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In This Issue - December 15, 2016
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Each week, Pacific Ridge School invites you to enjoy a spontaneous view of school life.
Sibling Day! It's a great chance for students to celebrate (or tease) their brothers or sisters.
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Reminder: Tomorrow is Half Day of School 
Parents are reminded that Friday, December 16 is a half day of school. After the Gingerbread Breakfast and performances, students will be released at noon to start their well-deserved winter vacation. Parents are invited to watch the performances starting at 10:00 a.m.
Enjoy Winter Break!
Have a wonderful Winter Break from December 17 until January 2, 2017. Classes resume Tuesday, January 3 and the next newsletter will come out January 5. Happy Holidays!
Tomorrow is the Last Day for Lost & Found
Lost & Found items will be on display in the lobby of the Athletic Center until noon tomorrow. Unclaimed items will be donated to an orphanage in Mexico supported by one of our Pacific Ridge families.
Save The Date: Pacific Ridge Alumni Reception January 4th
All Pacific Ridge alumni and their families are invited to a winter reception on the Pacific Ridge campus. Think you can make it? RSVP here.
Date: Wednesday, January 4th
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School
 Admissions Open House on January 7th
Families interested in Pacific Ridge are invited to our winter Open House event on Saturday, January 7, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Presentations and activities will be followed by campus tours. Come meet the students and faculty that make Pacific Ridge special. To RSVP, you can click here or contact Admissions Assistant Jennifer Contreras at [email protected] or 760-448-9841.
Tax Year-End Reminder for the Annual Fund
The 2016-2017 Annual Fund is going strong, but still needs your support. Remember, all donations to the Annual Fund are tax deductible. If you would like to make your gift in the current tax year, please do so by December 31, 2016 here, through the mail, My Backpack, or by contacting Annual Fund Manager Nisa Conway at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!
Middle School Sports Extravaganza on January 13th
Middle School students and families are in for a fun sports social event on January 13th. Starting with girls soccer at 3:00 p.m. middle schoolers are encouraged to come out and show school spirit and enjoy snacks and jumpers. Boys basketball and soccer follow with fun half-time games throughout the afternoon.
Date: Friday, January 13th
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center and Field
Join Us for Our Education Today Series on January 18th
Parents are invited to attend our next Education Today discussion: "Purposeful Programming: Igniting Interest Beyond the Classroom." Director of Student Life John Comforto and Director of Athletics Hans Richter will talk with parents and other interested attendees about why being actively involved in school, both in and out of the classroom, is powerful and impactful. RSVP here.
Date: Wednesday, January 18th
Time: 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Place: Community Hall
Save the Date: Upper School Musical January 27th and 28th
Mark your calendars for another Pacific Ridge musical extravaganza. Upper School students are hard at work on The Wedding Singer. Performances take place on January 27 and 28 at the Howard Brubeck Theater at Palomar College. Stay tuned for more details and ticket sales.
Date: Friday, January 27th and Saturday, January 28th
Times: 7:00 p.m. on Friday; 2:00p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday
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 Voices From the Ridge
In his blog post, "Travels With Steinbeck: Bringing Of Mice and Men to Life," English teacher Steve Poovey reflects on an 8th-grade project that is a good example of Pacific Ridge's approach to integrated learning. The project involved English, service learning, world languages and a field trip, and resulted in some powerful creative writing by his students.
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Little Mermaid, Jr. Performance a Splash and a Smash
The Middle School musical was a huge hit over the weekend! The young actors did an amazing job singing, dancing and performing scenes from the Disney hit movie, and audiences were thoroughly entertained. Congratulations to the hard-working cast and crew and many thanks to director Katy Capozzoli and all the parents who helped make the show such a success. For more Little Mermaid, Jr. photos, visit Pacific Ridge's Facebook page.
Students and Teachers Attend Diversity Conferences
On December 9, several students and teachers headed to Atlanta, Georgia to connect with representatives from other schools and explore issues of diversity. Students attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference which focuses on self-reflection, forming allies and building leadership within school communities. Dr. Smith and Dr. Rosenwong were among the presenters at the concurrent People of Color Conference for teachers and administrators. Both conferences are put on by the National Association of Independent Schools. The attendees are excited to share what they learned with the school community.
Alumni Get a Boost During Exams
Alumni are in for a treat during their final exams! Parents and the Alumni Office recently readied care packages for the class of '15 and '14 filled with snacks, treats, Firebird gear and Emergen-C packets to get them through finals. The packages are a welcome surprise for alumni as they finish up the semester away from home!
Packaging up a little "alumni love."
STEM Expert Urges Students to Start Exploring Now
"Don't wait to do what you're interested in!" STEM superstar Tara Tiger Brown urged students during Community Life on December 15. A passionate supporter of STEM, Brown has co-founded several companies, including the L.A. Makerspace, which provides STEM programming to students in the Los Angeles area. She encouraged everyone to quit "waiting for college" to follow their passions and, instead, start learning and doing them now. She gave examples of student tinkerers and explorers and showed there's no age too young to start making a difference in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Eighth Graders Use Spanish Skills to Make New Friends
The best way to learn is through practice, and eighth graders learned that firsthand on December 6 when they visited Colegio Reina Isabel in Tijuana. From the moment the students crossed the border they were immersed in Spanish, talking with the pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade students at their bilingual school. Pacific Ridge students ate lunch with the CRI students, participated in PE and helped out during technology class. It's the third year Pacific Ridge students have visited the school.
Spending time in a CRI classroom
Group photo from a fun and informative day
Surf and Sustainability Students Learn About Smartfin
A new innovation is turning surfers into citizen scientists. Representatives from Smartfin and the Surfrider Foundation spoke to the Surfing, Sustainability and the Sea class on December 9 about the new surfboard fin that measures scientific data such as water temperature and pH levels. The GPS-enabled Smartfin pairs to a smart phone giving real-time data about ocean conditions in the surf zone to scientists across the world. As designers of their own surfboards, students were eager to learn about the innovation that will help scientists understand the effects of climate change on our ocean. Tyler Cyronac shares Smartfin technology with Dr. Burckin.
Hands-on, Minds-on Learning: For Parents!
Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I may remember. Involve me, and I'll understand. - Chinese Proverb
On December 8, parents had the opportunity to learn about ways Pacific Ridge incorporates hands-on learning into its curriculum. Mr. Dziekonski opened the session by presenting research about the importance of active learning to stimulate various parts of the brain and build essential skills. Ms. Schmidt then introduced a hands-on activity for participants in which they had 20 minutes to develop a novel product prototype to help people stay hydrated. Attendees used various supplied materials to create their prototypes, then shared them with the group. Parents were energized by the activity, with more than one commenting, "This makes me want to go back to school!"
Ms. Schmidt and attendees discuss the process of hands-on learning.
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| Service Learning in the Field |
Service Learning Program Thanks You!
Pacific Ridge's middle and upper school service learning program would like to thank all families who contributed to our recent holiday toy drive for Head Start. Gifts were delivered this week and led to plenty of hugs, laughter and beaming faces. Your generosity is truly appreciated.
Blue Key Lunch Mentors Meet with Freshmen
Senior mentors met with their freshmen counterparts on December 12 to catch up on the transition into high school. The meetings take place about once or twice a trimester and give freshmen students a chance to discuss anything they want with seniors, including concerns, friendships or schoolwork. Seniors lend an ear and share similar experiences.
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Save the Date! Parents Association General Meeting on Thursday, January 12th
All are welcome to attend this evening event. The agenda includes a panel of alumni who will share insights about "life after PRS" and how their experiences have been impacted by their Pacific Ridge education. In addition you'll hear plans as we prepare to celebrate Pacific Ridge School's 10th year!
Date: Thursday, January 12th
Time: 6:00 p.m. mingle; program runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m
Place: Community Hall
A Note of Gratitude & Appreciation
From the Opening Day Parent Coffee to Gingerbread Breakfast, with Fall Fest, used uniform sales and many great club activities in between, the first few months of school are filled with parent and community-supported events. The success of these events would not be possible without Pacific Ridge's amazing volunteers and supportive community. The Parents Association would like to say thank you to everyone for your participation and contributions and to wish you a wonderful holiday season.
Book Club Will Meet on Monday, January 23rd
The club's next selection is Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance.
Date: Monday, January 23rd
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School Library
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Schedules are subject to change. Please check
12/22/16
2:00 p.m Boys Varsity Lacrosse Alumni Game
Boys Varsity Basketball Plays Tartan Tournament
Last week the team headed up to San Juan Capistrano four times to participate in a tournament with an outstanding field of Division 3AA and 4AA teams. The tournament highlight was a heart-stopping game game against Tri-City Christian on December 10. In the first half, Pacific Ridge was down 41 points, but strong defense and a ferocious effort closed the gap in the second half. With five minutes remaining and still ten points down, the Firebirds kicked into even higher gear. In the final 12 seconds, senior Noah Kuo hit two free throws to seal a remarkable, morale-building win. Go Firebirds!
Scores:
Boys Varsity Basketball
Tartan Classic Tournament
12/06/16 St. Margarets 37 64 L
12/08/16 Capistrano Valley Christian 38 62 L
12/09/16 Jurupa Hills 42 71 L
12/10/16 Tri-City Christian 65 61 W
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball
11/30/16 Liberty Charter 78 20 W
12/2/16 Sage Creek 18 59 L
12/08/16 Guajome Park Academy 49 11 W
12/09/16 Classical Academy High 62 18 W
Girls Varsity Basketball
12/08/16 Guajome Park Academy 61 21 W
12/09/16 Sage Creek High School 45 51 L
Boys Varsity Soccer
12/06/16 West Shore HS 5 2 W
12/09/16 Del Norte High School 2 6 L
12/10/16 Parker Cup vs King Chavez 2 3 L
12/10/16 Parker Cup vs West Shores 2 1 W
Boys Junior Varsity Soccer
12/05/16 Sage Creek High School 0 5 L
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Save the Date! Sophomore College Night
Date: Thursday, January 5th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Dove Library
Summer Opportunities Fair
& Special Interest Sessions
Date: Wednesday, January 25th
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: East and West Reading Rooms
Junior Grade Level Time
College Guidance will meet with the Junior class on January 9th during Grade-Level time to start the process of researching best fit colleges and linking to the college community.
See upcoming key dates here.
For questions related to college guidance, e-mail
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| New Faculty & Staff Snapshot |
Drew Burges - Music
Favorite or most recent book? Recently re-reading Shogun and Tai-Pan, by James Clavell. I first read them as a teenager. Both are great stories with lots of history.
Favorite movie? La Vie En Rose
Favorite sport? Kali stick fighting
Greatest indulgence? Sushi
If you make him/her breakfast? Eggs, avocado, fruit, peanut butter
In his free time? Playing music. Reading and swimming at the beach
Dream vacation? Japan
Home town? I'm not originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, but I usually think of it as my hometown.
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Global Travel Videos Now Available on Website!
 Global travel is a major part of the Pacific Ridge School experience and hugely transformative for students. Check out some new videos here from past trips including China and the Northern Sierras.
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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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December 16th
Half Day
January 4th
Alumni Family Reception
6 p.m.
January 5th
Sophomore College Night at The Dove Library
6:30 p.m.
January 7th Admissions Open House 1 - 4 p.m. January 12th
Parents Association General Meeting 6 p.m. January 13th
Middle School Sports Extravaganza 3 - 5 p.m. January 18th
Education Today Series 9:30 a.m. January 25th
Summer Opportunities Fair 6 - 8 p.m.
January 27
Upper School Musical
7 p.m.
January 28th
Upper School Musical
2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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PRS Student Newspaper
Password: firebird
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