Students, faculty celebrate 'Alma Schrader Day'

"Happy Alma Schrader Day!" cried poodle-skirted fourth-grader Mackenzie Patterson as if announcing her best friend's birthday.

While Alma Schrader would most likely have appreciated the enthusiasm of the students and teachers, she probably would have disapproved of the rock 'n' roll played loudly at Friday's assembly at the school named for her.

"Miss Alma Schrader was very, very strict," principal Ruthann Orr said. She said Schrader sent a boy home for having dirt under his fingernails and whacked a girl across the back of her hands because her slip was showing.

Alma Schrader taught for 50 years in Cape Girardeau. She was the first principal at May Greene school and spent 34 years as the supervising principal. In 1937 she was elected head of the Missouri State Teacher's Association.

Alma Schrader School opened in 1959, the year Schrader died. Friday's celebration honored the students, teachers and parents to whom the school has been important over the past 46 years.

"We hope to do this every year. We have to give the kids a sense of tradition," Orr said.

Around 305 current students, 20 parents and eight former teachers attended the assembly.

Teachers in the 1950s did not wear poodle skirts. They wore girdles. "That's probably why Miss Alma was never smiling. Her girdle was rather tight," Orr said.

The day's events began with an adopt-a-school ceremony with First Missouri State Bank president Steve Taylor and marketing director Brittany Lee. The bank will sponsor an all-school field trip, come in and teach a class and give a $50 savings bond each month to Alma Schrader's "terrific tiger." One student from each school in the district is recognized as an exemplary student and given the title of "terriffic tiger" for a month.

Three fourth-grade fathers, the 4th Grade Daddy-O's, gave a three-song concert. Students clapped and bobbed their heads while the teachers sang along.

"This was our practice and first and final performance," guitarist Tim Gibbons said.

Third-grade teacher Lesa Hinton stood out during the hula hoop demonstration by walking in circles and across the room while keeping the hoop moving around her hips.

The day's events ended with a fourth-grade sock hop in the afternoon.