Peter to continue teaching, became ill. The responsibility to lead chapel services fell to a young Peter. “I always anticipated religion class with Canon David Forbes,” Peter recalls of his early memories at CSB. “He was a calm and peaceful presence that I wanted to emulate.” And emulate he did, following the completion of his Masters at Trinity University’s School of Education where earned his M.Ed and was named a Master Scholar. Peter often cited books of Old Testament and New Testament stories that he kept in his library decades after he left CSB whenever he taught religion to students at both Advent Episcopal and Holy Comforter Episcopal schools where he was headmaster. “As Headmaster, I felt I should follow David’s example and be the one to teach those classes.” Along with David Forbes, the patient teaching styles of choral master Richard Purvis and former teachers TK Dyer and Paul Pierson resonated with Peter as a young student that he later applied to his own teaching philosophy: “When possible, reduce restrictions and let students be individuals; encourage students to delve into their passions; and create an environment where students respect one another,” he says. “I was diagnosed with ADD in my late sixties; during my time at CSB I struggled to memorize things,” he recalls. “When we were working on multiplication tables I could not remember 7x8 when I was sent to the chalkboard to show my work. I wrote 7 x 7 = 49 + 7 = 56. I thought Mrs. Dyer would die. But she survived and so did I. Mr. Pierson also gave us great freedom when we got our work done. Several of the boys were into writing scripts and putting on skits. We were allowed to make a rudimentary set and performed a skit for the whole school in the crypt. We were encouraged to be creative.”
Ross Dillon’s world travels (top) inform his lessons in the classroom (bottom).
8 | CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
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