In This Issue - December 3, 2015 
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Cycles for Service: 9th graders build and decorate balance bikes for preschoolers at Educational Enrichment Services (EES).

Bulletin Board

Jazz Rock Groups 'Band Together' to Benefit Music Therapy
On Sunday, December 6th, the Pacific Ridge School Jazz Rock ensembles will perform at La Costa Coffee Roasting as part of the Youth Helping Youth Coffeehouse Concert series. Funds raised will be donated to Banding Together, a non-profit organization that provides music therapy scholarships, mentorships, and instruments to youth with special needs.
Date: Sunday, December 6th
Time: 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Place: La Costa Coffee Roasting; 6965 El Camino Real 



 Middle School Movie Night on December 11th
Middle School students are invited to enjoy an outdoor movie night on December 11th. Snacks and hot chocolate will be available, and students are encouraged to wear warm clothes and bring sleeping bags and blankets. The event will be held indoors in the case of inclement weather. 
Date: Friday, December 11th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Community Hall

Seeking Middle School Cast & Crew for Zombie Prom!
This year's middle school musical has been selected! Zombie Prom is a sweet, farcical tale of "girl meets ghoul," featuring romance, comedy, and a rock 'n' roll soundtrack. Students
interested in participating in the middle school musical as a cast member or stage crew member are encouraged to attend a kick-off pizza party on Monday, December 14th to read through parts of the script and watch video excerpts. Students can RSVP for the party and learn all about this year's middle school musical on the Zombie Prom Haiku page. 
 
Save The Date: Pacific Ridge Alumni Reception January 6th
All Pacific Ridge alumni and their families are invited to a winter reception on Wednesday, January 6th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on the Pacific Ridge campus. Dinner and dessert will be provided.  Invitations will be sent in mid-December with further details.

Admissions Open House on January 9th
Families interested in Pacific Ridge School are encouraged to visit the Open House scheduled for Saturday, January 9th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., with presentations 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. 

Hands of Peace Summer Program Seeking Applicants
Hands of Peace, an interfaith organization working to develop peace-building and leadership skills in Israeli, Palestinian, and American teens, is excited to announce that applications for the summer 2016 program are now available online. The program, hosted at Pacific Ridge, runs from July 13th - August 1st. To learn more about being a Hands of Peace participant, click here. To learn more about serving as a host family, click here. Questions? Contact Scott Silk at ssilk@handsofpeace.org.



Holiday Toy Drive to Benefit Head Start
Help make a child's holiday wish come true by contributing to the annual Head Start Toy Drive! Select and sign out gift tags in the lobby of the Middle School Building or the lobby of Mullady Hall. Please remember: limit one gift per child; maximum $10 price per gift; wrap each gift and attach the original tag; drop off gifts in the aforementioned locations no later than Friday, December 11th. Gifts will be delivered to children at two local Head Start preschools by the Upper School Service Learning group Building Blocks and the two Middle School Head Start Service Learning groups.  Thank you for helping our North County neighbors this holiday season!

Educational Insights



Our Mission Now... Please click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post about the mission-driven principles that will guide work at Pacific Ridge School for the next 2 - 4 years.

Please also visit "Voices From the Ridge", our newly renamed faculty blog to read Melissa Symington's post "From Good to Great: Sustainability at Pacific Ridge." The new blog will regularly feature work surrounding these important, mission-driven principles. 

New & Noteworthy

Local Non-Profits 'Plant a Seed' for 10th-Grade Projects 
Each year, Pacific Ridge sophomores are challenged to identify a need or problem in the community, and develop their own creative solutions as part of the Planting a Seed project. On November 30th, students got a head start on project preparations by visiting a variety of local, non-profit organizations including the International Rescue Committee, Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, Helen Woodward Animal Center, The Monarch School, Boys and Girls Club, Patagonia, LGBT Resource Center, and Solutions for Change. Sophomores toured the facilities, completed service work, and interviewed organization personnel about the communities they serve, the unique challenges they face, and ways students can get involved.



Pacific Ridge's International Students Share Holiday Meal 
Pacific Ridge welcomed ten international students to the school community at the beginning of the year, and the group has quickly embraced the campus, engaged in classes, and formed new friendships with their classmates and with one another. On November 19th, the students got together for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at a local Chinese restaurant to celebrate a successful first trimester. The nine Chinese students and one Austrian student meet monthly to connect and share experiences. 



Improv Troupe Brings Laughs to Community Life
Last week, Finest City Improv members used wit and imagination to bring laughter to Community Life. During a series of improv games, the performers encompassed a variety of inventive characters while navigating audience suggestions on everything from the scene's genre to prop sound effects. Several students even joined the group onstage for skits. Pacific Ridge's own Improv Club president, Adam Poole, brought the house down with his take on a motivational speaker encouraging the turkey to roast during a friend's Thanksgiving dinner. 
 

Alumni Love: Care Packages Are On Their Way!

On November 17th, Alumni Relations Manager Nisa Conway and a group of dedicated alumni parents prepared 150 care packages for alumni in the classes of 2014 and 2015. The packages, filled with tasty treats, finals essentials and Pacific Ridge tumblers, will arrive just as the college freshmen and sophomores tackle final exams and papers. Thank you to the parents who helped send this sweet reminder of home to our most recent graduates.



Mrs. Conway and alumni intern Kelly Cortes '15 have a very important shipment for the Post Office!

Curricular Adventures 

Students Tackle the Complex Ethics of Eugenics
In November, juniors and seniors in Mr. Silk's Ethics, Law & Society class partnered with students at the University of San Diego for a unit on Eugenics. The USD students and their professor, Dr. Laura Rivard, taught the Ethics students about the history of forced sterilization in the U.S. and California, the Supreme Court case that justified the practice, and the current day debate over CRISPR, a modern Eugenics technology. The hands-on unit included a court case reenactment, oral argumentation, and a debate over the application of CRISPR technology. According to Mr. Silk, his students loved working with the college students and tackling the complex ethical dilemmas involved.
 
Service Learning In The Field

Notes of Hope Brings Joy of Music to ActivCare
Upper School Service Learning group Notes of Hope performed for residents at the ActivCare assisted living facility in Bressi Ranch last month. The group played saxophone, french horn, keyboard, guitar, and drums, and sang along to a variety of classic tunes designed to bring joy, prompt memories, and inspire movement. After the performance, students had the opportunity to visit with audience members, many of whom eagerly expressed their appreciation for the entertainment and shared stories about how music has impacted their lives.  



Support Hands of Peace - Dine at Rubio's on Friday!
On Friday, December 4th, Hands of Peace and the Pacific Ridge service learning group that supports it are hosting a fundraiser at Rubio's. From 3:00 p.m. to closing time, diners who present a fundraising flyer upon ordering will have 20% of the cost of their meal donated to Hands of Peace. Students and parents can pick up a Rubio's fundraising flyer at the reception desk in the Middle School building or print the flyer here. Hands of Peace is an interfaith organization working to develop peace-building and leadership skills in Israeli, Palestinian, and American teens.

Class Notes

Sophomores Perform With Southern California Honor Choir, Invited to All-State Choirs
On November 21st, sophomores Anurag Aiyer, Rachael Bell and Christopher Ong performed with the Southern California Vocal Association High School Honor Choir during a concert at the University of Redlands. The students were directed by professional choral directors Angel Vazquez-Ramos (CSU Bakersfield) and Dr. Christopher Peterson (CSU Fullerton), and performed a variety of songs from contemporary pop hits to traditional Gregorian hymns. All three students have also been invited to sing with the California All-State Honor Choirs on February 13th in San Jose.



Parents Association 

Show Your Appreciation for Pacific Ridge Faculty & Staff 
The Annual Holiday Gift Drive is our way to show appreciation for Pacific Ridge's hard-working teachers. Monies collected through the drive will be used to purchase gift cards for all faculty and staff. Check donations (made payable to PRS Parents Association and sealed in an envelope labeled Appreciation Gift) may be placed in the drop box in the lobby of the Middle School building. Or, you can donate online using PayPal. Instructions can be found on the Parents Association page in Haiku. The drive ends on Wednesday, December 9th.

Gingerbread Breakfast - Help & Donations Wanted
The 8th annual Gingerbread Breakfast is coming up on December 18th! The beloved celebration treats approximately 700 students, faculty, staff and alumni to a fun, relaxed holiday breakfast on the last half-day of school before winter break. Volunteers are needed to bake or bring items for the breakfast, and to help with set-up, serving, and clean-up. Click here to see a list of requested items, and please read the important information about quantities, preparation, packaging, etc. All items will be collected on campus Thursday, December 17th during student drop-off and pick-up. Click here if you are interested in volunteer opportunities. 
Questions? Email the Parents Association at parentsassociation@pacificridge.org. 

Walking Club Meets on Friday, December 4th 
The Walking Club's next walk is tomorrow (Friday), December 4th. The Club will be walking in the Bressi Ranch area. We hope you can join us.
Date: Friday, December 4th
Time: 8:15 a.m.
Place: Meet at Peet's Coffee in Bressi Ranch
 
10th-Grade Parent Party on January 10th
Calling all 10th-Grade parents. Please save Sunday, January 10th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m., for an enjoyable evening with other parents of 10th grade students. Evites will be sent out a few weeks before the event, but please hold the date. 
    
Senior Parent Grade-Level Party Slated for January 17th
The Senior Parent Grade-Level Party will take place on Sunday, January 17th. The evening will offer an opportunity for 12th-grade parents to socialize after the holiday break. Evites will be sent a few weeks before the event and will include additional details. 
 
NEW DATE! Book Club Meeting on January 25th
Please join the Pacific Ridge Parents' Book Club on Monday, January 25th, 2016. The Club will discuss Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff. All Pacific Ridge parents are welcome to attend. We hope to see you there!
Date: Monday, January 25th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Pacific Ridge School Library

Support Pacific Ridge When You Shop and Dine
As the gift giving & entertaining season approaches, we want to remind you of three great ways to help support Pacific Ridge at no additional cost to you!
 
Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile, a service provided for Amazon Prime members, will donate 0.5% of all purchases to Pacific Ridge! Just go to smile.amazon.com instead of the regular Amazon homepage and register Pacific Ridge as your nominated charity. Then, shop as you normally would.
 
Target Red Card
Save money while helping raise funds for Pacific Ridge when you use your Red Card. Simply designate Pacific Ridge when you enroll through the Take Charge of Education program. The Pacific Ridge School ID number is 147996.

e-Scrip
Sign up for eScrip, and start earning money for Pacific Ridge by having a percentage of your purchase dollars donated to the school! Over 700 online and storefront merchants partner with eScrip, including Von's, Seaside Market, Amazon, and more. When you register your credit or debit card with eScrip, please designate Pacific Ridge School under "Group Selection," or use our Group ID number: 500017582. If you are a business owner, please also consider registering your company credit card.

Sports on the Ridge

Fall Sports Celebration on December 9th
Families of Upper School fall sports athletes are invited to the end-of-season Sports Celebration on Wednesday, December 9th. The event will feature a slide show, awards ceremony and breakout sessions for individual team awards and dessert. Dinner will not be served.
Date: Wednesday, December 9th
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room 

Duck-Reynolds, Headapohl Compete at Championships 
Congratulations to senior Travis Headapohl and junior Lynnlee Duck-Reynolds on competing at the California Cross Country State Championships on November 28th at Woodward Park in Fresno. Earning a spot in the state meet is an impressive accomplishment in itself - less than one percent of high school teams or individual runners qualify - and Travis and Lynnlee not only competed, but set new personal records on the 3.1 mile course. Lynnlee finished in 21:22, cutting more than three minutes off her state meet time two years ago, while Travis set the Pacific Ridge state meet course record by almost a minute with his 17:12 finish. This season, Lynlee improved her personal record on every subsequent course and Travis now holds school records on all courses but one. Great season, Firebirds!


 Lynlee and Travis pose with Coach Edwards during a break in action at the California Cross Country Championships.

Varsity Teams Enjoy International Competition, Camaraderie
On Wednesday, November 25th, Firebird Varsity Basketball hosted players from CETYS (Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior), a high school and University in Tijuana, for a campus visit and some friendly competition. Pacific Ridge students gave CETYS student-athletes a tour of the campus before taking to the court for a match that is becoming an annual event. After the game, students, coaches, and parents, cooked hamburgers and hot dogs, practiced language skills, talked basketball, and made new friends.



Home Games, Week of December 7th
Schedules are subject to change. Please check Schedulestar 
regularly for the most accurate information.

12/7/15 
3:30 p.m. - Boys JV Basketball vs. Escondido Adventist Academy
5:30 p.m. - Girls JV Basketball vs. TBA (San Ysidro High School SDA Tournament)
7:00 p.m. - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. TBA (San Ysidro High School SDA Tournament)

12/8/15
5:00 p.m. - Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Escondido Adventist Academy
6:30 p.m. - Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Escondido Adventist Academy

12/9/15
3:30 p.m. - Boys Middle School 'A' Basketball vs. Army & Navy Academy
4:30 p.m. - Boys Middle School 'B' Basketball vs. Santa Fe Christian Schools

12/10/15
3:15 p.m. - Girls Varsity Soccer vs. TBA (Baron's Tournament)

12/11/15
4:00 p.m. - Boys JV Basketball vs. Classical Academy High
5:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Classical Academy High
7:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Classical Academy High 

Beyond The Ridge

Practice ACT Plus Writing on December 5th
This optional practice opportunity is being offered free of charge to Pacific Ridge 10th and 11th graders. Click here for more information on the ACT test format. Online registration is now closed, so please email collegeguidance@pacificridge.org with questions or before noontime Friday, if you are looking for a space.  A second practice test will be offered after February break.
Date: Saturday, December 5th
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Place: West Reading Room
 
PSAT Scores Expected by End of December
PSAT scores should arrive at Pacific Ridge by the end of December, and sophomores and juniors will be notified as soon as College Guidance receives them.  Please watch your email for a preview of how to navigate the new PSAT score report.
 
Save The Date for Sophomore College Night: January 7th
Sophomores and their Parents are encouraged to attend Sophomore College Night on Thursday, January 7th, from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at the Dove Library Auditorium.  A reminder will follow after Winter Break.

Alumni News

Katie O'Laughlin '14 
Named to All-West Region Team
Congratulations to Pacific Ridge alumna Katie O'Laughlin on being named to the 2015 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer All-West Region Team. Katie, a sophomore forward for the UC San Diego Tritons, started in all 21 games this year, and ended the season with 10 goals, placing her among the top four scorers in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. 



Community Happenings

FACE Foundation Fundraiser on December 6th
On Sunday, December 6th from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m., junior Maranda Phillips will hold her 9th annual "Howliday in a Bottle" open house to benefit the FACE Foundation, a local charity that provides financial grants for animal owners who are unable to cover the cost of a pet's emergency medical care. The event will be held at the Sports Centre at the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe, and will feature an array of holiday shopping opportunities, from decorative holiday bottles to candles, clothing and unique jewelry items. For more information about the event and FACE, please visit the foundation's website.




In a community that fosters academic excellence, ethical responsibility, and global engagement, Pacific Ridge School prepares students for college and a purposeful life.

Pacific Ridge School | www.pacificridge.org

December 4th
Walking Club
8:15 a.m.

December 9th
Fall Sports Celebration
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.

December 11th
Middle School 
Movie Night
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

December 12th
ACT Test
8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

December 18th
Half Day 
Gingerbread Breakfast

December 21st - January 3rd
NO SCHOOL
Winter Break

January 6th
Alumni Reception
6 - 8 p.m.

January 9th
Admissions Open House
1 - 4 p.m.

January 10th
10th-Grade Parent Party
5 p.m.

January 17th
12th-Grade Parent Party
Time TBD

January 25th
Parent Book Club
7 p.m.

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