A small-town carnival is coming to a big-city school, Peralta Elementary School. Everyone is invited.

A clan of parents have spent more than two years building a community around their children's school, making it one of the most popular in the city, and they want the city to celebrate with them Saturday.

"We are trying to encourage the whole community to come," parent Susan Killebrew said. "School is an integral part of the community."

Peralta is a burst of color in Rockridge. The grounds are carefully tended for its 200 students. Paper birdhouses hang from the garden's trees, and murals brighten the walls.

Two years ago, Killebrew and Nicole Aruda formed the Lower Rockridge Parents Group. They wanted to send their children to Oakland public schools and wanted their neighbors to send their kids as well.

To do that, they had to let parents of school-age children know Peralta was as good as, or even better than, a private school.

Separate from the school's parent-teacher organization, Killebrew and Aruda set up toddler play dates for 2-year-olds, formed an e-mail list, and held meetings in the local library. They have Sunday brunches and neighborhood yard sales that raise money for the school.

Peralta now has a waiting list of students who want to attend.

"A lot of what we do here is make it easier for people to get into the door," Killebrew said. "Once they get into the school, they like what they see."

The carnival will be held at the school, at 460 63rd Street, from noon until 4:00 p.m.

The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Leanne McLaughlin, Managing Editor
(510) 208-6447
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