Alma Schrader students celebrate Arbor Day

Arbor Day was commemorated Friday at Alma Schrader School by students and staff and the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs. Club president Nancy Bahn and members Martha Ellen House, Joyce Churnside, Judy Holshouser, Anne Foust and Barb Blanchard attended the presentation led by Arbor Day chairman Nadine Davis.

School principal Ruth Ann Orr helped the club select a pink Dogwood tree for planting in the school's front yard. Annually a local school is chosen to receive this gift symbolizing Arbor Day. The tree was planted and mulched by Harry Bertrand and the Cape Girardeau Technical Center.

The club's poetry contest topic was trees and growing. Winners read their poems to the audience and received awards. All of the third-grade students received short-leaf pine trees, the only pine tree native to Missouri, from the Council of Garden Clubs.

Poetry winners included Laura Waggener, first place; Joshua Sander, second place; Collier Trager, third place, all from Karen Tarno's class; Luke Phillips, first place, Kaylen Martin, second place, Molly Whitener, third place, all from Leta Wagner's class; Stone Patalita, first place, Allyson Busch, second place, Chelsea Beasley, third place, all from Lesa Hinton's class.