In This Issue - January 7, 2016
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Support in Any Storm: Through a week of profound precipitation, Pacific Ridge's security team made sure our community was safe. Thank you!

Bulletin Board
 
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. 

Heading to High School Event on January 12th
Parents of current 8th graders are invited to an evening event to learn more about their children's upcoming transition to high school. Topics will include "Preparing for a Purposeful Life," "Activities, Service Learning and Athletics," and "Curriculum and College Guidance." Students will have an opportunity later in January to attend upper school classes and talk with students about the high school experience at Pacific Ridge.
Date: Tuesday, January 12th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Mullady Hall

9th-Grade Muse Project Reception on January 13th
Families of 9th graders are invited to a special showing of their children's personal mythology projects in a museum setting. 
The projects, inspired by students' own experiences as well as their reading of Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, use modern means of storytelling such as contemporary art, documentary film and social media.
Date: Wednesday, January 13th
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Place: Mullady Hall

Firebirds Athletics Q & A Session on January 13th
Considering Pacific Ridge School for your family? Whether your child has participated in club sports or is new to the idea of playing on an athletic team, this information session is your opportunity to ask questions and learn more about Pacific Ridge's athletic program. Seventh-grade families are also welcome. For more information, please contact Jean Nassif at 760-579-4901.
Date: Wednesday, January 13th
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

No School on Monday, January 18th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Abbott/Ibis Day of Science & Engineering on January 18th
Interested in a career as a scientist or an engineer? Upper school students are invited to a special program at Ibis Biosciences on January 18th, where they can learn about medical technologies being developed, participate in hands-on demonstrations and speak with scientists and engineers about how they prepared for their careers. For more information, click here. To reserve your spot, please RSVP to Rangarajan Sampath at rangsamp@gmail.com by Wednesday, January 13th.
Date: Monday, January 18th
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Place: Ibis Biosciences, 2251 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad

Blood Drive on January 21st
The San Diego Blood Bank will be conducting a blood drive at Pacific Ridge on January 21st. Want to help someone in need by donating blood? Appointments can be scheduled by visiting the San Diego Blood Bank. Click on Donate Blood, select Make an Appointment, and enter our sponsor code: PARS.
Date: Thursday, January 21st
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. 
Place: Athletic Center Parking area

Middle School Social Event on January 29th 
Middle School students are invited to a beach-themed bash! The evening social includes a dance, games, and free snacks. All tickets will be sold at the door, and proceeds from the event will be donated to the New Haven Night Shelter in Cape Town, South Africa. 
Date: Friday, January 29th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Place: Middle School Reading Room
Cost: $5

Winter Semi-Formal in the Enchanted Forest!
Upper School students are invited to venture into the enchanted forest for this year's winter semi-formal. Great music, snacks and refreshments will be offered. Tickets go on sale the week of January 19th.
Date: Saturday, January 30th
Time: 7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Place: Mullady Hall
Cost: $12 in advance; $15 at the door

Tickets On Sale Now for All Shook Up!
Tickets are now available for Pacific Ridge's 8th annual musical production! Show dates for All Shook Up are Friday, February 5th and Saturday, February 6th at 7:00 p.m., with an additional matinee at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. All performances will be held at Vista's AVO Playhouse. It's 1955, and into a square little town in a square little state rides a guitar-playing roustabout who changes everything and everyone he meets in this hip-swivelling, lip-curling musical fantasy that'll have you jumpin' out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Don't Be Cruel." Click here to reserve your seats now!


Rehearsing for "Jailhouse Rock."

Parents: Interested in Learning About Robotics?
The Pacific Ridge Upper School Robotics team is looking for volunteers to help with hosting an on-campus league match on Sunday February 7th from 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. No experience is necessary - just a willingness to volunteer and get inspired by an enthusiastic community of future engineers. Questions? Please contact Mr. Park at bpark@pacificridge.org.

A Big Thank You from Faculty & Staff
The faculty and staff of Pacific Ridge extend their heartfelt appreciation to the community for the Parent Association holiday gift drive. Because of the generosity of Pacific Ridge parents, each and every school employee headed off for the holiday break with a valuable gift card in tow. Thank you!

Educational Insights

Please click here to read math teacher Chris Wright's blog post: "Problem-Based Learning in Mathematics: One Teacher's Journey".

New & Noteworthy

Gingerbread Breakfast a Delicious Holiday Sendoff
Nearly 700 students, faculty, staff and alumni celebrated the beginning of holiday break on December 18th at the annual Gingerbread Breakfast. Perfect weather accompanied by holiday decorations galore made an ideal backdrop for a sumptuous breakfast spread, served by an army of organized and gracious parent volunteers. Thanks go to the Parents Association and the many volunteers who contributed food and baked items, as well as those who set-up, served and tidied up after the breakfast. Their efforts made the 2015 Gingerbread Breakfast a continued favorite in the hearts and stomachs of all!







Community Enjoys Winter Performing Arts Concert
Immediately following the Gingerbread Breakfast, the Pacific Ridge community enjoyed a series of performances by members of the Middle School Rock Bands, Jazz Rock Ensembles, Vocal Ensemble, Improv Club and multiple dance groups, as well as some video clips from the world languages broadcasting project. The entertainment sent students and faculty off to their holiday vacations filled with music, laughter and good cheer. Thanks to Mr. Dziekonski for coordinating the outstanding performances.






Penny Wars Supports Feeding America San Diego
The Penny Wars have been fought, and the winner is the fight against hunger! At the Gingerbread Breakfast arts performances, students presented a check for $1,313.46 to Al Brislain, Chief Executive Officer of Feeding America San Diego. Many thanks to all those who contributed to an important cause: ending hunger through good food, education and advocacy.



Local Merchants Support Gingerbread Breakfast
A big thank you goes to Beach Plum Kitchen/Tin Leaf, Peet's Coffee and Crown Rentals for donating food items and supplies for this year's Gingerbread Breakfast. Pacific Ridge School appreciates your generosity, and wishes you a Happy New Year!

More Gingerbread Breakfast Photos on Facebook!
Please visit Pacific Ridge's Facebook page to see more images from the Gingerbread Breakfast.

Curricular Adventures 

Students Present Proposals for Travel & Service Grants
In December, an impressive array of student proposals were submitted to the newly combined Service and Travel Grant program. On Wednesday, December 16th, five finalists presented to a panel of invited judges and competed for funds to support their Service Learning and Global Programs projects. Supporting social and global entrepreneurship in the student body, a range of grants awards were made to the following finalists:
 
SERVICE: Opportunities for Athletes - Derek Enge, Sierra Enge, Camille Burdick - helping amputees continue their athletic pursuits
 
TRAVEL: Ashland Shakespeare Festival - Cosmo Cothran-Bray - immersing in the magical world of professional theater
 
SERVICE: Tools Organize Successful Students (TOSS) - David Wiesley.- redistributing school supplies to underserved students
 
TRAVEL: Migration Solutions - Adrian Agresti, Elliott Lehrer, Justin Vaughn - documenting the complexity of the current refugee crisis in Europe
 
SERVICE: A Million Knots - Mirai Patel, Madeline Forgey, Paige Hellinger - partnering with and supporting a girls' school in rural India



Sophomores Learn Their Strengths at Myers Briggs Workshop
On Monday, January 4th, executive coach Lynn Rhodes led a Myers Briggs Type Indicator workshop for sophomores. The workshop was designed to help students grow in self-awareness through learning about the diagnostic tool, and what the different tendencies (extravert vs introvert, sensing vs feeling) and types mean. The exercise encouraged students to explore how they communicate and what strengths they bring to the table. Students also learned about their individual learning styles and how they best process information. 



Alumni Give Advice on Senior Signature Projects
Three Pacific Ridge alumni stopped by campus on Monday, January 4th, to share their experiences in completing Senior Signatures. Senior Signatures are projects or speeches each graduating senior is asked to create as a reflection of who they are as they leave Pacific Ridge. Keara Geckeler '15 and Samantha Robinson '15 worked together to create stained glass artwork that will soon be displayed in the Arts Building lobby for their Senior Signature, while Nathan Tien '14 delivered a speech on the importance of being open to new experiences. The alumni spoke about some of the challenges they faced, and encouraged current seniors to dream big, think outside the box, and play to their passions. 



Service Learning In The Field

Varsity Basketball Volunteers at La Posada Shelter
Members of the Pacific Ridge Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams took time over the holiday break to give back. On December 28th, the student-athletes prepared and served food at La Posada de Guadalupe, a shelter for homeless men and farm workers in Carlsbad. After dinner, the students had an opportunity to sit down and chat with the residents, and senior Catherine Ames and alumnus Sebastian Green led the group in a round of holiday songs. A special thank you to the Gottesman family, who generously donated food from their restaurant for the meal, and to Mrs. Green who helped organize the evening.   


Parents Association 

Thank You to All who Helped with Gingerbread Breakfast!
The Parents Association is grateful for all of the parents and individuals who donated food and/or devoted their time and skills to create this magical event. We also send a big thank you to the facilities crew for their hard work and early morning arrival, which helped Gingerbread Breakfast run smoothly. 

10th-Grade Parent Party on January 10th
The 10th-Grade parent party will take place this Sunday, January 10th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. An Evite was sent to all parents with more details - please check your inbox. We hope to see you there! 

Start Your New Year's Resolutions with the Walking Club!
Come join the Walking Club for its first walk of 2016.
Date: Monday, January 11th
Time: Meet at Peet's Coffee at 8:15 a.m.
Place: Bressi Ranch
Next Walk: Morning of January 28th (time TBD)
    
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. Please check your email inbox for an Evite with additional details. 
 
Book Club Meeting on January 25th
The Pacific Ridge Parents' Book Club will meet on Monday, January 25th. 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

Sports on the Ridge

Back-to-Back Home Basketball Games on January 15th
Join us on Friday, January 15th, as Firebird Boys  Varsity and JV Basketball face off against Mar Vista High School in back-to-back home games. The JV game tips off at 5:30 p.m., with the varsity game following at 7:00 p.m. We hope the Pacific Ridge community will come out in full force to support our terrific student-athletes and kick the weekend off with some wonderful competition!

P.E. Uniforms Available For Purchase
The Athletics Department has P.E. uniforms available for purchase. Each set is $20 ($10 for shorts, $10 for shirts), cash preferred. Students can purchase the uniform in the Athletics Office during school hours. 

Former, Current Firebirds Face Off in Alumni Lacrosse Game
On January 2nd, former and current Firebird Boys Lacrosse players and coaches got together for the annual Alumni Lacrosse Game. For the first half of the game, the alumni used the advantage of experience to jump to a quick 9-1 lead over their younger counterparts. In the second half, teams were split evenly between current and former players, and the score stalled at 3-3 late in the 2nd quarter before Coach Elsdon teamed up with alumni Luke Annicharico and Martin Boyd to manufacture the winning goal. Players, coaches and parents alike relished the opportunity to reunite and catch up during the holiday break. 



Home Games, January 11th through January 16th
Schedules are subject to change. Please check Schedulestar 
regularly for the most accurate information.

1/12/16
3:15 p.m. - Girls Varsity Soccer vs. Sage Creek High School

1/13/16
3:00 p.m. - Boys Middle School 'C' Basketball vs. Tri-City Christian
3:30 p.m. - Boys JV Soccer vs. Francis Parker 
4:00 p.m. - Boys Middle School 'B' Basketball vs. Maranatha Christian
5:00 p.m. - Boys Middle School 'A' Basketball vs. Maranatha Christian

1/15/16
5:30 p.m. - Boys JV Basketball vs. Mar Vista 
7:00 p.m. - Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Mar Vista 

1/16/16
1:00 p.m. - Boys JV 'B' Basketball vs. La Jolla Country Day


 
Scores:

Boys Varsity Basketball
12/17/15 San Pasqual Academy 51 31 W
12/28/15 Desert Christian (TCCS Holiday Tournament) 51 56 L
12/29/15 Pitt Meadows (Holiday Tournament) 41 37 W
               Sage Hill (Holiday Tournament) 59 43 W
12/30/15 Classical Academy (Holiday Tournament) 66 44 W    

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball
12/14/15 The Bishop's School 32 63 L
12/15/15 Orange Glen High School 42 43 L

Boys Middle School 'A' Basketball
12/15/15 Horizon Prep 27 19 W
12/17/15 Tri-City Christian 30 35 L

Boys Middle School 'B' Basketball
12/15/15 Horizon Prep 55 13 W
12/17/15 Tri-City Christian 25 53 L

Boys Middle School 'C' Basketball
12/17/15 Tri-City Christian 6 27 L

Girls Varsity Basketball
12/14/15 Patrick Henry (SDA Tournament) 27 48 L
12/16/15 Lincoln High School (SDA Tournament) 22 63 L
12/18/15 Morse Senior High School (SDA Tournament) 13 49 L
12/19/15 Foothills Christian High School 61 12 W
12/28/15 Sage Hill (TCCS Holiday Tournament) 42 69 L
12/29/15  San Pasqual Academy (Holiday Tournament) 34 44 L
                 Escondido Charter ( Holiday Tournament) 36 32 W
12/30/15 Temecula Prep (Holiday Tournament) 34 40 L 

Girls Junior Varsity Basketball
12/14/15 Patrick Henry High School (SDA Tournament) 8 57 L
12/18/15 Morse Senior High School (SDA Tournament) 16 31 L

Boys Varsity Soccer
12/15/15 Rancho Bernardo 0 6 L
12/18/15 San Marcos High School 1 4 L

Boys Middle School 'A' Soccer
12/15/15 Maranatha Christian 10 0 W
12/17/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 3 2 W

Boys Middle School 'B' Soccer
12/17/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 1 0 W

Girls Varsity Soccer
12/15/15 Mission Vista 1 2 L

Girls Middle School 'A' Soccer
12/15/15 Maranatha Christian 6 0 W
12/17/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 7 0 W

Girls Middle School 'B' Soccer
12/17/15 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 7 0 W

Beyond The Ridge

Summer Opportunities Fair on January 27th 
The annual Summer Opportunities Fair is coming up on Wednesday, January 27th. This year's event will include a presentation on best practices for pursuing academic and outside interests over the summer, as well as sessions on scholarship searches and understanding the changes underway in standardized testing. Vendors will be on hand to share information on various summer programs. 
Date: Wednesday, January 27th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Mullady Hall





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

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

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

January 11th
Walking Club
8:15 a.m.

January 12th
Heading to High School
6:30 p.m.

January 13th
9th-Grade Muse Project Museum
5:30 p.m.

Athletics Q & A Session
6:30 p.m.

January 17th
12th-Grade Parent Party
Time TBD

January 18th
No School
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 21st
Blood Drive
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

January 25th
Parent Book Club
7 p.m. 

January 27th
Summer Opportunities Fair
6:30 p.m.

January 29th
Middle School Social Event
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

January 30th
Upper School Winter Semi-Formal
7 p.m.

February 5th
All Shook Up
7 p.m.

February 6th
All Shook Up
2 p.m. & 7 p.m.

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