{"id":1273,"date":"2019-01-16T14:39:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-16T20:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/home.lps.org\/recycling\/?p=1273"},"modified":"2022-05-16T11:03:36","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T16:03:36","slug":"beattie-garden-blossoms-with-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/home.lps.org\/sustainability\/2019\/01\/16\/beattie-garden-blossoms-with-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Beattie garden blossoms with learning"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Beattie garden blossoms with learning<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Everyday brings a new success for the school garden program at Beattie Elementary. \u00a0Watching students pass through the garden on their way to recess, or spend class time learning from the space, Master Gardener Karen Drumm Creswell remarks, \u201cAwe and wonder are too small of words to describe what we daily experience in the garden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Originally started back in 2000, the school garden at Beattie has consistently grown through the years. \u00a0Every year sees an updated portion of the si<\/span>x-acre space, usually centered around a theme to engage and excited the students. \u00a0Beattie currently boasts a Platte River Garden, a Prairie Garden, and Anti-bullying Garden, a Berry Patch, and many\u00a0<\/span>more. Each of these gardens support topics required in the children\u2019s curriculum, allowing the space to be used as a place for active learning. \u00a0Students also have the chance to take a garden class, focused on teaching them the fundamentals in outdoor education.<\/p>

In the Beattie garden, learning does not stop when school ends. \u00a0The Family Service Summer Program utilizes the garden to engage kids<\/span>\u00a0with their environment over break. \u00a0There are also programs that run in conjunction\u00a0with the school library, which remains open through the summer months.<\/p>

Creating lifelong learners both in and outside of the classroom is one of the formative goals of any school garden program. \u00a0Beattie embraces this mission by engaging caretakers and siblings in the garden. Once a month, families gather at the school for Family Garden Night. \u00a0During the summer, Beattie students and their families take turns watering and tending the garden for one week. This extracurricular engagement teaches students that learning and stewardship does not stop when they leave school.<\/p>

Though maintaining such an expansive garden and outdoor learning space is no easy feat, teachers and staff at Beattie take up the challenge with enthusiasm. \u00a0All work and difficulties are made worth it when students are given the chance to actively engage with their learning through the garden. For Creswell, the best part of the garden is not the plants or landscaping. \u00a0\u201c[My favorite part] is the insights of children making discover<\/span>\"\"ies in the garden, their delight,\u201d she says. That\u2019s an end result worth planting for.<\/p>

Garden Lessons<\/b><\/p><\/td>

Garden Features<\/b><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Composting<\/p><\/td>

Raised beds with fruits & veggies<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Pollinators<\/p><\/td>

Rain barrel<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Prairies<\/p><\/td>

Compost piles<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Wetlands<\/p><\/td>

Multiple themed gardens<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Reading circles<\/p><\/td>

\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

More school garden stories:<\/strong><\/h4>