On Wednesday afternoon, 111 students at Bonita Elementary School lined up at the school’s blacktop court for a surprise. However, none of them knew that they were in for a treat.
As three vehicles drove up to the court, four officers from Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department stepped out of their vehicles and stood still. With students anticipating an announcement, Catalina Ortiz, a secretary at the school, addressed the matter. She said the officers were there to reward them with ice cream.
The reason: perfect attendance.
In February, Bonita was recognized by Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District after the school recorded back-to-back months of perfect attendance.
As officers carried a basket filled with ice cream, the students couldn’t contain their excitement for having a treat on a sunny afternoon. After receiving their ice cream, students were later instructed by staff members to sit in a shaded area.
Wednesday’s comradery is a part of an ongoing effort from the Sheriff's Office of rewarding county schools with ice cream for perfect attendance, said Casey Hill, chief of Patterson Police Services. The Sheriff's Office stated in an Instagram post that the department provided more than 900 ice creams to students across seven schools through last April.
Hill said there’s been a focus on pushing the initiative through the West Side. He emphasized that he wants to build a relationship with local communities, especially if someone wants to work in public safety one day.
“I really try to get as many of my staff out to these things because there’s no way that you can walk away from these events without feeling better about yourself,” he said. “And this is the ultimate paycheck, right here.”
As a former substitute teacher at Stockton Unified, Hill said it’s important for students to be present, especially with the workload they have to make up after missing one day.
“The moment they get frustrated with missing class, missing assignments, and have to make them, it puts them in a hole where they don’t feel like they can accomplish [anything],” Hill said. “The biggest part is showing up, and the challenge of getting here every day.”
One of NCLUSD’s priorities for this calendar year is addressing chronic absenteeism. According to a 2025 California School Dashboard, 15.6% of district students were considered chronically absent, a 5.7% increase from 2024.
Van Felber, a substitute teacher for NCLUSD, said it’s great to see the students rewarded for their efforts to maintain a perfect attendance. He added that attendance “is the only way the kids are gonna get any education if they’re here at school.”
Ortiz said she was excited for the students, and that the school doesn’t typically get recognized for this opportunity given its location. As someone who attended school within the district, Ortiz hopes that parents and guardians understand how important it is for students to show up.
“These are the most crucial ages where the kids really absorb all the knowledge they can,” Ortiz said.
