The San Lorenzo Valley High School Science Building was renamed last month, to honor retired Science Teacher Preston Q. Boomer, for many years of dedicated teaching.
On May 22, a crowd showed up to honor Boomer — the creator of the famed Boomeria — at the newly dubbed Boomer Science Building.
“They told stories and fun things that happened over the years, I mean a lot of those people are teachers that are former students of mine,” Boomer explained.
A plaque was hung in Boomer’s honor and the building received a fresh new coat of paint.
“Well I am very honored of course, it was totally a surprise, I had no idea they were going to do it,” Boomer said.
SLVHS Biology and AP Biology Teacher Ned Hearn, said that many former and current staff members and students came to witness the event.
“It was a really nice ceremony, we had lots of faces from the distant past of SLV that came to honor Boomer, and we managed to get Boomer down out of Bonny Doon,” Hearn said, “… and I think he was very happy — although a bit shy and embarrassed by it on some levels — but really appreciative.”
Boomer, who began teaching Science at SLVHS in 1957, taught Physics and Chemistry in the science building for many years.
“The Boomer Building at the high school previously had four classrooms and they were K1 through K4, and they have been renumbered to be B1 through B4,” said SLVUSD Superintendent Laurie Bruton. “The board approved the renaming of this building for a duration of 56 years to honor Preston Boomer, who was a science teacher at SLV High School for 56 years.”
In June of 2013, Boomer retired, prompting Hern and SLVHS Science Teacher Jane Orbuch to request for the facility name change by the SLVUSD board.
“We appreciate that the board saw the merit in making this move because we actually had to present it to the board, wait a year, and then present it to the board again for a dedication of any kind of buildings on a school site,” Hearn said.
