Last modified: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 2:20 AM EDT Solmonese picks a new leader BY MICHAEL GELBWASSER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF NORTON - Riitta Bolton calls herself "a real elementary person." So when the Solmonese Elementary School principal post became available this spring, Bolton was intrigued. "I was looking to find a school that was child-centered, one that fit with my philosophy of education," Bolton said from Millbury's Shaw Elementary School, where she has been principal the past three years. Superintendent Patricia Ansay this week announced that Bolton, 52, of Whitinsville, will take over the Solmonese school from Mary Brown, who is retiring after 42 years as a Norton educator, the last 22 as Solmonese principal. Bolton said she has agreed to a contract and will start work at Solmonese, on Route 123, during the first week in July. Bolton said that following Brown, a town mainstay, doesn't daunt her. "Going into a situation like that, you really need to get to know the staff and the community," Bolton said. Bolton called the Solmonese staff "very progressive," and she saw strong community support during the interview process. A lot of parents volunteer at Solmonese, she said. "I had heard some good things just being in education. The schools were good," Bolton said. Bolton said she brings 16 years of experience in elementary schools to Norton. Born and raised in Finland, Bolton said she started her career teaching grades three, four and five in the Shrewsbury public schools. She then became a fourth-grade media specialist. She was the assistant principal of Shrewsbury's Sherwood Middle School for two years before Millbury hired her to lead its Shaw school, which Ansay said has more than 400 students in grades four through six. Bolton said she has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Worcester State College and a master's degree in computers and education from Lesley College. "I'm a lifelong learner," Bolton said. Bolton said she hopes the first impression she makes on Solmonese parents is "my door's always open." "I'm a pretty positive person," she said. Ansay agreed. "I'm told that Riitta possesses a passion for her work in the school setting, is a good listener with a deep understanding of content knowledge and expertise in many curriculum areas," Ansay wrote to the school committee, in announcing Bolton's appointment. "She will work hard to create a learning environment for students and teachers in her school." The Shaw school uses the same reading program that the Norton schools first used this year, Ansay noted.