[ot-caption title=”It’s the new administration like you’ve never seen them before. (via Sabine Katsoulos, Sophomore)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/at-the-table-admin.jpg”]

Tentatively, I knock on the door of the boardroom in the Upper School office. It is exactly 3:30 when I am given the “okay” to enter. Sitting around a long table, the new team of administration stares at me expectantly. Mr. Walters sits at the head of the table flanked by Mr. Pierson and Mrs. Promnitz to his left, and Mrs. Metzger and Ms. Doolittle to his right. With purpose, I walk to my seat and preface the conversation with a notice explaining the tone of the interview as casual and informal. Initially, I was worried that the tenor of the roundtable discussion would be stiff, but to my delighted surprise, I saw a unique side of the new administration.

They are raw, real, and very witty. I begin with the lightweight questions, storing the trickier ones for later. When asked what the students should look forward to this year, Mr. Walters immediately shouts, “Tests!” He quickly amends his outburst, “No I’m kidding! Well, we are working with Student Council right now on the Homecoming festivities, which we are very excited about. The speakers this year are great including the coach from Remember the Titans, Herman Boone, and some people from the past that students enjoyed.” Blanking slightly, Mr. Walters looks to Ms. Doolittle who sits up straight, relaxed but focused. She adds more exciting activities to the excitingly comprehensive grocery list of events. I already can get a glimpse of how well this group works together.

Almost like a therapy session, the team is tasked to share the strengths of everyone at the table. Mr. Walters begins, directing his compliments toward Mrs. Promnitz. “Most importantly, she is very optimistic about our students’ abilities. She is solution oriented, and we would not operate the same without her.” Becoming shy and embarrassed, Mrs. Promnitz quickly diverts the attention toward Mrs. Metzger. “I always say this, but she really revolutionized my life. If I am detail oriented, I am the JV squad compared to her.”

Next, Mrs. Metzger praises Mrs. Doolittle with a tone of  true admiration. “Mrs. Doolittle handles all of the schedule changes for the students with such warmth and kindness. She really has an unlimited supply of patience.” Then, Mrs. Doolittle speaks with pride about Mr. Pierson. “He has the moral conviction to do any job exactly the way it should be done. We used to joke about his gangster black hat vs. his white hat. He has mastered when to use each. He has compassion and the ability to show students that if you move in a different direction, things will change.”

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Lastly, Mr. Pierson talks about Mr. Walters. “So I get Joey! This man is the perfect fit for leading this school. His work ethic is unmatched. It is a pleasure to work side by side with him during what I believe will be a memorable and historic year at Pine Crest.”

Perhaps, the most memorable moment came when I tasked the administrators to create a “tagline” to describe themselves. Mr. Walters seems confused and asks, “Is this hashtagged? Is that what we are doing here?” Mr. Pierson comes up with a solution proclaiming, “I think dream team is pretty good. Working with each other and having synergy is really the dream part of it.” The administration’s ability to work as a team using each individual’s strengths is essential to their success.

Lastly, I wondered what would bring a group of people back to high school. My curiosity triumphs as I ask the administrators to describe memories from their days in high school. Mr. Walters and Mrs. Promnitz  attended Pine Crest! After some laughter, Mrs. Promnitz explains that she was voted most likely to come back to Pine Crest and work!  Mr. Walters won the superlative of “most athletic.” Then, they each begin to reminisce about their high school homecomings and other memories. I get the impression that this administration will help us experience incredible memories at PC.