Life Science Students Complete 'Hands-On' Assignment  

Seventh-grade Life Science students finished a unit on bones, muscles and skin with a "hands-on" assignment. The students were tasked with creating a prosthetic hand prototype that is able to grab, lift and release. The class first worked on model hands made of silicone and powered by string, then students set off to create designs of their own. The use of recycled materials was encouraged and a $20 spending limit was set, but construction and mechanics were limited only by students' imaginations. The finished products, made of everything from cardboard to Lego parts, were tested by their ability to successfully grasp a tennis ball.  

Get a grip: Students learn about the mechanics of the human hand.

Art Appreciation in the City of Angels  

The AP Art History and AP/Advanced Photo classes visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Friday, March 20th. Photo students explored the Larry Sultan retrospective, where they viewed more than 200 of Sultan's photographs documenting themes of family, home and façade. Art History students enjoyed seeing famous works such as Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans and The Magdalen with the Smoking Flame by Georges de la Tour. The group rounded out its day with a food truck lunch break, a visit to a large section of the Berlin Wall at the Wende Museum and a walk through the Rodin sculpture garden.

Students pose in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's 

famous "Urban Lights" exhibit.

Entrepreneurship Students Learn the Art of the Pitch

It's not often that teenage entrepreneurs have the opportunity to sit down with an experienced venture capitalist, but on March 20th, students in the Pacific Ridge Holistic Entrepreneurship class got to do just that. Students pitched their business ideas to Eugene Chen (father of Tyler '15 and Eric '18) and received valuable feedback on the validity of their concepts, quality of their presentations and effectiveness of their execution plans. Mr. Chen, a general and founding partner at Medenovo, LLC, an investment firm focused on medical devices, also shared valuable knowledge about the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship, how to put together a high-functioning team and the importance of adaptability. 

Students Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Arc Visitors 

On March 17th, Arc consumers visited the Pacific Ridge campus for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Middle School service learning students led the group in outdoor games and crafts, and shared a snack with their Arc friends. Arc of San Diego, one of the most comprehensive providers of services to children and adults with disabilities in San Diego County, is a longtime community partner of the Pacific Ridge Service Learning Program. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!