Tommy Johns Presents - Encouraging Kids to Read!

	Tommy Johns Presents Curriculum Based School Assembly Programs that Encourage Kids to Read! Atlanta (770) 640-6509 Toll Free 1(866) 490-READ Home About Us Programs Fees Schedule Clients FAQ’s Contact Us Blog
Our Programs and the Curriculum Topics They Support Include: Go Wild! (Reading, Scientific Process, Life Sciences, AL/GA Facts) Top Secret! (Reading, Geography, Maps, Landforms, Problem Solving) Work Smarter! (Reading, Simple Machines, Inventions) You’ve Got MAGIC! (Reading, Character Education) I Love to Read! (Reading Motivation, Library Skills) Arctic Express (Reading, Winter Festivals, Cultural Diversity) Coming in Summer 2009! Reading Round Up (Reading, Writing Process, Using Details, Figurative Language, Folk Tales, Native American Lore)
	Frequently Asked Questions How much? In most cases, we schedule our programs by the half-day or full-day. Half-day (1-2 presentations) $550 Full day (3-6 presentations) $875 Two schools may split a full day and pay only $437.50 each. Travel expenses vary depending upon your location but often can be discounted or waived by networking. We have several rate options for public libraries, small schools, after-school events, and/or evening programs. Call us toll-free for more information or check the fees page on this site. What does “Half Day” and “Full Day” mean? Full day starts as early as you want and ends when the school day ends. This can be divided however you want, but usually it consists of 3-6 programs. It is also possible to split the full day between two or more schools with no additional charge, so that each school pays only a portion of a full day fee. In other words, it is much cheaper to have two schools coordinate and split a full day than for each of them to pay a half day fee. Half-day runs either from the start of the school day until lunch time, or from just after lunch until the end of the school day. This allows for 1 or 2 programs per half-day. How many students can participate in your assemblies? We have performed for groups as small as 25 and as large as 1,200. For optimum educational impact, we suggest 250-300 students of similar age as a maximum number per presentation. If you have more than 150 students per assembly, we recommend a raised platform/stage or elevated seating (bleachers) and/or multiple presentations. How far will you travel? We will travel most anywhere, however we perform most of our programs in Georgia, Alabama, and the Chattanooga Tennessee area. When we travel, we try to block book an area. If several schools in the same area schedule programs, we often waive travel expenses and offer other incentives. What age/grade levels are the programs designed for? PK-6th. There are very slight variations in the presentations if you break them out by grade level but not much at all. We have other programs specifically designed for secondary students from 6th-12th grades, and you can split a day with a Middle School or High School just as easily as with another elementary school. Are your programs better for younger or older students? The school assembly programs have been designed by a team of professional educators with over 75 years of combined classroom teaching experience. It may seem impossible, particularly if you've had bad experiences in the past, to believe that one program can be just as entertaining to the older students as it is with the younger ones, or as educationally significant for the younger ones as it is for the older ones. But that is exactly what we offer. I've had schools tell me "Since you use puppets, we are going to let you present only to the younger children" and then I've been to others who said "Since your assembly programs are so educational we are going to let you present only to the older students." Without fail they later tell me "Well I think the whole school would have benefited from that program. We'll have to have you back!" While we love to be invited back, it seems silly not to let everyone enjoy the program each time we visit, particularly since we don't charge by the number of programs we present, or by the number of students in attendance. Is it best to divide our students by grade level? Educationally this is a wise decision as it allows us to present age-appropriate materials. However, from a practical standpoint, we know this is not always possible, nor is it required. Ideal divisions are primary (K-2) and intermediate (3-5), or one grade per assembly (for a full day). What assembly program would you recommend as a reading reward or incentive? We have performed all of our programs for these types of events, but our most popular motivational reading program is “I Love to Read!” This program is a high-energy assembly with lots of audience participation. It works especially well for any age, even older students (6th-8th) and family gatherings (PTO/PTA). Do we need to provide you with a P.A. (Public Address) System? No, we provide our own microphones and sound system. What do you need our school/library to provide? We bring everything we need for the programs except the students and electricity. However, if you have a cleared stage or raised platform with steps, this is always a plus. And I’m a water drinker, so a couple of bottles of water would be great, if I forget to bring my own. How much time do we need to allow between assembly programs? Typically we can reset most of our programs in the time it takes to dismiss one group and bring in the next group (about 10 minutes). Most schools schedule shows an hour apart (45 minutes for the show, 15 minutes for transition). Can we schedule two different programs on the same day? Maybe! It really depends on your timing and the location of the performances. Call us for details. Will you modify a program or customize a program at our request? Certainly, as long as the changes do not impact the educational significance of the program. Since each of our programs is written like a one-act play, major changes can disrupt the flow and value of the presentation. Call us for details. How many different programs can you do in a visit? There are two factors that limit us: How many shows the presenter can fit in his vehicle and the length of time it takes to strike one set, reset another, and change costumes. If you are planning a multi-day author visit it is quite possible and rather easy to have a different program for each day, with a limit of the number of educational assembly programs we can transport. This usually limits us to 2-3 different titles depending on which shows you want (some have larger props and stage sets than others). If you want multiple school assembly programs during the same day realize that we will need at least an hour to strike one set, reset another, and change costumes. If you can plan a 90 minute lunch time for this to happen it shouldn't be a problem. If a full-day is split between two schools then this is pretty easy since the set will be broken down and reset anyway. When is payment due? This company was founded and continues to be run exclusively by educators. We are NOT prima donna performers who need the green M&Ms removed from our candy dish (Wait a minute! What candy dish?!). We understand how to work with POs. We like to get paid on the day of the performance, but we understand that processing paperwork through the system can be time consuming and frustrating. We know you don't need an uptight performer whining about how he needs to be paid TODAY or his car will be repossessed. If payment will not be ready on the day of the performance, just call or e-mail us and let us know. No problem! YOU focus on getting approval and scheduling the program. WE will focus on entertaining and educating your students. We'll BOTH let your bookkeeper and our accounting department work out the money. What about programs for secondary students? Math-A-Magic, Arctic Express, and Work Smarter are all designed with a version for secondary students as well as elementary students. We also have a brand new program for Drama, Business, Music, Choir, Vocational, and other select high school groups. Call and ask about this as it is a revolutionary idea that brings everything your high school students do together for a single, eye-opening program they will remember forever. Splitting a full-day between a secondary campus and an elementary campus works the same way as between two elementary campuses. What about Staff Development programs? Yes, we have them. We currently offer staff development in the following areas: Behavior Management for special track teachers (PE, Art, Music, Media Specialists, Technology) Making Abstract Math Tangible and Fun (Mathematics, Science) Laughing Learners: Making Learning Fun While Avoiding Burn-Out (General Assembly) Contact us about details on these programs. © COPYRIGHT 2002-2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Tommy Johns Presents 1650 Bainbridge Way, Roswell, GA 30076 770-640-6509/866-490-READ