Summer Programs

This week-long workshop combines whole group instruction, individual work time, and one-on-one writing conferences, resulting in a draft of either the Common App Personal Statement or the UC Personal Insight Questions. The Zoom platform works very well for individual and group work on writing.  During whole-group instruction, students will learn the place of the essay(s) in admissions, the strategy of choosing the right individual topic in order to round out an application, and the function of supplemental questions (for Common App schools). We will read and critique sample essays together so that students have a sense of personal writing as a genre and the wide range of topics that are possible for creating an engaging piece of writing. Whole-group instruction will be approximately an hour on the first day of the workshop, and much less for the remaining four days. Students will have a 20-minute (approximately) one-on-one meeting with the instructor each day, where we will generate topics together and discuss feedback and editing. Students will need a laptop and access to Google Docs. This workshop is facilitated by Elizabeth Grossman, a Pacific Ridge English teacher, former Associate Director of College Guidance at Pacific Ridge, and a college counselor in private practice.

In this week-long course, students will brainstorm and plot an interactive fiction game using the software Twine. Students will discuss the importance of a narrative in gaming, and how it helps immerse players into a story. They will learn how to plot, build characters, and learn various fiction writing techniques important to video games. By the end of the week, students will have a finished interactive fiction game that showcases different paths and various endings.

Public speaking and knowing how to express oneself persuasively are skills that will serve young people both in the classroom and beyond. In Speech Camp, we will work on developing presentation skills and creativity through a variety of speech styles, ranging from humorous or dramatic readings (in which students select, interpret, and deliver a short piece of drama or literature) to original oratory (in which students research, write, and present a short evidence-driven speech). We will examine the elements of a good speech and how students can use their voice and pacing to persuade, entertain, or inspire an audience. The final day of the session will conclude with an opportunity for students to showcase their work for parents, friends, and other guests.

This one-week summer camp will explore a variety of creative outlets through the lens of photography. Using digital SLR cameras (provided by Pacific Ridge School if camps are on-site), students will learn both technical and artistic skills while capturing a range of subjects including portraits, landscapes, and abstracts. Students will practice basic and intermediate editing skills. We will craft imaginative projects using iPhoto and Photoshop while practicing how to offer positive and effective critique to fellow artists. At the conclusion of the course, students will compile a portfolio of their work.

This class is for students who are interested in ways to boost their creativity or try something new and exciting. Elements of Fiction gives students the opportunity to explore the different avenues for fiction writing and the chance to turn the ideas bouncing around in their heads into actual stories. Students will study and practice specific elements of fiction writing, while also getting a chance to share their work and get feedback from their peers and the teacher. Topics such as scene and setting, plotting, and creating compelling characters will be covered. Workshop, lecture, discussion of published writing and the craft will form the center of the class.

3D printing has revolutionized the way that things get made. In this summer camp, students will learn how to 3D print, or they will deepen their existing understanding of 3D printing. The course will explore 3D printing in a holistic way, from an idea to a computer rendering, and from that rendering to the final 3D printed product. Each student will leave the course with an understanding of computer design and manufacturing software, various 3D printing methodologies, and the properties of the different materials used in 3D printing. Each student will move at their own pace, with the goal of creating (at least) one 3D printed model of their own - if you can dream it, you can build it! If the course runs remotely, projects will get printed and sanitized after class and will be available for pick up at an established time throughout the week.

This one-week smart phone video course will explore the most effective steps, through innovative hands-on opportunities, to seek the real meaning of art as life. Students will learn both the technical and artistic skills necessary to capture and edit a broad range of subjects and settings. You will learn and utilize basic and intermediate camera video capture and editing skills. As a class, you will create imaginative videos using iPhone and iMovie or comparable Android apps. We will also learn how to offer positive and effective critique to fellow artists. At the conclusion of the course, students will have several videos on their phone to showcase their work.

In this summer of social distancing and remote learning, you can still adventure out into fantastic settings and create camaraderie with Dungeons & Dragons! Join this camp to create characters and collective stories about warriors and wizards, the divine and the devious, in a fantasy setting that inspires team-building, decision-making, empathy, and ethics in your everyday life. D&D debuted as the first roleplaying game in 1974, and the most recent edition is the most popular yet, in sales, organized events, and appearances in TV shows, films, podcasts, and more. D&D’s combination of structure with the freedom of individual and collective imagination directly inspires video games and gaming culture, its current popularity in academic, media, and social-emotional learning contexts. In one week, you will: explore the basic rules and freedoms of fantasy roleplaying games, create characters for an adventuring party, play through an adventure, and learn to organize and run your own game as a Dungeon Master. Online resources will allow us to recreate, and even enhance, the tabletop experience remotely. Dr. Haley has played and led countless Dungeons & Dragon campaigns with players as young as six years old, official Adventurers’ League events, and support groups for veterans with PTSD. He currently serves as the faculty leader of the Pacific Ridge D&D Club.

This week-long course enhances academic skills that foster a successful transition to high school and Pacific Ridge School. Students improve classroom skills such as note taking, active reading, collaborative learning, and test taking. They also learn productivity strategies and tools such as time management, test preparation, goal setting, motivation and concentration. Finally, the class introduces students to the nature of high school disciplines (Biology, History, English, etc.) and the general expectations of those disciplines. Students leave with a clear understanding of the various academic and student support services available on campus. This class is specifically for students who are entering Pacific Ridge School as 9th graders.  Students who attended Pacific Ridge Middle School should not attend this camp.

Are you a fan of ancient history, high fantasy, military technology, or cool stuff in general? Then look no further than the History of the Sword summer program! One of humanity's oldest and most important weapons, the sword’s purpose and function is summarized well by Jon Snow in Game of Thrones: “Stick ‘em with the pointy end.” Yet from this simple sounding summary springs a world of nuance. Taught by fight choreographer, ancient historian, and PRS alumnus Cosmo Cothran-Bray, this course will examine the evolution and importance of military technology from the ancient world through the 19th century. We will pay specific focus to why slight variations on the same basic concept--sharp, pointy stick--can make a world of difference on the battlefield. And of course, no class studying ancient weapons would be complete without some hands-on (gloved, masked, and socially distanced hands to be sure) training. Using dummy training swords, students will be given an introduction to some of the basic techniques of fight choreography, and the course will conclude with a final performance of originally choreographed duels! So grab your notebooks and your armor, and come join the ranks of the school’s sharpest summer program, The History of the Sword. The fight choreography instruction will still be a part of the program if we are required to meet remotely, but the dueling will not.

AP Chemistry is a fast-paced, rigorous science course. Students have roughly 7 months to learn a full year of collegiate chemistry. At the end of this time, they will take a cumulative exam that will often allow them, if successful, to bypass their general chemistry course in college. AP Chemistry sets a high bar, so preparation is essential. This course is designed to facilitate review of the foundational concepts learned in each student’s 10th grade chemistry course, and give each student an understanding of what it means to work at a collegiate level in science. By the end of the course, students will have reviewed important foundational concepts related to atomic structure, the periodic table, and stoichiometry. In addition, students will have completed the majority of their AP Chemistry summer assignment. Most importantly, those who choose to participate in this course will be prepared to learn AP Chemistry with the speed and the level of rigor that the course demands.

The transition to a new middle school is exciting and fun, but it can also be challenging for students. This course is designed to help new Firebirds get to know their new school and fine-tune some of the skills they will need in the coming year.

 

 "Middle School Skills for Success" is a week-long course designed for incoming 7th and 8th-grade Pacific Ridge students. In the class, students will improve classroom skills such as writing, note taking, active reading, and collaborative learning through Harkness discussion, games, and other engaging and interactive activities. At the same time, students will learn productivity strategies and tools such as digital and physical organization, time management, test preparation, goal setting, motivation and concentration. During the week, students will also be introduced to the technological platforms required of them during the year, such as their Pacific Ridge email account, PowerSchool Learning, Zoom, and Google Drive, students will be ready to hit the ground running with their laptops on the first day of school. Lastly, students will leave the course with a clear understanding of the various academic and student support services available at PRS and where to find these resources on campus and via digital tools.

 

Course instruction and activities will include group coursework, individual assignments, and one-on-one meetings and support from Ms. Peeden and other PRS faculty. 

 

This course requires a laptop.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to Ms. Peeden.  

Start Honors Algebra 2 on the right foot! After a rocky end of the year, the foundational concepts covered in Advanced Algebra can be a bit rusty. The goal of this workshop is to provide a strong review of some of the important concepts of Advanced Algebra and Honors Geometry. Problem-based exercises from Phillips Exeter Academy alongside collaborative strategies will be used to review these concepts as students work on many models represented by linear, quadratic, and absolute value functions as well as systems of equations. Desmos, GeoGebra and the graphing calculator Texas Instrument (TI-84) are used as learning tools. Don’t be stressed at the beginning of your next math class! Note: This course is intended for students who will be taking Honors Algebra 2/Trig during the 2020/2021 school year.

Are you taking Algebra I this fall?  Feel a little shaky on working with variables and solving equations?  This course will focus on the two most important Pre-algebra skills you will need for success in Algebra I.  After reviewing simplifying expressions by combining like terms and using the algebraic properties (including the distributive property), we will shore up our equations solving skills with guided practice for all types of equations from one-step to multi-step.  Additionally, we will work with fractional coefficients, discuss what it means to find a solution and how to check it, recognize equations with no solutions and infinitely many solutions, and develop confidence in isolating a variable.  The aim of this course is to help you start the school year as a confident equation solver who is more prepared for Algebra I. Please have a calculator ready to use.  

The transition to a new middle school is exciting and fun, but it can also be challenging for students. This course is designed to help new Firebirds get to know their new school and fine-tune some of the skills they will need in the coming year.

 

 "Middle School Skills for Success" is a week-long course designed for incoming 7th and 8th-grade Pacific Ridge students. In the class, students will improve classroom skills such as writing, note taking, active reading, and collaborative learning through Harkness discussion, games, and other engaging and interactive activities. At the same time, students will learn productivity strategies and tools such as digital and physical organization, time management, test preparation, goal setting, motivation and concentration. During the week, students will also be introduced to the technological platforms required of them during the year, such as their Pacific Ridge email account, PowerSchool Learning, Zoom, and Google Drive, students will be ready to hit the ground running with their laptops on the first day of school. Lastly, students will leave the course with a clear understanding of the various academic and student support services available at PRS and where to find these resources on campus and via digital tools.

 

Course instruction and activities will include group coursework, individual assignments, and one-on-one meetings and support from Ms. Peeden and other PRS faculty. 

 

This course requires a laptop.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please direct them to Ms. Peeden.  

This one-week summer camp will explore a variety of creative outlets through the lens of photography. Using digital SLR cameras (provided by Pacific Ridge School if camps are on-site), students will learn both technical and artistic skills while capturing a range of subjects including portraits, landscapes, and abstracts. Students will practice basic and intermediate editing skills. We will craft imaginative projects using iPhoto and Photoshop while practicing how to offer positive and effective critique to fellow artists. At the conclusion of the course, students will compile a portfolio of their work.