Pacific Ridge School Header
Pacific Ridge School DotsA View From The Ridge
Weekly E-Newsletter
January 29, 2105
In This Issue
Bulletin Board
New & Noteworthy
Educational Insights
Construction Strides
Curricular Adventures
Service Learning In The Field
Parents Association
Sports on the Ridge
Class Notes
Faculty & Staff News
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


The Pacific Ridge Astronomy Club used a telescope camera adapter to capture this impressive shot of the Orion Nebula.

Bulletin Board

 

NO SCHOOL February 9th through 16th

School will be closed for the Mid-Winter break. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 17th. 


"Rumble on the Ridge" on January 30th 
Help pack the bleachers and cheer loud enough to cause a "Rumble on the Ridge" in support of Girls Varsity Soccer, Boys JV Basketball, and Girls and Boys Varsity Basketball on Friday, January 30th! The Red Oven Pizza food truck will be on hand, providing fans with fuel to keep cheering all night! 
3:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Bishop's 
4:00 p.m. Boys JV Basketball vs. Escondido Charter
5:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Foothills Christian 
7:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Escondido Charter 

Celebrate Our Beautiful Buildings on 
February 2nd!

Please join Dr. Ogle and the Pacific Ridge community for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate our new Middle School/Administration Building and Arts & Technology Center. 

Date: Monday, February 2nd

Time: 2:15 p.m.

Place: Pacific Ridge campus 

 

Evening Coffee for Ninth-Grade Parents on February 4th

Parents of 9th graders are invited to an evening coffee on Wednesday, February 4th where they can learn more about what's planned for the second half of freshman year. Mr. Bosc will provide updates on the China trip, and Ms. Molineaux and Ms. Peeden will discuss ways parents can support students as they prepare for the challenges and rewards of the orations project.

Date: Wednesday, February 4th

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Place: East Reading Room

 

Get Your Tickets to Pippin!

Tickets are going fast for this year's Upper School musical, Pippin! Click here to purchase yours. Show dates at Oceanside's Star Theatre 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. Reserve your seats today!

 

The cast and crew of Pippin move into tech rehearsals at the Star Theatre. 

 

Curriculum Night on March 4th

Current sophomores and juniors, along with their parents, are invited to hear faculty discuss course offerings and students reflect on their experiences crafting junior and senior class schedules. Questions? Contact Tim Betzala at tbetzala@pacificridge.org. 

Date: Wednesday, March 4th

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: East Reading Room

 

Benjamin Zander to Speak and Perform at Pacific Ridge
On Tuesday evening, March 10th, the Pacific Ridge community will welcome Benjamin Zander to our Carlsbad campus. Mr. Zander, founder and conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, is known around the world as a charismatic conductor and an inspirational speaker on leadership, combining both in his radiant performances. Visit www.pacificridge.org/zander to reserve your tickets. 
Date: Tuesday, March 10th
Time: 6:30 p.m. to accommodate off-site parking; presentation begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center
Tickets: Free; reservations required
Parent Receptions: Pacific Ridge parents are invited to arrive on campus as early as 6:00 p.m., for grade-level receptions. Email invitations with more information will be sent soon.


Hands of Peace Seeks 2015 Participants & Host Families

Hands of Peace (HOP), a unique interfaith program developing peace-building and leadership skills in Israeli, Palestinian, and American teens through the power of dialogue and personal relationships, is now accepting applications for new summer program participants and enthusiastic host families. The program will take place from July 9 - 27, 2015, on the Pacific Ridge campus. For more information about Hands of Peace, including applications and information about serving as a homestay family, please visit www.handsofpeace.org. Questions? Contact Scott Silk at ssilk@handsofpeace.org.


2014 Hands of Peace San Diego

Read The Ridge Report
Click here to read the most recent edition of the Pacific Ridge student newspaper, The Ridge Report, published by the school's Newspaper and Journalism Club. This week's report features student reflections on the new buildings, poetry, recipes, and more. The password to access the site is "firebird."  

 

 New & Noteworthy

Celebrating the Life of Dr. King  
During last week's Community Life, Pacific Ridge students and faculty reflected on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. History teacher John Nagler, junior Angel Rosas, and senior Bianca Yang presented a brief timeline and description of the civil rights movement before showing a video of Dr. King's powerful "I Have A Dream" speech. During lunch, a 'conversation table' served as a gathering place for students interested in discussing Dr. King's legacy in the context of recent national headlines.  

 
Addressing Dr. King's contributions to the Civil Rights movement

Students Visit With Former Kathmandu Police Chief 
On January 23rd, students traveling to Nepal during this spring's Global Travel Program met with Mr. Ramesh Kharel, former Chief of the Kathmandu Police. Mr. Kharel is well known for his work fighting police corruption, gang violence and human trafficking. In Nepal, students will be exploring the country's challenges with human trafficking by visiting non-profit organizations, safe houses, and rural communities affected by the problem. Mr. Kharel provided students with firsthand knowledge of the complex, global issue, and offered to meet with them during their trip. Mr. Kharel was in San Diego for the WorldLink Youth Town Meeting, an annual event at which more than 700 high school students meet with representatives from public and private organizations to discuss international affairs. Seven Pacific Ridge students attended this year's meeting, themed "Healing the Wounds of Violence."


Mr. Kharel shares stories of the challenges and beauty of his native Nepal. 

Academic League Finds Success Against Sage Creek 
The Pacific Ridge JV and Freshman Academic League teams added two more victories to the season's win column during a match against Sage Creek High School on January 22nd. The JV team won handily, 43-20, and the Freshman team posted an impressive 44-21 win. Sage Creek does not have a Varsity Academic League team, so the Pacific Ridge Varsity team faced off against a group of intrepid faculty members for a bit of fun-spirited competition. All three Academic League teams are back in action tonight with a match against Carlsbad High. The next home match is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5th at 6:30 p.m.


Members of the Freshman Academic League team put their heads together to answer a difficult question. 

Educational Insights

Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post, "A Month Full of Joy (and Rigor)."
 
Construction Strides 


The 'A' building has become the 'L' building! The library and learning center are open for business in their new location at the north end of campus.
 
Curricular Adventures

Upper School Students Kick Off Capstone Projects 
During this week's Magic Monday period, Upper School students were introduced to and began preparations for their class capstone projects. Ninth graders pitched initial ideas for their Freshman Orations and received feedback from classmates, advisors and previous oration finalists. Sophomores learned about the Seed Grant projects, in which they will be tasked with developing specific, potential solutions for communities in need. In preparation for their Bold Bios interviews, Juniors heard about several local professionals who have pursued interesting careers, and seniors began brainstorming possible Senior Signatures, speeches or projects they will present to the school in the spring. Stay tuned for more information about these hallmark Pacific Ridge experiences!


Dr. McCabe describes for juniors several individuals who have translated their passions into successful and rewarding careers.


Ninth graders receive encouragement and feedback about their proposed oration topics.

Making Music (Literally): An Integrated Study
Eighth-grade students in the Making Music integrated arts rotation class are learning about instruments, both inside and out. During the trimester-long course, students build ukuleles by preparing each part, assembling and stringing the instrument, then painting it with an original design. While doing this work, students study the physical properties of stringed instruments, the physics of sound and acoustics, and how the mechanics of the ukulele work to create sound. They also learn how to tune a stringed instrument and the kinds of physical factors, such as room temperature and the materials with which they make the instrument, that affect tuning and sound.


Making Beautiful Music: 8th Graders work on their instruments.

Middle School Students Promote Kindness Challenge
This week, Pacific Ridge Middle School students are stepping up to the challenge of spreading kindness! An estimated two million children in 45 countries will take part in this year's Great Kindness Challenge. The Carlsbad-based initiative involves a checklist of good deeds, including helping younger students, picking up trash around campus, and thanking teachers for all they do. Students created "Great Kindness" posters for the new Middle School building to encourage their peers to respect one another and the new spaces, both this week and beyond. 

Service Learning In The Field

 

Ninth-Grade Students Complete Community Projects, Prepare to Join Upper School Service Learning Groups

Since the beginning of the school year, 9th-grade students have been working with local community partners, such as Head Start, The Arc of San Diego, and SurfAid, to learn about their needs, identify specific problems, and help design and implement solutions. The skills they have learned will help them provide immediate value to the Upper School service learning groups they will join as interns within the next few weeks. Ninth-grade students had the opportunity to explore the groups they may wish to join by attending a Service Learning fair on January 22nd. 

 


 

9th-grade students paint posters to raise awareness for SurfAid.

 

Boys Varsity Basketball Takes Time Out For Service 

On Sunday, January 25th, Coach Burman and the Boys Varsity Basketball team prepared and served a meal to residents of the La Posada de Guadalupe Men's Shelter in Carlsbad. The players were able to treat 70 men to a turkey dinner with trimmings, thanks to a generous donation from Tin Leaf restaurant. After dinner, the boys spent the evening getting to know the residents. This is the fourth year the team has visited the shelter.

 

Preparing dessert at La Posada

 

 

'Playing 4 A Difference' Hosts Charity Soccer Tourney

Thank you to the students and faculty members who helped raise funds and awareness for Grassroot Soccer by participating in Sunday's soccer tournament, hosted by Upper School service learning group "Playing 4 A Difference." Grassroot Soccer is an international nonprofit that uses the power of soccer to help prevent the spread of HIV. 

 

 

Parents Association

   

Used Uniform Sale Ends Tomorrow!

Do you need to replenish your uniform supply? The Parents Association used uniform sale ends tomorrow, January 30th. Used uniform donations can be dropped off at the sale or in the "used uniform" bin in the library. Funds from the sale are used to support Gingerbread Breakfast, Staff Appreciation Day and other Parents Association events.

Date: Friday, January 30th

Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Place: Front of Mullady Hall

Cost:  $5 per item, cash or check only

 

Parents Association General Meeting on February 18th

Mark your calendar now for the Parents Association General Meeting. The main goal of this meeting is to share data and reflections on the Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) survey.  For more information about the FCD, please visit: www.fcd.org

Date:  Wednesday, February 18th

Time: 6:30pm

Place: East Reading Room

 

Grade-Level Receptions on March 10th

Prior to spending "An Evening with Benjamin Zander," all Pacific Ridge parents are cordially invited to attend grade-level receptions on campus. This is a great opportunity to socialize with other Pacific Ridge parents, teachers and administrators before enjoying the special program presented by renowned Boston Philharmonic Conductor and leadership expert Benjamin Zander.

Date: Tuesday, March 10th

Time: 6:00 - 6:45 p.m.

Place: Pacific Ridge campus

RSVP: Evites will be emailed shortly

 
Sports on the Ridge

"Rumble on the Ridge" This Friday Night!
Come be a fan! Please see the bulletin section for more information about supporting Pacific Ridge's winter sports teams at Firebird Spirit Night.

Pacific Ridge Athletes Named to Union Tribune All-Academic Teams
The San Diego Union-Tribune recently named its Fall 2014 All-Academic teams. Congratulations, to our 24 All-Academic Firebirds!

Girls Cross Country
Teagan King
Lauren Lipman
Lili Muskal

Boys Cross Country
Joon-ha Bae
Adrian Casarrubias
Nathan Cheng
Wayne Chong
Tai Eubank
William Glockner
Travis Headapohl
Max Levin
Sam Levin
Matthew Vaughn

Girls Volleyball
Catherine Ames
Emma Daniels
Hanna Freeman
Juliana Sapp
Kelly Cortes
Lindsey Sanderson
Lyndie Duich
Roxanne Corbeil
Stephanie Stone

Girls Tennis
Erica Chien
Paige Miller 
 

Upper School Home Games, Week of February 2nd:

Be a Firebird Fan! Home game times for the upcoming week are listed below. Schedules are subject to change, so please check Schedulestar regularly for accurate information.

2/4/15
3:30 p.m. Boys Varsity Soccer vs. La Jolla Country Day 

2/6/15
3:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Santa Fe Christian Schools 





Scores:

Boys Varsity Basketball
1/20/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 67 44 W
1/23/15 Calvin Christian School of ESC 39 67 L

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball
1/20/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 36 24 W
1/23/15 Calvin Christian School of ESC 28 40 L

Boys Middle School 'A' Basketball
1/20/15 Horizon Prep 47 22 W
1/21/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 15 49 L

Boys Middle School 'B' Basketball  
1/20/15 Horizon Prep 40 7 W
1/21/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 20 25 L

Boys JV 'B' Basketball
1/24/15 La Jolla Country Day School 21 30 L

Girls Varsity Basketball
1/20/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 31 34 L
1/23/15 Calvin Christian School of ESC 22 51 L

Boys Varsity Soccer
1/23/15 Francis Parker School 1 3 L

Boys Middle School 'B' Soccer 
1/21/15 La Jolla Country Day School 1 0 W

Girls Varsity Soccer
1/23/15 Francis Parker School 2 2 T

Girls Middle School 'A' Soccer 
1/22/15 Horizon Prep 0 1 L

Girls Middle School 'B' Soccer 
1/21/15 La Jolla Country Day School 5 0 W
1/22/15 Horizon Prep 1 0 W 

Class Notes

Khalid Abudawas '16 Pursues International Expression and International Affairs
Congratulations to junior Khalid Abudawas, whose poem, "A Story for the Mirror," was selected for publication by the International Poetry Competition Castello di Duino. Profits from the book will help provide care for child victims of war. Khalid is also the president and founder of the Muslim Youth Committee, under the umbrella of the San Diego Council of American Islamic Relations. Last summer, he was chosen to attend a Muslim Youth Leadership conference in Sacramento where he was trained in civil engagement and media advocacy.

 

 


Faculty & Staff News

Congratulations to English teacher Matt Liebowitz, whose short story, "Summer", was selected for publication in the Fall 2014 anthology of online literary magazine, Crack The Spine. The anthology is currently available on Amazon. Mr. Liebowitz's piece can be read 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

 

January 29th

Used Uniform Sale 1:30 - 4 p.m.

 

Summer Opportunities Fair

6 p.m.

 

January 30th

Used Uniform Sale

1:30 - 4 p.m.

 

February 2nd

Ribbon Cutting for New Buildings

2:15 p.m.

 

February 4th

9th-Grade Parent Coffee

5 p.m.

 

February 5th & 6th

Pippin

7:30 p.m.

Star Theatre

 

February 7th

Pippin

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

Star Theatre

 

February 9th-16th

NO SCHOOL

Mid-Winter break

 

February 18th

Parents Association

General Meeting

6:30 p.m.

 

March 4th

Curriculum Night for Sophomores, Juniors and Families

6:30 p.m.

 

March 10th

An Evening with Benjamin Zander

6:30 p.m.

 

Quick Links


Join Our Mailing List