By: Maria Allard | C&G Newspapers | Published February 5, 2024
STERLING HEIGHTS/TROY — With a NFC North Division championship this year, the Detroit Lions enjoyed their best season in more than 30 years.
As fans cheered for their hometown team, the star athletes created a football frenzy at Susick Elementary in Troy and Grissom Middle School in Sterling Heights. Both schools are in the Warren Consolidated Schools district.
From wearing Lions T-shirts to creating artwork in hues of blue and gray, staff and students from the two schools paid close attention to the NFL team in recent weeks. The Lions’ banner year, for instance, gave Susick teachers the chance to emphasize the school’s Positivity Project. The Positivity Project is a character education program that focuses on the 24 character strengths in psychology, including perseverance, integrity, bravery and purpose.
“That’s how we’re grabbing their attention,” Susick Principal Michele Babbish said. “Each week they get a new character strength to focus on, and the kids are drawing a connection.”
“I think this is an awesome project because we got to learn facts about the Lions we didn’t know,” fourth grader Marialina Sto said.
Many Susick students — especially those following the team for the first time — studied the history of the Lions. Through their research, they learned the team was the underdog for many years, including their 2008 season with zero wins and 16 losses.
That’s where the Positivity Project came in. The students have witnessed the football players utilize the same character traits they use at school, including teamwork, staying positive, gratitude, forgiveness, curiosity and enthusiasm.
“They’re such a good team and (coach) Dan Campbell has such a positive attitude,” Babbish said when visiting a classroom Jan. 26. “It’s a good opportunity for people to participate in something positive and happy.”
As a writing assignment, the fourth graders wrote opinion pieces on why they felt the Lions deserved their success.
“They are the better team with amazing players. They have the third-best defense,” Frankie Lopez said, adding a championship would “make the fans happy.”
In her essay, Mackenzie Perry remembered some teams Detroit beat including the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Lions have one of the NFL’s best wide receivers,” she said.
Fourth grader Edric Williams believed it was “perseverance” that led the team members so far this season.
“They had to train a lot,” he said. “They didn’t give up.”
“They have good grit,” Alli Gorgis said. “They didn’t give up (after) 0-16. They probably started training so now they are better.”
Game on
The Lions also became the “mane” attraction at Grissom. During the playoffs, staff bonded over “tailgate” style luncheons straight out of Ford Field. On Jan. 26, the menu included Jet’s Pizza, Chuck and Dave’s dips, Hacienda 313 Urban Chips, Sanders cakes, Stroh’s Ice Cream, Faygo beverages, Vernors and Better Made potato chips.
On the same day, students voted on which team they would root for in the Jan. 28 game: the Lions or the San Francisco 49ers. They wrote their names on raffle tickets and dropped them in a bucket for a chance to win a prize.
“It’s building community in the surrounding area,” Grissom Principal Elizabeth Iljkoski said. “The kids are bonding with their teachers. It brings the whole (school) together. It’s been positive. We’re having a good time with it.”
Since many at Grissom are English learner (EL) students, they follow soccer more than football, and the Lions gave them the chance to learn more about the sport. Iljkoski, whose parents were immigrants, can identify. She was an EL student herself. Her family first became interested in football when her brother played the sport while in high school. Her parents were always at the games.
The Lions played their last game Jan. 28 against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California. Detroit was defeated, 31-34. The San Francisco 49ers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs Feb. 11 in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. The Lions have never played in the Super Bowl.