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Pacific Ridge School DotsA View From The Ridge
Weekly E-Newsletter
December 18, 2014
In This Issue
Bulletin Board
Construction Strides
New & Noteworthy
Curricular Adventures
Service Learning In The Field
Parents Association
Sports on the Ridge
Beyond the Ridge
New Faculty & Staff Snapshot
Snapshot from the Ridge

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

 
This Means War: Grades fight with dollars and cents to get the edge in this year's Penny Wars competition. Proceeds benefit Feeding America San Diego. 

Bulletin Board

 

Next E-Newsletter on Thursday, January 8th
This is the last e-newsletter of the calendar year. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Half-Day Friday, December 19th
Busses depart at 12:30 p.m.
 

Reminder: No School on January 5th - It's Move-In Day!

Students will return to school on Tuesday, January 6th, for regular classes and a student, faculty and staff ribbon-cutting ceremony - as well as the start of the countdown until the opening of the Arts & Technology Center.



Admissions Open House on January 10th

Families interested in Pacific Ridge School are encouraged to visit the Open House scheduled for Saturday, January 10th. Presentations start at 1:00, followed by campus tours. To RSVP, please contact Admissions Assistant Tiffany Murphy at 760-448-9841, or tmurphy@pacificridge.org. Click here for more information about the application process. 

 

Heading to High School Event for 8th-Grade Parents on January 13th

Eighth-grade parents are invited to a session on "Heading to High School" on January 13th, where they will learn what to expect as students make the transition to the Upper School. Course offerings and sample academic schedules will be discussed, as well as co-curriculars such as clubs, service learning and global travel. College Counseling will also give a brief presentation. Students will have their own introduction to Upper School programs during the school day. Come learn more about the Pacific Ridge Upper School experience!

Date: Tuesday, January 13th

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: Mullady Hall

 

Community Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony on February 2nd!

What started with an idea is now a reality! Mark your calendars for Monday afternoon, February 2nd, to join Dr. Bob Ogle and the Pacific Ridge community for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration of our new Middle School/Administration Building and Arts & Technology Center. Invitations will be mailed in early January.

 

 

 

Save the Date for Pippin!

Show dates are Thursday through Saturday, February 5th - 7th. Performance times are 7:30 p.m., with an additional matinee at 2:00 p.m. on the 7th. Tickets go on sale in January. You won't want to miss it!

 

Construction Strides 


Got science? Gleaming labs in the new Middle School building await budding scientists. Who knows what they will discover!

Educational Insights 

Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post: "Our New Blank Canvas."

New & Noteworthy

 

Model UN Hosts Regional Conference

On Saturday, December 13th, Pacific Ridge's Model United Nations club partnered with High Tech High North County to host the 3rd annual North County Regional Conference. Over 150 students from ten schools across southern California participated in committees debating a diverse range of current and past issues including the Ebola crisis, the breakup of the USSR, the Islamic State militant campaign, and more. Pacific Ridge students livened up the committee discussions by introducing a series of crisis scenarios that unfolded throughout the day, requiring delegates to adjust their deliberations due to "circumstances on the ground." Congratulations to our MUN team for organizing another successful conference!

 

Pacific Ridge students chair a creative Model UN committee 

based on the fantasy epic Game of Thrones.

 

Robotics Team Qualifies For Regional Championships

Last weekend, Upper School robotics team "4373 Firebots" qualified for the San Diego Regional FTC Robotics Championships. According to robotics program advisor Mr. Park, the team demonstrated gracious professionalism and expert driving throughout the day of competition. The fourteen Firebots team members will compete at the next level in February 2015. Kudos also go to members of the freshman team "9266 PyroBots" for a solid finish in their first outing at a qualifying tournament.

 

Way to go, Firebots!

 

Goodbye Lunch in Lower Town Square

Faculty and staff headed to the Middle School Commons for lunch on Tuesday, December 16th to say goodbye to Pacific Ridge's original campus hub. At the end of January, the current Middle School buildings will begin their transformation into additional campus parking spaces. In Pacific Ridge's early years, the original Lower Town Square and Middle School Commons served as the school's primary community meeting spaces before Mullady Hall and the Athletic center were constructed, and have been the scene of many important school events. Thanks for the memories!

 

 

 

Alumni Celebrate Past and Present

Pacific Ridge alumni and their families joyfully reconnected with each other, faculty and staff at the Alumni Family Celebration on Wednesday, December 17th. Alumni and parents from the classes of 2011-2014 reminisced about Pacific Ridge, swapped stories from college life and discussed their future plans at a lively reception in the Lower Town Square. The event also gave alumni a chance to wax nostalgic about the original Pacific Ridge campus before the new buildings are unveiled in January. Attendees enjoyed a slideshow of photos from the early years of Pacific Ridge, and a glimpse of the beautiful new campus they can return to in the future.

 

 

Alumni celebrate Pacific Ridge and each other on December17th.

 

Curricular Adventures

 

Basketball Stats!

To better understand binomial settings, such as "in" or "out", students in Ms. Matzen's Statistics class shot sets of 5 free-throws and kept track of the number of baskets made. Based on each student's success rate, the class calculated the probability of that student making 1 shot, 2 shots, 3 shots, or more and generated a distribution of all of those probabilities. They then extended their data to imagine students taking hundreds of shots, and observed how the probability distribution approaches a Normal curve.

 

Statistics in action!

 

Service Learning In The Field

 

Middle School Students Host Arc Field Day 

On December 11th, Middle School students hosted a group from the Arc of San Diego for an on-campus Field Day. Arc, a comprehensive service provider for adults with disabilities, is a longtime community partner of the Middle School Service Learning Program. Students visit the San Marcos Arc facility weekly to engage in crafts, performances, and games. Field Day provided an opportunity for students to show their friends from Arc around Pacific Ridge during a fun afternoon filled with games, laughter, and snacks.

 

 

 

9th Graders Deliver Kits to TAY Academy 

Last week, 9th-Grade Service Learning students dropped off hygiene kits at the Transition Age Youth Academy (TAY) in Oceanside. TAY Academy provides safe, inclusive, drop-in resources for at-risk youth at five locations throughout San Diego County. Students toured the center, spoke briefly with some of the teens there, and learned more about the social services TAY provides, including skill-development workshops and support groups.  

 

 

Head Start Thanks You for Your Gift of Joy
This week, students in the Middle School Head Start and Upper School Building Blocks service learning groups gathered up armfuls of donated toys and delivered them to shiny-eyed preschoolers at two Head Start locations in Carlsbad. The children, families and staff of Head Start would like to thank the Pacific Ridge community for making this a joyful holiday to remember.
   
Getting ready to deliver holiday cheer!

Parents Association

 

   

A Note of Appreciation

From the Opening Day Parent Coffee to Gingerbread Breakfast, with Fall Fest, used uniform sales and many great club events in between, the first few months of school are filled with parent-supported events. The success of these events would not be possible without Pacific Ridge's amazing volunteers and supportive community. The Parents Association would like to say thank you to all Pacific Ridge families and to wish you a wonderful holiday season.

 

Supper Club Mid-Year Social on January 25th

For all Supper Club participants, the Mid-Year Social is another opportunity to socialize with some fabulous Pacific Ridge parents and enjoy delicious appetizers (provided) and beverages (for purchase). Come join the fun!

Date: Sunday, January 25th 

Time: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Place: The Wine Loft, 1911 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad (located in The Forum)

 

'Tis the season... Support Pacific Ridge When You Shop and Dine!

Here are three great ways to help support Pacific Ridge at no additional cost to you! 

 

Amazon Smile: Visit smile.amazon.com and register Pacific Ridge as your nominated charity.

 

Target Red Card: Designate Pacific Ridge when you enroll through the Take Charge of Education program.

 

e-Scrip: When you register with eScrip, designate Pacific Ridge under "Group Selection," or use Group ID number: 500017582.

 

Sports on the Ridge

Senior Scott Nalbandian Scores 1,000th Career Point
Congratulations to Boys Varsity Basketball player Scott Nalbandian on scoring his 1,000th career point during a December 10th victory over San Pasqual Academy. Scott, a shooting guard and small forward, is only the second basketball player in Pacific Ridge history to achieve this impressive milestone. He has been a v
arsity starter through all four years of high school, and was named team co-captain this season and last. Scott was selected as a member of the All-League First Team for the 2013-14 season. 

 
Scott (bottom right) celebrates his 1,000 point achievement with teammates. 
Boys Varsity Basketball Wins Hawks Classic Tournament
Boys Varsity Basketball adds a Hawks Classic Tournament Championship to it's impressive win column after a December 13th victory over Temecula Preparatory School. The boys defeated San Diego Academy, Julian High School, and San Pasqual Academy en route to the finals. According to Coach Burman, winning the tournament was truly a team effort - over the course of the tournament, all 13 players scored,

five different players scored in double digits, eight different players hit 3-point shots, and everyone contributed to tough, solid defense. The team currently boasts a perfect, 7-0 record. Keep it up, Firebirds!  

          

The 2014 Hawks Classic Tournament Champions!   

Come Cheer at the Alumni-Student Soccer Match!

Please join us for the 2014 coed Alumni-Student soccer match on Monday, January 5th. Come cheer on ALL the Firebirds - current students and alums!

Date: Monday, January 5th

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Place: Athletic Field






Scores:

Boys Varsity Basketball
12/8/14 San Diego Academy 68 29 W
12/9/14 Julian High School 68 31 W
12/10/14 San Pasqual Academy 63 49 W 
12/13/14 Temecula Preparatory School 58 46 W 

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball
12/9/14 Orange Glen High School 38 44 L 
12/11/14 San Diego Jewish Academy 43 32 W

Boys Middle School 'A' Basketball
12/8/14 Army Navy Academy 40 12 W 

Boys Middle School 'B' Basketball 
12/8/14 Santa Fe Christian Schools 15 56 L 

Girls Varsity Basketball
12/10/14 El Capitan High School 12 67 L 
12/12/14 Mar Vista High School 36 26 W

Boys Varsity Soccer
12/10/14 Mission Hills High School 3 0 W
12//12/14 San Marcos High School 2 2 T 

Boys Junior Varsity Soccer
12/10/14 Mission Hills High School 0 9 L 
12/12/14 San Marcos High School 0 3 L

Girls Varsity Soccer
12/8/14 Southwest High School 5 2 W
12/11/14 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 0 T

Girls Middle School 'A' Soccer
12/9/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 2 0 W
12/10/14 Santa Fe Christian Schools 5 1 W 

Girls Middle School 'B' Soccer 
12/9/14 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 2 1 W  
12/10/14 Santa Fe Christian Schools 3 1 W 

Beyond the Ridge

 

Standardized Testing Talk on January 5th 

Compass Prep will provide a detailed overview of the standardized score reports (SAT and ACT), an update on testing changes coming in spring 2016, and advice about what each student needs to consider when developing an individualized testing plan. The event is most strongly suggested for the Class of 2017 and parents, but is open to all Upper School families.  

Date: Monday, January 5th

Time: 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Place: Dove Library - 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad

 

College Night For Sophomores & Parents on January 7th

The College Guidance staff will review students' spring timeline (curriculum night, advisory and Magic Monday visits from College Guidance, course registration), and a college admission dean will be on hand to talk about the college process, the work of admissions, and how a family maintains a balanced and healthy approach.

Date: Wednesday, January 7th

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Place: Dove Library - 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad 
 

Practice ACT with Writing on January 11th 

Students opting to take this practice test will have an online score report to review within a week of testing. The registration link has been emailed to all sophomores, juniors and parents. Please email collegeguidance@pacificridge.org or stop by the College Guidance office if you have questions.

Date: Sunday, January 11th 

Time: 8:00 a.m.

Place: West Reading Room 

  
 New Faculty & Staff Snapshot 

 

 

Tiffany Murphy, Admissions Assistant & Family Records Coordinator

 

Favorite or most recent book? Eat That Frog!, by Brian Tracy

Favorite movie? Forrest Gump

Favorite sport to play or watch? Watches basketball - Attends Football - Plays neither

Greatest Indulgence? Milk chocolate and bacon

If you make her breakfast? Must have coffee! And bacon... 

In her free time? Works out, watches movies, spends time with friends and family 

Dream vacation? Ireland in the springtime

Home town? Inglewood, CA

 


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
December 19th

Half Day

Gingerbread Breakfast

 

December 22- January 5th

NO SCHOOL

Winter Break 

 

January 7th

College Night for Sophomores & Parents

6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

 

January 10th

Admissions Open House

1 - 4 p.m.

 

January 11th

Practice ACT 

8 a.m.
 

January 13th

Heading to High School

   6:30 p.m.  

 

February 5th & 6th

Pippin

7:30 p.m.

 

February 7th

Pippin

2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

 

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