Essex High School students start each day hearing "It's A Great Day To Be An Essex Trojan!" Mr. Stuart, the school principal (now retired), started morning announcements with that phrase for more than 30 years. Kimberly Peterson, a teacher at the Essex, Iowa school, asked her students to design a seal with the school's mascot and the quote. The student council made buttons with the winning design for all employees. "Our school district had it's annual department of education site visit and every employee wore an Essex seal button," said Kimberly. "Employees continue to wear the buttons frequently during the school day, at sporting events and parent teacher conferences." The school plans to sell the buttons at registration next year.