In This Issue - February 9, 2017
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


"We are PRS" - Advanced Photography students take portraits for a special project.
    
Bulletin Board


Science Extravaganza is Tomorrow!
Pacific Ridge students will be presenting a series of theatrical science experiments, all set to music, with dramatic staging and lighting. Science Extravaganza! is free, family friendly and open to the whole community. It will knock your socks off!
Date: Friday, February 10th
Time: Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show starts at 7:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

Valentine's Day: Fall In Love With Our New Building Plans!
Pacific Ridge parents are cordially invited to visit the Athletic Center lobby on February 14 to view plans in progress and learn more about the multidisciplinary facility, which will bring together a library and collaborative work areas with design spaces and several science and research labs. Stop by if you are headed to a home game on the 14th. Valentine's Day treats will be available!
Date: Tuesday, February 14th
Time: 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center Lobby
Day of Science and Engineering on February 20th
All upper school students interested in science and engineering are invited to learn about innovative medical technologies developed locally and globally by pharmaceutical company Abbott. Students will get the chance to participate in hands-on demonstrations and learn how to prepare for a career in science and engineering. Space is limited to 30 students. RSVP to Jose.R.Gutierrez@abbott.com or by phone at (760) 801-7408. More information is available here.
Date: Monday, February 20th
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Abbott Sciences, 2251 Faraday Ave, Carlsbad

Music Concert on February 13th
Come enjoy a music concert put on by vocal and jazz ensembles. The performance is free of charge and open to all.
Date: Monday, February 13th
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

Schedule of Event Calendar
2017-2018 Academic Calendar Now Available
The academic calendar for school year 2017-2018 is now available here.


Register for the Spring After-School Extension Program!
Looking for fun and enriching afternoon activities? The spring After-School Extension Program runs from mid-March through mid-May, and courses are open to both Pacific Ridge students and students from the larger community. Offerings include:   Skateboarding & Filmmaking, Fashion & Jewelry Design, Tinkering Lab, Guitar Lessons, Piano Lessons and Voice Lessons. Check it out! Click here for more information and to register. 


Head of School Coffee on March 2nd
Pacific Ridge parents are warmly invited to share coffee and conversation with the Head of School on Thursday, March 2. After a few introductory remarks, Dr. Ogle will be available to answer questions and speak about topics of interest to attendees.
Date: Thursday, March 2nd
Time: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Place: Community Hall


Save the Date for A Million Knots Fashion Show!
Students in service learning group A Million Knots are throwing a fashion show fundraiser on March 3 to continue funding a girls school in India they founded in 2012. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students and are available here. Attendees can enjoy savory Indian food, bid on silent auction items, shop at booths representing other service learning groups and even bid on the runway fashion designs! Indulge in some fashion fun and support education for girls in India.
Date: Friday, March 3rd
Time: 6:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center
 
Parent Curriculum Night on March 8th
Parents of current sophomores and juniors are invited to Pacific Ridge's annual 11th and 12th-grade Curriculum Night on Wednesday, March 8. The theme for the event is "Setting Up for Success." Faculty members will discuss course offerings for the 2016-2017 school year. Please note: sophomores and juniors will have a student-only event during the day.
Date: Wednesday, March 8th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: East Reading Room  

Educational Insights

Bob's Blog
Pacific Ridge Alumni & 21st- Century Skills:  
Click here to read Dr. Ogle's blog post about his recent visits with alumni and their responses to a survey about how Pacific Ridge prepared them for college and beyond.

New & Noteworthy
Geography Bee Finalists Demonstrate Mastery of the Map
Pacific Ridge students are no strangers to global travel. Some of them are great geographers too. On February 2, middle school students competed in a Geography Bee to test their knowledge of the globe. Congratulations to Nick Simpson '21 who won the heated contest and runner-up Evan Willsmore '22. Nick subsequently took a test to determine if he is one of the top 100 geography masters in the state. If so, he'll go onto the state-wide competition in late March. 


Congratulations, Nick!

Worldly Visitors Arrive To Strengthen Global Ties
Bonjour and lēe hò to our global visitors! Pacific Ridge is currently hosting 19 students from Taiwan and 11 French students from Victor Duruy High School. The experience is meant to foster global ties and expand students' horizons. Oftentimes, Pacific Ridge students will visit their guests' home-country and re-connect with their new friends while abroad. The French students will be attending classes and exploring southern California through February 17 and the Taiwanese students through February 14. Please say hello if you see them on campus.


Taiwanese students meet their host families.

Faculty and Staff Hit 100% Annual Fund Participation!
Once again, our faculty and staff have proven they are best in class by being the first to achieve 100% participation in the Annual Fund. This support speaks volumes about their dedication to our students and commitment to the success and sustainability of our programs. Thank you, amazing faculty and staff!

Curricular Adventures

Conceptual Physics Students Try Not to Crack
Eighth-grade Conceptual Physics students did their best to keep cool on February 3 before hurling egg vehicles off the second floor of the middle school building. By trying to protect an egg, students applied the concepts of impulse (slowing the egg down over a longer time lowers the force on the egg) and momentum (slowing the impact velocity lessens the change in momentum for the egg). Students examined their progress by taking slow motion video of their prototypes with test drops. 

Students anticipate the fate of the egg drop.

Marine Biology Students Visit Fish Hatchery
Marine biology students visited the Ocean Resources Enhancement and Hatchery Program in Carlsbad on February 8 to experience all aspects of a working marine fish hatchery. Students learned about the white sea bass stock enhancement program which rears juvenile fish for release into the wild to increase the wild stock of the species. Students chatted with stakeholders involved in the hatchery, including CA Department of Fish and Wildlife employees, resident scientists and representatives from the aquaculture industry.


Service Learning in the Field

Students Impart Important Lessons to Preschoolers
As part of their weekly service learning work, middle schoolers visited a Head Start classroom on February 7 to play with students and teach important lessons. This week, our students helped the preschoolers learn about geology and the water cycle. Students use the visits to demonstrate important qualities, such as respecting friends and sharing. The young visitors enjoyed showing off their older friends and learning from them. 



Class Notes

Robotics Team Wins Innovation Award
Upper school robotics team 4262 Ridgebots had a strong showing at their League Championship last weekend. They won the judged Rockwell Collins Innovate Award given to a team whose robot demonstrates a unique engineering solution to the game challenge. The team was a finalist in head-to-head competition, and also scored a third place for the highest judged award at the event - the Inspire Award. As a result of these awards, the Ridgebots qualified for participation in the San Diego regional championships on February 25. 

The students on the team are:

Brett Edwards              Jake Newman             Rajan Phadnis
Noah Kuo                     KJ Newman                Claire Sinow      
Elliot Lehrer                  Nathan Newman        Roshan Srinivasan
Kyler Walsh


Parents Association 
Senior Parent Party This Sunday
A quick reminder that the 12th-Grade Parent Party is scheduled for this Sunday, February 12 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. If you haven't done so already, please RSVP via your evite by tonight. We look forward to seeing you there!
 
8th-Grade Parent Party is Coming March 5th
The 8th-Grade Parent Party is now scheduled for Sunday evening, March 5 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Look for an evite coming soon so you can RSVP and join in on this fun event!

Walking Club Meets Tomorrow! 
Join fellow Pacific Ridge parents for some fresh air and exercise around Bressi Ranch!
Date: Friday, February 10th
Time: 8:20 a.m. 
Place: Peet's Coffee, Bressi Ranch

Next Book Club Meets Monday, March 20th
Grab some extra down time over winter break to read two interesting 'modern Shakespeare' stories: Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood (a modern retelling of The Tempest) and Nutshell, by Ian McEwan (a short novel narrated by a "baby-to-be or not to be" who is also Hamlet). Join us for what promises to be a memorable literary discussion!
Date: Monday, March 20th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School Library

Save the Date! WeCare Presents Speaker Richard Louv
On March 6 (evening) and March 7 (morning) WeCare will host talks by Richard Louv, a San Diego-based journalist who has written several books on the importance of the natural world in children's lives. His latest book is entitled Vitamin N: 500 ways to Enrich the Health & Happiness of your Family & Community. 
Date: Monday, March 6th
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Location: Francis Parker School, 4201 Randolph St, San Diego
Date: Tuesday, March 7th
Time: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Location: San Diego Jewish Academy, 11860 Carmel Creek Rd., San Diego

A Friendly Reminder to think of Pacific Ridge School When You Shop and Dine
Go to smile.amazon.com instead of the regular Amazon homepage and register Pacific Ridge as your nominated charity. Register for the e-Scrip program ("Benefit") which allows anyone to buy digital gift cards through a free downloadable app on your Android or iPhone. Designate Pacific Ridge School as the beneficiary and the Parents Association will receive funds to support Gingerbread Breakfast, Staff Appreciation Lunch and its other community activities.

Questions? Contact parentsassociation@pacificridge.org.
 
Sports on the Ridge

Upcoming Home Games
Schedules are subject to change. Please check 
Schedulestar regularly for the most accurate information.

02/13/17
3:30 p.m. Boys Varsity Soccer vs Francis Parker

02/14/17
4:00 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Basketball vs Tri-City Christian
5:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Basketball vs Tri-City Christian
7:00 p.m. Boys Varsity Basketball vs Tri-City Christian 

02/15/17
3:30 p.m. Boys Varsity Soccer vs San Diego Jewish Academy

02/17/17
3:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Soccer vs The Bishop's School

Athletes of the Week
Athletes of the week are back! Here are past awardees.

Week of January 16th
Sierra Enge recorded 5 goals and 2 assists (just in the last 2 games) for the
girl's soccer team.
 
Shaan Burke led the middle school basketball team to a victory against Horizon, scoring 15 points.

Week of January 23rd
Lucy Martin is the most versatile player on the middle school girl's soccer team. She plays every position and is always giving 100 percent.
Kyle Ramsay played incredible defense on Maranatha's best player. He is the senior captain and the leading scorer for the boys basketball team.


Week of January 30th
Reid Dinning is a freshman on the Girls Varsity Basketball Team. She has started in every game this year and is averaging double digits for the season.
 





Save A Life Foundation Free Heart Screening for Teens
Students 12 to 25 are invited to get a free heart screening by the Eric Paredes Save A Life Foundation on February 26. The foundation has screened more than 21,000 teens for heart abnormalities that can put about 1 in 100 students at risk for Sudden Cardiac Arrest - a leading cause of death under 25 and the number one killer of student-athletes. Parents can register at epsavealife.org/register/ and download a screening packet to bring to the event. Walk-ins are also accepted and paperwork is available onsite if online registration is not possible. Screenings take less than an hour. 
Date: Sunday, February 26th
Time: 9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Place: Sage Creek High School, 3900 Cannon Rd, Carlsbad, CA 
Scores:

Boys Varsity Basketball 
01/31/17 Preuss School 63 49 W
02/03/17 Escondido Charter 46 31 W

Boys Junior Varsity Basketball
02/03/17 Escondido Charter 68 52 W

Boys MS - A Basketball
01/30/17 Horizon Prep 27 36 L
02/01/17 Tri-City Christian Schools 37 46 L

Boys MS - B Basketball
01/30/17 Horizon Prep 30 12 W
02/01/17 Tri-City Christian Schools 20 40 L

Boys Frosh Basketball
02/04/17 The Bishop's School 33 71 L

Girls Varsity Basketball
01/31/17 Orange Glen High School 38 34 W
02/03/17 Calvin Christian School 46 56 L

Boys Varsity Hockey
02/04/17 Las Vegas Sports Academy Storm 7 3 W

Boys Junior Varsity Hockey
02/04/17 San Diego Union 3 2 W

Girls Varsity Basketball
01/31/17 Orange Glen High School 38 34 W
02/03/17 Calvin Christian School 46 56 L

Boys Varsity Soccer
02/01/17 The Bishop's School 1 3 L
02/03/17 Santa Fe Christian Schools 2 1 W

Boys Junior Varsity Soccer 
01/30/17 Orange Glen High School 0 9 L

Boys MS - B Soccer
02/01/17 La Jolla Country Day School 5 2 W

Girls Varsity Soccer
01/30/17 Francis Parker 0 2 L
02/01/17 The Bishop's School 0 4 L
02/03/17 Santa Fe Christian Schools 0 4 L

Girls MS - A Soccer
01/31/17 Horizon Prep 2 0 W

Girls MS - B Soccer
01/31/17 Santa Fe Christian Schools 1 6 L

College Guidance

Syracuse Regional Info Session February 12th
Admissions staff will host this session for high school juniors and sophomores who want to jumpstart their college search, providing an information session and time for Q&A. Space is limited and students can register here. Please see the Mira Mesa Public Library website for parking information.
Date: Sunday, February 12th
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Mira Mesa Public Library, 8405 New Salem St., San Diego
Harkness Discussion Postponed to March 20th
College Guidance will host its second Key Conversation focused on decision making and The Paradox of Choice. Student Support Services staff will be at the Harkness table to discuss all that impacts how we choose. Open to all Pacific Ridge students and families. Please note the new date and time.
New Date: Monday, March 20th
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Place: East Reading Room

See upcoming key College Guidance dates here in Haiku. 


New Faculty & Staff Snapshot

 

Dharini Rasiah - Director of Community and Inclusion/Digital Filmmaking/Yearbook

Favorite or most recent book? I enjoy everything by Sherman Alexie, Arundhati Roy, Shyam Selvadurai, Rohinton Mistry, among others.
Favorite movie? As a film teacher I have hundreds of favorites, although An Angel at my Table by Jane Campion has always stuck with me. I also love everything by Ang Lee.
Favorite sport? Swimming
Greatest indulgence? Reading on the beach
If you make her breakfast? Coffee and anything else
In her free time? Spending time with friends and family
Dream vacation? Visiting my family in New Zealand and Australia
Home town? Ojai, CA (also Vancouver, BC)


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

February 10th
Science Extravaganza
7 p.m.

February 12th
12th-Grade Parent Party 
5 - 8 p.m.

February 13th
Music Concert
 7 p.m.

February 20th - 24th
NO SCHOOL
February Break

March 8th
Parent Curriculum Night
6:30 p.m.

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