The Funkey Munkey Show is a high-energy, interactive educational assembly that combines meaningful messages with music, comedy, games, and audience participation. Featuring professional entertainer and motivational speaker Jerome Bartlett and the hilarious Funkey Munkey, each program gets students laughing, learning, and actively involved. Designed for Pre-K through grade 6, the show makes important ideas memorable by connecting them to experiences students can understand and apply. Whether students are preparing for state assessments, practicing kindness, building positive habits, or discovering the joy of reading, the message comes to life through an engaging shared experience. Higher Impact Entertainment has served schools in 49 states. Programs can be tailored to a school’s grade levels, goals, theme, and schoolwide expectations, with multiple performances available to accommodate separate age groups. State Test Preparation: “I’m READY!” Help students approach testing with confidence, a positive attitude, and practical strategies. This motivational program encourages students to recognize their preparation, manage nervous feelings, stay focused, and give their best effort. The READY message provides five memorable reminders: - R — Reach: Set goals and reach for your potential. - E — Erase: Erase negative thinking and replace it with encouraging self-talk. - A — Apply: Apply what you have learned and use your test-taking strategies. - D — Do Your Best: Focus, take your time, and give your best effort. - Y — You Can: Believe in your ability to take on a challenge. The program supports the work teachers are already doing while building enthusiasm and confidence before testing season. Character Education and Social-Emotional Learning These programs encourage students to make thoughtful choices, develop positive relationships, take responsibility, and recognize how their actions affect others. Schools can select a theme that complements their character education or SEL priorities: - Be the IMPACT: Impress, Motivate, Positive, Achieve, Courage, Together. Students explore how their choices, attitude, and willingness to help can make a positive difference at school and beyond. - Be SUPER!: Safe, United, Power, Empathy, Rise. Students discover everyday ways to be heroes through safe choices, teamwork, empathy, and actions that help others. - Choose to SHINE: Special, Honest, Inspire, Nice, Enjoy. This uplifting program celebrates individual strengths while encouraging honesty, kindness, inclusion, and a positive approach to everyday challenges. - I’ve Got the POWER: Potential, Opportunity, Winner, Education, Respect. Students are encouraged to recognize their potential, make the most of opportunities, value learning, and demonstrate respect. - Live the DREAM: Direction, Responsible, Encourage, Action, Merit. Students connect their goals to responsible choices, encouragement, effort, and purposeful action. - The Six Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Fairness, Caring, Respect, Responsibility, Citizenship. These familiar values become practical examples of how students can contribute to a positive school community. - High-5 Character: Follow Directions, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Use Self-Control, Be Prepared. This program reinforces five clear expectations students can practice throughout the school day. Kindness, Respect, and Bully Prevention Build a school culture where students feel included, respected, and encouraged to seek help. Through age-appropriate examples and interactive activities, students explore empathy, respectful words and actions, accepting differences, and including others. The program also addresses safe ways to respond when someone is being mistreated, including supporting classmates and reporting concerns to a trusted adult. Content can be incorporated into a character theme such as Choose to SHINE or Be SUPER!, or tailored to the school’s bully prevention priorities. Reading Motivation: “Reading ROCKS!” Celebrate books and help students see themselves as readers. This energetic program presents reading as an opportunity for enjoyment, discovery, imagination, and growth. Each letter in ROCKS reinforces a reason to read: - R — Really Fun: Reading can be an enjoyable part of everyday life. - O — Options: Different books, topics, and formats give readers choices. - C — Cool: Reading is something to celebrate. - K — Knowledge: Books help us learn about the world and discover new interests. - S — Success: Reading supports learning, confidence, and future goals. Reading ROCKS! is a strong fit for literacy celebrations, reading challenges, family literacy events, and schoolwide reading initiatives. Goal Setting and Personal Motivation Encourage students to identify goals, recognize their strengths, and take action. This program emphasizes effort, persistence, positive self-talk, and learning from mistakes. Students explore how small, consistent choices can help them make progress in school and in life. Themes such as Live the DREAM and I’ve Got the POWER provide memorable frameworks for these messages. Drug Prevention and Healthy Choices Support age-appropriate drug prevention education with an encouraging focus on healthy decisions, personal responsibility, positive influences, and asking trusted adults for help. Content is adjusted for the participating grade levels and can support Red Ribbon Week or other school wellness initiatives. PBIS and Schoolwide Expectations Reinforce the behaviors and shared expectations that help a school community succeed. Programs can incorporate a school’s existing language, values, or behavior expectations, with messages about safety, respect, responsibility, self-control, preparedness, and teamwork. This option supports PBIS and the schoolwide prevention component of MTSS by giving students a memorable, shared experience around positive choices. Back-to-School Programs Start the year with energy, connection, and a sense of belonging. These assemblies welcome students, celebrate new opportunities, and introduce or reinforce schoolwide expectations. Messages emphasize friendship, respect, teamwork, and taking responsibility for a successful school year. End-of-Year Programs Celebrate students’ effort and growth while reinforcing lessons they can carry into summer and the next school year. These programs combine an exciting school celebration with messages about achievement, kindness, positive choices, and continuing to learn. Family Fitness and Family Engagement Bring students and families together through interactive games, music, movement, and shared participation. Family Fitness events encourage active fun and connection while creating an engaging opportunity for families to participate in their school community. Program Format and Technical Requirements The standard school assembly is approximately 55 minutes, with adjustments available to meet scheduling needs. Content and presentation are adapted for the audience, and schools may schedule separate performances for younger and older students. The Funkey Munkey Show is self-contained. Higher Impact Entertainment travels with the equipment needed for the performance, including speakers and microphones. The school provides an electrical outlet, an appropriate performance area, and a private changing space for the mascot. The program can adapt to a variety of school spaces and audience sizes. Additional educational resources are available to help schools reinforce program messages. Pricing is all-inclusive, and dates are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Partnership pricing is available for schools coordinating performances during the same trip. Booking Contact: Jerome Bartlett Phone: (210) 882-2255 Email: jerome@higherimpactent.com Program Information: HigherImpactEnt.com Upcoming Tour Dates: FunkeyMunkeyShow.com

Go beyond the book and enrich student learning experiences with dynamic school assemblies by author Maria Dismondy. Maria has written over a dozen books on social emotional learning. Her most recent book includes bucket filling and was co-authored with Carol McCloud. Maria's programs are age-appropriate discussions centered around children’s literature and encourage peer interaction as well as crowd participation. All sessions are 45 minutes except for Kindergarten and Preschool programs, which are 30 minutes. Books are available for purchase during visits but not required. Assembly Themes: -Bucketfilling -You do You (Character traits & Friendships) -Growth Mindset -Operation Sunshine (Giving your Time, Talent & Treasures) -Literacy (Writing & Reading Skills) -Character Development

Cheryl Wills is the 3x great granddaughter of Civil War Veteran Sandy Wills. The Emmy award winning journalist and children's book author visits schools nationwide teaching about her family's transition from Slavery to Freedom in Tennessee using primary sources in an exciting and captivating power point presentation. Cheryl made national news in 2024, when she hired an archaeology team to locate the remains of her heroic grandfather. He was found in an unmarked grave and the U.S. Army reburied Pvt. Sandy with full military honors in August of 2024. See report on CBS News! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGQybuYerV4&t=8s

Rachel’s Challenge provides school presentations that inspire kindness, connection, and hope. Our assemblies for students and staff address bullying and violence prevention while equipping schools with practical tools to improve culture and strengthen relationships.

I offer four topics for my School Assembly Programs. Below are details about my Reading, Dental Hygiene, Ocean Sciences and Social Awareness Programs. 1. Sugar Bug Showdown: Elementary schools that engage my services for the ‘Sugar Bug Showdown‘ performance consistently request my return every third year to do it again. They want to be sure each child in kindergarten through 3rd grade gets the benefit of this unforgettable lesson in good dental hygiene. Your students will learn the right way to brush their teeth (even adults get it wrong!), why dental hygiene is so important, and much more. Dental Hygienists can give the facts, but nobody will motivate or help them remember those facts like Pipsqueak! To ramp up the fun, we demonstrate flossing using kids dressed as teeth. Another segment features caped cavity-defenders in an epic battle against sugar bugs. Here are some additional highlights: How much toothpaste to use How often to brush and proper techniques How cavities & plaque form How “sugar bugs” hurt your teeth Why a healthy diet matters 2. Reading is an Adventure: This program is perfect for PARP (Pick A Reading Partner) or Read Across America incentives. Specific children’s books are referenced & highlighted. My job with this show is to get your students excited about reading. I periodically change the lineup, but the main messages are: Curiosity fuels invention Reading is an adventure Readers are leaders 3. Kindness Quest: This program fits Respect Week and Character Education incentives like a glove! The following key themes are woven throughout: Friendship Kindness Respect Appreciating differences Sharing 4. Waves of Fun: Oceans of Possibilities is a STEM school assembly that sparks an interest in learning about ocean sciences. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be motivated to learn about the amazing things that can be found in the ocean. The program is curated to add more advancing educational content at upper grade levels with marine biology, geology, and ecology professions showcased for the 5th grade. We’ll even use your own school library books in the magic performance! Laugh your way through the “silliest, goofiest, wackiest treasure hunt in the world!” Meet a very intelligent seal who does tricks. Of course, Vern (the bird) will make an appearance. This program is unique and so much fun! It is designed for students K-5th grade.

“Stand Up for Your Greatness!” In this inspirational program, Ed Gerety shares with his audience specific strategies, principles, and techniques to be resilient, embrace change, achieve goals, and step up as a leader. The social and emotional needs of students today are more important than ever. Ed delivers a powerful message that connects with the hearts and minds of his audience. He reminds students of the importance of taking care of themselves, taking care of one another, standing up for their greatness, and for the greatness of others. Areas of Focus in this assembly program include: • The power of respect and responsibility • The impact and consequences of our choices and decisions • The issues of bullying and peer pressure • Appreciation for our abilities and the people in our life • The courage to believe in oneself • The power we have to reach out and make a difference Ed speaks in the education industry specifically at middle schools, high schools, colleges, universities, and conferences. His primary audiences include students, teachers, administrators, coaches, parents, and student-athletes. For 30 years Ed has spoken on character education topics that build and support a positive and inclusive school climate. His expertise is in teaching the skills that teens and young adults need to develop to become leaders in school and in life. Ed’s longevity as a paid-professional speaker is rooted in the excellence he brings to the platform, the relationships he forms with his clients, and the results produced in positive outcomes measured by schools. Clients say that there is authenticity and vulnerability in his presentations that distinguishes him from other speakers.

Mission Be, Inc. is a New York–based not-for-profit that has scaled nationally since 2013, bringing mindfulness-based social-emotional learning (SEL) programs to schools, organizations, and communities. To date, Mission Be has reached over 350,000 individuals across 322 schools and organizations in 28 states and 11 nations. Our curriculum is rooted in neuroscience and aligned with the Next Generation Standards, NYS SEL Standards, the NYS Mental Health Standard, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Framework (CR-S). Through workshops, classroom programs, retreats, and assemblies for students, teachers, parents, and faculty, Mission Be provides practical tools with the intention to: Reduce Stress – improve self-regulation and coping skills Increase Focus – strengthen attention and concentration Build Emotional Intelligence – reduce impulsiveness, improve empathy Develop Resilience – enhance capacity to face challenges Promote Well-being – foster healthier school climates and engagement Program Highlights Mission Be offers a variety of engaging, evidence-based programs for students, faculty, and parents, including: Mindfulness in the Classroom (Pre-K–12): 1–16 week curricula with weekly lessons (40 minutes each) taught by Mission Be staff or trained educators. Faculty Meetings & Workshops: Interactive sessions with breathing practices, SEL games, movement, and practical classroom strategies. Professional Development for Educators & Administrators: One-hour to multi-day trainings on neuroscience, stress regulation, and classroom integration. Mindful Mentoring Program for Educators: Six-hour training to strengthen teacher well-being and equip staff with mindfulness tools to support students. Student Leadership Retreats: Full- or half-day trainings empowering students to become “Mindful Mentors” and peer leaders. Parent Workshops: 75-minute sessions that provide families with mindfulness tools to support children’s well-being at home. Headquartered in Islip, NY, Mission Be serves districts across Long Island and beyond, with the ability to travel to regions throughout New York State and nationally. Learn more: www.missionbe.org/events Contact: Carin Winter, CEO — 631-513-6151 | ceo@missionbe.org

Andre Chevalier offers various music based school assemblies on the topics of Anti-Bullying/Character Building, Mindfulness, Reading Celebration Show and a Multicultural assembly. From start to finish Andre will have your students engaged by utilizing lines of inquiry, storytelling and interactive songs to deliver the theme of the assembly. Andre's music styles range from Rock to Blues to Reggae to Folk and will have your Kindergarten through Eighth Grade classes up and moving. He specializes in working with Elementary aged children and has worked with educators to make sure his connection to curriculum is spot on. Andre was born and raised in Glens Falls NY and graduated from Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe where he earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies Sustainability with a focus on music and education. Having recently moved back to the North Country, Andre has been traveling the west coast performing his assemblies in cities from San Diego to Seattle.

Founded in 1997, Treehouse Shakers’ creates award winning, original dance-plays that encourage multi-generational audiences to experience greater connections to their community. Melding theater, dance, music and visual elements with a script, our current school repertoire includes 7 tour-ready performances that explore narrative styles through universal themes addressing every age level within youth programming. Solidifying our role in the American theater scene, we created and toured the first dance-play for babies, Hatched, in 2012. We remain one of the few companies making thoughtful professional performances for the very early years. Our current roster includes: Hatched for ages 0-6, Flutter for 6-18 months, Sail Away for 18-24 months, Olive & Pearl for ages 2-5, The Littlest Cove for ages 3-6, The Boy Who Grew Flowers, ages 5-10, and Under the Tangle for 8-13. We also offer Pillow Fort, a web-series & Dance Break, an educational series to be streamed into the classroom. Treehouse Shakers also offers a variety of exceptional public workshops, in-school residencies, and staff developments tailored to specific arts programming and age ranges. We specialize in Storytelling, Dance, Writing, Creative Drama and More. Our arts in education programs encourage young people to think, learn, and truly be engaged through the discipline, innovation, and creativity of the arts. We can offer a half-hour workshop to an entire year of learning!

How to Live Mentally Well and Crush it During Difficult Times In this session, based, in part, on stories from his i’Mpossible Project book series, author and youth mental health specialist, Josh Rivedal talks about his school days in a format that’s visceral and creates an emotional connection between students and the powerful message that it’s okay to talk about mental health and that it’s possible to live mentally well during difficult times. Josh will cover: what mental health is and is not, coping skills, what depression and anxiety is and how we can cope with either or both, how to reframe failure, how to help oneself or a friend if in a mental health breakdown, and finding and cultivating hope during difficult times.

Davis’ programs are designed to educate and to celebrate diversity and community, to get audiences of all ages singing along, and to inspire participants to remember and share their own stories with each other and their families. They also promote literacy and cultural awareness. Davis is known for his humor, his ability to engage, his repertoire of familiar and interestingly new songs and stories, and his professionalism. Programs include a variety of ethnic percussion instruments, including guiro, shekere, bells, spoons and a dancing wooden limbergjack dog named Bingo. For almost 45 years now Davis has shared thousands of performances at schools, libraries, senior centers and community settings throughout the northeast. His recording, Family Stories, won a prestigious Parents Choice Magazine Gold Award, was named one of the years best audio recordings of by the American Library Association’s Booklist Magazine and is available for download for free on his website. Specific programs include Under One Sky, Earth Rhythms, This Land is Your Land, Imagine That, Celebrating the Season, Sea Songs & Stories and a variety of interactive workshops. "Davis is thoughtful, creative, human and a fantastic storyteller" - Pete & Toshi Seeger.

Author visit with Stephen Swinburne Hello! It is my pleasure to recommend author Stephen Swinburne for an author visit to your school. Trust me, you will be so pleased that you have. I have been booking authors for the past 20 years in my career as a librarian and can honestly say that Steve is one of the most engaging authors that you will ever book. All of my teachers love his visits and compare all other authors to Steve. Students will be so enthralled in his session and will not want to leave. If I financially could book Steve for my school every year, I would. There are five other elementary schools in my district and they all feel the same way. I know from experience that some authors are fabulous writers but unfortunately lacking in their presentations - Steve is not one of them. Booking Steve for your school is a win for you - your staff will love him. If you have any questions, please feel free contact me. Best wishes and enjoy your visit with Steve! Sincerely, Leslie Balzano lbalzano@trumbullps.org Teacher-Librarian Middlebrook Elementary School 220 Middlebrooks Avenue Trumbull, CT 06611