Alma Schrader School celebrates national honor

Alma Schrader Elementary School in Cape Girardeau is one of 83 schools nationwide named a 2017 national School of Character.

Character Plus, a not-for-profit organization that validates character initiatives in schools and communities around the world, designated Alma Schrader in a special school assembly Wednesday morning.

“Words cannot adequately express what this designation means to me,” Alma Schrader principal Ruth Ann Orr said in a news release. “This designation represents years of work and documentation. It also represents a deep level of partnership and relationship among our students, staff, families and community partners. It truly reflects the connectedness that we want to promote from our school.”

Guidance counselor and assistant principal Julia Unnerstall said she began this journey to the award in 2005 when her father, Sam Unnerstall, was on vacation in Florida and picked up a copy of USA Today with an article about Character Plus’ state and national School of Character designations and told her, “You can do this.”

Julia Unnerstall went to Orr, and she agreed it was a good idea to investigate the process. That got the ball rolling, Unnerstall said.

Alma Schrader School principal Ruth Ann Orr moderates a Skype call Wednesday with Tami Bopp, left, and Nicole Diehl, who announced the school had achieved a national School of Character award.Fred Lynch

Alma Schrader, a public kindergarten through fourth-grade school, was recognized by Character Plus in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015 as a Promising Practices School. In 2015, it was recognized as a runner-up to State School of Character.

Earlier this school year, Alma Schrader was designated as a State School of Character, which put it in the running for the final designation.

Unnerstall said this designation makes her think about everyone whose work and dedication went into the process and what an honor it is.

“It’s so validating,” Unnerstall said.

“This was born out of wanting our students to be responsible, respectful citizens, not just here at Alma Schrader, but in the community as well,” she said.

The process included demonstrating best practices, partnerships with city organizations, parental involvement and an excellent track record of student achievement and community involvement, Unnerstall said.

Tami Bopp, implementation director with Character Plus, said via Skype during Wednesday’s assembly it was a privilege to be part of Alma Schrader’s 12-year journey.

“I always felt very welcomed,” Bopp said.

Nicole Diehl, Missouri state coordinator for Character Plus, made the announcement via Skype that, of 83 schools named 2017 national Schools of Character, Alma Schrader was one.

Orr told the assembled 400 students, staff, teachers, parents and grandparents there are more than 123,000 schools in the United States that could have earned this designation, “which puts us in the top 0.0006 percent of schools.”

The room erupted in cheers.

Seventeen schools in Missouri earned this designation, according to the news release. Of those 17, the other 16 are near or in St. Louis.

Orr, who is in her 14th year as principal, said this is the biggest honor the school could have gotten.

“It’s huge,” she said.

Because Character Plus is an incremental program, meaning a school must earn state recognition before winning a national, Orr said schools usually don’t earn state and national distinction in the same year.

“It’s not just the teachers and kids,” Orr said. “We had to demonstrate parents and community partnerships, sustained and sustainable programs.”

Orr said programs teaching life skills and character building had to be shown as being not just one-time efforts, but long-term.

“It is such an honor,” Orr said.

“I want to emphasize, Julia Unnerstall did so much to organize this,” Orr said. “The teachers, what they do in the classroom, too — it was a total school initiative.”

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address:

1360 Randol Ave., Cape Girardeau, Mo.