At Pacific Ridge School, our mission statement guides everything that we do. Its pillars - academic excellence, ethical Responsibility, and global engagement - support our academic program, as well as the vast number of co-curricular offerings, extra-curricular activities, and opportunities our students explore. Its aims - preparation for college and purposeful life - are realized by students who come to understand that learning is a joyful, life-long pursuit and that the world contains many kinds of classrooms.
At the heart of Pacific Ridge School are the multi-faceted interactions between our students, peers, and teachers. This is a community designed to give its members space to grow one that provides the opportunity to stretch, along with the support and guidance needed to do it successfully. As our students challenge themselves academically, explore assumptions from new perspectives, and become aware of their roles as members of a global community, they discover the kinds of people they would like to become.
Academic excellence at Pacific Ridge prepares students for college and life beyond. Our faculty have designed a curriculum that emphasizes rigorous, college-preparatory study, while a wide array of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities engage and inspire students every day. In our program, students find that learning is a lifelong pursuit, and the world contains many kinds of classrooms.
Integrating content and values across academic disciplines and throughout the educational experience is central to our mission. Students learn to make connections between and beyond traditional disciplines in a way that adds depth, breadth, and purpose to learning.
Our co-curricular programs, including service-learning and global education, give students hands-on opportunities to take their learning beyond the classroom walls. At Pacific Ridge, we aim to educate responsible, involved citizens of both the local community and the world at large and to show students that their studies can make a meaningful impact on their lives and the lives of others.
Ethical Responsibility is one of the three critical components of our mission, grounding academic excellence, and global engagement as all three components lead students toward a purposeful life. Students in every grade put ethics into practice, locally and globally, in a year-long experiential program of Service Learning. Students meet during a weekly class period to gain academic, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills that they apply out in the community. The Global Travel program exposes students to ethical issues affecting cultures and societies worldwide. By 11th and 12th grade, students are prepared to routinely recognize and consider ethical issues as they appear in their academic studies and the world around them.
Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection. This approach enriches each student's academic experience, teaches civic and ethical Responsibility, and strengthens communities for the common good. Built into the curriculum and the school day, the Service Learning program guides students to take abstract concepts from the classroom and apply them in real-world situations. Students meet during a weekly class period to gain academic, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills to assist them in their projects, which vary by grade. Service Learning projects require students to collaborate with both local and global communities to reach very concrete goals.
At Pacific Ridge, global engagement encompasses both perspective and action. Students aspire to a global outlook by immersing themselves in a community or culture other than their own, whether near or far. Students pursue engagement in that community or culture through academic enrichment, cultural and linguistic immersion, and service work. These activities lead to an understanding of the interdependency of cultures and the inspiration to act for the world's good.
Pacific Ridge School attracts teachers who are passionate about their craft. Our faculty members come from around the country and the world, having studied at top universities. They bring with them a wealth of experience, global perspectives, and a desire to innovate.
In addition to academic disciplines, teachers are organized into grade-level, collaborative teams that meet twice weekly to share instructional best practices, discuss ways to integrate the curriculum and ensure that each student is challenged and supported to reach their potential.
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