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

Seagle Festival offers a touring in-school children's opera performance each early fall season in September and early October. Available children's operas are suitable for pre-K-6 audiences. The booking includes a 30-45 minute performance, plus a short question and answer session, as well as a professionally produced teacher guide with pre and post opera activities to integrate students' opera experience into their regular curriculum.

Deon Butler is a former NFL player, Author and Literacy Advocate.

We are a movement of second chances and self-worth through media content, music, school assembly programs and outreaches. Reminding people that it's NEVER too late for a CLEAN SLATE! You are WORTHY to "Rewrite Tomorrow

Kelly de la Rocha is a poet, journalist and founder of poem RENOVATION, a fun, web-based word challenge that promotes literacy, creativity and social-emotional learning. The software was a prize-winner at the 2024 Yale Innovation Summit. Every day, poem RENOVATION presents users with a scrambled snippet of literature. They select words that resonate with them, then move them around on a digital canvas. The rules? There are none. The objective? To create. During her lively, interactive workshops, Kelly details how poem RENOVATION came to be and how it works. Students have an opportunity to create a poem, phrase and/or word art on the site, share their creations, and receive positive feedback. Along the way, constructs including perspective, voice and figurative language are discussed. Poem RENOVATION has been used by hundreds of students from New York to California and has become a favorite, ongoing activity in a number of classrooms. Workshops: *Are appropriate for middle and high school classes *Can be personalized to include literature of the teacher’s choice *Are offered in-person or via video call WHAT EDUCATORS ARE SAYING: “The level of confidence that I saw grow in my students was amazing, from not being willing to share to being willing to share, from sitting quietly and not saying much, to offering a compliment or asking a question to better understand one of their peers.” ~Teacher Valerie Wadsworth, O’Rourke Middle School, Burnt Hills, NY They’re loving it! ~Teacher Renee Duran, Stone Valley Middle School, Alamo, CA It empowered them and it brought them to a place where they wanted to share what they made and they love that their creation was never wrong. I think that was what really made the students feel so special and so willing.” ~Teacher Dena Marie de la Rocha, Gowana Middle School, Clifton Park, NY “I immediately understood the impact it could have on public school children’s literacy and social-emotional development. ~Lauren B. Carpenter, Ed.M, Director of Education Programs, Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, CT

We offer pattern drawing and mandala drawing workshops. We learn a little about the background of mandalas, explore patterns and the benefits to drawing patterns; and of course draw patterns and mandalas. During the class everyone will have the opportunity to draw patterns and a mandala, but it is more about the process and less about the finished mandala. Throughout the workshop we will learn (and experience) how drawing patterns and mandalas can reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, improve focus and increase creative thought. We will also work together to create collaborative designs, exploring the impact of everyone contributing their own unique approach toward a common project. Benefits: • The practice of pattern drawing reduces stress and increases focus. • Exploring how to draw complex patterns helps us understand how to break large goals into less overwhelming segments. • Our collaborative activities create a visual demonstration of how we all approach a similar task from different perspectives and how amazing the result is when everyone contributes to a common task or goal. • Becoming more aware of patterns all around us leads us to look at our surroundings with great curiosity and appreciation

I provide paintings, art prints, and photography services directly to clients. My work is featured in a number of private collections within (and beyond) Western New York. In 2016, I founded Avery & Harlow to grow my art business. I have individual and commercial clients, including Meet & Eat Charcuterie, Magic Bear Beer Cellar, Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, Trocaire College, Canisius University, and TEAM VIA (New York City Real Estate Advisors). I've donated art to Lollypop Farm Humane Society of Greater Rochester, Massachusetts Avenue Project, Rochester Contemporary Art Center (as part of the 2023 and 2024 6x6 fundraiser exhibition) and the WNY Women's Foundation. In addition, I'm a former instructor (specializing in business and marketing) for the Arts Management Program at University at Buffalo. I'm also a Teaching Artist and marketing consultant for GWFA Gallery in Hamburg, New York.

David Gonzalez, PhD. has had a long life of creating content and performing for young audiences. He has a YouTube channel on which you can explore featuring his many offerings for kids K-12 and covering a number of topics. He has a show titled " Finding North" about the underground railroad, and the present day migrant issues. Aesop Bops! is for the youngest, Cuentos: Tales from the LatinX World is for grades 2-5 in which he offers some bi-lingual interactions with the students, Maddog and Me: Bullying and the Power of Kindness is for middle schoolers. David also creates performances for general audiences. Please contact manager Sandra Peevers for more information, video links, etc. and to discuss availability and fee. David tours countrywide, so identifying your dates early is recommended. David also offers Teacher Development courses as well as workshops for kids. DAVID GONZALEZ - BIOGRAPHY Storyteller/musician/poet/playwright David Gonzalez, Ph.D received the Lifetime Achievement Award from International Performing Arts for Youth, and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for his original production of “The Frog Bride” at Broadway’s New Victory Theater. Mr. Gonzalez was named a Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and was the host of New York Kids on WNYC for eight seasons. He wrote Rise for Freedom!, an opera libretto commissioned and produced by the Cincinnati Opera, and Mariel, an Afro-Cuban musical which won the Macy’s “New Play Prize for Young Audiences”. Mr. Gonzalez' poetry has been featured at Lincoln Center's Out-of-Doors Festival, Bill Moyers' documentary Fooling with Words on PBS, and NPR's All Things Considered. His performance poem, Oh Hudson, was commissioned by the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center to commemorate the Quadri-centennial of Henry Hudson’s exploration. He is the author of numerous plays and one-man shows including: The Boy Who Could Sing Pictures, Aesop Bops!, Double Crossed: The Saga of the St. Louis, As If The Past Were Listening, MytholoJazz, Maddog and Me, Wounded Splendor, Finding North, City of Dreams, Sofrito!, The Carnival of the Animals, The Man of the House, and Sleeping Beauty which have been presented at many of the best performing arts centers, theaters, and festivals in the US and abroad. David was a featured performer at the National Storytelling Festival and received his doctorate from New York University's School of Education. Mr. Gonzalez is bi-lingual and is the Artistic Director for the Crisalida Communications, a company that consults on arts outreach to theaters and community organizations. For schools, David's main shows are: Aesop Bops!, Cuentos: Tales from the LatinX World, Maddog and Me: Bullying and the Power of Kindness, and Finding North.

I love to share the process of book illustration. With PowerPoint, I start by sharing slides of my childhood journey as an illustrator. People need to know that they can succeed even if they experience setbacks. I emphasize hard work, patience, and continuing learning. I show various slides of personal drawings and artwork along with the many steps involved in making a picture book, such as reviewing the manuscript, researching, sketching, and creating artwork. In addition, I may bring sketchbooks, original artwork, and various visual aids for the audience to see firsthand to understand my work better. My presentation lasts 35-45 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of Q&A. Presentations will be adjusted according to grade level. I can do up to three presentations per day of the visit.

Over the past 25 years, I’ve had the honor and privilege of inspiring students all over the world to create and write stories. My presentations are approximately 45 to 60 minutes of high energy, immersing students in my story creation process. Using time-lapse video, music, and digital technology, I discuss writing, biology, research, illustration, and editing while addressing how and where I get my ideas. I keep a journal full of ideas and drawings. My stories start from those ideas, and I show the process from idea seed to finished story. I narrate a new or previously published story to the students, engaging them with video and music. I follow with a live computer drawing demonstration, usually projected onto a screen or big TV behind me. In most instances, it’s a simple drawing created from scratch that contains many concepts learned in curricula: insect biology, the difference between a bug and a beetle, primary and opposite colors, symmetry, and horizontal/ vertical placement. It also has just the right touch of humor :-) I airdrop a digital copy to the teachers to take back to their classrooms afterward. I like to take questions from the students at the end of the presentation. I appreciate the efforts of all the librarians, PTOs, and school administrators who have made my visits possible. My presentations have been described as engaging, educational, and a lot of fun.

CMOO is a non-profit children's museum with 10,000 square feet of hands-on interactive exhibits whose mission is to inspire children to learn, create, discover, and explore through the power of play.

Your school will be amazed at the magic. They will laugh at the hysterical comedy. But most importantly, they will get excited about being Fit! The bFit Show is a 45-minute elementary fitness and nutrition program designed to get your kids interested in getting Fit. The show uses magic, comedy, juggling, music, and tons of audience participation to deliver a powerful and motivational message that kids in America need to hear! The bFit Show uses magic, comedy, juggling, and audience participation to get your elementary school excited about eating healthy, fitness, nutrition, and exercise! Students, teachers, parents, and administrators will love and talk about The bFit Show for days, weeks, and months to come. And this program may help your school fight child obesity, diabetes, and heart disease! The bFit Show with Brian Richards is an elementary health and fitness assembly that will get your students up and moving!