February 16, 2005

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Classifieds

Palo Alto Online

Crowing about the rooster

by Alexandria Rocha

With bells tied to their ankles, paint smudged on their noses and confetti sticking to their hair, the kindergartners at Fairmeadow Elementary School celebrated the Chinese New Year last week with a vibrant parade featuring two handmade dragons.

Just after Friday's morning bell rang, the chaos began. About five dozen kindergartners, looking as if they had just robbed an arts and crafts store, began their march around the blacktop. While the rest of the school children looked on, cheering and playing drums, cymbals and shakers, parents and teachers careened in from the sides, holding their cameras at the ready.

Leading the parade's train was a colorful handcrafted dragon head, complete with red and green balloons for eyes and all the glitter and glam of a Chinese New Year celebration. Each kindergartner had their turn inside the dragon's head, which at times fit two small children.

"I liked that they're trying to make it look like a real new year, like we're really in China," said third-grader Riya Nath, who watched from the sidelines. "There's lots of confetti sprinkling."

At Fairmeadow, events like the annual Chinese New Year parade never just stand alone. All month, kids in the school's three kindergarten classes have been hearing stories about the tradition, seeing presentations and learning about the zodiac.

For example, the students now know most of them were born in the Year of the Rabbit. Two days before the parade, they took a lunchtime field trip to a Chinese restaurant where they practiced using chopsticks. One child even tried a fortune cookie for the first time.

"They really learn all about the culture," said Alison Van Egeren, whose daughter, Natalie, was also in the parade.

The three kindergarten teachers started the preparations for the parade early. Each child received a strip of cloth to paint and write their name, which were eventually assembled together to make the dragon's body. The students are keeping the strips to make personal dragon puppets sometime in May, signifying the end of the festivities.

The school "always emphasizes diversity. Like with Hanukkah and the harvest festival, this is just one of the ways," said Arlene Maxino, whose daughter Alyssa, 5, was in the parade.

The event could have been a study in the creative ingenuity of a kindergarten teacher. Children wore paper bag vests decorated and flapping with colorful streamers, hats made out of paper bowls painted red and turned upside down, ankle bracelets fastened with bells, only to mention a few of the crafty parade gear.

"Everything was done in class. It's amazing how much effort they put into this thing," Maxino said.

The event's mastermind was kindergarten teacher Ginny Russell, who has been doing it for nearly 20 years. During the parade, she raced around, wearing her own traditional Chinese outfit, spraying confetti and making sure each child was dressed in full attire.

"Everything we do is excessive here. It's not just art, it's math and science and language and reading. ... It's so they have ownership of their learning, and joy and passion," Russell said. "Experiential learning is the best way."

One step into Russell's classroom and it's obvious she's passionate about what she does. The room is crowded with art bins stacked to the ceiling, a model solar system hangs from wall to wall, half a dozen terrariums sit on shelves, the tiny tables are scattered with tubes of glue, construction paper, glitter and crayons.

After, the children were given time to wind down from the excitement, and Russell set out authentic treats she bought at a Chinese grocery store.

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