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Middle School Assembly · Grades 5–8 · 40–45 Minutes
Character education that doesn’t sound like character education.
- Grades 5–8
- 40–45 minutes
- A dozen students on their feet
Integrity, honesty, respect and the online life they’re already living — built into a show that middle schoolers watch because they want to, not because they were marched in.
Check my dates See what happens in the room
Or call me directly — (716) 940-8963. That’s my cell.
The problem
The word “character” is doing you no favors.
Your students hear it and their shoulders drop. They know exactly what’s coming: an adult at a microphone, a slideshow of words like integrity, and forty minutes of being told to be a better person by somebody who met them nine seconds ago.
Which is a shame, because middle school is precisely when this material matters most. These are the years the decisions get real — about who to sit with, what to post, whose side to take, and what to do when nobody is watching. The content isn’t the problem. The delivery is.
So I don’t announce the lesson and then perform around it. I build the lesson into the thing they can’t look away from. A student solves a Rubik’s Cube with their eyes closed and we’re talking about what makes people different. A black smudge appears on a kid’s palm out of nowhere and suddenly the whole gym is arguing about whether you can trust what you read online.
They’re not sitting through a message. They’re in the middle of one.
Nobody gets embarrassed, either. At this age that’s not a nicety — it’s the whole reason students volunteer, and the reason the ones who stayed in their seats still trust what they saw.
What happens
What happens in the room
“Stand Up, Stand Out” is framed around a set of magic words to live by, and it runs 40–45 minutes without a slow patch. Here’s some of what they’ll see:
- A student solves a Rubik’s Cube with their eyes closed — and it opens up what makes each of us different
- A “danger” game with one volunteer turns into the case for self-discipline
- A teacher reads a student’s mind, dramatically, to make the point that asking for help is allowed
- A black smudge appears on a student’s palm from nowhere — and the internet stops looking like a reliable narrator
- Four students play a game that lands, hard, on why honesty is the better bet
Every school I’ve worked with mentions how interactive it is. The whole audience takes part, and around a dozen students end up at the front of the room.
Tell a thirteen-year-old to have integrity and you’ve lost. Let them watch it happen to a friend and you haven’t.
Grades 5–8 · 40–45 minutes · nothing a parent would ever need explained
The content
The magic words to live by
Each one is carried by something they see, not something they’re told.
Integrity
What you do when there’s no adult in the room and no phone recording it.
Honesty
Why it matters, argued as a practical case rather than a rule handed down.
Respect
You have to give it to get it. Obvious to us. Genuinely new to a lot of them.
Social media
A cautionary tale, delivered as a story with a sting — not as a list of rules they’ve already ignored.
Asking for help
The hardest thing to get a middle schooler to do, and the most protective habit they can build.
Staying in school
Why the education keeps being worth it, framed for students who are starting to wonder.
If your building is K–8
One visit. Two shows. The whole building.
A K–8 building doesn’t have to pick a half of the school, and doesn’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, not one show delivered louder.
Grades K–4
Yes I Can
The elementary character program, pitched for the little ones.
Grades 5–8
Stand Up, Stand Out
This program — written for students who’ve heard the word “character” too often.
Booked together, the pair costs considerably less than two separate visits — one drive, one setup. Most K–8 buildings take it once they know it’s an option. Ask me for the two-show number.
Middle school building only? “Stand Up, Stand Out” books fine on its own. · See the elementary version →
Get the details
Send me your dates and I’ll send you everything.
Fill this in and I’ll email you the full information for “Stand Up, Stand Out” — and for “Yes I Can” as well, if you’re a K–8 building. I answer these myself, usually the same day.
What lands in your inbox
- The full program outline for “Stand Up, Stand Out,” grades 5–8
- The character traits it covers, and how each one gets taught
- How the day runs — I arrive, set up, and I’m gone before the buses
- A quote for your building, based on your date and where you are
- The K–8 two-show day, if you want the whole school covered in one visit
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
What schools say about Cris Johnson’s assemblies
Middle schools and high schools first. The rest are from assemblies across grade levels — central schools, K–8 buildings and elementary.
“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
“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
“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
“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
“We really appreciated the energy and excitement you brought to an important topic; the character we demonstrate in our choices. Students and teachers had a great time during the presentation, and we are grateful that students had the opportunity to hear a familiar message in a new way!”
Peter MahanPrincipal
Scott M. Ellis School, Greenville, NY
“It is rare to find a character education show that not only delivers a powerful message to the children, but also entertains to this degree. His ability to integrate entertainment with an educational message was phenomenal. This is definitely a show you want to have at your school!”
Mary DettelisPTO
Court Street School, Lancaster, NY
“Outstanding! Very entertaining… great idea to relate the message with personal experiences! Great message!”
Ms. Kelly KotlikTeacher
North Tonawanda Catholic School, North Tonawanda, NY
“It was phenomenal.”
Scott MoorerPrincipal
Chestnut Intermediate School, North Olmsted, OH
“Excellent.”
Holly BrinkClass Advisor
Sherman Central School, Sherman, NY
“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
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Easy to host
I make this the easiest thing on your calendar.
- I bring everything. Professional sound system included, at no extra charge, however big your gym is.
- Your space is fine. Gym, cafeteria, auditorium, cafetorium, stage or floor level.
- Fast set-up, and I work around your bell schedule rather than the other way around.
- Fully insured, with a certificate sent ahead if your district needs one.
- Follow-up materials for teachers so the conversation carries on in the classroom.
- I hit 45 minutes. Schools plan around that number, so I treat it as a promise.
The no-risk part
If your students aren’t amazed, you don’t pay — and I donate $500 to your PTA or PTO.
In over 20 years of full-time performing, not one school has ever taken me up on it.
Book it
The good dates go early.
Character education assemblies cluster at the start of the year and again in the spring, and those weeks fill first. The schools that get their first-choice date are the ones that reach out before everyone else is thinking about it.
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.
Character Education Assemblies for Middle Schoolers Across the Northeast
Integrity, responsibility and respect land differently with teens, and this program is built for exactly that. It gives grades 5–8 something to think about without ever feeling preachy, which is why middle schools from New York to Ohio and across Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey keep it on the calendar. Relevant, age-appropriate, and ready when you are.