The Patriots had no shortage of support from the New England community while making a deep playoff run in the 2025 season.

Thanks to a few local teachers, some of that excitement came from the youngest members of the fan base.

"I think one of the coolest things about this year is seeing the fan support," quarterback Drake Maye said in January after the Patriots clinched the AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos.

"A local elementary school sent me – I think every kid wrote a letter to me and just was trying to pump me up before the AFC championship. It was pretty cool. My wife got it and was sitting down and reading them, and I thought it was pretty special."

Those letters came from the fifth-grade classroom of Matthew Cavoli, a huge Patriots fan who is in his third year teaching. Beyond wishing Maye and the Patriots good luck, the messages served as a lesson in how to format a letter for the students at Heights Elementary School in Sharon, Mass.

Cavoli didn't necessarily expect to hear back from the team, but when Maye gave his class a shoutout in a press conference, the kids couldn't believe it.

"I was tutoring after school when my phone started blowing up with texts and calls," Cavoli said.

"I looked it up and found Drake Maye talking about my students writing him letters. This was a dream come true for me as I'm a huge Patriots fan, but I was even happier that my students' hard work was recognized by Drake Maye. When I showed my class the video the next day, they couldn't believe it. They were going crazy."

Those letters didn't have to travel far, with Sharon just a town over from Foxborough. With the school's proximity to Gillette Stadium, the connection gives Cavoli's students all the more reason to be excited about the Patriots.

That's great news for their teacher, who has worked the Patriots into his curriculum in a variety of ways to get his students excited about learning.

Cavoli has taught his class about Patriots players and the different positions in football. Ahead of the AFC Championship against the Broncos, a science lesson focused on why the high altitude in Denver impacts oxygen levels. While learning about division and multiplying fractions, Cavoli worked the names of star players into word problems to make them more interesting for his students to comprehend.

"I'm a huge Patriots fan," said Cavoli, who shares his classroom's excitement about the Patriots on his TikTok account (@mr.cavoli).

"I've been rooting for them my whole life. I have Patriots posters all over my classroom and a Drake Maye picture on my classroom door. So when the Patriots made it to the playoffs, it felt only right to teach my students about the greatest football franchise ever."

He isn't the only local educator using the Patriots and NFL to get his students engaged.

Brooke Russo, who teaches at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School in Providence, R.I., has leveraged TikTok (@learninglikeateam) to share her success weaving the Patriots into lesson plans as well.

Also a third-year educator teaching fifth grade, Russo has used the Patriots and NFL to connect her students after adopting her fandom from her grandfather.

Since the beginning, Russo has talked about the Super Bowl, made predictions, and analyzed previous champions as a means of making academic concepts stick with her students.

Seeing Mary Crippen, a Miami-based teacher, post her lessons about football further inspired Russo and other teachers around the country.

When Crippen and the NFL joined forces to develop "NFeLementary" curriculum, Russo knew she wanted to adopt it in her own classroom.

"I had followed Mary Crippen's NFeLementary journey online for some time," said Russo.

"Watching fellow educators share innovative ideas always brings new energy to teaching. What Mary created with NFeLementary is so much more than football-themed lessons. It is a bridge between passion and rigorous academics. When she opened the opportunity for educators to join, I knew I wanted to be part of it."

The program built a powerful network of teachers across the country, sharing ideas, celebrating wins, and supporting one another.

At the start of the school year, students draft an NFL team. This fandom creates emotion, identity, and belonging within the classroom.

"Students analyze statistics, defend arguments with evidence, and write persuasively," explained Russo.

"At the beginning of the year, many lacked confidence in multi-digit multiplication and long division. Tracking passing yards, setting end-of-year goals for Drake Maye, and calculating completion percentages gave those skills real purpose. They were no longer solving abstract problems. They were calculating something that mattered to them. Week by week, I watched both their accuracy and their confidence grow. Social-emotional learning becomes tangible. Students practice sportsmanship in both success and disappointment. They manage frustration and excitement in real time. They learn to disagree respectfully and celebrate one another. Authentic passion fuels engagement. Learning feels purposeful, alive, and connected."

Like Cavoli, hearing back from members of the Patriots organization has been one of the most special parts of these lessons for Russo.

She'll never forget seeing her students' faces light up as she read them a letter from two-time Super Bowl winner David Andrews or telling them that Patriots Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski had reshared one of the videos from her classroom.

"Telling my students the next morning felt like announcing the biggest win of the season," Russo said.

"They truly feel like they are part of the team. The excitement, the pride, and the feeling of being seen by players they admire was incredibly powerful. It made everything feel real for them."

For both Cavoli and Russo, their Patriots lessons have helped students look forward to Monday mornings.

Students are excited to walk into class to talk about the weekend's games, discuss their favorite moments, and share stats.

"These Patriots assignments have really brought my class together," said Cavoli.

"All of the students are now huge Patriots fans, even the ones who knew nothing about the team before we started these activities. Many of the kids get excited about the Patriots simply because they see how passionate I am about it. Once Drake Maye saw the letters they wrote and news stations picked up the story, their excitement grew even more. And of course, the deal I made: no homework if the Patriots win the Super Bowl… sealed it. Overall, it's been a really fun experience in the classroom. It's brought the students together and given them a reason to be excited about football."

Russo has seen a similar impact.

Some of her quietest students have found their voices through football conversations. Students have hosted play dates to watch games together, building friendships through a shared love of the sport.

Russo has seen students who knew nothing about football prior to the school year checking scores on their own, eager to contribute. Her female students who didn't think football was "for girls" now proudly wear jerseys and speak confidently about the game.

She's received feedback from families who have thanked her, because now, their kids want to watch football together as a family – some have even planned trips to the Patriots Hall of Fame.
"Mondays have completely transformed from something students once dreaded into the most anticipated day of the week," said Russo.

"I found myself every Sunday saying, 'I can't wait to see my kids tomorrow.' When the Patriots win, the celebration on Monday feels like we all accomplished something together. High fives. Jersey pride. Smiles everywhere. There is something incredibly powerful about 22 students celebrating the same win at the same time. It builds unity without erasing individuality."