Evergreen School District News

Old school bus gets a facelift, emerges as the Evergreen School District Ice Cream Bus

(San Jose, CA) In October, when the Evergreen School District Special Events Team launched "Ice Cream Wednesdays," the district used a Child Nutrition Services bus to transport and distribute ice cream to the district's 10,000 students in its school communities. "Ice Cream Wednesdays" are one of many ways that the district is providing fun and uplifting activities during distance learning and the pandemic. Following safety guidelines from the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, the amazing Child Nutrition Services Team distributes ice cream to students and their families through a drive-through method.

Over the next four weeks, an idea began brewing. "Looking at the bus through the eyes of a child, I asked, 'What if we spruced it up and painted it with fun colors and put pictures of ice cream on it?'" said Dr. Emy Flores, Superintendent of the Evergreen School District.

The district's Special Events Team went to design mode, to paint a 20-year-old school bus pink with light blue trim, and adding ice cream and popsicle decals on its sides. Evergreen Transportation Manager, David Reyes, and District Mechanic, Fidel Hernandez made sure that design details were a big part of the process in making sure details were accurate and timeline was followed in completing this fun project. The final touch of the facelift was painting over the black "Evergreen Elementary School District" letters on the side of the school bus and applying the new name, "Ice Cream Bus" in fun blue lettering. Coming down the street, students and their families will see a big smiley face on the front of the bus as it arrives in their community, and the same smiley face as it leaves.

"Our students have had to endure so many changes in their lives over the past nine months," said Dr. Flores. "But, they're still children, and they still love to have fun in their lives. The Ice Cream Bus is one way that we can bring fun to them, and smiles to their faces," she continued.

When the Ice Cream Bus resumes its rounds after the state shut down, smiles will be coming and going throughout the Evergreen neighborhoods, from the children, adults...and bus, alike.

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