My boss is a great guy who likes to make things fun for our students.  Every now and then, he will give the kids a Dress Down Day as a means of celebrating a particular achievement or event.  For kids who have to wear uniforms to school each day, this is a big deal. When it became known that the NY Giants would be playing in this years Super Bowl, Mr. "J" declared January 25th to be a Sports Dress Down Day:  Students could dress in the clothing/colors of their favorite sports teams. It would be a nice end to a week of mid-term testing.

Friday morning in the gym buzzed with the excitement of students from Pre-K - 8th Grade, taking off their jackets to proudly display their chosen sports allegiances.  As you can imagine, most of the kids wore GIANTS gear. There were other team Jerseys on display, and Mr. "J" had great fun with one student, issuing him a bogus "infraction" for wearing a New England Patriots shirt and "....causing great pain to the principal's eyes."

Big smiles and roars of laughter all the way around. The kids love that sort of banter. Such innocent fun goes a long way and makes for nice memories.

Not everyone boasted the colors of a football team.  Never having been a big football fan, I wore my NY Yankee Grey, as did several others. (There is one upper grade student who faithfully stops by my classroom at the end of each day to tell me the latest Yankee News. I know dismissal is nearly complete when I see him poke his head in my door at three o'clock every afternoon. I didn't even need to ask what team he'd be supporting.) One little guy continued to display his loyalty to his beloved Mets, and there were even a few "Azzuri"  T-Shirts honoring the Italian Soccer Team, to be seen within the crowd.

But Mr. "J" had another nice surprise up his sleeve for the children.  We had a visit from a former New York Giant named Lee Rouson who was a team member under Bill Parcells. While he spoke to Grades 5-8 in a special assembly, I was struck by his kindness when he took the time to quickly visit the lower grades as well. My little guys were greaty impressed to see his two super bowl rings on one hand . ('86 & '90.)

My Dad was a Jets fan in the days of  Broadway Joe, and I'd attend the occaisonal Army game at Miche Stadium during college, but after the warm visit my students recieved today, I'll be rooting for the Giants come Super Bowl Sunday.  Just a nice day....

Wishing everyone a great weekend.