In This Issue - March 16, 2017
Snapshot from the Ridge

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


Making an impression: Students stop by the 10-year celebration photo booth during lunchitme.

Bulletin Board

Key Conversation on March 20th
College Guidance will host its second Key Conversation focused on decision making and The Paradox of ChoiceStudent Support Services staff will be at the Harkness table to discuss all the factors that impact important choices. 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 
Summer Programs and Sports Camps At Pacific Ridge!
From June 26 to early August, Pacific Ridge will be offering a number of summer programs available to all students in San Diego's North County. Choices include the Firebird Program for rising 5th through 7th graders, non-credit academic and other classes for middle and high school students, and sports camps for children in elementary school through high school. To check out all the great options and to register, please visit the 2017 Summer Programs page on the Pacific Ridge website.

Join Us for Planting a Seed Finals!
In their sophomore year at Pacific Ridge, students collaborate to identify a problem they see in a near or distant community and devise a social action project to address it. On Thursday, March 23, 10th-grade finalists will present their Planting a Seed proposals to the community. Come celebrate ethical responsibility at Pacific ridge, learn more about this signature program and hear the great solutions our sophomores have designed for communities in need. RSVPs requested here.
Date: Thursday, March 23rd
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

Second Annual Spring Kickoff on March 24th
Students and parents are invited to celebrate warmer temperatures, longer days, and the beginning of the final trimester during the third annual Spring Kickoff! The all-school event will feature a free BBQ and inflatable jumpers. Stick around for the two boys volleyball games afterwards!
Date: Friday, March 24th
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Campus Lawn 

Reminder: NCAA Night on March 27th
Pacific Ridge student-athletes and parents curious about the NCAA recruitment process are encouraged to attend a panel discussion on the evening of March 27. The program will explain the guidance and resources available at Pacific Ridge to help families looking to take charge of the recruitment process.
Date: Monday, March 27th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: East Reading Room 

Senior Signature Evening Expo on March 28th
Parents and students are invited to an evening celebrating the Class of 2017's Senior Signatures. The event will include a gallery of projects, hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Come view the projects seniors have created as their legacy to the Pacific Ridge community. Click here to RSVP.
Date: Tuesday, March 28th
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Place: Mullady Hall

Hear Ye, Hear ye! Come Hear Our Silver-Tongued Orators!
On Thursday, March 30th, freshman orations finalists will be delivering their speeches to the Pacific Ridge community. Come support our eloquent 9th-grade speakers and hear the important ideas they have to share. RSVPs requested here.
Date: Thursday, March 30th
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Place: Athletic Center

California Scholarship Federation Deadlines 
Attention Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors: Applications for the California Scholarship Federation for Trimester 2 of the 2016-2017 school year are due by March 31st. Please return your forms to Ms. Serafini in the lobby of the Upper School building. Parents of sophomores, juniors and seniors, please check your email for more information about CSF requirements and deadlines.

Host an International Exchange Student!
Interested in a truly global experience? Every year Pacific Ridge enrolls an international exchange student and seeks a host family for the school year. The exchange is coordinated by AFS, a leading international exchange organization that operates in more than 50 countries. Questions? Contact Jean Nassif at jnassif@pacificridge.org.

Birds' Nest is Now Open Wednesdays!
In celebration of its new spring line, The Birds' Nest is now open every Wednesday after school in the Athletic Center. Students will be selling items out of their new permanent storefront as well as taking online orders. New merchandise includes shirts, sweatpants, and outerwear for the whole family! Proceeds are granted to other Service Learning groups in the Pacific Ridge community.


ScheduleStar Update for Athletics
The ScheduleStar website, which hosts all athletic schedules, is being updated and includes a new URL. The new website is http://pacificridgefirebirds.com/. We appreciate your patience while ScheduleStar updates our information.

10 Years Strong


Arts Week Explores Visual, Performing and Musical Arts
From exceptional musicals, plays, and dance recitals to drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, set construction, lighting and sound design, Pacific Ridge students have vividly displayed their skill and creativity over the past ten years. Under the dedicated leadership of an incomparable teaching staff, the arts programs have been a cornerstone of the Pacific Ridge experience since the school's inception. Students have shared their performing talents and inspirational artwork across the nation and around the world, and their visual artwork beautifully enhances our campus. Art is a central part of school life, through integrated classes, STEAM projects, service learning, Community Life presentations and even having the whole school set a world record in dance! From seventh graders in their first arts classes to seniors during their final global travels, our students understand that the study and appreciation of the arts is essential in preparing for a purposeful life.

Artistic Throwback: In 2015, world-renown conductor Benjamin Zander gave Joon-Ha Bae '16 and a several hundred audience members important tips about music and about life.

Parade of Hits: A Timeline Of Pacific Ridge Musicals
At Community Life on March 15, seniors Gabi Burkholz and Ollie McClymonds presented a historical timeline of Pacific Ridge upper school musicals, with alumni returning to perform songs from plays they starred in. Congratulations to Gabi on a terrific Senior Signature, and special thanks to Thomas Roberts '12, Ben De Soto Mayor '15, Hannah LeBeau '19 and Nate McClymonds '19 for their featured performances.


Video Highlights from March 15, 2017 Community Life
Video Highlights from March 15, 2017 Community Life

Watch another video clip of the celebration on Facebook here.

Next Week is Ethical Responsibility Week
Ethical Responsibility is one of the three key components of the Pacific Ridge mission that guide students toward a purposeful life. Next week we will celebrate how students in every grade put ethics into practice. Please see the Bulletin Section above for information about attending next week's Planting a Seed finals.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates on the 10-year celebration!

Visit our website here to learn about more upcoming 10th-year celebration events. Want to volunteer? Contact Monique Benjamin at 760-448-9866 or mbenjamin@pacificridge.org.

New & Noteworthy

Showcase of the Arts A Celebration of Creativity in All Forms
More than 70 Pacific Ridge School artists performed or presented their work to the community on March 11 at Showcase of the Arts. After enjoying a community dinner and perusing a collection of impressive work by visual artists in graphic design, photography, studio art and film, attendees were treated to performances by musicians, vocalists and dancers. Students presented an array of genres and styles, ranging from contemporary dance to hip-hop and from instrumental jazz to opera. Thank you to Mr. Dziekonski, to all the performers, and to the Pacific Ridge community for supporting the school's arts programs. More pictures from the event can be found on our Facebook page here.






Film students take a bow.

Green Gold? No, It's Not For St. Patrick's Day...
Composting, LEED certified buildings and an energy dashboard that monitors energy use all add up to one pretty green campus. Pacific Ridge School was recognized for its commitment to sustainability for the third year in a row when the California Green Ribbon Award Committee presented the school with a gold award. Pacific Ridge is one of just three schools recognized in San Diego County and the only one to win the gold.
Good Reads

Dr. Ogle -
Dr. Ogle - "Pride and Prejudice"

Dr. Ogle's Pick: Find out why Head of School Dr. Bob Ogle's favorite book is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Curricular Adventures

Students Get Hands-on 3-D Printing Demonstration
Airplanes, rings and generally creative things... these were just a few of the designs that students came up with on March 8 during a 3-D printing lab. All students were invited to come in during their purpose period. Joan Horvath and Richard Cameron from 3-D printing education firm NonScriptum hosted the workshop and guided students through the design and printing process. Workshop participants were acquainted with the 3-D printing software and printed their 3-D designs to take home. 

Ms. Gunther watches a student prepare her design to print.

La Jolla Playhouse Actors Give Special Workshop 
A little bit of magic is all it takes to cause a mother and daughter to switch bodies in the play Freaky Friday and actors from the show shared the secrets to that magic with Pacific Ridge theater students. On March 2, Ms. Irvine's upper school theater students were treated to a workshop from the actors, then went to see the show. The workshop greatly enhanced their appreciation of the production, which heads to Broadway after its Playhouse run. The Playhouse also offered all students discounted $10 tickets. Just use the code PLCSTUDENT here

Mother-daughter chaos in Freaky Friday

Math Students Celebrate Pi Day
March 14 marks 3.14 on the calendar and Ms. DeHaven's, Ms. Zerlaut's and Ms. Wasserman's math students celebrated with - of course - pies (Oatmeal pies, that is). After a discussion about pi, Ms. DeHaven's students searched for their exact birthdate digits in pi using mypiday.com.


Service Learning in the Field

Ninth Graders Join or Start Service Learning Groups
After spending two years in programmed service learning groups, and five months of special training, ninth graders are ready to branch out on their own and join a group consistent with their passions. Students finished their "Learning Service" rotations in late January and spent February browsing among the upper school groups. This trimester they have selected groups and joined as new members. Several ninth graders chose to harness a particular passion for causes not currently in organized groups. Those students have proposed new service projects, which are in development this spring:
  • Benefitting Ballers - supporting underserved elementary school students through basketball
  • Amnesty International - exposing and preventing human rights abuses
  • Health Yeah! - addressing the issue of food waste while promoting better nutrition
9th graders are ready to serve!

LINK Hosts Film Screening
The members of service learning group Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) will be screening The Jangmadang Generation, a documentary about North Korea on March 21. North Korea's Millennial Generation is shaking things up in the hermit kingdom. They grew up relying on themselves, not the regime, and they have a completely different mindset from previous generations. This documentary features hidden camera footage from inside North Korea, coupled with firsthand experiences told by eight North Korean defectors. The group will also be collecting donations. The film's trailer can be viewed here.
Date: Tuesday, March 21st
Time: 12:15 - 1:10 p.m.
Location: East Reading Room

The Jangmadang Generation was filmed with secret cameras inside North Korea.

Parents Association 

Book Club Meets on Monday, March 20th
Join us for what promises to be a memorable literary discussion of 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).
Date: Monday, March 20th
Time: 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Pacific Ridge School Library

Parent Walking Club is Wednesday, March 22nd        
Join fellow Pacific Ridge parents for some fresh air and exercise around Bressi Ranch!
Time: 8:20 a.m. 
Location: Peet's Coffee, Bressi Ranch Shopping Plaza

 
Sports on the Ridge

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


03/21/17
3:30 p.m. Boys MS - A Volleyball vs Santa Fe Christian
4:30 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Volleyball vs San Marcos High
4:30 p.m. Boys MS - B Volleyball vs Santa Fe Christian
5:30 p.m. Boys MS - A Lacrosse vs Oceanside Al
5:45 p.m. Boys Varsity Volleyball vs San Marcos High

03/22/17
3:30 p.m. Girls Varsity Lacrosse vs Del Norte High School
3:30 p.m. Girls MS - A Basketball vs Maranatha
4:30 p.m. Girls MS - B Basketball vs Maranatha
5:15 p.m. Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs Eastlake High

03/23/17
3:30 p.m. Boys Varsity Tennis vs Scripps Ranch (Bobby Riggs Tennis Club)
4:00 p.m. Boys MS - A Volleyball vs Francis Parker
5:00 p.m. Boys MS - B Volleyball vs Francis Parker

03/24/17
3:30 p.m. Boys Junior Varsity Volleyball vs Serra High School
4:45 p.m. Boys Varsity Volleyball vs Serra High School

3/25/17
10:00 a.m. Boys MS - A Lacrosse vs Valley Center Al

ScheduleStar Update for Athletics
The ScheduleStar website, which hosts all the athletic schedules, was updated and includes a new URL. The new website is http://pacificridgefirebirds.com/. We appreciate your patience while all the kinks are worked out on the new site.

Lacrosse Players Travel to Division I College Game
On March 11, 15 members of the Pacific Ridge boys lacrosse program traveled to Orange Coast College to watch Virginia take on Cornell in an NCAA Division I lacrosse game. With Denver University being the westernmost school offering division I lacrosse, this was a truly special event for the players. The game was fast-paced and ended in a thrilling 19-18 overtime win for the Virginia Cavaliers.

Watching men's college lacrosse at its finest.



College Guidance

Double Header College Night March 20th!
Join college guidance for two enlightening events next week.

Key Conversation: Decision Making & The Paradox of Choice
See Bulletin section for more information. 
Date: Monday, March 20th
Time: 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: East Reading Room

Out-of-State College Night Highlights National Schools
More than 40 college admission officers representing out-of-state colleges and universities will review reasons Californians choose to attend college in states other than California, including the cost benefit and signature programs of their various institutions. This program is recommended for sophomores and juniors but open to all Upper School students and families. A small college fair will follow in the West Reading Room. Here is a list of colleges that will attend:
Date: Monday, March 20th
Time: 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: East Reading Room

See upcoming key College Guidance dates here in Haiku. 


Sports Scores

Scores:

Girls Varsity Basketball
CIF State Girls Basketball Championships Division V
03/08/17 Crean Lutheran High School 27 61 L

Boys Varsity Tennis
03/06/17 Vista High School 7 11 L
03/07/17 Francis Parker 4 14 L
03/09/17 Santa Fe Christian 5 13 L

Coed Middle School Tennis
03/09/17 Rancho Santa Fe Middle School 2 4 L

Boys Varsity Lacrosse
03/10/17 Sage Creek High School 16 1 W

Boys MS- A Lacrosse
03/04/17 Tierrasanta Al 8 7 W

Girls Varsity Lacrosse
03/06/17 La Jolla Country Day School 13 5 W
03/09/17 Carlsbad 9 14 L
03/10/17 Mt. Carmel High School 7 6 W

Girls Middle School Lacrosse
03/11/17 NC Storm 13 9 W

Boys Varsity Volleyball
03/08/17 Poway High School 3 2 W

Boys Junior Varsity Volleyball
03/08/17 Poway High School 0 2 L

Boys MS - A Volleyball
03/09/17 The Bishop's School 2 0 W

Coed Varsity Track
03/11/17  Pacific Ridge Bronco Invite
Olivia Carter: 4th place, 100m Hurdles; 3rd place, Long Jump
Jordan Lee; 15th place; 100m Hurdles 
Hannah Maerowitz; 8th place; Long Jump, 5th place, Triple Jump

Girls Varsity Beach Volleyball
03/09/17 vs Canyon Crest Academy
Jackie Jones/Megan Luly 21 16 W; 21 18 W
Ava Embry/Lauren LeBlanc 21 6 W; 21 14 W
Emma Price/Phebe Ly 21 16 W; 21 10 W

Girls Junior Varsity Beach Volleyball
03/09/17 vs Canyon Crest Academy
Alana Ly/ Mishaal Ijaz 15 21 L; 21 14 W; 13 15 L
Darin Marlow/Sam Frank 16 21 L; 21 14 W; 15 17 L
Dexie Schlassa/Meghan Sullivan 13 21 L


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 Schoolwww.pacificridge.org
March 20th
Key Conversations
3:30 p.m.

Out-of-State College Night
6:30 p.m.

March 23rd
Planting a Seed
11:30 a.m.

March 24th
Spring Kickoff BBQ
3 p.m.

March 27th
NCAA College Night
6:30 p.m.

March 28th
Senior Signature Expo
6 p.m.

March 30th
Orations Finals
11:30 a.m.

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