Peralta Elementary School is a designated arts anchor school in the

Oakland Unified School District Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district that operates a total of 80 elementary schools (TK–5), middle schools (6–8), and high schools (9–12). There are also 28 district-authorized charter schools in Oaklan ...

. It was established in 1880 as a one-room schoolhouse, and today has around 325 students in 14 classrooms (K–5th). The school has a tradition of family involvement and

activism Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in Social change, social, Political campaign, political, economic or Natural environment, environmental reform with the desire to make Social change, changes i ...

that stretches back to the 19th century. In 2006, Peralta was one of six schools in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

where

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

students scored an

API An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software Interface (computing), interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standa ...

that exceeded 800 on the state

STAR test The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), known until February 2014 as the Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress (MAPP), measures the performance of students undergoing primary and secondary education in Cali ...

. In 2008, Peralta demonstrated that academic targets were achieved for all subgroups at the school. Since the early 1990s the Peralta staff, students, families and neighbors have been working to make the school a green oasis. Tons of

asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...

have been removed and replaced with edible gardens, a small

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

, a new

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

play area, and a California natives garden. The

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate both ...

s are teaching too, helping students to learn about healthy eating,

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, and

stewardship Stewardship is an ethical value that embodies the responsible planning and management of resources. The concepts of stewardship can be applied to the environment and nature, economics, health, property, information, theology, cultural resources e ...

of the land. Families help maintain the gardens during monthly work days, which build community and give students a feeling of ownership and responsibility for their school. Peralta's gardens have been held up as local and regional models. Peralta is a community hub, with events and activities such as a community yardsale, walkathon and spring festival called Peralta in Bloom.

References

External links

Peralta Elementary School
{{Coord, 37, 50, 58, N, 122, 15, 32, W, region:US-CA_type:edu_source:GNIS, display=title Education in Oakland, California Public elementary schools in California Schools in Alameda County, California Educational institutions established in 1880 1880 establishments in California Oakland Unified School District