Wouldn't it be cool to have an evening program for the whole family that's not only a lot of fun but carries a strong reading message as well?
Wow, do we have just the right thing for you!
Mark's Family Night Program is indeed appropriate for the whole family. During the course of the performance he uses the opportunity to extrol the virtues of at home read aloud with personal stories and anecdotes. Books come to life through puppetry, magic tricks, storytelling and audience participation. The program closes with a powerful, emotional and motivational finale that kids will think is cool and adults will find moving.
Highlights
Mark and Steggie the Stegosaurus present a spirited retelling of Pete Seeger's Abiyoyo. The story of a boy and his father who save the village they love even after their shunned.
Chris Van Allsburg's book Probuditi! about a brother who loves to play jokes on his little sister features an incredible optical illusion with a spinning spiral wheel. Mark shares this delightful funny and magical tale that results in the brother's comeuppance. Then he presents the amazing spiral illusion itself. Science, magic, Chris Van Allsburg, and fun! It doesn't get any better than that!
The Legend of The Indian Paintbrush Tomie dePaola's marvelous book of realizing your gift is retold by Mark. A magical and highly moving story that is recognized by many as Mark's finest signature interpretation.
The beloved book The Napping House by Audrey Wood is booktalked then brought to life sweetly by Mark and one of your kids culminating in a huge surprise!
Emotions soar with a powerful finale, a reading of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon that will send your families home on a high!
Add in a strong family read aloud message and terrific music all combined for a fun and impactful Very Magical Family Night!
FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)
Does the material in the family night program differ from the daytime
assembly?
Yes,in conjunction with the daytime assembly, it's one of the great selling points for your students. It makes sure their folks bring them back that evening to see an all new program. There are some underlying themes that carry through from one program to the next, which empowers kids through familiarity.
How long is the performance?
The program is approximately 40-45 minutes in length.
Can Mark come to our school just to do the Family Night Program?
Certainly! While the ultimate way to build attendance for the evening program is by promoting it through the daytime performance, it stands alone fine. As a promotion helper, we can provide a descriptive flyer for duplication to send home with your students.
What's the best way to use the program?
The Family Night Program is great to tie in with a PTA meeting, Family Reading Night, RIF night, fundraising dinner, and even just for fun! Give us a call at 1-800-848-5634 and we'll help you plan
The Cost
Please click on your state for pricing. If your state is not listed, other areas are available by special arrangement. Just contact us using the link in the menu. Clicking on a state will open a new browser window so make sure you enable pop-ups for this site.
- For the family night program at Eureka Elementary in Keysville, Va.,
principal Billy Elder told Mark that the PTA really wanted to boost attendance. So
they offered Mark's program along with cookies, sodas and ice cream. Must have
been the right combo as the hundreds that turned out for the evening gave them
their best attended program of the year. Had to have been the ice cream!
- Day to day if you're like us you wonder, with you're work, are you getting
through, is it making an impact? At Tarawa Terrace I Primary School on base at
Camp Lejune in Jacksonville, NC, Mark had just finished a family night
program. Several parents and children had come up to chat with him and one mom with
her young daughter got his eye. The mom touched his arm and said "I need to
tell you something" "OK," he said. "I hate to read, learning disabilities make
it very difficult for me." Looking at her daughter, she spoke again. "I know I
need to. Watching and listening tonight to you, seeing the rapt attention of
the children as you went through the stories and talked about the books I
witnessed the sheer joy this crated for the children and it really motivated me to
rethink all of this and try again." Wow!
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