At Pine Crest School, academics or advanced technology don't solely define future readiness. It’s also built through something deeper: character. For Dr. Krista Promnitz ’97, Executive Director of Educational Support Services, character development is one of the most powerful future skills a student can gain.
Dr. Krista Promnitz ’97
“Our mission is to help students grow into independent, resilient learners,” said Dr. Promnitz. “We want them to have the flexibility and the grit to be successful in the world long after they leave Pine Crest.”
Dr. Promnitz leads a team that supports students academically, socially and emotionally—from executive functioning coaching and accommodations to social-emotional curriculum and one-on-one support. But what makes the department unique is its flexibility and responsiveness to students’ evolving needs.
One of the department’s most impactful initiatives in recent years emerged not from assumptions, but from listening.
“After COVID, we came together and talked about what our Middle School students really needed,” said Dr. Promnitz. “And what we thought they needed and what they actually needed turned out to be two different things.”
Rather than more content or academic review, what surfaced was a need for support to manage the transition from the adult-directed structure of Lower School to the more independent demands of Middle School life. “Sixth grade students transition to alternative schedules, subject-specific teachers with their own testing and homework requirements, and expanded after-school programming—so many incredible opportunities for autonomy,” she explained. “But, sometimes, they need help bridging that transition.”
In response, the Educational Support Services team designed a Middle School executive functioning program—a tailored, skills-based support system that helps students build routines, manage time, prioritize tasks and take ownership of their learning journey.
The results have been powerful. “I just sat down with several Middle School learning specialists, and what kept coming up was how ready their eighth graders are for ninth grade,” she said. “They’ve learned how to manage their responsibilities, how to advocate for themselves and how to apply the skills we’ve helped them build over the past 18 months.”
Beyond staff-led initiatives, students themselves are taking the lead, creating and launching support programs with help from faculty and administration. One recent example is GRIEF Lift, a peer-based support group co-founded by two Upper School students to help grieving students find connection and community.
“It’s a perfect example of what’s possible when we don’t have to say ‘no,’” said Dr. Promnitz. “At some schools, a student idea like that might get stopped by budget constraints or red tape. But here, because of philanthropic support, we were able to say yes—and not just yes, but ‘Let’s help you grow this.’ We brought in counseling staff, administrative support and resources to help them reach both campuses and divisions.”
That mindset—one of agility, empowerment and encouragement—is what Dr. Promnitz believes will define the future of education at Pine Crest.
“We’re moving toward an even more integrated model of support,” she said. “We’re blending small-group sessions with classroom co-teaching and focusing on real-world carryover. Our goal is for these skills—resilience, empathy and emotional intelligence—not to live in isolated lessons, but to be part of everyday learning.”
None of this, she added, would be possible without the generosity of Pine Crest donors.
“What philanthropy makes possible isn’t always visible, it’s not a sign or a building,” she said. “It’s the ability to train our educators deeply, to give students the tools they need and to say yes to ideas that matter. We don’t have to pause momentum because of funding. We get to move forward.”
For Dr. Promnitz, who once walked these same halls as a Pine Crest student herself, that ability to meet students where they are and guide them forward is the heart of the work.
“When we talk about preparing students for the future,” she said, “this is what it looks like. Not just learning the material, but learning who they are, how to lead, how to care for others and how to keep going.”