Students make ELMER sandwich

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By ERIN ANDERSEN / Lincoln Journal Star

What happens when you take a rescued tabby cat, stir in the importance of math and science and sprinkle it with the creative drawings of 420 elementary school art students?

You get an ELMER sandwich, of course.

Now through May 23, you can taste this mathematically inspired chicken sandwich and check out the art banner that started it all at the Runza Restaurant at 48th and O streets. The ELMER sandwich is also being sold at the Runza on the corner of 40th and Randolph streets.

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Fifth grader Derek Baumfalk holds the ELMER sandwich created by collaboration between Randolph Elementary School and Runza. Baumfalk was the first to taste the sandwich. (Gwyneth Roberts)

Fifth grader Derek Baumfalk holds the ELMER sandwich created by collaboration between Randolph Elementary School and Runza. Baumfalk was the first to taste the sandwich. (Gwyneth Roberts)

If you go

What: E.L.M.E.R. Math Sandwich and Fundraiser Night.

Where: Runza restaurants at 48th and O streets and 40th and Randolph

When: 4-8 p.m. Tuesday. Fifteen percent of all proceeds from the two restaurants will go to Randolph Elementary School’s art program.

Info: Cost of the ELMER Kids Combo meal is $3.19. The sandwich is also available separately. The ELMER sandwich will be available through May 23.

This story, however, is about more than food — although fifth-grader Derek Baumfalk, who was one of the first to try the sandwich, says it is mighty good and “big.”

This is a story about a passionate Randolph Elementary  School art teacher, Barbara Mattley, who believes art can teach students about all subjects — reading, writing, arithmetic, science, health, social studies, and most importantly democracy.

Each year, Lincoln Public Schools’ elementary schools make a giant art banner of their own design. Usually, students in every grade work on the project. The banners are then publicly displayed at various locations throughout the city of Lincoln.

Mattley’s philosophy is that art can be all things to students.

“We can be math. We can be reading. And we can do it through art,” Mattley said.

Two years ago, Randolph students created “Life in the Bowl,” a banner depicting healthy foods.

Last year, the banner theme was EDGAR — Every Day Go And Read. It was inspired by Mattley’s rescue cat by the same name. Every student drew an image depicting the magical influence of reading.

Then working with Amy Green, owner of Ivanna Cone, they created an EDGAR signature ice cream of chocolate ice cream, fresh strawberries, crushed Oreo cookies and fudge brownie chunks. Sales of the ice cream brought more than $500 back to Randolph School, Green said.

This year, Mattley — who is truly all about fairness and equity — knew her other rescue kitty, Elmer, needed to be incorporated in the banner, and he had to show the importance of an academic subject.

But coming up with an ELMER acronym was not quite as easy as it was for EDGAR. “Every Day Go and Read” just rolls off the tongue, Mattley said.

Once the students decided on math and science and a slogan — “Everyone Learn Math & Everything Related” — the creativity flowed.

Each student created an image using a number, said first-grader Kiann Cleland, 6. Students voted on the submissions, picking one from each class — a numeral 8 with fishbowl Os, flamingo 2s, parachuting 3s, blossoming 9s and an explosion of numbers.

Mattley and the students then strategically replicated the images on the banner. Students painted them in and added flourishing touches of DNA chains, space stations, rockets and more.

Meanwhile the students decided to create an ELMER sandwich. They voted whether to ask a sole proprietorship restaurant or a corporately owned restaurant to help with the project. They selected Runza, which has been both.

And Runza responded enthusiastically, said Becky Perrett, director of marketing for the restaurant chain.

Again students voted on sandwich ingredients, ultimately coming up with the mathematical equation: ELMER = 1 bun + 2 chicken strips + 1 slice of bacon + 1 cheese slice + 1 lettuce leaf + 1 tomato slice + 3 pickles + 1 onion  ring .

Perrett was surprised by the combination and even more amazed at the result.

“I really liked it,” she said of the ELMER sandwich.

So do the students who have created a host of catchy slogans for their sandwich from Kaila Halpine’s “Are you hungry for education? Eat ELMER” to Isiaih Grave’s “A bite of ELMER is like putting Einstein in your brain.”

And, it tastes pretty good, too.

Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.