Page 14 - PINE CREST 2000

Despite the money that goes into decorating wig over it so no one would catch him.’’ Dr. Perez is also
a school’s image, a school remains only as good as one of the very few Pine Crest teachers to own a white tie,
its teachers. Without a doubt, the most significant a tradition that dates back to 1974, when all teachers re­
aspect of a learning institution is the interaction be­ ceived commemorative ties. Pine Crest students of the

tween the knowledge-giver and knowledge-taker. A last five years undoubtedly associate Perez with one job
single teacher can have the power to jump start a more than any other-monitoring the lunch line. “I have
student’s untapped passion for a subject, or simply been fighting with students in the cafeteria since 1994,”

inspire the student to strive past his expected abili­ says the self-proclaimed “King of the Caf.” “No, I love
ties. Because it is frequently an extremely under- working with kids,” jokes Perez. He has become so in­
appreciated profession in the world, we have decided grained in the fabric of the school that it would be hard to
to distinguish just a few of the teachers that have imagine standing in line waiting for lunch without him

become synonymous with the Pine Crest experience. telling kids to tuck in their shirts or to “get to the back.”
One of the oldest remaining teacher at Pine Even his three kids attended Pine Crest. A citizen now,
Crest is Dr. Perez. After earning a law degree in Dr. Perez has been residing in America for over 35 years,

Cuba, Perez fled his native homeland in 1963 and and feels his home is Fort Lauderdale. He intends to ter­
began teaching Spanish at Haverford High School rorize many more generations of Pine Crest students who
in Philadelphia. In 1969, he kicked off his Pine Crest believe they deserve their lunch faster than anyone else.

career, also teaching Spanish at several levels. His The dawning of the seventies brought the advent of
most famous student was Kelsey Grammer, to whom the eighties, and with it a mathematical genius-”G.I.” not-
he taught Spanish III. Perez has one particularly your-average-Joe, Mr. Gordon Ivanoski. While most of

fond memory of the Fraiser star: “Kelsey had very the class of 2000 was being born, Mr. I was starting his
long hair in my class, and I warned him to do some­ still unfolding 18-year long adventure of teaching math­
thing with it or he would get in trouble. The next ematics to Pine Crest students. Taking one of his classes

time I saw him he had his hair tied up and wore a should be a pre-requisite to graduation. Like a cross be-