Island School immerses its students in the world of India.

Iridescent and gold-embroidered scarves hang undulating from the hallway ceilings, wrapped in wafts of incense.

Indian music drones, punctuated by a drummer in the hallway as sari-clad teachers walk by. For luck, arriving visitors step through the colorful Rangoli chalk pattern drawn on the threshold.

It is opening day of a month-long immersion in Indian culture at Island School.

“The reason to do this, is to let children and parents understand that there are people who live with different decor, food, religion and customs,” said Kelly Webster, co-founder and head of school. “(The 9-11 attacks) happened because of a screaming lack of understanding between two cultures.”

Webster emphasizes the importance of introducing children to new cultures when they are young, which will carry over to what they learn in high school.

Cultural Study is an annual event at the private, K-5 Island School, focusing on a different country each year. This year, the school has become a microcosm of India, immersing students in Indian culture.

Each day, a parent or guest lecture presents a relevant topic of study; Friday features a longer drama or music presentation.

Nancy Leedy, co-founder and education director for the school, says parents make the Cultural Study event happen. Teachers work with parents to make the material accessible to each class.

“It’s a tremendous amount of work, but an incredibly revitalizing time of year, because everyone is lending a hand to bring this culture to life for the kids,” Leedy said.

Topics this year include spice studies, mythology, Hindi counting, India’s royal kingdoms, the arrival of British colonists, religion, the modern Indian film industry, and marriage. Indian dancing and yoga, art and music take over art, physical education and music classes.

Parent and teacher committees started planning in September for the March event, networking to find people with knowledge or experience of the theme country.

This year’s special guests include Annie Penta of Seattle, who specializes in textile goods and classical Indian dancing, and who clothed the faculty from her collection of 100 saris.

The University of Washington and local consulates are also resources.

When the school studied Japan, the consulate lent them day-in-the-life-type videos of Japanese children.

“We ground (the lessons) in the kid’s lives,” Leedy said. “We emphasize what we have in common: what chores do we do, what chores do they do?

“Differences are interesting, but not shockingly so.”

“We’re not so into the professional as the personal,” said Janet Knox, parent and co-leader this year. The India program will discuss the size of living spaces in India, and the fact that for some, their sari is the only piece of clothing they own.

“We want the kids to have some sense of understanding of civilization in other parts of the world and develop a commonality,” Knox said.

Charlie Wiggins, whose children attended Island School and are now in high school, still returns every year to do a “chalk talk,” drawing a picture as he tells a story from the culture.

“You can hear a pin drop (when he’s telling the story),” Leedy said. “It’s a marvelous teaching tool.

Co-leader and parent Jennifer Louden read many books including a historical novel from the beginnings of rebellion against British Rule to Indian independence to prepare for her presentation.

“The most fun as a parent is getting to learn like your kids,” India, and the fact that for some, their sari is the only piece of clothing they own.

“We want the kids to have some sense of understanding of civilization in other parts of the world and develop a commonality,” Knox said.

Charlie Wiggins, whose children attended Island School and are now in high school, still returns every year to do a “chalk talk,” drawing a picture as he tells a story from the culture.

Co-leader and parent Jennifer Louden read many books including a historical novel from the beginnings of rebellion against British Rule to Indian independence to prepare for her presentation.

“The most fun as a parent is getting to learn like your kids,” Louden said. “It gets you off this island.”

Louden grew up in a small town where she only knew “white-bread culture,” until she want to college in Los Angeles and was surprised by the variety in the world.

Compared to her own reactions, Louden says her fourth grade daughter Lillian “takes it in stride that the world is different colors and (speaks) different languages.”

The idea of being a “life-long learner” is an important school principle.

“Seeing parents as teachers is a (source of) pride for students,” Leedy said. “It demonstrates being a ‘life-long learner.’”

The first Cultural Study was proposed by the parent of a second grader 20 years ago. Since then, the school has brought to life more than a dozen countries and cultures including Japan, Native Americans of the Northwest, Mexico, Italy and the countries of Scandinavia and Africa.

By the time they graduate, students will have experienced six countries, and have customs stamps in the passports they receive as kindergartners.

Webster tells a student in the hallway holding his nose against the smell of incense to not do that, but rather experience the unfamiliarity of the incense.

“This is a beginning, I hope as they get older it won’t be a wonderment,” Webster said. “(We want to) raise children to make the world a better place than we have made it.”