Laurel B. Rosenthal

Educator

An adjective is a noun modifier that denotes the quality of the person or thing named, and there are no new ones to describe Laurel Rosenthal, either as an educator or a person.  She was born in Topeka, Kansas and raised in Kansas City.  Her degree in Elementary Education was attained at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  She later got her Master’s Degree at Pittsburg State University, as well as a Specialist in Education degree. She married Malcolm Rosenthal and moved to Carthage in 1956, where they raised two sons.

Her first kindergarten class was at Mark Twain School where she taught for 21 years before becoming Principal, a position she has held for 26 years now.  Although she has been offered another principalship, she refused to accept, remaining loyal to Mark Twain.

Her secret to success with children seems to be that she cares so much about each one entering Mark Twain, a fact the children know.  She treats them with love and respect and that too shows, and they in turn, learn to respect others by her example.

Her accolades include the Judge Clay Cowgill Blair Award for Outstanding Teacher, the R-9 Golden Key Award for Outstanding Administrator, the Outstanding Principal of Southwest Missouri Award, Carthage Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year (2009) and Grand Marshall of the Carthage Maple Leaf Parade (2013).  In 2000, she was named one of twelve Distinguished Missouri Elementary Principals. One of her favorite “awards” is serving as the Grand Marshall of the Belle Air Place parade every year.

She is an exemplary educator and Principal, and no child has to fear being sent to the Principal’s office at Mark Twain; probably looking forward to it in her case.