10th, seniors not visiting college campuses over the long weekend will gather in the Pacific Ridge library at 8:00 a.m. for an application workshop featuring step-by-step review of the UC application in progress, review of the Cal State application, and a comprehensive review of all aspects of the Common Application.
PSAT for Sophomores/Juniors on October 15th
The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered to sophomores and juniors on Wednesday, October 15th, in the Athletic Center. Students should come prepared with #2 pencils and a calculator, ready to begin testing at 8:00 a.m.
College Representatives Are On Their Way:
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
Week of October 6th
Bard College; Carleton College; Eckerd College; Elon University; Hofstra University; Macalester College; New York University; Pitzer College; Princeton University; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Samford University; Temple University; Tufts University; University of the Pacific, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; University of Redlands; University of Utah; Whittier College; Whitman College; William Woods University
Regional Programs:
Harvard/Princeton/Yale/University of Virginia
Date: Sunday, October 5th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Chula Vista High School for Creative & Performing Arts
820 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, 91911
Georgetown University
Date: Thursday, October 16th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Francis Parker Upper/Middle School
6501 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, 92111
University of Southern California
Date: Sunday, October 12th
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Hyatt Regency La Jolla
3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, 92122
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| Faculty & Staff News |
Welcome To Our Newest Firebird! Congratulations to chemistry teacher Justin McCabe and his wife, Paige, who welcomed their first child, Phoebe Ann McCabe, on September 27th. Phoebe weighed 7lbs. and measured 19 inches at birth. Mom, Dad and Phoebe are doing well, and are happily getting acquainted.
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New Faculty & Staff Snapshot
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Sara VanderHorst, Athletic Coach
Favorite, or most recent, book? Open by Andre Agassi
Favorite movie? Step-brothers
Favorite sport, to play or watch? Plays basketball, but watches all sports
Greatest indulgence? Sour gummy worms and Oreo milkshakes
If you make her breakfast? Bacon, egg and cheese breakfast burrito!
In her free time? Heads to the beach, works out, and plays with her Goldendoodle puppy, Trooper
Dream vacation? The Maldives
Home town? Pleasanton, CA
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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.
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Schedule of Events
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October 8th - 10th
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
October 10th
NO SCHOOL
Camp College for Seniors
8:00 a.m.
October 13th
NO SCHOOL
Columbus Day
October 15th
PSAT Testing
8:00 a.m.
October 18th
Fall Fest
11:00 a.m.
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A View From The Ridge
