Enormously inspiring assemblies based on author David Greenberg's books in two areas, 1/ Poetry Picture Books, and 2/ Human Rights (based on his novel from Dutton, A Tugging String).

The day-to-day life of children and teens can be hectic and challenging on multiple levels. Experiencing stress, anxiety and exhaustion can affect physical and emotional well-being, social relationships, academic success and sleep. Rooted Movement Classroom Yoga offers students skills and experiences that can help increase self-awareness and build resilience. As an embodied practice of mindfulness, yoga asks us to pay attention to what we are feeling, both physically and emotionally, in the present moment. These practices can send signals of safety back to the brain and soothe the nervous system. Our program (based on the work of Jennifer Cohen Harper’s Little Flower Yoga) focuses on five main areas: 1. Connection to oneself, one’s environment and others. 2. Breathwork, which promotes communication between the body and the nervous system. 3. Movement to help process stress hormones and give our students a sense of being strong, flexible and capable. 4. Focus Practice: when we can observe our minds wandering or becoming fixated on negative thoughts, we can bring the mind back to the object of focus and improve our capacity to stay present in the moment. 5. Relaxation to alleviate stress and tension. Whether in a single classroom session, an interactive workshop or over the course of a residency, students will have the opportunity to learn a variety of techniques, so they can gain some experience and deepen their own relationships with these practices. Teaching Themes around which we can develop a program to serve your students: 1. Interoception: what does your body feel like on the inside? 2. Building strength: how our bodies can teach our minds that we’re strong 3. Yoga in a Chair: learning yoga snacks you can do throughout the day 4. Mindfulness meditation and relaxation to down-regulate the nervous system 5. Balance practices 6. Spacial awareness and proprioception 7. Building a collaborative community through movement 8. Our brains, our bodies, our nervous systems and movement (4th grade and up) 9. Imaginative practices: connecting yoga poses to seasonal imagery, animal world, relevant classroom curriculum, etc. (K-3) 10.Dealing with challenges in a playful way 11.Self-reflection Professional Development: Rooted Movement also offers professional development for teachers and staff, including self-care programs and yoga/mindfulness tools that can be integrated into the classroom. Some Professional Development Topics: Basic Yoga Core Conditioning Chair Yoga Restorative Yoga for Deep Relaxation Breathwork and Meditation Applying Yoga for Social Emotional Learning in the Classroom

“Amy helps students, from the very youngest to the very oldest, find inspiration and see the world with poet's eyes. She's helped some of our most reluctant writers find themselves in new words and images they never knew were there!” - Thomas Marshall, Principal, Stony Lane Elementary, Paramus, NJ “Amy’s engaging presentations were bursting with wise and inspiring words. She has a remarkable way of connecting with students and teachers, making poetry accessible to all. Her visit filled our school with joy!” - Dr. Kristie Miner, Literacy Coordinator, Tioughnioga Riverside Academy, Whitney Point, NY Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is author of several books for children and teachers, as well as keeper of the popular classroom blogs The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks. Some know her from her series of teaching videos offered during the COVID Spring of 2020, 72 lessons taught from “Betsy the Writing Camper.” A former upper grade teacher, Amy holds an MA in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, is a 25+ year writing teacher, served as editor of “The Poetry of Science” column in NSTA’s SCIENCE AND CHILDREN journal, and loves exploring creativity and writing with students and teachers. As a speaker or writer-in-residence, Amy gives presentations and teaches joyful writing workshops about topics ranging from poetry to reading like writers to notebook-keeping. Her next book, a narrative poetry picture book, is titled JOHN AND BETSY (Eerdmans). Author Visit: During an author visit, Amy usually speaks to the whole school throughout the course of one school day, one or two grade levels at a time, sharing information about everything from notebook keeping to the process of drafting a poem to the world of publication, all along weaving in poems, stories, and pictures related to her poems and books. This visit may be spread across three buildings for three assemblies if desired. An alternative to this is a day of classroom visits, up to five classrooms of 45-55 minutes each. Writing Residency: There is a great deal of flexibility in a writing residency. As a former elementary school teacher and longtime writing teacher, Amy enjoys working with students in a variety of settings and for one day or many. Possible residencies are not limited to but include: notebook making and notebook keeping, personal essay writing, writing from nature, and a variety of poetry workshops. Teacher Workshops & Conference Presentations: Amy loves to work with teachers and speak at conferences, focusing on poetry, notebooking, the habits of writing, conferring, and the joy of words and the world.

We offer an experience of what it was like to be a child during the American Revolutionary War.

DINOSAURS ROCK, celebrating 25 years, offers 4 science-themed events - DINOSAURS ROCK, GEMS ROCK, OCEANS & SHARKS ROCK and INSECTS ROCK - Each includes an expansive Museum Exhibit, highly interactive and entertaining Assembly Show with lots of audience volunteers, accompanying keynote video and hands-on activity such as a dig where each student takes home real fossil, mineral or seashell matching the theme. DINOSAURS ROCK: Topics include dinosaur anatomy, fossil formation, adaptation.. with a 20+ piece exhibit including a 5-ft wide t-rex skull, 6-ft allosaurus leg, dinosaur egg & footprint (students can touch!) and many more specimens. Hands-on options include a fossil dig, excavation, geode-opening, amber discovery, fossil shark tooth necklace-making, trilobite excavation... OCEANS & SHARKS ROCK: Museum Exhibit - specimens include taxidermy shark & stingray (students touch!), giant crab plaques, oversized sponge, shells, jellyfish - note: no live creatures. Show covers fascinating sea creatures and "Earth Day, "anti pollution, environmental message about saving our oceans. Hands-on seashell/sea fossil dig plus other options like shark tooth necklace-making and excavations. GEMS ROCK: Earth science-based program focusing on the critical uses of rocks & Minerals in our everyday lives, how the earth and rocks were formed and more, with a museum exhibit of genuine minerals such as amethyst, quartz, geodes, etc. - hand-on activities include panning for take-home gemstones with other options including excavations, geode opening, gemstone mining with our 25-ft rushing water sluice! INSECTS ROCK: Museum Exhibit of awesome taxidermy insects behind acrylic/glass of a variety of cool insects (no live creatures) with show topics including metamorphosis, insect anatomy, how a fly flies and more. Age appropriate for PreK-high school; we modify the program based on grades. The opportunity to see museum quality exhibits up-close, be active participants in our shows and take home real specimens with our hands-on experiential approach make each of these a highly memorable and unique event. Ask about our Museum Shop for discounted rates.

Prismatic Magic Laser Programs is a pioneer in educational and entertaining school assemblies and library programs. Our mission is to inspire children to learn in new ways and to use fun to unlock children’s desire to learn. With two decades of performing at thousands of schools, we are experts at presenting laser light assemblies to create an unforgettably fun learning environment. Our laser programs all feature hit music and stunning laser animation to excite and inspire every student, making it a surefire school assembly idea. Your kids will be singing and cheering throughout, all while wanting to learn more! We offer the following programs/themes: American Pride Black History Laser Tribute Bullying Prevention Halloween Spooktacular Kindness Quest Laser Reader Laser Safari Lasermania Preschool Sing-Along Prismatica Space Explorer Spring Jam STEM Expansion Winter Holiday Adventure Be sure to visit our website at www.prismaticmagic.com, click on SHOWS, then on each program to watch videos and learn more about each program, get pricing, etc.

Cartooning, character design, storytelling for comic books, comic strips and graphic design. Interactive group projects and an overall positive environment for children to be creative with no judgement.

This Visiting Author Presentation focuses on disability acceptance & inclusion while connecting to the presenter's various children's books. By attending this program, students learn about different disabilities and the process of writing realistic fiction while becoming inspired to make a positive difference in their schools and communities. Great presentation for Autism Awareness Month (April) and Disability Awareness Month (October). Contact Author directly through her website for free Reading Guide. Amy also offers parent workshops related to raising a child with disabilities and understanding the unique needs of siblings.

A Soldier’s Life uses an interdisciplinary approach to teach students about the daily lives of American soldiers on America’s northern frontier in the early years of the Revolutionary War. This engaging one-hour program incorporates history, geography, and math to provide context to the personal experience of American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Students will explore the equipment and food of soldiers and discuss the challenges of transporting and supplying the Continental Army, understanding Fort Ticonderoga’s strategic location. We offer this program both in person and online. Please look at our website for more information!

Goat on a Boat is a nonprofit puppet theater that has been building, performing and presenting a variety of puppet shows for young children and their grown-ups since 2001. Shows can fit into classrooms, auditoriums or can be performed outdoors from our Puppet Truck stage. Using a variety of puppetry styles, our shows are based on well-loved classics as well as original stories about friendship, the environment and more. Puppet making workshops provide the opportunity for young students to improvise their own stories, to work together to create characters, build sets, stages and puppets. At the end of each workshop, there is short performance where students can share what they've made. Our residencies provide the time and space to create longer, themed shows that can connect to STEM classroom learning objectives. Goat on a Boat also offers Professional Development workshops that teach educators how to make a variety of puppet projects to use in the classroom as well as how to manipulate and how to make their puppets come to life. We believe that Puppetry is the gateway to a life-long love of Theater and the Performing Arts. This unique art form brings Art to life and engages children's imaginations in so many valuable ways.

Educational Market Best-Selling Author and TEDx speaker Jermiko Thomas delivers engaging literacy and social-emotional learning programs through the Adventures of Walter series. Programs support literacy development, STEM curiosity, SEL skills, bullying prevention, autism inclusion, and positive character development through interactive storytelling and classroom engagement. The Adventures of Walter collection also includes student learning resources such as activity workbooks, coloring books, and an American Sign Language (ASL) Alphabet & Numbers workbook, helping reinforce literacy, creativity, and inclusive learning. Jermiko’s programs are inspired by his personal journey — he did not speak until age six and first communicated through sign language, making his work especially meaningful for students with diverse learning and communication needs. Programs are designed for elementary schools (Pre-K–5) and can be delivered as assemblies, classroom workshops, literacy events, STEM enrichment sessions, and special education programming.

Award-winning illustrator and author Chris Soentpiet brings three decades of experience to his dynamic school visits, inspiring a lifelong love of reading and art. In thousands of schools worldwide, Chris has proven his ability to boost reading scores, increase library circulation, and improve school-wide morale. His engaging presentations are more than just a show. They are a valuable educational tool that aligns with Common Core standards and is perfect for kickstarting PARP programs. Chris expertly ties his visits into your curriculum, connecting with holidays and heritage months to make learning relevant and exciting. At a time when reading is declining, a visit from Chris Soentpiet provides the essential spark to get kids excited about books. He empowers students to express themselves through writing and drawing, showing them that their own stories matter. Book a visit to give your students an unforgettable experience that celebrates reading and the arts.