OCTOBER 2023
Learning blooms for Beattie students in garden Beattie Elementary School students are growing more than just Ogallala strawberries, red jewel cabbage and early butternut squash in their community garden. They are also planting seeds for valuable life skills like work ethic, patience and perseverance. Beattie Principal Julie Lee said the garden has benefited thousands of students over the past 23 years. Plants, trees and flowers are located on three sides of the building, and numerous fruits and vegetables are included in a large section along Worthington Avenue. “It’s such an amazing part of our school culture here,” Lee said. “We use it on a daily basis. We’ll hear on the communications radio that a teacher is taking their class to the garden, and it might be to have a math lesson or to let the kids do some reading. It’s used in so many different ways, and the kids love having it here. It’s really wonderful.” Lincoln resident Mike Hillis spearheaded the garden project in 2000 after he volunteered in his son’s kindergarten classroom. He became sad when he heard a student say tomatoes came from a Styrofoam package in a supermarket. He decided to form a garden to help them learn where food truly comes from and discover native Nebraska plants and flowers.
The project has flourished since then. The Worthington Avenue section includes themed areas such as the green sea garden, pollinator garden and contemplation garden. A sundial, colorful mosaic sculptures and a small boat named NEBobcat1 are featured alongside fruits, vegetables, plants and grasses. The Platte River garden runs along the entire Calvert St. side of the building and includes many trees and flowers by a trail. A walking path garden stretches down Stockwell St. and has trees, flowers and native grasses. Fifth-grade student Penny said the outdoor classrooms have been a fun place to learn about the world. “The garden is full of family community friendship, and it’s just like, I mean, they have names of the trees and plants. And if you just look around and notice the small things, it’s really beautiful,” Penny said. Third-grade student Emek has also enjoyed his outdoor experiences. He was in the school’s garden club last year. He was happy to learn his plants had remained healthy and fruitful over the summer. “It’s very exciting that some stuff has bloomed,” Emek said. Third-grade teacher Lee Dreyer said the garden has helped students like
Penny and Emek in academic, social and emotional ways. “It’s a place that provides so many different opportunities for students,” Dreyer said. “It gives them room to walk outside and enjoy nature, and it has a real calming presence for them. It helps them decompress and cope with anything that might be going on in their lives.”
WHATS INSIDE: SECTION A: A3 TeamMates of the month: Christine and Sara A5 Sustainability at LPS: Join us at Roper A5 Looking for a book? A9 Wellness: Wellness has gone to the dogs A10 Menus A12 Humann Elementary focuses on creating connections through restorative circles
Dreyer said students benefit from having ownership stakes in the garden. They oversee different sections each year based on grade level. Penny said students are aware that the garden connects everyone at Beattie. “It’s not just a one-grade thing,” Penny said. “It’s a full-family thing.” Lee said the garden has offered more than just carrots, hostas and hydrangeas for Beattie students and parents to enjoy. It has also provided a place to grow a strong neighborhood and school community. “Our biggest supporters are our neighbors and families,” Lee said. “They really value what we have here. It’s so nice to see that, because it shows what an amazing school we have.”
Community events advertised in Community News are privatelysponsored events that are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Lincoln Public Schools. Lincoln Public Schools makes no representations about the absence of COVID-19 at these events.
Community News is a publication of Lincoln Public Schools. If you have any questions about this publication please contact Marlenia Thornton, 436-1619; or Mindy Burbach, 436-1609; Lincoln Public Schools P.O. Box 82889 Lincoln, NE 68501-2889