On Friday, March 4th, the senior class traded classrooms for rollercoasters, while juniors explored fine art and wild animals. At Knotts Berry Farm, seniors enjoyed a wide-open park with plenty of time to take repeat turns on favorite rides and experience all the games and entertainment Knott's has to offer. Meanwhile, juniors walked on the wild side at the San Diego Zoo and brushed up on everything from art history to aerospace technology at Balboa Park's 15 museums. The annual "off-campus day" gives Pacific Ridge's hardworking juniors and seniors a chance to "unplug," relieve stress, and connect with one another outside of class.

On Wednesday, March 2nd, a group of upper school students and faculty members represented Pacific Ridge at the San Diego Independent Schools Inclusivity Meeting. The event, which took place at La Jolla Country Day School this year, provides an opportunity for cross-school conversations on the meaning of diversity, inclusivity, multiculturalism, and equity. 

Recently, students in Graphics 2 had an opportunity to gain real-world experience by creating marketing materials for the 101 Diner in Encinitas. The class interviewed Pacific Ridge parent Scott Smith, owner of the diner, to get a sense of the restaurant's vibe, values, and biggest selling points. The student's final designs, honed through several rounds of feedback with Mr. Smith and graphics teacher Mrs. Schmidt, featured elements including excerpts of positive Yelp reviews, food photos, and retro-style graphics. Mr. Smith was so pleased with the quality of the students' work that all 14 designs will be rotated as marketing posters in front of the diner.