PACIFICA CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL 2023-24 SCHOOL PROFILE
ACADEMIC PROGRAM The academic program at Pacifica leads students on a four-year journey through the humanities, sciences, and the arts; this path focuses on the Great Conversation of the Western tradition and the tools of inquiry, logic, and rhetoric. Our core liberal arts curriculum is balanced by opportunities to specialize in engineering, computer science, business, and the arts. The Pacifica academic program also develops a student’s analytical, problem solving, and technological skills, which manifest themselves in strong interpersonal skills and responsible leadership. The program prepares students to succeed at any college or university in the country.
CORE CURRICULUM
STEM SCHOLAR PROGRAM
The core curriculum focuses on the Great Conversation, which includes ancient and modern works of Western civilization, inviting students to disciplined inquiry into fundamental aspects of being, as well as our relationship with God, nature, and our global community. It does so using a variety of voices.
The STEM Scholar program offers students interested in these subjects and in pursuing STEM careers, the opportunity to focus their studies and prioritize these courses. Students who successfully complete the program will graduate with STEM honors and receive a STEM endorsement on their official transcript. STEM Scholars are required to take at least nine STEM courses. Students will also complete an internship at a university, business, or non-profit. Finally, the students must successfully complete a final senior project focusing their efforts on STEM issues. Students are accepted to the STEM Scholar program at the end of the first semester of their sophomore year.
HONORS Course offerings with honors distinction prepare students for more challenging material, as well as enrollment in future AP course work. Pacifica offers 13 Honors classes. English 9 & 10 History 9 & 10 History 12
Old Testament Spanish 2 & 3 Latin 3 & 4
Chemistry Algebra II Pre-Calculus
ADVANCED PLACEMENT An important part of the college admissions process is demon strating the ability to handle college course work. Pacifica offers 14 AP courses, including: English Literature & Composition English Language & Composition Calculus AB Spanish Language Calculus BC European History Statistics Psychology Computer Science
Physics Biology Chemistry US History Economics
THE MINCHIN CENTER The Minchin Center for Innovation builds on Pacifica’s liberal arts core curriculum by promoting innovative leadership for the 21st century. Students build skills and knowledge in areas of business, entrepreneurship, and economics, while focusing on qualities of leadership, teamwork, and creative problem solving. Course offerings include AP Economics, Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Personal Finance. The Minchin Center also hosts the Insight Speaker Series, where leaders in the business world share their experiences with students and the Pacifica community. Learn more at www.minchincenter.org.
THE PACIFICA CENTER FOR PHILOSOPHY + THEOLOGY Essential questions at the intersection of philosophy and theology. Our world has become increasingly atomized and polarized: our basic humanto-human interaction is less frequent, our experience of political life is fragmented, and the safety and support of family and communal life is in decline. If the world is seemingly being torn apart, how can we bring it back together? The Pacifica Center for Philosophy and Theology aims to begin that process of reintegration by first reuniting philosophy and theology—the search for wisdom and the search for God is one and the same. It challenges those who participate in its offerings to wrestle with this long intellectual history for themselves, so we better understand where we stand in history and where we might go from here. Learn more: www.philosophyandtheology.org
“ True education is an encounter with truth, beauty, and goodness that requires students to question constantly, think deeply, and defend their ideas. It is the recognition that your questions have been asked before and that your voice is joining the Great Conversation not as a mere echo, but as a distinct note in the symphony of human experience.” – Scott Comer, History Department Chair
CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAM SEAWOLF ATHLETICS
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS
The Pacifica athletic department strives to develop men and women of strong moral character, while competing at a highly competitive level. The department creates an environment where each student athlete can be challenged to develop their physical skills while engaging with their teammates and competition. The Pacifica coaching staff are accomplished as athletes, coaches, and role models.
Pacifica’s PACARTS program engages students in the creative process through the practice of technique, public performance or exhibition, and a safe environment for reflection and critique. The curriculum is a rigorous one, taught by instructors who are engaged in both their classroom work as well as the professional fields of studio art, dance, music, theater, and film.
BOYS Basketball Baseball Cross Country Golf Soccer Surfing Volleyball Track & Field
Mixed Media Introduction to Film Beginner Drawing & Painting Digital Production I, II, III Advanced Drawing & Painting Photography Theatre I, II Instrumental Music Dance
GIRLS Basketball Cross Country Soccer Volleyball Beach Volleyball
Track & Field Golf Surfing Tennis
SPIRITUAL LIFE Welcoming to all students, both religious and non-religious, Pacifica pursues both conviction and curiosity as complementary values and all students are treated with equal respect. At Pacifica, it is our desire to encourage students to understand the truth of God and the impact that is available to each student’s daily life through genuine pursuit of their creator. We seek to encourage our students in faith, character, and service to the glory of God. Students attend weekly chapel, engage in voluntary Bible studies, and are mentored by quality faculty who are mature in Christian faith.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP & SERVICE
Coursework includes:
Past theatre productions include: In the Heights Sweeney Todd Thoroughly Modern Millie Caroline, or Change Ragtime Into the Woods Urinetown Sunday in the Park with George Other PACARTS events include: Winter Dance & Music Concert SCREEN Student Film Festival
The student leadership presence at Pacifica is a fundamental value developed over time, and evident in our graduates. Opportunities for leadership development abound in the Associated Student Government, the Prefect Board, Student Ambassadors, the Mentor program, and more. Students also lead service projects, community events, and unique charitable efforts that vary every year.
TRAVEL PROGRAM
SPECIAL INTEREST CLUBS
Travel destinations include:
Pacifica offers a variety of clubs and activities which are designed to enhance students’ intellectual, spiritual, physical, and social skills. Students are encouraged to initiate clubs through Associated Student Government, and are supported by staff sponsors. Every year, new clubs emerge as Pacificans pursue their passions with those of likeminded interests. Sample of club offerings: DECA Moot Court
Wolf Post Diversity Council
Black/Brown Student Union Finance & Investing
Hairspray Stage Door Red Noses Mother Courage Shakespeare (Every 3 Years) Metamorphoses West Side Story Les Misérables Winter Gallery i.Sight Festival
A unique feature of the Pacifica experience is our international travel program. Exploring new places together gives students a chance to take risks, experience new cultures, and stretch themselves in ways that they never imagined. Students connect meaninfully with their peers and deepen relationships with faculty members through extended time shared in a new environment. Spain New York City Israel Belize Switzerland
Italy Paris London Yosemite Germany
Costa Rica Malawi, Africa Edinburgh, UK Dominican Republic Czech Republic
COUNSELING PROGRAM ACADEMIC COUNSELING
Our counselors are committed to knowing each student on a personal level. In a collaborative journey, beginning before freshman year and continuing through college acceptance, students are guided in developing achievable goals, obtaining tools to improve, and overcoming challenges. Pacifica’s counseling team focuses on developing a thorough understanding of each student, uncovering their unique strengths, nurturing their academic growth, and creating a personalized four-year plan that prepares each student for success at the college level and beyond. Pacifica believes that students who understand their own strengths will be the most competitive and successful students they can be.
THE COLLEGE PATH The four-year college counseling process is an extension of the school-wide mission challenging students to think critically and wisely about their college decision’s and cultivating their interest in learning while encouraging lives of faith, character, and service to the glory of God. Pacifica’s college counseling approach centers on the idea that it is not a “one size fits all” process, while ensuring that students are competitive in the college admissions process. The conversations will change from student to student, and success will be measured by the appropriateness of college placement and the quality of experience once the students matriculate to their respective schools.
PACIFICANS ARE COLLEGE BOUND! Pacifica students are consistently accepted to well over half of the top 100 schools on the Forbes “America’s Top Colleges” annual list. Our college counseling program sets a clear course for each student starting freshman year, and our college preparatory approach to academics prepares them for the rigors of college coursework. As a result, our graduates go on to study at a variety of schools across the country, everywhere from small private colleges, to large public universities, to select Ivy Leagues. Below is a partial list of recent Pacifica acceptances. American University Amherst Azusa Pacific University Barnard College Bates College Baylor University Binghamton University Biola University Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College Brandeis University Bucknell University Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo California Lutheran University Caltech Calvin College Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Colby College Colgate University Colorado College Cornell University CSU Fullerton CSU Long Beach CUNY, Baruch College Dartmouth College
Davidson College Duke University Emory University Florida State University George Washington University Georgia Tech Gonzaga University Grinnell College Haverford College Howard University Indiana University, Bloomington Johns Hopkins University Lafayette College Loyola Marymount University Michigan State University Middlebury College Morehouse College New York University Northeastern University Northwest University Occidental College Pepperdine University Point Loma Nazarene University Pomona College Princeton University Purdue University Rice University Rutgers University San Diego State University
*Bolded schools are on the Forbes “America’s Top Colleges” list.
Santa Clara University Scripps College Skidmore College Southern Methodist University Spelman College Stony Brook University Swarthmore College Syracuse University Texas Christian University Tufts Tulane University U.S. Military Academy at West Point U.S. Naval Academy UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz UCLA UNC-Chapel Hill University of Arizona University of Chicago University of Colorado, Boulder University of Connecticut University of Florida University of Georgia University of Illinois at Chicago
Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Maryland, College Park University of Miami University of Michigan University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Notre Dame University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of Rochester University of San Diego University of Texas, Austin University of Utah University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison USC Vassar College Villanova University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University Westmont College Wheaton College (IL) William and Mary
PACIFICA QUICK FACTS Pacifica is a four-year college preparatory, co-educational high school. The school was founded in the fall of 2005 and is the only independent Christian high school in the heart of Santa Monica. Pacifica is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the College Board, the ERB, PAIDEIA and CIF.
16
Student to Faculty Ratio
Average Class Size
FACULTY The Pacifica faculty is devoted to the craft of teaching, are experts in their field, and passionate about their students. Each year Pacifica faculty members actively pursue professional development opportunities as they seek to improve their areas of expertise.
Hold Masters Degrees
251 52
Total # of Students
%
50
%
Female – 49
Students on Head of School List
Self-Identified Students of Color
Male – 51%
GPA of 3.8 or Higher
From 55 Zip Codes
%
9»1 % 66 4
STUDENTS Pacifica students represent a wide variety of ethnic, economic, and religious backgrounds. They come from public schools, Christian and other church affiliated schools, and private independent schools. Pacifica draws students from communities across the Los Angeles area. Our students celebrate and support each other while they pursue academic, athletic, and artistic excellence.
131 58 131 Playoff Appearances 58 League Titles
40
%
of Student Body Receives Financial Aid
Student Service Hours Last Year
1,400
LEARN MORE » WWW.PACIFICACHRISTIAN.ORG
Hold Doctoral Degrees
70
%
Over Half of the Student Body Is Involved in the Arts
A LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION FROM A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW Pacifica offers a college preparatory liberal arts curriculum that is founded upon the Western tradition. From Homer, Plato, Augustine, Pascal, and Locke, to Jefferson and Newton, students are engaged in the Great Conversation, providing a foundation from which to explore thinkers, artists, philosophers, and writers from a variety of cultures—while simultaneously guiding the examination of their own culture. At Pacifica we believe that the values of conviction and curiosity are complementary rather than competing values. We believe that all truth is God’s truth and thus will seek to find it both in Scripture and in the rich canon that has been given to us by those who have gone before. At Pacifica we desire a safe, open and honest pursuit of ideas where all questions are regarded and all students are respected. We practice the foundational virtues of intellectual charity, humility, and listening to others, which are key prerequisites for learning and building community.
Katie Savage English
ENGLISH
SCIENCE
“‘Beauty will save the world,’ Dostoyevsky told us. The Pacifica English Department endeavors to equip students with the tools they need to search for this sort of beauty in the written word. In conversation with artists and thinkers from throughout the ages, we’ll ask ourselves, ‘What is beautiful?’ and, hopefully, begin to add our own words to the story, too.”
“Pacifica’s science program builds skills of inquiry, observation, experimentation, problem solving and critical thinking. Through laboratories, projects, and handson activities, we strive to refine scientific literacy in our students by engaging them in the learning process. We teach the fundamentals of biology, chemistry, and physics, with advanced studies through our AP course offerings and the applied sciences of engineering and robotics.”
David Sumida Engineering
HISTORY
Scott Comer History & Theology
MATHEMATICS
“The Pacifica History Department helps students engage in an exploration and appreciation of the good, the true and the beautiful in the human experience. It also examines the consequences for civilization when those virtues are missing. Students are encouraged to read carefully, write and speak thoughtfully, and think deeply about the past. This knowledge will help them to understand the present, and plan and change the future.”
Matt Benedetto Mathematics
THE ARTS
THEOLOGY
Alexander Earl Theology
“Theology at Pacifica is about encouraging students to slow down and reflect on life, to explore the infinite, and to cultivate lives of virtue. By reading the Bible and Christian classics, we invite students to embark on a journey to know God and to know themselves.”
Liberty Worth PACARTS
Tel (310) 828-7015 Fax (310) 829 -2063 @pacificasantamonica
@pacificachristian
Pacifica Christian High School offers financial assistance to families in need. See the application for details. Pacifica Christian High School admits students of any sex, race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex, disability, race, color, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, financial assistance programs, athletic, and other school administrated programs. 23-24
“Practice in the visual and performing arts is a vital part of knowing the whole self—the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. By engaging in the act of creation, students express both what they know and what they do not. Through art, we promote the need to connect and be heard as an individual with the need to witness and engage as an audience. Art at Pacifica is about practicing and refining this essential dialogue.”
Jim Knight Head of School jknight@pacificachristian.org
1730 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90403 www.pacificachristian.org
“At Pacifica, the study of mathematics is a creative discovery of its inherent beauty, order, logic, and natural precision. Students gain a fundamental and strong conceptual understanding of mathematical principles and pure reasoning while also exploring the diversity of application.”
Erick Streelman Principal estreelman@pacificachristian.org Nichole KnottCraig Director of Admissions nknottcraig@pacificachristian.org Jessica Lewis Director of Finance & Operations jlewis@pacificachristian.org