Schools searching online for elementary school assembly ideas will no doubt be struck eventually by the fact that of the many companies and performers offering science assemblies and other types of educational school assembly programs, a very large number are based in Michigan and other parts of the Midwest.

How do you know which programs and how many presentations to do for your school? This is a question which comes up with any Elementary school or Middle School looking for ideas for school assemblies. Well, as famous detective Sherlock Holmes used to say: “Elementary, my dear Watson!, Elementary!”

There is a bit of a debate going on here in Michigan. A few years back, as Michigan watched countless manufacturing jobs disappearing, the state government decided to try and entice new, growth industries into Michigan with generous tax credits. One of the industries they tapped was Film.

Michigan joined forty some other states in competing for film work by offering the most generous film tax credit incentives in the country. The idea was that film is still a thriving US industry which exports product all over the world, and that it employs many people in jobs that are ideal for retrained auto workers. But in addition, it is a very attractive industry for young, creative people, and Michigan has been watching a steady exodus of young people for years, all heading to more creative environments elsewhere.

So I was watching a commercial recently, and they had a Polar Bear walking slowly from somewhere out in the snow.
He came all the way into the suburbs of some city to give a hug to some guy who drives an electric car. It was cute. But I got to thinking... does an electric car really help the environment? Or does the manufacturing of the car create enough pollution
to offset the gains from not burning gas? Or does it make any difference at all? I am no expert so I really don't know the answers to these questions, but I know someone who can give me some really good information on the subject!

I just caught an article in the LA Times, mentioning that President Obama will be making a guest appearance on the Television program Mythbusters this coming December. (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/sns-news-obama-mythbusters,0,5120428.story)

Ever since congress enacted the No Child Left Behind rules, and even before that, schools have been under the gun to show improvements in certain key areas of the curriculum. Most notable of these areas are Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Some schools have discontinued using school assemblies and school assembly programs altogether, out of a misguided idea that all assemblies are little more than an unnecessary distraction from time on task. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. 

Just a quick one today to remind all of our friends in Chicago and other nearby parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and western Michigan that this coming week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts will host it’s annual School Assembly Performer Showcase in Skokie, Illinois.

Some information to consider today about different types of school assembly performers. All different kinds of people are now involved in bringing programs to schools. We can divide them into some groups, though, in order to bring in some structure.

Great news today, especially for those of you looking for school assemblies in California or in general on the West Coast.

I thought some of you might have an interest in learning a little bit about how the whole business of school assemblies and school assembly programs got started.