Welcome to Beattie Elementary

Pinwheels For Peace

Beattie Elementary joins the Pinwheels for Peace Project

In today’s world, peace needs to become more than just a word.

Today’s students are bombarded with television images, video games, and magazine articles/newspapers that give importance to conflict. Violence has become commonplace and accepted as part of our society and, for some students, it is a way of life. It is our hope that through the Pinwheels for Peace project, we can help the students make a public visual statement about their feelings about peace/ tolerance/ cooperation/ harmony/ unity and, in some way, maybe, awaken the public and let them know what the next generation is thinking.

This is not political. Peace doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with the conflict of war, it can be related to violence/intolerance in our daily lives, to peace of mind. To each of us, peace can take on a different meaning, but, in the end, it all comes down to a simple definition: a state of calm and serenity, with no anxiety, the absence of violence, freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people.

A pinwheel is a childhood symbol – it reminds us of a time when things were simple, joyful, peaceful. Pinwheels can be minimal or very complex – imagination, creativity (and a mild breeze) are the only variables needed.

Students at Beattie Elementary create pinwheels, as part of the creation process, the students will express their thoughts about “peace / tolerance/ living in harmony with others”. On the day after International Day of Peace, everyone “planted” their pinwheels outside in the garden as a public statement and art exhibit/installation. The spinning of the pinwheels in the wind will spread thoughts and feelings about peace throughout the school and our community!

Pinwheels for Peace is an art installation project started in 2005 by two Art teachers, Ann Ayers and Ellen McMillan, who teach at Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, Florida, as a way for students to express their feelings about what’s going on in the world and in their lives. The project was quickly embraced by their students and the entire school community and by millions of art teachers, teachers, parents, children and adults who desire peace in our world.

Harvest at Beattie Garden

We have plenty to be Thankful for…

Beattie Third grade students harvested the fruits from our garden and worked with parent volunteer, Mike Hillis, to create a cornocopia. Thanks to Mr. Hillis’ wonderful talents, he helped each student put a fruit/flower/grass from the garden into the cornocopia. Students, teachers and visitors enjoyed seeing the beautiful display in the hallway.

Beattie Third Graders Have Made A Choice!

The Lincoln grocery stores are out of canned pumpkin! Our mission was to decide what kind of pumpkin would make the best pumpkin pie. We had grown sugar pumpkins, Long island Cheese, and Kobocha in our Beattie Garden. Karen Creswell, Master Gardener volunteer and retired Dietician, cooked them for us and we had a taste test. After tasting all three varieties Mrs. Vercellino’s class chose Kobocha, other third grade classes chose different varieties. Ms. Creswell then baked us some delicious pie with our choice. If you’re looking to bake a pumpkin pie this holiday season choose Kobocha instead if the canned stuff!

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds!

Kindergarten classes were treated to a presentation about seeds by Karen Creswell.
The students learned that we are surrounded by seeds. Seeds can be used for cooking and eating, too. Children tasted sunflower seeds and smelled spices made from seeds.
Ms. Creswell picked flowers from the Beattie garden and students made observations.
The birds have been eating seeds from the sunflowers. She pointed out the maze design in the center of a sunflower. Sometimes jewelry can be made from seeds. A favorite seed to eat is popcorn.
We took a walk through the garden and noticed how tall the sunflowers had grown. Many of the other plantings in the garden had dried seeds for us to see.
We saw a beautiful picture of a field of sunflowers taken at a farm in Nebraska.