A Sweet Ending for Summer Session: Ice Cream Trucks Visit BCCS Schools
As summer session days come to an end, BCCS students and teachers enjoyed a special treat—ice cream truck visits right on campus.
Ahead of the big day, the teams at BCCS Post Avenue, Education Center, and Barbara C. Wilson (BCW) sent permission slips home and shared the ingredients of all available treats to keep parents informed and ensure all students had the opportunity to participate.
At Post Avenue Preschool, the Karaboulis family sponsored the Kool Kat Ice Cream truck. Athena Karaboulis, mother of Eagles classroom student Amalia, wanted to share the joy she had watching her daughter learn and play.
“I’m really grateful for everything that the school has done for my daughter in the last two years. The progress she’s made is just incredible,” said Athena.
When Athena learned that the theme for the final week of school was ice cream, it inspired her to search for local ice cream truck rentals to give the students a mid-week treat.
“She’s had a great summer. She’s got an amazing teacher and teaching assistants. She’s having so much fun,” Athena shared.
At the Children’s Education Center, it was Theo Xiong’s fourth birthday. To celebrate, his parents, Yao and Greta, sponsored an ice cream truck so that Theo could mark this special occasion with his friends. Theo ordered vanilla ice cream. “Greta and I figured it was great to share something so special with everybody else, and it’s the summer,” Yao said. “Ice cream trucks are the symbol of summer, so we thought we’d just sponsor one for the whole school.”
Theo’s experience at the Children’s Education Center continues to be a source of joyful learning.
“He loves it,” Yao said. “During his birthday celebration, he said, ‘I’m happy!’ It was a great reward for us too.”
Meanwhile, over at the BCW Preschool, the Radano Family sponsored the ice cream truck, which was planned and organized by the BCW Parents’ Association (PA).
Members of the BCW PA, including Maria Petti and Dawn Radano, cheered on the students as they ventured outside with their classroom, ice cream truck coupons in hand.
“It ends summer on a sweet note for them, and it’s the highlight of their day,” Maria said. “To see them so excited to get ice cream and to understand that they give a ticket and they get something back, it teaches them patience and waiting in line, and all the things they learn throughout the year.”
For Maria and Dawn, Ice Cream Day was their last BCW PA event.
“It changed me,” Maria said. “Seeing these kids, working with them, and getting so much hands-on experience. How excited they were to participate just made all the hard work and the planning worth it.”
Similarly, Athena is thankful, as her daughter Amalia’s time at Post Avenue comes to a close, for how much she grew and the relationships she has developed with other parents. Relationships she will nurture through pool parties and play dates for Amalia and her Post Avenue friends.
“At Post Avenue, it’s such a small school. Everybody knows each other so it’s been a great support system. Now Amalia has tons of friends and it’s a really special thing for me to be able to get ice cream for her and all her friends,” said Athena. “There’s something to be said about the close-knit community at BCCS.”