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| Young dancers will perform traditional dances at the Hispanic Heritage Festival to be held on Saturday, May 2, at Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Monona. (Contributed photo) |
MONONA — On Saturday, May 2, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., parents and friends of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Catholic School Advantage (CSA) program will be hosting the third annual Hispanic Heritage Festival at 4913 Schofield St.
CSA parents invite all those in the community to support the children and their families by attending the festival. The Hispanic Heritage Festival is the primary fundraiser that supports the CSA program and the scholarships necessary to meet the needs of an increasing population of Hispanic families in the area who desire a Catholic school education for their children.
Hispanic Heritage Festival
The festival promises a wonderful dinner with the best in authentic, homemade foods. The menu includes tamales, fajitas, rice and beans, and many desserts. Admission is: adult, $10; children six to 12 years, $6; and for three to five years, $3.
Dancing and musical entertainment will add to the festive atmosphere. In addition, IHM children who participate in the Hispanic dance group will be performing. The children in the group have been learning traditional dances during weekly dance lessons after school.
Decorations and a display of authentic cultural items will make it an interesting and inspiring evening.
Welcoming Hispanic families
IHM began a formal outreach to the Hispanic community in 2011 with the creation of the CSA program.
As demographics changed in the Monona and east Madison areas, as in the rest of the country, the CSA program filled a need for Hispanic parents.
Newly arrived families value the traditional family structure and Catholic faith of their heritage and wish to send their children to a Catholic school.
Along with a high quality education, a Catholic school education offers access to a community with faith values, and supports the culture found in the Hispanic home.
The small classes and faith-based school community can successfully support children who are bilingual as well as parents who are adjusting to a new way of life.
As a tenet of Catholic social teaching, IHM Parish and School have provided Hispanic families an open door and open arms to welcome them to our Catholic community.
The CSA program at IHM is in its fifth year. There are 25 students participating in the CSA program this school year.
Several of the early enrollees have now successfully graduated from eighth grade and are enjoying high school, confident that they will succeed there as well, including IHM alum Jesus, who attends Monona Grove High School.
Through support in the classroom and the close faith community, the CSA program addresses the achievement gap that exists in public schools.
Challenges and sacrifices
Attending IHM has challenges for CSA families, which require sacrifice of them. Parents are required to drive their children to school every day. This requires parents to make a commitment that would not be required if they were attending a neighborhood public school.
Additionally, all families pay tuition, adjusted for their needs. For some families, it is a huge sacrifice to make the financial promise to support their child’s education.
Additionally, parents provide for the school and the program by attending CSA parent board meetings where they do such activities as plan the upcoming Hispanic Festival. The parents also are involved in the Home and School Association for the entire school, working at fish fries and other fundraising events and parent-sponsored activities.
Sponsors support festival
Again this year, the Hispanic Heritage Festival is being generously supported by Catholic Financial Life volunteers and matching grants. Colleen McCormick, president of Catholic Financial Life, recognizes the need to support families who seek a Catholic school education for their children with this event. Their organization has been a partner in the event every year.
Additional business sponsors include Mexican Master, La Rosita Latina Grocery Store, La Concha Bakery, Mercado Marimar, and Taqueria Guadalajara. For more information, contact Pilar at 608-237-6227.
Sandy Bakk is the development coordinator at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Monona.