Mark Solomon
Scotland principal Mark Solomon is going out in style — with his name etched into the new playground at the school he presided over for the last 10 years.
Mr. Solomon announced in January he would retire after a 45-year career in education.
“Mark was fully supportive of the new playground at Scotland that took more than a year to build,” said Superintendent Deborah Low at the Board of Education meeting Monday night. “This is a way for Mark to leave his mark on Scotland forever.”
Parents Sharol Signorelli and Ruth Van Den Nieuwehuizen asked that the playground be dedicated Mr. Solomon, and the board will make a decision at its next meeting.
“He has been an integral part of the playground’s care and expansion, including the RISE playground and the Ga-ga pit,” wrote the parents in their letter to the board. “Mr. Solomon has always held the school’s outside play spaces high on his list of things he takes care of for the students at Scotland because they allow inclusivity and fun.”
Once the dedication is approved by the board, the Scotland community will host a schoolwide picnic for all families — past and present — on June 6, when they will make the dedication presentation.
The board’s policy states that “no plaques, signs or memorials in recognition, honor, or memory of any person or organization shall be placed in or on any school facility without the recommendation of the superintendent and the approval of the board.”