School Assemblies in Maryland That Tie Into Your Curriculum

I'm Joe Romano. For 30 years, I've performed curriculum-based assemblies for elementary schools across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. Here's how to find a show that pulls its weight.

Why curriculum matters more than the wow factor

Every assembly performer promises fun. That's the easy part.

The hard part is getting a lesson to stick while 400 kids are laughing. Fun without content is a party. Content without fun is a lecture. Kids tune out of both.

The sweet spot is a show where the laughs carry the lesson. Kids remember the magic trick, and the magic trick reminds them of the idea behind it. That's what you're paying for.

Here's what that looks like, subject by subject.

Reading

Maryland's reading standards ask kids to find the main idea, understand how a story is built, and read for meaning — not just get through the words.

A good reading assembly supports that. It should:

• Make kids want to read, especially the reluctant ones

• Use the same language teachers use, so there are no mixed messages

• Give teachers a hook to build on the next morning

That's the thinking behind my reading school assemblies. They're a natural fit for Read Across America in March, or any time your school wants a reading boost.

Principal Harry Walker of Sandy Plains Elementary School in Baltimore put it this way: "Joe Romano has a way of engaging students and keeping them focused as he delivers messages about the importance of reading… Highly recommended!"

Math

Math is where a lot of kids first decide they're "not good at school." Once that idea sets in, it's hard to shake.

An assembly can't reteach fractions. What it can do is change how kids feel about math. When a child solves a problem in front of the whole school and gets a cheer, math stops being scary.

Look for a math show that gets kids solving problems out loud, not just watching someone else do it.

Science

Maryland adopted the Next Generation Science Standards back in 2013. Those standards lean hard on doing science — asking questions, making predictions, testing ideas.

That's great news for assemblies, because science is the most natural fit for live, hands-on fun. A strong science school assembly should:

• Get kids predicting before they see the result

• Show science at work in everyday life

• Put students onstage to help run the experiments

In my shows, I bring as many as a dozen volunteers onstage. The rest of the audience gets a job too.

Character education

Character education works best when it's part of everything a school does. An assembly won't replace that work. But it can give the whole school a shared moment and a shared language — words teachers can point back to all year long.

Fall is a popular time for these shows, while classroom routines are still taking shape.

Maryland has a lot of ground to cover

Maryland has 24 local school systems, from Garrett County in the mountains to Worcester County on the shore. The Baltimore area and the DC suburbs alone hold hundreds of elementary schools.

That means two things for you:

1. You have plenty of performers to choose from. Be picky.

2. Good dates go fast. Many schools compete for the same weeks.

When to book

A few tips for your calendar:

• Plan around MCAP testing in the spring. Most schools avoid assemblies during testing weeks.

• Book early for March. Read Across America makes it the busiest reading month of the year.

• Think a few months ahead. I visit around 250 schools a year, and some dates are gone long before schools start asking.

How to vet a presenter

Before you book any show, ask three questions:

1. "Which subjects does the show support, and how?" Listen for specifics, not buzzwords.

2. "What do the kids do during the show?" You want participation, not just watching.

3. "What happens if we're not happy?"

My answer to that last one: I back every show with a 100% money-back guarantee. If I don't meet your expectations in any way, you don't pay me. In 30 years, no school has ever taken me up on it.

If you want a deeper checklist, I laid out three steps to choosing the perfect school assembly program.

Let's make your next assembly count

Maryland principals, teachers and PTA parents have trusted me with their students for years. They bring me back because the kids have fun and remember the lesson.

If that's the kind of assembly you want for your school, let's find a date.



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