Five Tips and Tricks For Your Freshman Year at Pine Crest School

Posted by Pine Crest School on February 27, 2023 at 1:49 PM
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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Admission, Academics, Student Leadership

Supporting Pine Crest Educators: The Chen Family

Posted by Pine Crest School on December 14, 2022 at 4:42 PM

We are honored to shine a spotlight on the Chen family, who generously donated $1.5 million toward the construction of the Center for Teaching and Learning on the Pine Crest School Fort Lauderdale campus. 

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Alumni, Giving, Pine Crest Fund, 2022

Transforming Tomorrow: Pine Crest Moves Forward with Strategic Renovation and Construction Projects

Posted by Pine Crest School on May 24, 2022 at 10:09 AM

In 2019, Pine Crest faculty, staff, and administrators created and finalized the School’s strategic plan to be executed over the course of the following five years under the leadership of President Dr. Dana Markham ’18H.

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Topics: Innovation, Student Life, Fine Arts, Middle School, Academics, Robotics, Giving, Pine Crest Fund, Computer Science, STEM, Future Ready, 2022

Panthers Remain Steadfast During COVID-19 Global Pandemic

Posted by Pine Crest School on September 21, 2021 at 2:45 PM

After being forced to end the spring 2020 athletic season abruptly, Pine Crest Athletics began planning and focusing on student health and wellness for what became an unprecedented 2020-21 school year. 

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Athletics, COVID-19, 2021

The Hudson Library: Reenvisioned as a Space of Inspiration

Posted by Pine Crest School on May 25, 2021 at 12:51 PM

A transformation of the Hudson Library is underway on Pine Crest School’s Fort Lauderdale campus. Used by students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, the modernized space will soon be as inspiring and engaging as the instruction that happens there. 

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Topics: Lower School, Student Life, Giving, Pine Crest Fund, Social and Emotional Learning, 2021

Soundtrack of an Educator: A Q&A with Choral Director Mr. Michael Testa

Posted by Pine Crest School on May 5, 2021 at 10:23 AM

By: Sabrina Kreiss ’21

Originally from Vineland, New Jersey, Pine Crest School Choral Director Mr. Michael Testa moved to Florida in 2001 to work with the Florida Grand Opera.

During that time, a former faculty member introduced him to Pine Crest where he became a member of the Fine Arts faculty in 2005. Now, almost 20 years later, Mr. Testa oversees and teaches chorus for students in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools on Pine Crest’s Fort Lauderdale campus, in addition to Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory.


After graduating from Rowan University with his bachelor of arts in music education, Mr. Testa began performing all over the United States as an opera singer.

Mr. Testa began graduate school at West Chester University shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree. There, he studied music performance. Feeling drawn to education, he began teaching extracurricular classes in music throughout his collegiate studies. He landed his first teaching job at a K-8 public school while studying for his master’s degree.

I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Testa to learn more about his career at Pine Crest and his passion for music and singing.

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Topics: Student Life, Faculty, Fine Arts, Music, 2021

Taking an Inquiry-Based Approach to Civics in the Classroom

Posted by Pine Crest School on February 16, 2021 at 4:12 PM

In the early afternoon of January 6, 2021, students in Mrs. Trish Everett’s Post-Advanced Placement (AP) Political Science Seminar cast C-SPAN to the smartboard and began watching the joint session in the U.S. House of Representatives chamber. As lawmakers made their way through a count of Electoral College votes in alphabetical order by state, students were enthusiastic about experiencing their classroom lessons coming to life. 

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Faculty, Academics, 2021

Pine Crest Crestian Students and Alumni Receive CSPA Gold Circle Awards

Posted by Pine Crest School on April 27, 2020 at 9:16 AM

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) announced the winners from its 37th Gold Circle Awards program recently. This year, the awards attracted 5,757 yearbook and digital media entries submitted in 91 categories.

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Future Ready

How Students Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Posted by Pine Crest School on August 1, 2019 at 9:56 PM

At Pine Crest School, we believe our students must learn to be as agile and adaptable as possible.

High-brain human traits such as global understanding and empathy, deep thinking and learning, and complex problem-solving mindset through collaboration will distinguish our students and set them up for success.

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Topics: Alumni Newsletter, Lower School, Upper School, Student Life, Middle School, Design Thinking, Pine Crest School, Entrepreneurship

Giving Students The EDGE

Posted by Pine Crest School on August 1, 2019 at 9:23 AM

By Danielle Weisfisch ’20

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Topics: Innovation, Student Life, 2019, Academics, Student Leadership, Entrepreneurship

Social and Emotional Education: Engaging the World with Empathy

Posted by Pine Crest School on July 16, 2019 at 10:29 AM

As class begins each day at Pine Crest, you will see a Lower School classroom in their morning meeting connecting through song or engaged in activities like mindfulness stretching.

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Topics: Student Life, Academics, Pine Crest School, Social and Emotional Learning

Student Entrepreneurs Make Their Name in The Community

Posted by Pine Crest School on July 1, 2019 at 2:59 PM

Upper School Students Rhea Jain ’20 and Neil Sachdeva ’21 were selected to join the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) in the fall of 2018. 

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Middle School, Pine Crest School, Student Leadership, Entrepreneurship, STEM

Student Leadership: Pine Crest School’s DECA Chapter

Posted by Pine Crest School on March 28, 2019 at 3:49 PM

By Spencer Davimos ’22

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Topics: Upper School, Student Life, Academics, Pine Crest School, Student Leadership

Why Pine Crest School Students Create Digital Portfolios

Posted by Pine Crest School on March 19, 2019 at 12:03 PM

By Danielle Weisfisch ’20

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Topics: Innovation, Student Life, Admission, Pre-kindergarten, Middle School, Academics, Giving, Pine Crest Fund, Computer Science, Social and Emotional Learning

Building Teamwork and Imaginative Thinking through Competitive Robotics

Posted by Pine Crest School on March 4, 2019 at 11:02 AM

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.

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Topics: Lower School, Innovation, Student Life, Middle School, Innovation Institute, 2019, Academics, Robotics

Teaching Collaboration

Posted by Pine Crest School on February 15, 2019 at 11:12 AM

By Vicki Spitalnick, Innovation Specialist

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Topics: Innovation, Student Life, Admission, Middle School, Design Thinking, Innovation Institute, 2019

Defining the Middle School Experience at Pine Crest School

Posted by Pine Crest School on January 22, 2019 at 12:22 PM

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.

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Topics: Student Life, Admission, Middle School, 2019

Transitioning to Pine Crest Upper School

Posted by Pine Crest School on December 17, 2018 at 12:22 PM

By Sophia Lieuw-Kie-Song ’22

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Topics: 2018, Upper School, Student Life, Freshmen, Admission, Pine Crest Summer

Mindfulness and More: Pine Crest School Tips for Success on Exams

Posted by Pine Crest School on December 6, 2018 at 9:28 AM

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:

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Topics: 2018, Upper School, Student Life, Freshmen, Social and Emotional Learning

Why We Teach Computer Science in Pre-Kindergarten at Pine Crest School

Posted by Pine Crest School on October 16, 2018 at 11:58 AM

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.

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Topics: Lower School, Innovation, Student Life, Admission