Culture and Community Context
Beattie is an Elementary School in Fort Collins, CO.
Beattie is a Positive Behavior and Intervention Support (PBiS) school, with an emphasis on R.A.M.S. (Respect All, Act Responsibly, Motivated to Learn, and Safety). They ensure a positive, safe, school environment through our PBiS behavior teaching matrix, use of Peacekeepers, which emphasizes restorative practices, and the practice of crisis response procedures. Their school-wide approach includes the saying "RAMS climb higher". Students are recognized for their efforts and positive behavior, and this recognition includes being identified as a Beattie "Rockstar".
Community involvement is a key part of our enrichment. Beattie encourages student involvement in a wide array of activities including service learning projects, Kindness Club, Student Council, Odyssey of the Mind, Lego Robotics, Encore (Art, Music, and PE) events, wellness activities, PSD After 3 classes, BASE Camp, and other opportunities.
Beattie is an open classroom building which promotes collaborative teaching and learning, and encourages everyone to work together. Teachers throughout the school strive to address student needs, and students build problem-solving and critical thinking skills through the learning activities presented. Our culture includes an emphasis on health and wellness, and related activities occur throughout the year for students, families, and staff.
While at Beattie, both students and staff welcomed us as art student teachers. Students were actively engaged in collaborating both with us and with each other.
Demographic Characteristics
Total Enrollment: 390
Student to Teacher Ratio: 20:1
Racial Breakdown:
-69% White
-21% Hispanic
-5% Two or more races
-2% Black
-2% Asian
-1% Native American
Students Eligible for Free Lunch: 48%
Students Eligible for Reduced Lunch: 7%
Classroom Environment
During my time at Beattie, I taught 4th and 5th grade art. Classes were 45 minutes each. Beattie is a two track school. I taught at Beattie every Friday, so one week we had the A group and the next we had the B group. During our time at Beattie, we introduced students to Wonder Lab. During Wonder Lab, students got the chance to explore new materials and new ways of making. We introduced a variety of different explorations, and the students had the opportunity to explore that medium or mediums. Students were encouraged to try out ways of making that they may have never explored, they were able to discover new ways of making. Wonder Lab also focused on Ideation, students were given the opportunity to ideate for their future projects through exploration. Students were given problems and asked to think through how that problem could be solved. Along the same lines, students were asked to collaborate with each other, and were introduced to the process of taking parts of everyone's ideas to create a final work of art.
Safe Schools and Students with Special Needs
Beattie has a team of professionals on site that provide assessments and support for students demonstrating exceptional needs. Members of their team include:
Additional professionals are available for consultation and depending on student need. Those needs are defined under Special Education eligibility criteria.
Safety:
PSD is committed to an inclusive and safe climate for all students.
With Campus Security Officers serving as the eyes and ears of the district and School Resource Officers (certified police officers) based at all middle and comprehensive high schools, safety for students and staffs is a top priority.
The PSD Security Department promotes an inclusive and safe climate through proactive and innovative services, relationships, and communication. PSD continually updates crisis plans and implements prevention programs to ensure safe learning environments in all schools.
PSD Campus Security Officers (CSOs) and School Resource Officers (SROs) help keep students safe.
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Campus Security Officers, part of the PSD Security Department, work at school sites as the eyes and ears of the district. Duties include security; vehicle, bike, and foot patrol; special event coverage; and crisis response and assistance.
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School Resource Officers are certified police officers based at PSD middle and high schools. SROs help maintain the schools' safe learning environment, improve school/law enforcement collaboration, and promote positive relations between students, staff, and law enforcement officials.
Students with Special Needs:
Integrated Services offers many programs to help all children succeed. These include:
Bibliography
About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://bea.psdschools.org/about-us.
Beattie Elementary School Profile (2019-20): Fort Collins, CO. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://www.publicschoolreview.com/beattie-elementary-school-profile.
PSD Programs and Guidelines. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://www.psdschools.org/programs-services/integrated-services/programs-guidelines.
School Safety and Security. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://www.psdschools.org/schools/safety-and-security.
Student Support Services. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://bea.psdschools.org/integrated-services.
Students with Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2019, from https://www.psdschools.org/programs-services/integrated-services.