Depending on which area school district your children or other K-12 students are in, today could actually be “Joe Burrow Swag Dey” or “Crazy Socks Even McPherson Dey” or “Mixin’ Joe Mixon Dey.”
School calendars this week in Butler and Warren counties — and throughout the frenzied Bengal fandom region — are as unpredictable as the team’s amazing playoff run of victories leading to Sunday’s Super Bowl championship game.
In the 10,000-student Fairfield Schools students kicked off Bengals’ Week with “McPherson MonDey” and honored the team’s rookie place kicking sensation Evan McPherson by encouraging all students to wear the craziest most mis-matched socks they have.
Fairfield West Elementary 1st grade teacher Jennifer Moore’s knocked the day’s special theme through the uprights and proudly displayed their colorful socks.
“It means a lot to the children,” said Moore, who was the district’s Teacher of the Year in 2020-2021.
“I’ll be honest with you, my students are 1st graders and they don’t really understand exactly everything that is going on but they feel the excitement,” of the Bengal’s success.
“They absolutely love it and more than anything, seeing teachers excited and seeing people excited … with their parents,” she said adding, such fun is even more important during the all the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic now closing in on its two-year anniversary.
“When you see joy, it’s very contagious. I know we are dealing with contagious on the negative side but happiness is as contagious as well,” said Moore.
And Fairfield has a direct link to this AFC Champion Bengals, who will battle the NFC Champion Los Angeles Rams for the world title in Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Bengal offensive lineman Jackson Carman — number 79 — is a 2018 Fairfield High School graduate who regularly returns to his Butler County home school district to interact with students and the community.
Gina Gentry-Fletcher, spokeswoman for Fairfield Schools, said Carman’s local ties only further bind the team to the school community.
“Jackson made a name for himself while playing on the Fairfield High School team, as well as in the classroom. He continues to do so with his Bengals teammates and in the community. On any given Friday night, Jackson showed up to support his former high school team; even signing autographs and talking with fans young and old,” said Gentry-Fletcher.
“There is a great deal of pride about this Super Bowl, not just because our home team is in it, but because one of Fairfield’s own is a Bengals rookie.”
The pride is in schools everywhere locally.
Across the area thousands of students are sporting team garb or Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow-inspired sunglasses and necklace swag inspired by some of his recent attire during post-victory media interviews.
At southern Warren County’s Kings Schools, students and staffers are also emulating Burrow’s many, high-profile efforts of charitable work.
“In the spirit of Bengals Quarterback, Joe Burrow, all of our schools will be participating in giving back to our community this week,” said Dawn Gould, spokeswoman for Kings, of the district’s seven schools’ campaigns for the Kings Local Food Pantry and Matthew 25 Ministries.
At the Summit Academy Community School for Alternative Learners in Middletown, art teacher Emily Vriesman had kindergarten through 6th graders draw Bengal tigers and encouraging words for the team for display in the school.
“The playoff run has been so much fun for our kids. I knew that I had to pause all of our other art projects so we could do something to celebrate this amazing Bengals run,” Vriesman said.
“Students absolutely love creating their Bengal tigers and writing encouraging words for them and we’ve worn Bengals gear the last two Fridays and we’re all convinced that we’re their good luck charm.”
“I hope they always remember this special time in Cincinnati’s history,” she said.
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