20+ years full time 200+ schools every year
School Assemblies & Library Shows
Middle School Assemblies
NY · PA · OH · CT · MA · NJ $500 guarantee, never claimed
20+ years full time 200+ schools every year
School Assemblies & Library Shows
Middle School Assemblies
NY · PA · OH · CT · MA · NJ $500 guarantee, never claimed
Cris Johnson · Grades 5–8 · Seven Programs · 200+ Shows A Year
Middle school assemblies perfect for grades 5-8 with zero "kiddie" content. Seven programs written for the age group that decides in the first ninety seconds whether you are worth listening to.
See the seven programs Check my dates
Or call me directly — (716) 940-8963. That’s my cell.
First, who is writing this
If you found this page from a search rather than from my home page, here is the short version. I am a full-time school assembly presenter based in Niagara Falls, New York. I have been doing this for more than twenty years, I am in 200-plus schools a year, and I have presented in 38 states and much of Canada. This is not a sideline I run around a day job — it is the only thing I do.
What I actually bring you is a 40 to 45 minute assembly built around one message — bullying, character, math, reading, study skills, media literacy — delivered through magic that is genuinely startling rather than cute. The magic is the vehicle. The message is the cargo, and it is what your staff will hear students repeating in the hallway that afternoon.
I arrive self-contained: my own sound system, my own equipment, carried in by me. I need a space and an outlet. And I guarantee the whole thing — if the program is not worth more than I told you it would be, you do not pay me and your PTA gets $500. In more than two decades, nobody has ever asked me to honor that.
Below are the seven programs I have written specifically for grades 5–8. But first, one thing I would rather address than have you wondering about.
Now let’s get this out of the way
You have. Most of this website sells to elementary schools, and the pictures show it — bright colors, little kids, a lot of grinning. If you run a middle school you have almost certainly already thought this looks way too childish for my students.
I would rather say that out loud than have you wondering about it. You’re right about the photos. You’re wrong about the shows.
Middle school is a genuinely different room. Thirteen-year-olds have one foot still in childhood and the other racing toward high school, everything about them is changing at once, and they have developed a finely tuned instrument for detecting an adult who is talking down to them. Anything that smells of a children’s show is dead on arrival, and they will let you know within a minute.
So I built separate middle school versions of my programs. Different material, different pacing, different magic — harder-hitting, genuinely startling, and pitched at their level rather than shouted at them.
What stays the same is that they are learning something the whole time, and mostly not noticing.
The lineup
Each one runs 40–45 minutes and stands on its own. The colors below are the colors of the pages they open — so you can see where you’re headed before you click.
Bystanders are the whole ballgame at this age. This one goes after the audience around the bullying rather than lecturing the student doing it.
See the program →Character as a set of choices they are already making, not a poster in the hallway. Respect, responsibility, and the courage to be the odd one out.
See the program →Probability, statistics, cryptography and the real odds on a lottery ticket — aimed squarely at the student sitting with their arms folded.
See the program →Two programs in one: taking the panic out of test day, and handing students a memory system they will use on their homework that night.
See the program →They think they can’t be fooled. I fool them thoroughly, then show them exactly how — deception, influence and media literacy.
See the program →The reading assembly for students who have decided reading is not for them. Ghost stories, real history, and books they actually want to open.
See the program →The Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas, brought back for December. Built to run as two sessions in one day.
See the program →I run middle school versions of my science and STEM programs, but they don’t have their own page yet. This link goes to the elementary one — call me and I’ll tell you what changes for grades 5–8.
See the elementary page →A middle school gym is a different room, and thirteen-year-olds eat presenters alive. That is the whole job.
Seven programs · grades 5–8 · 40–45 minutes each
What actually changes
It isn’t the same show with the jokes taken out.
If your building is K–8
You don’t have to choose which half of the school gets the assembly, and you don’t have to bring me back a second time. I run back-to-back programs in one visit, each written for its own age group.
Grades K–4
The elementary version
Same topic, pitched for the little ones, with its own material.
Grades 5–8
The middle school version
The program on this page — written for the older room.
Booked together, the pair costs a good deal less than two separate visits — one drive, one setup. Ask me for the two-show number when you get in touch.
Middle school building only? Every program above books perfectly well on its own. · See the elementary programs →
Get the details
Fill this in and I’ll email you the full information on whichever programs interest you — or on all seven if you’d rather compare them. I answer these myself, usually the same day.
Enough to print, forward, and walk into your next committee meeting.
Would rather just talk it through? Call or text (716) 940-8963 — that’s my cell phone.
Proof
Middle schools and high schools first. The rest are from assemblies across grade levels — central schools, K–8 buildings and elementary.
“Cris is really great with the kids… He is both entertaining and informative. We have had him two years in a row and the kids really enjoy Cris’ programs. Outstanding!”
Carm ProctorPrincipal
Jefferson Middle School, Jamestown, NY
“Great control of the audience with an appropriate message!”
Dan BraceyPrincipal
Washington Middle School, Jamestown, NY
“Thank you for coming to Chittenango Middle School again this year! Our 5th graders truly enjoyed your assembly! Your commitment to helping students understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, through the use of magic tricks, makes a strong impact. Your show is entertaining, educational and fun! Thank you for what you do.”
Chris ChandlerSchool Counselor
Chittenango Middle School, Chittenango, NY
“It was totally entertaining and fun to watch. The kids were really involved and they loved it. It was really fun to see their personalities come out and their creativity. I would LOVE to recommend this program to other schools.”
Liz BannerTeacher
Brockport High School, Brockport, NY
“Both of the anti-bullying school assembly programs were awesome! The students were engaged and entertained. The message presented was very age appropriate for each assembly. My favorite part was when you had the four eighth grade boys up on stage and pulled the chairs out from under them. I never thought you could pull that one off! I would be more than happy to recommend you to any school looking for an anti-bullying assembly.”
Carol Donachy, NCC
St. Mary of the Lakes School, Medford, NJ
“Cris is very energetic and funny. The kids and the teachers were very impressed. They LOVED it! One of our sixth grade teachers said it was the BEST assembly presented at this school in 20 years!”
Amy MckentySchool Librarian
St. John of Rochester School, Fairport, NY
“Your messages and magic tricks were appropriate for all and played to all grade levels. I saw just as many fifth graders amazed by the magic and jumping out of their sitting positions to volunteer as I did kindergarten and first graders. Students came away understanding what it means to be a ‘HERO’ and how they can help those being bullied.”
Thomas LanzaSupervisor of Instruction
Cedar Grove School, Toms River Regional Schools, NJ
“It was phenomenal.”
Scott MoorerPrincipal
Chestnut Intermediate School, North Olmsted, OH
“Wellness Day was a huge success and we are so grateful for your part in it. From the opening session through the afternoon groups our students were involved and in tune with the objectives of the day. We received a lot of positives in response to your involvement. Thank you for sharing your talents and for your interest and support of the youth of today.”
Linda HathawayWellness Committee
Geneseo Central School District, Geneseo, NY
“Cris did a great job with our assemblies! His presentation was developmentally appropriate and his message was delivered in a fun way. Outstanding message!”
Bonnie SmithPrincipal
West Valley Central School, West Valley, NY
“Having fun with magic can also be educational with an important message. The message is still being talked about in the classroom!”
Cherish MignoliTeacher
Northern Chautauqua Catholic School, Dunkirk, NY
“Excellent.”
Holly BrinkClass Advisor
Sherman Central School, Sherman, NY
Drag or swipe to read more
Easy to host
Better than money back
If you don’t feel the program was worth more than I promised, you get your full fee back — and I donate $500 to your PTA or PTO for wasting your time.
I’m not the most famous name you’ll find online. But after more than 20 years doing this full time, I know what works with middle school students and what doesn’t. In all those years, the number of schools who have taken me up on this is zero.
Book it
I book 200 to 250 shows a year. The weeks schools want most — the ones that miss testing, miss the holidays, and land somewhere useful in the term — are spoken for a long way out. The schools that get their first-choice date are the ones that reach out before everybody else starts looking at the calendar.
Call or text me at (716) 940-8963 — that’s my cell phone — or email [email protected]. You’ll be talking to me, not an agency.
Reaching grades 5–8 takes a different touch — and Cris Johnson has spent 20+ years getting it right in middle schools across New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. From anti-bullying and character to study skills and math, each program meets older students where they are: real, relevant, and genuinely fun. Whether the sign over your door says middle school, junior high or K–8, these are middle school assemblies built for the age rather than the label — grades 5 through 8, forty-five minutes, and everything brought with me. Two programs can run back to back in a single visit if you want the whole building covered in one day. Book a date and bring an assembly your whole school will talk about. Want more background first? Read what keeps K-8 students engaged, encouraging independence in middle school readers, and 10 bullying prevention strategies for schools.
Cris Johnson's Amazing School Assemblies · Niagara Falls, NY ·
(716) 940-8963
Serving New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Connecticut, Massachusetts & New Jersey