In This Issue - September 22, 2016
Snapshot from the 
Ridge


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


Jeux Pour Enfants: Students in Madame Webber's French B class make memorization a hop, skip and a jump with a lively game of French Hopskotch.

Bulletin Board
 
September Student Social Events
Middle School: Laser Tag, pizza and snacks! Friday, September 23rd; 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.; $5 per student
Upper School Event: Friday, September 30th; 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.; taco truck and churros, more details on activities next week



Be a Part of The Wedding Singer!
Seasoned and budding performers, as well as those interested in working behind the scenes, are encouraged to play a role in this year's Upper School musical, The Wedding Singer. This year's production will take place in the newly-renovated, state-of-the-art Howard Brubeck Theater at Palomar College. Pacific Ridge musicals cast a wide range of performers, from those who have never sung, danced, or acted, to our Ben Vereen award-winning actors. Come and belt out a tune! Questions about auditions or "behind the scenes" work? Contact Fredreka Irvine at firvine@pacificridge.org. 
Audition dates: September 26-27-28
Time: Immediately after school
Rehearsals begin: October 10th



Science Olympiad Information Meeting on September 24th
Come learn how you can be a part of the highly successful Pacific Ridge Science Olympiad team. Questions? contact Science Olympiad coordinator Liz O'Brien at lobrien@pacificridge.org.
Date: Saturday, September 24th
Time: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. (breakfast provided!)
Place: Pacific Ridge School East Reading Room

Calling Pacific Ridge Parent Ambassadors
Come to a Parent Ambassador meeting on September 30th to learn how you can be an important part of admissions events. If you are interested but unable to attend the meeting, please contact Admissions Director Jean Nassif at jnassif@pacificridge.org.
Date: Friday, September 30th
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 a.m.
Place: Middle School/Administration Building Conference Room

Fall Fest is Around the Corner!
Bake sale, faculty dunk tank, 3 v. 3 basketball tournament, raffle drawings, gorgeous succulents for sale - need we say more? Mark your calendar for our annual Fall Fest celebration, where fun, games, food, & more support our students' service learning groups and clubs.
Date: Saturday, October 8th
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge campus



Student Performers Needed for Fall Fest
Comedians, musicians, actors, magicians, lip synchers, actors, jugglers, dancers, singers, storytellers, and all other types of performers are welcome! Contact Mr. Dziekonski at sdziekonski@pacificridge.org.

Reminder: California Scholarship Federation Deadlines
Attention juniors and seniors: Applications for the California Scholarship Federation for Trimester 3 of the last school year (2015-16) are due by September 30th. Please return your forms to Ms. Serafini at the reception desk in Mullady Hall. Parents of sophomores, juniors and seniors, please check your email for more information about CSF requirements and deadlines.

Parents: Volunteers Needed for Senior Class Events
Are you interested in helping to organize the 100-Day Dinner and Grad Night? The Committee for Senior Class Events needs additional volunteers. Please contact Monna Radulovich for more information.

Educational Insights


Click here to read Dr. Ogle's latest blog post in which he shares some interesting statistics about the Pacific Ridge classroom experience and the essential skills today's students need to learn. 


New & Noteworthy

Juniors and Seniors Kick Off the Year 
On Monday, Juniors visited Brengle Park for their JUKE (Junior Kickoff Event) day, where they bonded as a class and spent time talking about maintaining a healthy lifestyle and finding balance in their lives over the last two years of high school. Seniors started their SYKE (Senior Year Kickoff Event) day on campus with a picnic catered by Rubios, played Can Jam and whiffle ball, among other games, and caught some air at Getair, a trampoline gym in Vista. Upon their return, they worked on a class logo - look for it to be displayed in the next few months!


Sometimes teamwork takes on curious forms!

Video: Leaping into senior year at Get Air Trampoline Park

Hands of Peace Recap at Community Life
At Thursday's Community Life, students who participated in the Hands of Peace summer program spoke about the depth of their experience and the impact it had upon them. Hands of Peace brings together Israeli, Palestinian and American teenagers for a four week-long program of dialogue, team building and leadership training. The San Diego program takes place at Pacific Ridge. According to Hands of Peace California Director and history teacher Scott Silk, the experience can be as meaningful for American teens as for those from the Middle East. "Watching our students grow through this process is amazing," he said. "As Americans, they also play an important role. They connect the other participants and help broaden their perspectives." 

Video by Matthew Cheung '18

Curricular Adventures
  
8th Graders Discover Anatomy of a Computer
Last week, students in Ms. Plavsich's modern computing and design skills class took apart a computer and then used observations and best guesses to figure out the computer's essential components and their purposes. By working backwards, students learned fundamentals about creating tools and designing solutions. All Middle School students will take three separate, trimester-long skills classes over the course of the year. The weekly, one-hour sessions are ungraded and do not have homework. Ask your middle schoolers what skills they are learning this trimester!



Service Learning in the Field

Trails Group Traverses Carlsbad
7th and 8th Graders in the Trails Service Learning group are getting to know the local Carlsbad trail system. The group, in partnership with the City of Carlsbad, maintains local trail systems by pulling weeds, disposing of trash, and learning how to use tools to preserve and renew trails. At the same time they are (literally!) on the ground working, they are learning about the local watershed and the importance of natural open space to the community. Trails is a new addition to the lineup of trimester-long Service Learning opportunities for middle school students.




Jar New Ocean Blue Requests Glass Jar Donations for Fall Fest!
Upper School Service Learning group New Ocean Blue will be selling body scrubs at Fall Fest to raise funds to promote awareness of ocean pollution. The group is requesting that parents collect any used and cleaned mason jars - jam, olive, pickle, tomato - and ask their children to drop them off outside the 10th-grade workroom in Mullady Hall. Glass takes one million years to decompose in a landfill, so collect your jars and bring them in!

Class Notes
 
Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists
Seniors Max Dawson, Lily Klinek, Noah Kuo, Elliott Lehrer, and Kyle Ramsay have been named Semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. The distinction of Semifinalist is based on the students' scores in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test, and allows them to compete for Finalist status and scholarship awards totaling over $37 million. Congratulations, seniors!



Student Playwright Recognized
Powell Sheagren's ('18) original script, Love Lost, written when he was a sophomore, was selected as one of nine semi-finalists out of 385 submissions to the 2016 California Young Playwrights Contest, sponsored by the local non-profit Playwrights Project.
He developed the script while working on "dramalogues" in his Honors Theater class at Pacific Ridge. Nice job, Powell!



Parents Association 
 
Parents: Volunteer for Fall Fest!
Activities will include the renowned Parents Association bake sale, basket raffles, the ever-popular living succulent pumpkin centerpiece sale, uniform sale, and more! Volunteers can sign up here.
Seeking Baked Goods and Pop-Up Canopies for Fall Fest
Calling all bakers and cooks! We would appreciate your help in providing baked goods and treats for the Fall Fest Bake Sale. We are also looking for families who own pop-up canopies that the school can borrow for Fall Fest (preferably with white side curtain panels if possible). To volunteer to provide items for the Bake Sale or to lend a pop-up canopy, please email us: parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.
Succulent Donations Needed for Fall Fest
Ornamental succulents are needed for the Fall Fest pumpkin succulent sale. Donations will be collected through Friday, September 30th, and can be dropped off at the reception desk in the Middle School Building (tall grocery paper bags filled to the top are the ideal size to carry - we will accept all quantities). Questions? Please contact the Parents Association. Thank you!
Walking Club Will Meet on Thursday, September 29th
Join fellow Pacific Ridge parents for conversation and exercise!
Date: Thursday, September 29th
Time: Meet at 8:15 a.m., walk starts at 8:30 a.m. and lasts 60-90 minutes.
Location: Starbuck's Coffee: La Costa Town Square (La Costa Avenue/Rancho Santa Fe Rd)

DATE CHANGE: Parent Book Club Meeting Now October 3rd 
The Pacific Ridge Parent Book Club will meet to 
discuss The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts, by Joshua Hammer. The Book Club is open to all Pacific Ridge parents. 
Date: Monday, October 3rd
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School Library
Grade-Level Parent Parties
7th Grade: Sunday, September 25th, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
8th Grade: Planning in process, date TBD soon
9th Grade: CHANGED - Saturday, October 1st, early evening
10th Grade: Planned for Saturday, October 22nd, early evening
11th Grade: Planned for Sunday, October 23rd, early evening
12th Grade: Planned for Sunday, February 12th

Used Uniforms: Drop Off at the Main Office
The Parents Association collects gently used uniforms year round! Donations can be dropped off at the main reception desk in the Middle School/Administration building on any school day. The next used uniform sale will be at Fall Fest on October 8th.

Sports on the Ridge

Home Games, Week of September 26th
Schedules are subject to change. Please check 
Schedulestar regularly for the most accurate information.

9/27/16
3:30 p.m. - Coed 8 Blue Flag Football vs. Santa Fe Christian
4:30 p.m. - Coed 7 Blue Flag Football vs. Santa Fe Christian

9/28/16
3:30 p.m. - Coed MS Cross Country @ Rancho Carrillo

9/29/16
TBA - Girls Varsity Volleyball, Nike Tournament of Champions
3:30 p.m. - Coed 8 Blue Flag Football vs. SD Jewish Academy
3:30 p.m. - Girls Varsity Tennis vs. The Bishop's School
4:30 p.m. - Coed 7 Blue Flag Football vs. SD Jewish Academy
5:00 p.m. - Boys Junior Varsity Water Polo vs. Olympian
6:00 p.m. - Boys Varsity Water Polo vs. Olympian

9/30/16
TBA - Girls Varsity Volleyball, Nike Tournament of Champions
2:30 p.m. - Coed Varsity Cross Country @ Morley Field


Varsity Firebird Classic Yields Fantastic Play
Last weekend, Pacific Ridge hosted 16 teams at the Varsity Firebird Classic. We came out fast and furious on Friday, with three straight wins. Saturday's roller coaster match against Steele Canyon ultimately led to defeat, but the Firebird's best performance followed in the first round of play-offs versus a very physical and experienced Point Loma team. Pacific Ridge jumped out to take the first game, 25-20, controlling the temp the entire game. While the Firebirds ultimately lost, they were the only team to take a game from Point Loma in the entire tournament. Congratulations to Captains Emma Price and Ava Embry, who received All-Tournament recognition for their leadership and outstanding play during the two-day event.



Athletes of the Week
This week, The Flock recognizes athletes Ava Embry '17, Christopher Ong '18 and Justin Grossman '21. Ava is a strong setter for Girls Varsity Volleyball, and will apply her amazing work ethic playing Division 1 volleyball next year at Lafayette College. Chris is one of Pacific Ridge's most committed Coed Varsity Cross Country runners, and consistently places well in meets. Justin displays his passion for both academics and Flag Football every week, making him a great example of a well-rounded student-athlete. Congratulations, Firebirds!


 
Scores:
Coed Varsity Cross Country
9/16/16 Woodbridge Invitational
Top Finishers - Kimberly Cheung, placed 18th of 189 runners; Lynnlee Duck-Reynolds, placed 25th of 189 runners

Girls Varsity Tennis
9/13/16 Santa Fe Christian Schools 14 4 W

Girls Varsity Volleyball
9/13/16 Mission Vista 3 2 W
9/14/16 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 2 3 L
9/16-17/16 Varsity Firebird Classic:
Seaquam 25-10, 25-12 W
El Camino 25-16, 25-11 W
Calvin Christian 25-17, 25-18 W
Steele Canyon 18-25, 19-25 L
Point Loma 25-20, 25-27, 8-15 L

Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball
9/13/16 Mission Vista 1 2 L
9/14/16 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 2 L

Girls Frosh Volleyball 
9/14/16 Academy of Our Lady of Peace 0 2 L

Girls MS 'A' Volleyball
9/14/16 Rancho Santa Fe MS 2 0 W

Girls MS 'B' Volleyball
9/14/16 Rancho Santa Fe MS 2 0 W

Girls MS 'White' Volleyball
9/14/16 Rancho Santa Fe MS 2 0 W

Girls MS 'Blue' Volleyball
9/14/16 Rancho Santa Fe MS 0 2 L


Beyond the Ridge

College Guidance "Key Conversation" on October 5th 
This optional, one-hour session is open to all Pacific Ridge families and students in grades 10-12, and will focus on what teenagers can learn from talking about money, interest rates, calculating the true cost of loans, good debt vs. bad debt, and more. Pacific Ridge's Advanced Mathematical Finance teacher Noureddine El Alam and College Guidance staff will lead an informative conversation.
Date: Wednesday, October 5th
Time: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Community Hall

Financial Aid Forms and Formulas on October 5th 
College Guidance's annual Financial Aid Forms & Formulas program provides an overview of federal and institutional methodology, and introduces families to the Net Price Calculator tool. The presentation will include a clear review of what the "Prior-Prior Year" policy being introduced in the current admission cycle means for families in terms of financial aid packaging and informed decision-making. 
Date: Wednesday, October 5th
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room 

CSU/UC Application Workshop for Seniors
On October 14th, a page-by-page CSU application review will be followed by a detailed Q&A session to wrap up details of the UC application. Seniors not using the fall break weekend to travel are encouraged to attend this application workshop, as are seniors who have finished with the UC/CSU application work and want to work on college applications. Breakfast snacks/juice will be served.
Date: Friday, October 14th
Time: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room

College Representatives Are On Their Way:

Week of September 26th
American University; Carleton College; Emmanuel College; Fordham University - Lincoln Center Campus/Rose Hill Campus; Gettysburg College; Haverford College; Johns Hopkins University; Johnson & Wales University (Providence); Lesley University; Long Island University, Post; Loyola Marymount University; Suffolk University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; The University of Arizona; University of Richmond 

Week of October 3rd
Pace University; Chapman University; Ursinus College; Trinity College; Southern Methodist University; Washington College; University of British Columbia; Duke University; St. Lawrence University; Regis University; New York University; St. Olaf College; Dominican University of California; University of Glasgow; Mills College; Southwestern University; University of Chicago; Hendrix College; University of San Francisco; Whittier College; University of Missouri Columbia; Salve Regina College; Texas Christian University; Northwestern University; Colgate University; Northwest Christian University

Regional Programs: 
Please visit the College Guidance page on PowerSchool/Haiku for campus programming notes and a complete list of upcoming regional info sessions.

University of Pennsylvania
Date: Monday, September 26th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: 6501 Linda Vista Rd, San Diego
Click here to register.

Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Thursday, September 29th
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, 8757 Rio San Diego Dr., San Diego
Click here to register.

Fordham University 
Date: Thursday, September 29th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School East Reading Room
Click here to register.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Thursday, September 29th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Place: Qualcomm; Bldg Q Auditorium; 6455 Lusk Blvd., San Diego
No R.S.V.P Required
 
Purdue University
Date: Sunday, October 2nd
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Courtyard San Diego Central, 8651 Spectrum Center Blvd, San Diego
Click here to register.

Johns Hopkins University
Date: Sunday, October 2nd
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Marriott Mission Valley, Cabrillo Salon, 8757 Rio San Diego Dr., San Diego
Click here to register.

Duke University
Date: Wednesday, October 5th 
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: High Tech High; 2855 Farragut Rd., San Diego 
Click here to register.

Faculty News

Faculty and Staff Pursue Lifelong Learning
A number of Pacific Ridge faculty and staff members have completed or are in the process of completing degrees that will both enhance their professional development and benefit the school. Among the accomplishments of our faculty this summer are:

Degrees Conferred
John Comforto: MA in Education Policy & Leadership, Stanford
Christine DeHaven: MA in Education Learning Technologies, Pepperdine
Jeremy Rosen: MA in Curriculum & Instruction, USD
Liz Stevenson: MBA, UC Irvine Merage School of Business
Andy Wright: MEd in Private School Leadership, University of Hawai'i

Degrees in Process
Eva Schmidt: MA in Education at USD School of Leadership & Education Sciences
Lily Pearson: MS in Accounting, Golden Gate University

New Faculty & Staff Snapshot

Steve Poovey, English teacher
Steve Poovey - English

Favorite book? Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee
Favorite movie? Good Will Hunting
Favorite sport? Tennis (to play); Soccer (to watch)
Greatest indulgence? Craft ice cream and doughnuts
If you make him breakfast? 
Eggs over easy, blueberry pancakes, and strong coffee
In his free time? Riding, cycling, anything ocean-related, playing the guitar, scuba diving liveaboard
Home town? San Diego, CA


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


September 23rd
Middle School 
Social Event
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

September 24th
Science Olympiad Information Meeting
9 - 11 a.m.

September 25th
7th-Grade Parent Party
5 - 7 p.m.

September 30th
Parent Ambassador Information Meeting 
8 - 9:30 a.m.

Upper School 
Social Event
6 - 9 p.m. 

October 3rd
Parent Book Club
7- 9 p.m. 

October 5th
College Guidance 
Key Conversation
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Financial Aid Forms 
and Formulas
6 - 7:30 p.m. 

October 8th
Fall Fest
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

October 10th
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
4 - 7 p.m. 

October 13th
Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences
4:50 - 8:15 p.m.

October 14th
Parent/Student/Teacher
Conferences
8:20 - 11:55 a.m.

UC/CSU Workshop
8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

October 17th
NO SCHOOL 
Staff Day 

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