Bake sales, car washes, babysitting … Zumba?Immaculate Conception-Annunciation School (ICA) recently opened its doors for its first ever Zumbathon, which not only raised money for scholarships but was also a clever campaign to market the school to community members and potential new families interested in attending the Arcadia/Monrovia dual campus.Because of its low enrollment, ICA is in active recruit mode to keep its doors open, hoping for an increased student population for next year. The brainchild of principal Norma Moreno — who is also a certified Zumba instructor — the Saturday afternoon was a culmination of Catholic Schools Week. Additionally, money raised from the fundraiser was met with a matching grant from the Catholic Education Foundation (CEF). The dance fest was part of the first-ever Health and Fitness Fair which featured local vendors, resource booths and area health care providers. Visitors got flu shots, blood pressure readings and the opportunity to dance for 90 minutes straight to fast-moving Latin-theme music.“This was something different and I want to support the school,” said parent Romie McFadden of Arcadia who echoed the sentiment of other Zumba dancers who helped turned the parish hall into a high-octane gymnasium. McFadden said she could easily send her children to local public schools, but she chose ICA because “they have the same values as my family. I know this is the right place for my children to be, and I am grateful for that every day.”Earlier, Moreno explained that the school’s parents are “the biggest supporters” for the school and she points to a new i-Pad program that was funded by parents so that every teacher at the school had access to the technology. “We’re not sure what the future holds, but there is a lot of action going on here on our campuses,” she said.“[The Zumbathon] is a great idea taking advantage of the latest craze,” said Ceiry Valenzuela, language arts teacher at the school, who was taking her first Zumba steps with many seasoned dancers and newcomers. In her first year at the school, Valenzuela is impressed with the staff and students (“They are so polite and welcoming!”) and said the community feels like a family to her. “We are staying positive that the things will work out for us for next year,” she says.As the dancers finished their water break and head back to the floor, Moreno took to the stage and smiled. “Come on everyone, let’s get going,” she urged, which sums up the attitude and energy of this school community that is dancing as fast as it can. {gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2013/0308/sgzumba/{/gallery}
