| Snapshot from the Ridge | |
Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
Camping Chic: 10th graders break in their hiking boots
in preparation for next month's Yosemite trip.
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| Bulletin Board | |
Student-Led Conferences on April 17th
Pacific Ridge welcomes families on Friday, April 17th for Student-Led Conferences. There will be no classes. Parking is available on campus.
Prom on April 18th: Tickets on Sale Now!
Pacific Ridge's Junior-Senior Prom takes place on Saturday, April 18th. Attendees should arrive on campus no later than 5:30 p.m. The bus to Bang Bang, a restaurant and event space in the Gaslamp Quarter, leaves at 6:00 p.m. sharp and will return to campus by 10:45 p.m.
Date: Saturday, April 18th
Time: 5:30 - 10:45 p.m.
Place: Bang Bang, 526 Market Street, San Diego, 92101
 9th & 10th-Grade Travel Night on April 21st Two information sessions on April 21st will give 9th and 10th-grade students and their families an opportunity to learn more about the upcoming China and Northern Sierras wilderness trips. Pacific Ridge faculty chaperones and a representative from Adventures Cross Country, the company that arranges and leads the trips, will be on hand to provide information.
Date: Tuesday, April 21st
Time: 9th-grade session, 5:45 - 7:00 p.m.; 10th-grade session, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
Spring Arts Festival on April 24th!
Pacific Ridge families are warmly invited to campus on Friday, April 24th for the annual Spring Arts Festival. Students and faculty will be participating in visual arts, music, theater and dance events at various venues across campus. Don't miss this opportunity to live and breathe the arts at Pacific Ridge School! Click here to see this year's performance and activities schedule. Date: Friday, April 24th
Time: 12:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School campus
Parking: On campus or at Faith Community Church, 2700 Rancho Pancho, Carlsbad - shuttles provided
Enroll in The School For Lies on April 24th and 25th
You won't want to miss this year's Spring Play, the delightful 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, written entirely in verse, follows sharp-tongued widow Celimene, whose life is turned upside down by a man who challenges her wit and steals her heart. Performances are Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th at 7:30 p.m. in the Athletic Center. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online via this link.
Want the story behind this stare? Attend The School For Lies - we'll see you there!
11th & 12th Grade Travel Night on April 27th 
This is a key travel information session for juniors, seniors and their parents. Mr. Bosc will present information about this year's travel program, then each travel group will meet with its trip leaders. Bring all your questions and get to know more about this year's exciting itineraries!
Date: Monday, April 27th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room
Host an International Exchange Student! Information Meeting on May 1st
Interested in a truly global experience? Every year Pacific Ridge enrolls an international exchange student and seeks a host family for the school year. Come to an information meeting on May 1st to learn more about AFS, a leading international exchange organization that operates in more than 50 countries, and hear from Pacific Ridge families who have hosted previous exchange students. Questions? Contact Jean Nassif at jnassif@pacificridge.org.Date: Friday, May 1st
Time: 8:00 a.m.
Place: Middle School building conference room
Class of 2015 Parent Celebration on May 6th!
Parents of seniors are warmly invited to a special dinner event on May 6th. Your commitment to the growth of your children and the Pacific Ridge community will be celebrated at this graduation-style dinner. The evening will also include the dedication of the College Guidance Office in honor of the Class of 2015. Please check your mailbox for invitations, and RSVP to Nisa Conway at nconway@pacificridge.org.
Date: Wednesday, May 6th Time: 6:00 p.m. Place: East Reading Room Grad Night 2015: It's Almost Here!  Seniors and parents, please remember to send in your Grad Night RSVPs. We have a fun night planned for our soon-to-be graduates and don't want anyone to miss out. It is tradition that all students attend if they are able. Invitations were recently mailed to all senior families. RSVPs, which must be submitted no later than April 24th, can be mailed or dropped off in the Middle School or Upper School lobbies. Questions? Email Lora Abbey at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org. 
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 the latest Faculty Blog: Coach Burman reflects on the many individuals who contributed to Boys Varsity Basketball's historic season. |
| New & Noteworthy |
Vocal, Jazz/Rock Ensembles Awarded "Gold"
Congratulations to the Pacific Ridge Vocal and Jazz/Rock Ensembles, who received "Gold" ratings at last weekend's San Francisco Festival of Gold. Jazz/Rock also won a special Adjudicator Award for scoring an impressive 95 out of 100 points. Senior Ben Gottesman was one of just 20 students out of the nearly 1,000 participating in the festival to receive a Maestro Award for exceptional performance. Additionally, ten Pacific Ridge students were chosen from nearly 400 singers to take part in the Festival of Gold honor choir performance: Rachael Bell, Kayla Causey, Finn Chow, Ben Desoto Mayor, Britta Gullahorn, Sebastian Green, Jared Pollard, Logan Snodgrass, Liam Spooner and Christa Walton. Congratulations to all the musicians and vocalists on a successful weekend of performances!
Members of Jazz/Rock Ensemble celebrate their awards.
9th Graders Delight in Discourse
On Wednesday, April 8th, Pacific Ridge students, faculty and staff were treated to a series of articulate and persuasive orations at Community Life. The eight speakers were winners of a preliminary round of speeches made by every member of the Class of 2018. Ninth graders prepared topics of their own choosing and spent five weeks writing, peer editing, revising and practicing their presentations. The finalists were assessed by a panel of judges including upperclassmen and adult members of the Pacific Ridge community. Congratulations to all orations participants and to the following winners and finalists:
1st Place: Paige Hellinger - "Mainstream Media's Portrayal of Teenage Sex and the Importance of Thinking for Yourself"
2nd Place: Drew Green - "Legos, Learning and Creativity"
3rd Place: Keara Keitel - "The Power of Positive Thinking"
Honorable Mention: Haitong Du - "Breaking Down Cultural Stereotypes"
Finalists:
Rachel Bell - "The Benefits of Classical Music "
Ben Causey - "The Art of Self Discipline"
Ava Claxton - "Teen Body Image and Eating Disorders"
Ellie McLoughlin - "Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
Next Year's Student Council Executives Elected
The votes are in for Pacific Ridge School's 2015-2016 Upper School Executive Council. Congratulations and welcome to
Brij Sahney, President; Adrian Cassarubias, Vice President; Leah Nadir, Secretary; and Travis Headapohl, Treasurer. Elections for Class Presidents and Class Representatives will be held on April 30th.
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| Curricular Adventures | |
Seventh Graders Explore Life in a Border Town
On April 9th, seventh graders traveled to San Ysidro as part of their study of borders and boundaries in Social & Community Studies class. Having examined the politics of the U.S./Mexico border, students were able to see the effects the largest land border crossing in the world has on the San Ysidro community. Barbara Zaragoza, author of San Ysidro and the Tijuana River Valley, gave the group a tour of the town's historic sites, and two representatives from Casa Familiar, a community development agency, provided students with a history of the community and information about the environmental effects of the border crossing. After lunch, the group drove to the border to walk the pedestrian walkway and observe the traffic, border security and historic border marker 255.
Model U.N. Takes Part in Claremont McKenna Conference
On April 12th and 13th, eight students represented Pacific Ridge at the third annual Claremont McKenna Model United Nations conference. Students participated in committees dealing with wide-ranging topics such as human rights violations in the Syrian Arab Republic, nuclear disarmament, prevention of an arms race in space, and labor rights in emerging economies. The young group gained valuable experience at the conference and enjoyed their time exploring the college campus. Congratulations to all the participants!
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Service Learning in the Field
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ARC Visitors Enjoy Dance Performance, Activities
Middle School Service Learning students have enjoyed hosting friends from the Arc of San Diego for on-campus games, activities, and conversation throughout the trimester. On April 9th, students and ARC consumers enjoyed a dance performance from students in Dance 2. Afterwards, the whole group got into the rhythmic action with a large "freeze dance" session that prompted plenty of smiles and laughter.
Enjoying a dance performance in the beautiful Community Hall
Having fun during a round of "freeze dance"
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| Parents Association |
Parent Walking Club on April 21st 
Come join the Parents Association for our next outing, when we will walk to Stone Steps, go up and down twice, walk to the Grandview Steps up and down twice and back to Stone Steps. Walk will take about an hour and a half. This is a great opportunity to socialize and exercise with other parents.
Date: Tuesday, April 21st
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Place: Moonlight Beach Upper Parking Lot
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. For more information, click here.
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
The Supper Club's end-of-year gathering will take place on Sunday, May 3rd, at 5:00 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to gather one last time and enjoy a tasty taco bar. Desserts and beverages will be potluck. If you haven't received your evite, please contact the Parents Association.
Have questions about any Parents Association events? Email parentsassociation@pacificridge.org
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Sports on the Ridge
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Boys Varsity Volleyball Off to Impressive Start
Boys Volleyball is off to a promising start this season in its first year as a Pacific Ridge CIF varsity sport. The Firebirds are currently ranked 2nd in Division 4 and own a 4-2 record, with both losses coming at the hands of tough Division 1 opponents. The team relies heavily on leadership from experienced senior and sophomore players, while a cadre of talented freshmen form the core of the starting lineup. According to Coach McCabe, "Despite the fact that most of the boys have limited competitive volleyball experience, they are making amazing progress and, more importantly, are having a lot of fun. I think we have a really good chance at a league championship if we continue to work hard and improve at our current rate." Boys Volleyball begins league play next Tuesday, April 21st at Del Lago Academy.
Upper School Home Games, Week of April 13th:
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.
4/20/15
5:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Serra High School
4/21/155:00 p.m. Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs. Francis Parker
Scores:
Girls Middle School 'A' Basketball
4/9/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 14 50 L
Girls Middle School 'B' Basketball
4/9/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 19 15 W
Coed Varsity Golf
4/7/15 Horizon Christian School 235 248 W
4/9/15 The Bishop's School 239 199 L
Boys Varsity Tennis
4/9/15 Francis Parker 7 11 L
Coed Middle School Tennis
4/7/15 Tri-City Christian Schools 5 1 W
Coed Varsity Track
4/11/15 League Meet #2
Travis Headapohl - 2nd place, 3200m; 3rd place, 800m
Cole Hardin - 5th place, 300m hurdles - 36''
Alexandra Carter - 1st place, Long Jump & Triple Jump
Anna Bae/Olivia Carter/Alexandra Carter/Isabella Church - 1st place, 4x100 relay
Lynnlee Duck-Reynolds - 2nd place, 3200m; 3rd place,1600m
Boys Varsity Lacrosse
4/9/15 Monte Vista High School 8 11 L
Boys Middle School 'A' Lacrosse
4/11/15 Temecula Tomahawks 3 11 L
Boys Middle School 'B' Lacrosse
4/11/15 Temecula Tomahawks 1 9 L
Girls Varsity Lacrosse
4/7/15 La Jolla Country Day School 14 6 W
4/9/15 The Bishop's School 4 9 L
Girls Middle School Lacrosse
4/11/15 Mustangs 14 10 W
Boys Varsity Volleyball
4/8/15 Escondido Adventist Academy 3 0 W
Boys JV Volleyball
4/11/15 JV West Coast Challenge 0 3 L
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| Beyond the Ridge |
NACAC College Fair on April 28th The National Association for College Admission Counseling is hosting a College Fair on April 28th at the San Diego Convention Center. More than 250 colleges and universities will be represented. Registration in advance is free and highly recommended. Date: Tuesday, April 28th Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Place: San Diego Convention Center, Exhibit Hall C, 111 Harbor Drive, San Diego, 92101
Coastline Case Studies for Juniors & Parents
Juniors and their parents are invited to learn first-hand what goes into the evaluation of college applications. College admission officers from 90 schools across the country and overseas will lead small groups of participants in a comprehensive review of several mock application files. The evening will conclude with a college fair, at which families can speak to representatives from all the schools about their respective institutions. This program is for juniors and their families only. Application files have been sent to families, and a list of attending colleges and universities can be found in the Junior Documents folder in Naviance.
Date: Wednesday, April 29th
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Santa Fe Christian Schools, 838 Academy Drive, Solana Beach, 92075
College Topics Coffee for Junior Parents on April 30th Parents of juniors are warmly invited to a coffee to discuss
trends in admissions and various facets of the college research and application process.
Date: Thursday, April 30th Time: 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Place: Community Hall
Senior Parent Coffee on May 14th
Senior parents are welcome to join the College Guidance staff and school psychologist Veronica Gorgueiro in an ongoing discussion of topics relating to the college transition.
Date: Thursday, May 14th
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Place: Community Hall
Essay Workshops are underway in junior English classes, now through the first week of May.
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| Class Notes |
Seniors Nominated for Ben Vereen Musical Theatre Awards Congratulations to Ben DeSoto Mayor and Catherine Ames, who have been nominated for 2015 Ben Vereen Awards in the categories of "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" for their performances in Pacific Ridge's annual musical, Pippin. On April 26th, Ben and Catherine will participate in the 2015 Ben Vereen Awards San Diego competition, where they will perform a song from their nominated performance, as well as a contrasting piece. Up to five Best Actor and five Best Actress nominees from the San Diego competition will advance to the Southwest Region Finals. From there, competitors have a shot at advancing to the National High School Musical Theater Awards/Jimmy™ Awards. Discounted tickets for Pacific Ridge community members can be purchased here using the password PACIFICRIDGEHS. Date: Sunday, April 26th Time: 5:00 p.m. Place: Balboa Theatre, 868 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 Cost: Discounted rate (see above): $14/adults, $9/students
Catherine as the Leading Player and Ben as Pippin during this year's production of Pippin
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| Faculty & Staff News | |
Dr. Rosenwong Longlisted for National Book Prize
Congratulations to Pacific Ridge English teacher Dr. Anna Rosenwong, who was recently longlisted for the 2015 Best Translated Book Award by Three Percent, a resource for international literature at the University of Rochester. Dr. Rosenwong was recognized for her work translating Diorama from Spanish. She calls the collection of works by poet and performance artist Rocío Cerón, "hallucinatory, muscular, dizzying and intensely lyrical." Dr. Rosenwong, who holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and an M.F.A in Literary Translation, has been a literary translator for more than ten years. She has served on the board of directors of the American Literary Translators Association, published several books (including an original collection of poetry) and dozens of works in prominent journals and anthologies, and is the translation editor of the literary journal Drunken Boat.
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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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A View From The Ridge
