Alma Schrader principal Ruth Ann Orr to retire, focus on missions

Ruth Ann Orr has been part of Cape Girardeau School District in some capacity for more than 35 years and will be officially retiring soon, but that won�t exactly be the end of her career.

Her new focus will be on missions � here and abroad � with continued interaction among her church, community and school district.

Orr said several members of her family were educators near Puxico and Stoddard County, Missouri, and she had the honor of having her mother, aunt and grandmother as teachers at her high school.

�When I came to SEMO, my uncle was my adviser,� Orr said. �He was head of the Psychology Department.�

Even though her family was involved with academia, Orr said she �tried to fight it� by attending Southeast Missouri State University as a business major. She then switched her sophomore year and graduated December 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a minor in psychology. She later acquired a BS and MA from Southeast as well as a Doctor of Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Ruth Ann Orr, retiring principal of Alma Schrader Elementary School, is recognized Thursday at a ceremony honoring past principals of the school in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

She began her teaching career at Alma Schrader Elementary School as a teaching assistant for sixth grade in 1982, then a position opened up the following year and Orr�s first �official� day teaching was Halloween.

As for where her life has been routed to now, Orr said she never planned on becoming a principal and said overall, she was employed at �almost all the schools in the district� over the span of nearly 20 years.

�For 35-plus years, I�ve always worked for Cape public schools,� she said, including board office, special education and administrative roles.

In 2017, Alma Schrader was recognized for the National School of Character award and Orr said that was a tenured journey since schools �can�t just apply� for such an accolade.

Orr explained there are incremental steps involved in becoming recognized and �it was so huge� to be awarded with that special recognition. Over her years as an educator, she also was awarded with Educator of the Year by American Legion and recognized by the Missouri Arts Council.

June 30 is Orr�s official date of retirement and last day at Alma Schrader.

Orr said she wanted to have a going-away party, but didn�t want people to feel obligated to buy her gifts. She has, though, always wanted to host a multicultural event, she said.

She said families came together to honor the community for such an event Thursday evening at the school. In planning the multicultural event, Orr and her faculty discovered the Alma Schrader school community represents more than 20 cultures, so parents were invited to bring dishes native to their country.

Orr said Thursday�s event was a great way to transition into her next job as missions director at La Croix Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

She has been involved with missions work the last three years in Belize, and said this opportunity came up because of her past experience.

�I�ll be leaving July 12 to go to eSwatini, Africa,� she said of the country formerly known as Swaziland.

After a trip to Belize is when Orr said missions first sparked her interest and she decided to interview with Pathlight International, an organization that grants children in Belize access to education.

Orr said she has been featured as keynote speaker on past trips to Belize, with an emphasis on �teacher training.� That same passion will be carried over to her upcoming trip to Africa.

Even though Orr has taken her missions work across the world, she still considers her �greatest mission� to be Alma Schrader.

�It�s just been a fantastic 16-year ride,� Orr said. �We have a fantastic community; we have fantastic parent support, the kids are great and the staff I�ve worked with have been wonderful.�

She said �relationships� are the core of a good education program and emphasized the Cape Girardeau School District definitely has that.

�It�s sad to me, as these kindergartners are coming in, that I won�t watch that group grow up,� she said.

Orr said she has been blessed to see students she taught when they were in sixth grade, �who are now coming back and they�re doctors, lawyers, dentists and businesses owners.�

�To watch that success has been great,� she said. �My own kids went through this school and my grandson is finishing up fourth grade here. It�s been cool to be a part of their lives.�

Her new job as missions director does involve traveling, but Orr said she also would be part of local missions allowing her to continue working within the school district and the community.

�I don�t feel like I�m leaving,� Orr said. �I�m just changing jobs.�

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632