Previously published on May 6, 2016.

At Pine Crest School, student-athletes are supported by their coaches, whose college contacts are some of the best in South Florida. Our coaches work with our college counselors to ensure a prospective college has the full picture of each student-athlete.

With the resources to train the entire athlete as well as assistance with editing and preparing highlight videos that showcase each student’s strengths, Pine Crest works with students to find the best fit and opportunity.

Middle School at Pine Crest is home to new virtual reality (VR) equipment, which Pine Crest Computer Science and Technology faculty are using to teach students how to create their own virtual experiences and to influence others’ perspective.

“More content is being released and is increasingly available and accessible, and VR and augmented reality (AR) devices are becoming more effective,” said Mr. Sean Tibor, Pine Crest Computer Science and Technology Specialist. “By the time our Middle School students go to college, they will need to know how to use this equipment and feel comfortable using it.”

The terms “VR” and “AR” are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same.

“The difference is that AR takes information around you and fuses the world you are in with additional data or information  — think Pokemon Go,” said Mr. Tibor. “VR is about immersion and perspective. It overlays virtual items or instances on top of the real world. The benefit of VR technology is that it can change our perspective from a few different axes: distance, time, scale, and the forthcoming, human perspective."

Delving into these axes, Mr. Tibor shared how using VR technology is not limited to one course or subject.  

Pine Crest formed the School’s first-ever Lower and Middle School FIRSTⓇ LEGO LeagueⓇ (FLL) competitive teams four years ago, and since then, the Panthers have formed eight teams who have made their mark on the South Florida region.

Project based learning (PBL) initiatives are some of the ways faculty are approaching hands-on learning with students. A PBL assignment engages students in solving a real-world problem or answering a complex question. Students then demonstrate their knowledge and skills by developing a public product or presentation for a real audience.

By Vicki Spitalnick, Innovation Specialist

At Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida, Middle School is comprised of students in grades six, seven, and eight. Transitioning to Middle School from fifth grade is a significant step for students.

By Kelly Paredes, M.Ed., CIT
Computer Science and Educational Technology Specialist

Long-time Pine Crest School Dance Director, Brenda Gooden, retired in June 2017 after teaching at Pine Crest for 36 years.

By Sophia Lieuw-Kie-Song ’22

Researchers have found that students who prepare for exams in advance, study efficiently, and make healthy choices perform better on exams. Here are some important tips to consider:

At Pine Crest School innovation is part of the curriculum from day one. Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten students visit the Zimmerman Family iLab, or the Mintz Family iLab each month, and have computer science class twice a week.

Students are exposed to basic algorithmic thinking and logical reasoning through elementary coding classes. Students use applications on iPads, like Dash and Dot, Ozobot, Bee-Bot, and Codeable to learn to sequence and debug code. Students see their code come to life in the small robots that complement the applications they use.  

Digital portfolios are also part of their computer science and technology curriculum. Students upload samples of their assignments, or “artifacts,” to reflect on what they have learned. These portfolios will follow them throughout their academic careers at Pine Crest.

During their time in the iLabs, students are exposed to organic gardening and engineering challenges. They are exposed to the design thinking process showing students how to research, ideate, experiment, and reflect as to problem-solve and think creatively.  

Students are given design challenges exposing them to the engineering process and teaching them to manipulate materials and construction techniques appropriate for their age level. Additionally, students use Squishy Circuits to learn the basics of electricity and circuitry.

This innovative curriculum is designed for students to take risks and fail forward.

Building fun, customizable, affordable bicycles has been a way for Avery Pack, founder of Republic Bike and Pine Crest Class of 1996 alumnus, to encourage people to get moving.

All year long, faculty, administrators, and staff are able to take advantage of stimulating professional development activities — sometimes right on campus.

Pine Crest School alumnus Daniel Fine ‘13 is laser-focused on revolutionizing athletic performance.  It was during a summer internship experience while he was studying at the University of Tampa that Daniel came up with an idea.

Design thinking is a methodology for creative, complex problem solving. A design thinker questions and explores possibilities with a clear goal in mind: creating a solution, service, or product that benefits the end user. This technique is often described as human-centered because it is rooted in empathy and aimed at understanding a person or group of people.

When you think of a pre-kindergarten curriculum, subjects that may come to mind are reading, writing, and math. However, in 2015 as part of the 2014-19 Strategic Plan, Pine Crest School launched a new computer science program that started with our pre-kindergarteners on both our Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale campuses.

Before setting up classrooms and welcoming students for the first day of school in August, Pine Crest School faculty participated in the Teachers Teaching Teachers professional development day. Now in its ninth year, teachers participate in a variety of peer-led learning sessions where they connected with colleagues, exchanged expertise, and engaged in dialogue about best practices.

Pine Crest alumnus and Houston Rockets point guard Brandon Knight ’10 recently gifted Pine Crest School with the modernization of the performance training facility in Lane Hall on the Fort Lauderdale campus.

Brandon Knight ’10 with Dr. Dana Markham ’18H, Pine Crest School President