TO OUR OUR FIRST GRADUATES
For three yea-rs, you, the Plankowners, have been the First. For three years you have made a way u.""urtainiy over an untrod path to develop the many programs !!rous!It has not and activities at Peary' been easy, and for ihose who follow, you can be proud of the path you nav.1.beSu1..I harre *y *any with you. on many occasions I have said "r;oyuA that it iakes "ont*"t" five years torbuild,,aschool after the physical plant has ueen constructed. "ir"r"t wiii, you" Graduation, we wiII complete our third year' Your new paths and accomplishments next year will be made known to us through many sources. This will huip_tg ,,buildlng,,. The second vear you are rrouttr wijt tre";_pl"t;-;;r ;;;;;tant for those who fotlow. It is during this year ir''t uegin to see for""iy efforts and accomplishments "iuaunts wiriie ui e"rry. the tirsi itme the tangible resutts of your From irri" tt"y take heart, they become is a ruture, it is poisible to attJn the goau vo,,'tave been the ffi:: Robert E' Peary High school is dedicated to a man whose successes resulted not only from his inteitect,. careful pranning, and persisa;;;", but equalry important, from his willingness to examine-the "wirysii of t is ruirr.u".d,rr continued emulation of these ;ff#fJffi;':ir';""Hes. that irrefiresslule restlessness wnicn ennances our unique onbehalf of the Facultyand staff, I wish yourthe classof 1g68, our First Graduates, best wishes for the future. r topi: yiu wili*cJnsiaer those who follow as an important part of you-r {uture;"urn"itiy tto"e #no tottow witi-iootr"toward your accomplishments as being a vital part of their fuiure.
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Fred L. Dunn, Jr. Principal
TO OUR SECOND GRADUATING CLASS
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It is a distinct pleasure for me to pLace this message in our fourth POLARIS. Most of you have attended Robert E.
Peary since it began in September of 1960. You may remember the committees and meetings we had that warm summer before we opened. If you do remember this, then as Plankowners, this graduation is a particular moment of satisfaction since you have truly "grown up" with our school.
During the school years beginning in 1961, 1962, and 1963, twenty-three, twenty-eight, and sixteen students entered respectively the Class of 1964. Actually, we do not consider you t'new" when we recall all the changes we have had; in reality you have shared so much with us that your "newness" disappeared shortly after you arrived. The total school has been enriched by your enrollment.
At each graduation, there is a time when serious thought is given to those who bave assisted the student in attaining this particular rung on the ladder of success. Although it has been difficult at times, it is basically simple to climb one rung at a time when you have realistic goals. However, the difficult aspect is the one of selecting the proper ladder to climb. Your choices are many and of necessity your selection must be limited. Your families and friends have been helpful in this respect, and on many occasions various members of the teaching profession have been a major source for the assistance each desires. Friendships, such as these, should be recognized for their true worth in that such friendships require objectivity, restraint, and encouragement, one to another.
It is in the area of faculty-student interpersonal relationships that Robert E. Peary High School is becoming unique. The school is rather traditi.onal in many of its goals and practices, and this is as it should be when our goals mesh with those of reality. Our strides have been made in the area of human relationships, and our faculty has devoted many hours to developing processes which enhance the learning process. As more is made known about "learning" and as more changes are made in education, we will note that the most significant changes will be those which facilitate learning. Also, the answers to the problems of learning will continue to assist us in developing better interpersonal, and eventually, international relationships. There is no process more complex than that of learning; there is no greater solution to be found than that of how to develop human relationships that enable the individual to experience the reality of each situation and to act in a manner consistent with his goals. Robert E. Peary High School is dedicated to a man whose successes resulted not only from his intellect, careful planning, and persistence, but equally important, from his willingness to examine the "whys" of his failures. Our continued emulation of these characteristics produces that irrepressible restlessness which enhances our unique Student Body and Faculty.
On behalf of the Faculty and Staff, I wish you, the Class of 1964, the "Friendly Class," best wishes for the future.
Fred L. Dunn, Jr. Principal
TO OUR THIRD GRADL ATING CL.{SS The theme, Reflections, is parricuia.-1"* :+-rq-.g'trre ftr fu Hli5 pi.r:i. The of 1965 has developed quaniries of ieaar=hc:- ,* u m .irE :nn that the individual members had the _errd -r: **n*tt "]..nx,,rnf jmie e,i.ents 1.ri:rwhich took place prior to their assumparc ;r j{:rn:r pqnnrrrrmnp* }k::::^re of the universe is individual. )'et durins rhe -,gi---ffi?;; trs class has been a part of the crucible of the ;e_rs-:e class
, It has been during this period of rinru- :.r::: rn:nnM for ffhrd fu rmrqs_iis to the new vistas of outer space and r-ita- ,iiErrar1 rq5: fu 4[H,,,,m* .,,: space propounded by the tremendous gronth o: :icumru aql.rEm, {hs .-:=e this period time. mankind for the first d-Eâ‚Ź ,t :=ttr-r rE Eidri.i E:s =::-Jing fact he has ever confronted. That is- rn.p-id'..; *,ory t- fu p"' r iestroy himself. Never before has mankind ne+,iia: i: {*..- fu ,r-fi_-s.r.__r :uch a realization has produced; never before he nnrniiinmf fud rn*l fu r:rh. if uncontrolled, could destroy himself. \er,er barue um rlr*ir* arqn sm6s{;d 1s find new and proper answers for sunivd. Dr. Fred L. Dunn
In reflecting upon our high school. it appears xr G fu ,@ d,t a"351 fiys years the students and faculty' har-e hrel: rn:qms rr - fumi of :or-r :inder_ standing in the development of satisf-i-j.ng E31; ;615qg e.rm,-cships. @[ Mankind may discuss, invent. and develcp f*rn',e u* ry5.h srser and @lhappier, but his real quest must be rn c';-:rsq: ut tau*rymc-:c :irh in one another which can only come from .r.rmo.rr -".nm;t.'r13 ! dh rom ;g ==rper-
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is no greater solution to be found than rfr-r*. i hrr le i*Cry hnc :rurcr.uships that enable the individual to experience rhp :ffilrr ld -irih or,,6rnm *nr: -r: ;"-t in a manner consistent with his goals.
Robert E. Peary High School is dedicated to a nrrpr- afus6g sEEEr mrilrF'il not only from his intellect, careful planning. and prersrs=or- k iqdml rytant, from his willingness to examine the "whys" sf h* imruru fu !'mim*r
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TO OUR PLAIYKOWIYERS OF DISCOI/ERY
Dr. Fred L. Dunn, Jr.
t'. of Maryland,8.A., M.A., F ranklin
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Marshall College,
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Principal
you were Six years ago our school began and you were in the seventh grade. when a few of Parent-Teacher of our committee provided a Arctic of the your grade, stirdy in the sixth Association with the suggestion that our school be named Robert E. Peary High School' Before you entered your school, you provided the basis for your traditions. As seventh graders, you were enthusiastic, excited, and eager; you possessed what appeared to be limitless energy. After six yeals you are still enthusiastic, excited, and eager, but you now know that your energy has limits. This knowledge has led you to develop a process for careful planning; in this way you are able to obtain the maximum within these limits, and at the same time it is through careful planning that each learns that the extent of his limits are greater than he first believed. Such knowledge is not a coincidence but instead a realization that pianning is the major ingredient for the continual act of discovery' You recall that, at the end of our first year, each student, faculty, and staff member and a number of patrons received a "Plankowner's Certificate" in recognition of the contribution ,,. establishment of ideals and traditions which will serve as a each had made to the precedent for all Peary students ." For six years you have been' the main component in our school's development. Because you have been so vital to our development you have consequently charted our future. The class of '66 has developed into a class which is "quiet," efficient, and purposeful; it has always possessed a sincerity of purpose and a quest for understanding. At times, I have felt a stillness come over the Class of '66 and a certain restlessness of its members. It is as though you have looked into the future, and with resoluteness you replied, "I will seek the truth and with this truth, 'I will find a way or make one.' " As I described your class, so I have described our school; for indeed, six years in a developing institution entitles you to be described as Robert E. Peary High School, the "School's Class." You are the sum-total of our efforts; you have charted our future and while our school will become more sophisticated in programs and methods, our future is dependent upon your past. You have provided us with a most difficult course, for the most important task of the Discoverer is to communicate to all others his discovery and its meaning' In discovering the magnitude of "quiet," you have provided us with the knowledge that the potential for action is always present in an efficient and purposeful body, and that your sincerity and the quest for understanding are the forces which direct the action toward noble endeavors. In our form of government, it is very important for each of us to be willing to see, at least, both sides of controversial issues. In this way, each of us is able to determine our relationship with each other and the mainstream of our culture, and at the same instant we are also able to determine our individuality. As we learn to appreciate differences we are also able to reduce the frustration which this knowledge produces. A difficult concept in democracy is that while the individrial is of paramount importance and influences our culture when he stands alone, the magnitude of his individuality depends upon the mutual appreciation and interrelatedness of the individual and his culture. Democracy requires a faith and trust one to another and exists upon this basic premise. When one individual causes distrust or denies faith, a cornerstone is dislodged and threatens the stability of the institution. Your class, with its quiet, efficient, and purposeful manner, possessing a sincerity of purpose and a quest for understanding has infused a positive force upon our traditions and this positive force has transcended our own physical limitations. Mankind may discuss, invent, and develop "things" to make his future easier and happier, but his real quest must be in discussing, inventing, and developing faith in one another which can only come from constant searching in the aura of interpersonal relationships. There is no process more complex than that of learning; there is no greater solution to be found than that of how to develop human relationships that enable the individual to experience the reality of each situation and to act in a manner consistent with his goals. Robert E. Peary High School is dedicated to a man whose successes resulted not only from his intellect, careful planning, and persistence, but equally important from his willingness to examine the "whys" of his failures. Our continued emulation of these characteristics produces that irrespressible restlessness which enhances our unique Student Body and Faculty. On behalf of the Faculty and Staff, I thank you, the Class of 1966. our Plankowners of Discovery, the "school's Class," for what you have done for our school and express to you best wishes
for the future'
FRED L. DUNN, PrinciPal
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principal TO OUR SIXTH GRADUATING CLASS The years since 1950 have not been particularly kind to the Class of 1968. The constant turmoil of world conditions have overshadowed every effort to improve mankind. Many nations appear to be in, or on the brink of an emotional depression and the developments in rapid communcation and travel have appeared to be more divisive than unifying. The population explosion has led many experts to predict a worldwide food famine in 1975. ln re-reading the events of the past eighteen years, experiencing the events of today, and searching the predictions of the future, it is evident that while mankind may discuss, invent, and develop "things" to make his future easier and happier, his real quest must be concerned with discussing, inventing, and developing faith in one another and in governmental bodies. This can only come from constant searching within the aura of interpersonal relationships. We must learn how to live with laws within a world which appears lawless, we must learn how to maintain individual privacy at the same time we are rapidly becoming a nonprivate world, and we must learn the universal values of nature at the same time individuals and governmental bodies want to impose their value systems on others. There is no process more complex than that of learning; there is no greater solution to be found than that of how to develop human relationships that enable the individual to experience the reality of each situation and to act in a manner consistent with his goals. You, the members of the Class of 1968, are not alone in this struggle, as a matter of fact, all indications are that you are a captive audience and it may be years before you are in position to actively influence current events. However, your immediate influence will be known at the ballot box. The youth of today have a slogan which says "Tell it like it is!" And, if we are to control mankind's problems we must "Tell it like it is!" This will be worthwhile only if we "Hear it as it is!" To "tell" and to "hear" are truly valuable onlywhen they are translated into goals and actions. The Class of 1968 is purposeful and realistic in the events of the day, and the presence of a few individuals who are extreme in their optimism or pessimism contributes to this reality and permits those with initiative to act and "find a way or make one." Robert E. Peary High School is dedicated to a man whose successes resulted not only from his intellect, careful planning, and persistence, but equally important from his willingness to examine the "whys" of his failures. Our continued emulation of these characteristics produces that irrepressible restlessness which enhances our unique Student Body and Faculty. On behalf of the Faculty, Staff and the Student Body which follows you, I thank you, the Class of 1968, the "Realistic Class," for what you have done for our school and express to you best wishes for the future.
no rnan can reveal Dr. Fred L. Dunn Jr.
The teacher who walks in the shadow of the temple
Col. JosePh SivignY Chairman, Guidance DePartment
Miss Mable D. Thomas
Assistant PrinciPal
Mr. John Lewis Assistant Princioal
ADMINISTRATION
Miss Mabel Thomas, Assistant Principal
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Mr. Irving Zorb
Mr. John Lewis
Miss Mabel Thomas
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"Learning is the only wealth tyrants cannot despoil." Kahlil Gibran
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The Principal. Dr. Dunn. Fred. Anyone who has been a teacher, student, or resident within the environs South Rockville knbws that these words refer to the first and only principal of Robert E. Peary High School. H reputation extends beyond the community, but it is there perhaps that most of his efforts and influence have had the grEatest effect during fhe past fourteen yeirs. Being a high Schoolprincipal is not easy; and being appointed Principal to ichool that is little hore than a set of architect's blueprints can present additional burdens. So it was with care ar deliberation that the Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools chose the man who would have the respons bility of opening the new school on Arctic Avenue. His choice was Dr. Frederick L. Dunn, Jr. Since that time, the man and the school have become inseparable. He has watched the school grow fro blueprints to a building, seen it double in size, and awaited the completibn of a long needed auditorium, all of which hat cemented more tightly the bond which was formed fourteen years ago. But Dr. Dunn is more than a school administrato and he cares more about many situations than the physical plant of a school. Too often have people concerned then selves with the superficial and not taken enough time to coniider the ideals, values, and philosophy he makes 3 w3! life. Except for a few youthful years spent in Baltimore, Fred Dunn lived in and attended schools in Washinglo D.C. As a student at Central High Sihool, he was on the football team, was captain of the track team, and was presidel of the "C" Club. He chose the University of Maryland as the place where he would continue his education but sper only one semester there before enlisting in the United States Navy in 1942. Like most other enlistees at the time, he took his basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center ar was subsequently stationed there at its hospital as a corpsman; his next tour of duty took him to Hawaii, and he con pleted his service tour back on the mainland. The Navy iecognized his academic potential and sent him to Franklin ar Marshall College; and one year later, he was assigned io the University of Pennsylvania. Celebrating his completion t military service,.Fred Dunn and Janet Elizabeth Griffith were married on March 23,1946. Believing in the importance of education for each individual, he returned to the University of Maryland prepare for his own work as an educator and earned the Bachelor of Arts Degree in June 1948. It was at this time that I became associated with the Montgomery County Public Schools and began teaching at Montgomery Hills Junior HiE School; and during the three yeari he spent there, he returned to the University of Maryland's night school and cor pleted work for the Master of Arts Degree. Because of his new credentials and his desire to work with "problem itudents, he was appointed a pupil personnel worker, and some of his present convictions about the role of educato took more solid form. The many civic, social, and professional organizations to which he belongs are represented by the numerol awards and honori he has received but about which he is reluctant to speak. An example of one such award was that Distinguished Alumnus of Central High Schoolfor 1972, by which he was placed among a prestigious company of form, recipients: Charles Collingwood, Judges Irving Levine, Ralph Shure, and Alfred Noyes, Congressman DeWitt Hyde, ar J. Edgar Hoover. Following the United States Supreme Court's decision on school desegregation, he was named Assistant to tl Superintendent of Schools in 1955 and given the awesome task of desegregating the Montgomery County Public School As a result of this special assignment, he was a major contributor to the book Action Patterns in School Desegregatiol which was commissioned by Phi Delta Kappa, a national educational fraternity. In 1956, he was appointed Assistant Principal at Sherwood High School and served there until 1958 when he u appointed to the same posiiion at Wheaton High Sthool. As if his duties were not enough to occupy his time, he to( additional graduate studies at the University of Maryland while meeting all his administrative responsibilities. So it u.r with natural relief that he left College Park in 1959 for the last time as a student, with renewed enthusiasm and i addition to his name; he was now Di, Frederick L. Dunn, Jr., and he embarked on his newest challenge in educatio that of opening and being the Principal of Peary High School. Dr. Dunn made it one of his priorities to become familiar with the personality and accomplishments of tl American hero for whom the school is-named, and as a result Peary is steeped in a tradition that few schools in tl country can match for authenticity and completeness. He believes that each teacher should lead students to their ov discoveries, that each student has a right tb an ethical teacher, and that the school is a dynamic institution whii prepares young people to become emotionally and economically secure adults. For a number of years, Dr. Dunn has served as a member and is currently the Chairman of the Montgome County Juvenile Court Committee; and he has the added distinction of being the only educator on the committee, havil been appointed to it by the Montgomery Countv Council. During the summers of 1964 and 1965. he was granted tempo ary leave from his duties at Peary and traveled to Nova Scotia where he directed the planning and implementation of tl guidance program in the Nova Scotia School System. Encompassing and permeating all aspects of his personality and philosophy are two points whic! must not l unmentioned; the firsiis something he has said, and the second is something that should be said candidly abour. hir "Mankind may discuss, invent, and develop to make his future easier and happier; but his real quest must be in discu sing, inventing, and developing faith in one another, which can only come from constant searching in the area of interpe sonal relationships." What cannot remain unwritten here about Dr. Dunn is one of the most outstanding characteristics of the ma Whenever a former or present student has died, whenever personal tragedy has touched a student's family, whenever teacher or staff person has experienced ill health or deep sorrow, whenever there has been a human need for help-of ar kind, he has always been among the first to offer his own personal help. "Can I lend a hand?" epitomizes his life. AI that, very simply, says it all.
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