After 37 years as an educator, West Lauderdale Elementary School Principal Rosemary Harris is retiring this summer, but she’s not leaving education entirely.

She plans on working part-time at the Meridian branch of Mississippi State University supervising student interns.

Harris, who taught all subjects in grades 2-8 during her career, also served as assistant principal at Northeast Middle School and Northwest Junior High School. She also worked as a principal in Laurel and at the now closed Witherspoon Elementary School.

She was one of 14 retiring teachers and staff members who were recently honored with a tea given by the Lauderdale County School District. 

“As a teacher my focus was on reading,” Harris said. “I loved it all — the chapter books and listening to them read was definitely part of my favorite.”

Harris said she knew by the time she was 12 years old that she was going to be a teacher.

“It’s been the best opportunity in my life,” she said. “I graduated from West Lauderdale and to come back and be principal is very humbling.”

After graduating from West Lauderdale, she continued her education at Meridian Community College and Mississippi State University, where she obtained her master’s degree in elementary education and educational leadership.

In addition to loving being around students at school, Harris also teaches a Sunday School class of 15-17 year-olds at West Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Meridian.

Though she has no children of her own, God blessed her with “six or seven hundred of them,” Harris said, with a laugh.

She said there is nothing more fulfilling than running into former students and seeing them be successful and give back to the community.

If she’s asked for advice about going into the teaching profession, Harris says, “Don’t do it for the money. You’ve got to have a passion for it, because some days those babies aren’t going to perform the way you want them to and you’ve got to be willing to hang with them.”

Although she’s looking forward to retirement, Harris plans to return to West Lauderdale and volunteer.

“I’ve had a really strong PTO, (Parents Teachers Organization,) here,” she said. “They have been phenomenal and I want to give back and volunteer.”

She said some of her former students now have children at West Lauderdale and it’s good to run into them and to know they’ve done well.

“It’s good to see they’re successful and knowing you had a hand in that,” she said.

Looking ahead, Harris plans to do some traveling and work in her yard with her flowers. Her husband Eugene has two more years before he retires and they will travel more then, she said.

“I am going to miss this staff,” Harris said. “They are by far one of the best staffs I’ve ever had. They are going to be in good hands and do what’s right for the children. They have a strong work ethic in meeting the needs of the children with every background to make sure they get what they need academically and socially.”

Other retirees honored at the tea were Superintendent Randy Hodges (44 years), Southeast High teacher/coach James Boswell (9 years), Northeast High teacher Joe Coxwell (18 years), mechanic Jerry Durr (29 years), West Lauderdale Elementary Principal Cecelia Harbour (25 years), Southeast Middle Principal Marcus Irby (25 years), Southeast High teacher Sue Linton (17 years), Northeast High custodian Joseph Martin (17 years), West Lauderdale teacher Kim McWilliams (26 years), district finance director Charlotte Parker (41 years), West Lauderdale teacher Kim Rainer (28 years), Northeast High teacher Jan Trawick (25 years), West Lauderdale teacher Renee Vance (27 years) and Southeast nutritionist Dorothy White (32 years). A total of 394 years of service for the group was accumulated.