"Elliot lives in America, and Kailash lives in India. They are pen pals. By exchanging letters and pictures, they learn that they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school. Their worlds might look different, but they are actually similar.
Same, same but different!"
At Peregrine School, we see art as a window into children’s thoughts. Through art education, our goal is to create world citizens who are able to express their own ideas and values, and be open-minded to the perspectives of others.
In keeping with our values of celebrating and exploring diversity, our classrooms have been reading the story Same, Same, but Different, by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw. Peregrine students of all ages compared two boys’ experiences living across the world from each other, uniquely different experiences but similar in so many ways.
Students were then challenged to consider and respond to the question: “What does your world look like?”. The result is a developmental art show comprised of vivid storytelling pieces by students eighteen months through twelve years of age.
After completing and displaying their art, elementary students will go class to class, look at the art of preschoolers and of students from other classrooms, and think critically about the multiple perspectives on the world which these students show. Their responses will be included as a part of the art exhibit itself, and visitors will be able to add their own responses during the Halloween Art Festival.
This art show is more than a display of brightly colored drawings and often funny stories. It is also a way in which our school community can engage its own members and its visitors in a consideration of diversity in our world—of how we are all “same, same but different”, in endless ways.
On October 26th, you can experience the collection at our annual Halloween Arts Festival. Come participate in a rich dialogue about diversity, a subject important to us all in an increasingly small world. Join us at our South campus from 10 AM - 2 PM to enjoy this public and free interactive art show, where you will be encouraged to write your own commentary and read the stories of our students and your fellow community members.
Continuing with our theme of celebrating each others' similarities and differences, Peregrine School has partnered with the UC Davis International House for the second time to host a series of Global Family Festivals. For our second annual series of Global Family Festivals, this year’s theme is Rhythms of the Earth. Each fall, winter, spring, and summer season will feature one Saturday afternoon event each celebrating a different culture.
On November 16th, Peregrine teachers Joaquin and Benito Rojas will ring in our first festival event by leading a Native American drum circle. They will also be accompanied by fellow Peregrine teachers who will lead storytelling, fall art activities, and the making of Indian fry bread.
We invite everyone to both of these events, which we hope will link the Peregrine community to those beyond it in celebration of the arts, the seasons, and the rich diversity we share on earth.
EVENT DETAILS
The Halloween Arts Festival will feature not only art but also a play written and put on by 5-6 graders; a Halloween parade (everyone is invited to wear costumes!); an Octoberfest with hot dogs, beer, and baked goods; a haunted house created by kids; a collage extravaganza for children and adults to participate in; basketball games for children and adults; and music by Hardwater, a local folk-rock band. The Art Festival will be from 10 AM - 2 PM on October 26, at Peregrine South, 2650 Lillard Drive, Davis, California 95618. Admission is free and all are welcome.
The Fall Celebration for the Global Family Festival series, Rhythms of the Earth, will be held at International House, 10 College Park, Davis, 95616, from 2-4 PM on November 16. Children and their families are welcome to enjoy art making, Native American food and storytelling, and a drum circle by Wild Bear, featuring Joaquin and Benito Rojas.