San Juan Hosts Day of the Dead Drive-thru Event for Students

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - With the continuing pandemic, local schools are still practicing distance learning—and teachers, staff, and students have missed the personal interactions that are typically a hallmark of education at San Jan High School (SJHS) in Citrus Heights.

So, teachers and staff at SJHS found a creative way to connect to students and boost morale during such trying times. On November 4, SJHS hosted a Day of the Dead Drive-thru, serving Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce), Mexican hot chocolate, chips and salsa, rice crispy treats, and Halloween goody bags. The event also featured music, decorations, and a traditional Dia de los Muertos altar.

The sweet bread, from Carnicería Tikal, was funded by the San Juan Alumni Association, and the Halloween goody bags were donated by Citrus Heights HART (Homeless Assistance Resource Team).

More than 100 students and their families participated in the event, waving through the vehicle windows—excited to see familiar faces once again. To maintain social distancing, cars drove up to each station and were served by masked volunteers, including teachers, staff, and members of the football and cheerleading teams.

After hosting their first drive-thru in September (a drive-thru ice cream sundae event), SJHS Vice Principal Jennifer Hill said the teachers and staff enjoyed it so much they wanted to hold one every month. They are now planning for a holiday drive-thru in December.

Hill said that the reason the teachers and staff chose to work in education is “for the kids,” so seeing the students again brought them so much joy: “It brings everyone’s spirits up.” And the student’s delight was evident in their smiling faces and their shouts of “Thank you!”