Pacific Ridge School Header
Pacific Ridge School DotsA View From The Ridge
Weekly E-Newsletter
March 19, 2015
In This Issue
Bulletin Board
Educational Insights
New & Noteworthy
Curricular Adventures
Service Learning In The Field
Beyond the Ridge
Parents Association
Sports on the Ridge
Class Notes
North County Happenings
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Talk the Talk: This week, ninth graders presented their personal orations to the Pacific Ridge community.

Bulletin Board

 

 

Spring Kickoff Celebration on March 20th  

Upper and Middle School students are invited to the first-ever Pacific Ridge Spring Kickoff! Attendees can celebrate the changing of the seasons by participating in birdie on a perch, sack races, bounce house fun, and more. The Pacific Ridge Improv team will bring the laughs with a performance. BBQ will be served and there will be fire pits for cooking s'mores. The event is free for all students. 

Date: Friday, March 20th

Time: 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Place: Outdoor spaces throughout campus

Cost: Free

 

Blood Drive on March 24th

Sign up to be a donor at Pacific Ridge's final blood drive of the school year. To make your appointment, visit the San Diego Blood Bank, select "Donate Blood," click on "Appointments" and enter our sponsor code: PARS. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Date: Tuesday, March 24th

Time: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Place: Athletic Center

 

Yearbook Pre-Sales Begin This Week 

Save money on your yearbook by ordering early! During the "Super 70" sale, from March 16 - 22, yearbooks can be purchased for just $70. During the "Supreme 77" sale, from March 23 - 27, the books cost $77. Check your email for instructions on ordering and paying by check, or click here to order online. A $3.50 processing fee will apply to online orders.

 

Curriculum Night Course Selection Information

Miss Curriculum Night on March 4th? Go to the Upper School Course Selection page in Haiku for Upper School course descriptions and documents that were provided to sophomores, juniors and their families at the event. Questions? Contact Mrs. Bjornstad at jbjornstad@pacificridge.org.

 

California Scholarship Federation Deadlines 

Attention sophomores, juniors and seniors: Applications for the California Scholarship Federation for Trimester 2 of the 2014-2015 school year are due by March 27th. Please return your forms to Ms. Serafini in the lobby of the Middle School building. Parents of sophomores, juniors and seniors, please check your email for more information about CSF requirements and deadlines.


NO SCHOOL March 30th - April 3rd 
Spring Break
 
Student-Led Conferences on April 17th
On Friday, April 17th, normal classwork will pause for a day when Pacific Ridge hosts Student-Led Conferences. At the conferences, students will have the opportunity to reflect upon and evaluate their academic work thus far this year. The reflective process is designed to improve students' self-understanding and to help them take increased ownership of the learning process. There will be no classes on April 17th.

Save The Date For Pacific Ridge's Spring Play
This April, Pacific Ridge invites you to visit 
The School For Lies. Inspired by Molière's

The Misanthrope, David Ives' renowned comedy is a delightful combination of physical humor, witty banter and scandalous fun. The story follows sharp-tongued widow Celimene, whose life is turned upside down by a man who challenges her wit and steals her heart. Performances are Thursday, April 23rd and Friday, April 24th at 7:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center. 

 

Check In With The Ridge Report

The latest edition of the Pacific Ridge student newspaper is out! Features include Orations tips for ninth graders, a peek into the life of a Pippin costume designer, and a recipe for blueberry banana ice cream. To read the Ridge Report visit ridgereport.squarespace.com. Password: firebird 

 

Give to the Annual Fund!

The Annual Fund supports every aspect of the Pacific Ridge experience, including our exceptional faculty, service learning, global education and more. We are pleased to announce that this year's Annual Fund has crossed the $540,000 mark! Thank you to all who have made gifts or pledges so far. Our faculty, staff and trustees have reached 100% participation, and parent participation is close to 70%. Please join those who have already contributed and help us reach our participation goal of 100% by April 30th. If you would like to make a gift or pledge to the Annual Fund, please click here or contact Nisa Conway at nconway@pacificridge.org. Thank you!

 

Summer Programs and Sports Camps at Pacific Ridge!

From June 15th to August 13th, Pacific Ridge will be offering a number of summer programs available to all students in San Diego's North County. Choices include non-credit academic classes for middle and high school students, the Firebird Program for rising 5th through 7th graders, and sports camps for children in elementary school through high school. For more information and to register, please visit the 2015 Summer Programs page on the Pacific Ridge website. 




Educational Insights 

Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post: "A Day of Possibility." 

Click here to read the latest faculty blog post: "Mr. El Alam's Top 10 Financial Tips for the Class of 2015."

 New & Noteworthy

Students Bring Classmates' Work To Life On Stage
On March 13th, students in the Advanced Acting and Directing class performed the work of several student playwrights. Following a three-week intensive playwriting workshop with the San Diego Playwrights Project, classmates selected four plays to rehearse and showcase. 360 Huntington, by Matty Bernstein '15, follows the internal struggles of a young Harvard graduate running for Congress; Eye of the Storm, by Claire St. Marie '16, tells the tale of a little girl caught in the middle of her parents conflicting ideals; Fronteras Hechas Del Dinero, by Jennifer Curiel '15, is the story of a young Mexican girl torn between filial piety and academic ambitions; and Food Trends, by Margaret Zhao '15, is a sketch comedy on the nature of fad diets. Congratulations to the actors, directors and playwrights on an evening of fantastic, original productions! 

 


Candor, Courage, Conviction: 9th-Grade Orations 

This week, ninth graders displayed poise, wit and charisma as they stood in front of peers, upperclassman and faculty to deliver freshman orations. The students prepared topics of their own choosing and spent five weeks writing, peer editing, revising and practicing their presentations. Orations are a hallmark of the Pacific Ridge ninth-grade experience, and the school community rallies around the freshman class with encouragement and support throughout the process. The Freshman student council even surprised classmates with donuts on Monday morning as a good luck gesture. Orations finals will take place during Community Life on April 8th.  

 



Middle School Robotics Competes in Spring Showdown
On March 14th, Middle School Robotics team members traveled to LegoLand to participate in the "Spring Showdown: The Lion, The Witch and The Robot." The PyRobots and Firebots had a blast leading their robots through a number of themed missions including "the lion's roar" "imprisoning the witch" and "rescuing the lord of the mindstorms."   

Curricular Adventures

 

PhotoScience Students Stick to the Blueprint

During the first weeks of the new 8th-grade PhotoScience class, students investigated the basic principles behind light and vision through "laser labs." Students used flashlights, laser pointers, lenses, prisms and filters to experiment with reflection and refraction. Photographing abstract patterns in the dark studio provided an artistic challenge as well. The class also researched photo pioneer Anna Atkins and her technique of making blue print books using basic chemicals, sunlight and water. Students replicated this cyanotype process by creating a large group mural on a sheet of fabric. The STEAM integration will continue through the trimester as students combine art, physics and chemistry in experiments, photo contests and a digital camera-building project.

 


An 'A-peeling' Take on Geometry 
Geometry students celebrated Pi Day by exploring the circumference of a sweet but healthy treat. Students were asked to discover the formula for the surface area of a sphere using oranges. After tracing the great circle of their oranges, students found the diameter of the orange without cutting it open. They constructed multiple circles with the same diameter as the great circle and then carefully peeled the orange to explore how many of the circles the peel filled. Visualizing the surface area of a sphere can be fun and delicious!



Dance Students Take on the Masters
On March 14th, a group of Dance 1 and Dance 2 students traveled to Cal State Long Beach for a "Dance Masters" convention. Students attended workshops and master classes to learn tap, hip hop, contemporary, musical theatre and ballet techniques from expert teachers. 


 

Service Learning In The Field

 

Jazz/Rock Ensembles 'Band Together' for Good Cause

On March 15th, students in Jazz/Rock and Honors Jazz/Rock Ensembles took part in a benefit performance at La Costa Coffee Roasting. The performance was part of the Youth Helping Youth concert series for Banding Together, a local organization dedicated to providing music therapy for kids with special needs. The series of six fundraising concerts at coffee shops around encourages musicians, families with special needs and the general public to gather, enjoy music, and contribute to music therapy scholarships and programs. 

 

 

Beyond The Ridge

9th-Grade ReadiStep Test On March 21st

Ninth graders who want to take this Saturday's ReadiStep test, the lead-up to the redesigned PSAT, must register before noon on Friday, March 20th by using this link. All registered testers will receive an email, reminding them of the test format and providing specifics of what to bring. Testers can plan on finishing around 11:30 a.m. Please email collegeguidance@pacificridge.org with any questions. 

Date: Saturday, March 21st 

Time: Testing begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. 

Location: West Reading Room

 

NCAA Night on March 25th 
Students in grades 8-12 and their families are invited to an informative and interactive panel discussion about NCAA recruiting and how the high school student-athlete can prepare for the recruitment process. The program will cover NCAA contact rules and timelines, athletics questionnaires and recruiting sites, as well as tips for developing an athlete profile to communicate to coaches. 
Date: Wednesday, March 25th 
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room 

Parents Association

 

Parents Association General Meeting on March 26th

Mark your calendar for the Parents Association General Meeting. The main goal of this meeting is to share data and reflections on the Freedom from Chemical Dependency survey recently taken by students in grades 8-12. 

Date: Thursday, March 26th

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Place: East Reading Room

 

Parents Walking Club on April 9th

Come join the Parents Association for our next morning walk. This is a great opportunity to socialize and exercise with other parents.

Date: Thursday, April 9th

Time: 8:15 a.m.

Meet Location: Peet's Coffee at Bressi Ranch


 

Parent Book Club Meeting on April 27th

The Pacific Ridge Parent Book Club will meet to discuss 

Deep, Dark, Down: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine and the Miracle That Set Them Free, by Hector Tobar. The Book Club is open to all Pacific Ridge parents and we hope to see you there!

Date: Monday, April 27th

Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Options

Place: Library Learning Commons 

 

WeCare Speaker - Dr. Wendy Mogel on April 28th 

WeCare, a non-profit San Diego independent schools consortium, is proud to present Dr. Wendy Mogel as its spring speaker. Dr. Mogel is a clinical psychologist, internationally recognized public speaker and New York Times best-selling author of the The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B Minus. In her talk, Dr. Mogel will provide parents with a roadmap for raising optimistic, successful and resilient children. 

Date: Tuesday, April 28th

Time: 6:30 p.m. social; 7:00 p.m. speaker

Place: Francis Parker School, Crivello Hall, 6501 Linda Vista Road, San Diego, 92111


End of Year Supper Club Event - Save the Date

Calling all Supper Clubbers! The group's end-of-year gathering will take place on Sunday, May 3rd, at 5:00 p.m. Supper Club participants will have an opportunity to gather one last time and enjoy a tasty taco bar. There will be a potluck for dessert and beverages. Look for an Evite soon with all the details.


Have questions about any Parents Association events? Email parentsassociation@pacificridge.org

 

Sports on the Ridge

Girls Lacrosse Reaches Finals of Local Tournament
Congratulations to the Girls Varsity Lacrosse team on its second-place finish at the 11th annual Surf Sun & Stix Tournament at Westview High School last weekend. The girls battled through 90 degree temperatures and three tough competitors to win their bracket before eventually falling to Patrick Henry 4-6 in a hard-fought final game. Coach Neptune and Coach Enge were extremely impressed with the team's effort. "The defense played exceptionally well, reading opponents effectively and stopping goals," said Coach Neptune. "The attack was patient with scoring and making its presence felt behind the goal, and our goalies were super at stopping balls at critical moments." Go Firebirds!

 

Upper School Home Games, Week of March 23rd:

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.

3/24/15
3:30 p.m. Girls Middle School 'A' Basketball v. Rancho Santa Fe
4:00 p.m. Girls Varsity Lacrosse v. Serra High School
4:30 p.m. Girls Middle School 'B' Basketball v. Rancho Santa Fe

3/35/15
4:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Lacrosse v. Wheat Ridge High School

3/26/15
4:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Volleyball v. Escondido Charter
5:30 p.m. Boys JV Volleyball v. Escondido Charter
 



Scores:

Boys Varsity Basketball
3/11/15 Maranatha Pasadena (CIF state tournament) 54 101 L

Girls Middle School 'A' Basketball
3/12/15 San Diego Jewish Academy 37 7 W

Girls Middle School 'B' Basketball
3/12/15 San Diego Jewish Academy 42 2 W 

Boys Varsity Tennis
3/10/15 Coronado High School 7 11 L

Coed Middle School Tennis
3/12/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 6 0 W

Boys Varsity Lacrosse
3/11/15 Cathedral Catholic 8 13 L

Boys MS 'A' Lacrosse
3/14/15 CV Falcons 9 2 W

Boys MS 'B' Lacrosse
3/14/15 San Marcos 6 3 W

Girls Varsity Lacrosse
3/9/15 Coronado High School 2 13 L
3/12/15 Ramona High School 8 9 L

Girls Middle School Lacrosse
3/15/15 Wildcats 14 4 W 

Boys Varsity Volleyball 
3/12/15 San Diego Academy 3 1 W

Boys JV Volleyball 
3/12/15 San Diego Academy 2 1 W

Class Notes

 

Tyler Chen '15 Awarded Kyoto Prize Scholarship  

Congratulations to senior Tyler Chen who was honored as a Kyoto Prize Symposium Scholar during the organization's annual gala on March 17th. The Kyoto scholarship recognizes six students (three regionally and three from Tijuana) who best demonstrate not only academic excellence, but an active pursuit of the betterment of society. Scholarship applicants must write an essay describing inspiration they draw from the life and work of a 2014 Kyoto Prize laureate. Tyler, who is interested in studying nanotechnology and entrepreneurship in college, wrote his essay on Dr. Edward Whitten, a theoretical physicist who is a leader in the evolution of superstring theory. 

 

Tyler with Kyoto Prize laureate Dr. Edward Whitten

 

Addie Knight '17 Pursues Fluency with a Passion

Sophomore Addie Knight is currently featured on the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy website as an example of a student success story. For the past two summers, Addie has attended summer Language Academy sessions, both at home and abroad, to improve her Spanish speaking skills. The program calls for total immersion - students are asked to sign a "Language Pledge," agreeing to speak only their target language for four weeks. The prospect was initially daunting, Addie says, but she credits the method with helping her move quickly toward her goal of fluency. She plans to attend an 8-week language program in South America this summer.

 

 

Addie in Spain with the Language Academy

 

North County Happenings

Facebook Online Safety Seminar on March 26th
Senator Patricia Bates has teamed up with Facebook, the Carlsbad Unified School District and city law enforcement to encourage conversation about online safety for San Diego families. The presentation will provide a thorough description of the tools available to members of the Facebook community to report inappropriate content, harassment and other forms of cyber bullying. The evening will also include a panel discussion: "Are Parents Responsible for What Their Children Post Online?" For more information please contact the office of Senator Bates at (760) 931-2455. 
Date: Thursday, March 26th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Sheraton Carlsbad Resort and Spa, 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad

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

 March 20th

Spring Kickoff for Students

3 p.m.

 

March 24th

Blood Drive

8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

 

March 25th

NCAA Night

6:30 - 8 p.m.

 

March 26th

Parents Association

General Meeting

6:30 p.m.

 

March 30th - 

April 3rd

NO SCHOOL

Spring Break

 

April 9th

Parent Walking Club

8:15 a.m.

 

April 17th

NO SCHOOL

Student-Led Conferences

 

April 23rd

The School For Lies

7:30 p.m.

 

April 24th

The School For Lies

7:30 p.m.

 

April 27th

Parent Book Club

7 - 9 p.m.

 

April 28th

WeCare Presents

Dr. Wendy Mogel

7 p.m.

 

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