… Thank you for your infinite wisdom, inspiration, and for inviting our students to live their most honest and authentic lives. You gave us so much to build upon as a school community, and I believe that the lessons our students learned today will resonate for a lifetime.
Dr. Lois R. Favre, Superintendent/Principal – Bridgehampton UFSD
How this program came about
When I closed the door to my classroom in 2014, I grieved for that chapter in my life is over, but six years ago, at the request of a former student, Fara Stack Shoudy, I developed an assembly entitled “DEVELOPING INNER STRENGTH.”
Once again I’ve had the opportunity to connect and work with young people from across the country and as far as South Korea. What joy and hope for the future this brings me. I’m indebted to Fara for encouraging me to reopen my classroom door. It’s been a beautiful journey of rediscovery.
Developing Inner Strength
Though we are a society that celebrates physical strength, we rarely, if ever, talk about the cultivation of inner strength — the strength that enables us to make sound decisions in the face of adversity, peer pressure, bullying, media influence, etc.
What to Expect:
In his 75-minute assembly, Mr. Perricone will guide students using interactive exercises, storytelling, psychological insights, and age-appropriate philosophical discussion to awaken them to the power that resides within themselves to shape their lives and forge their destinies — and to the realization that their every thought and action matters as they navigate their life’s path.
What Teachers and Administrators Are Saying:
… John‘s passion for connecting and inspiring others shone through in every aspect of his presentations… His ability to interact with students of all ages, coupled with his unwavering energy and enthusiasm, creates an atmosphere where every audience member feels like they’re having a personal conversation with him.
… John is one of those special individuals that comes into a school and makes a true and lasting difference. Simply put, our school is better today because of John. I would highly recommend his presentation to any high school or middle school.
Marc Freeman, Shikellamy HS Principal Sunbury, PA
… Mr. Perricone made an immeasurable impact on every student and adult who attended, and we are, without a doubt, a better community for his having been here!
Dr. Jason Uttermark Aberdeen Central High School Aberdeen, South Dakota
… By opening his heart and life to his audience, he immediately earned the trust and respect of every person in the room – children and adults alike. There are simply not enough accolades in our language to capture how incredible and impactful his assembly was, and we so look forward to having him back!
Kathy Algieri and Kathy Dayton 6th Grade Teachers and Hosts
Hampton Bays Middle School, Hampton Bays, N.Y.
Feedback from students:
Dear Mr. Perricone,
My name is Caroline and I am a sophomore at Dallas High School. Your assembly this morning (“Developing Inner Strength”) impacted me in ways that I could not have imagined when I stepped inside the auditorium and I just wanted to reach out and from the bottom of my heart say thank you. Most recently I’ve been looking for clarity in my life and that’s exactly what you gave me. So much came together for me after hearing you speak — whether it be why I am the way I am, why other people are, or act the way they do, or who I want to be in the future. You put so many of my thoughts into words and gave me answers to questions that I’ve been seeking. The more I think about what you said, the more clarity I have. Please know in your heart how much you touched my life and how grateful I am for the experience.
Sincerely,
Caroline
The assembly was amazing. Mr. Perricone was so inspiring and optimistic. He made me want to make a positive change in my life, as simple as making someone smile because you never know what someone else is going through. Thank you, Mr. Perricone.
–Mia Urso, 8th Grade Student at Chenango Forks Middle School Binghamton, NY
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I think Mr. Perricone’s speech was so inspiring because he told us about how he overcame peer pressure in school, and how we could do the same by calling on our inner strength. He also reminded us of how precious life is and how we will all experience “peaks and valleys” in our journey.
–Cade Mulesky, 6th Grade Student at Chenango Forks Middle School in Binghamton, NY
Mr. Perricone, before I heard you speak it never occurred to me that the pain and hardship I’ve experienced in my life could be a stepping stone and a path to my personal growth — thank you for this beautiful insight. I’ll be a different person from this day forward…
Marcia, HS Senior at Silver Springs, Nevada
References for the Student Program
Randall Bower, Principal, CY Middle School, Casper, Wyoming randall752@myncsd.org 307-253-2700
Brent Jurgensen, Principal, Centennial Middle School, Casper, Wyoming brent0280@myncsd.org 307-253-2900
Mrs. Kara Schneider,Principal, Homer Central Junior High High School, Homer, New York, KSchneider@homercentral.org 607-749-1230
Mr. Douglas VanEtten, Principal, Homer Central High School, Homer, New York, DVanEtten@homercentral.org 607-749-1208
Alicia Maroney, Family and Community Liaison , Homer Central School District, Homer, New York
amaroney@homercentral.org 607-749-7276
Jenni Waltman, Educational Consultant, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, Milton, PA jwaltman@csiv.org, 570-793-1176
Jason Halpainy, High School Principal, Randolph Jr/Sr High School, Randolph, New York,
jhalpainy@randolphcsd.org, 716-358-7007
Dr. Jason S. Bendle, District Superintendent, bendlej@shikbraves.org
570-286-3721 x2102
Marc Freeman, Shikellamy High School Principal, Sunbury, PA
freemanm@shikbraves.org, 570-286-3700
Dr. Thomas Duffy, Superintendent of Schools, Dallas School District, Dallas, PA tduffy@dsdhs.com 570-675-5201 ext.7
David Koma, Principal of Rice Avenue Middle School, Girard, PA david.koma@girardsd.org 814-774-5604
Eric Louis, Principal of Girard High School, Girard, PA eric.louis@girardsd.org 814-774-5607
Dr. Jason M. Bottiglieri, Superintendent of Schools, Wyalusing Area School District, Wyalusing, PA jbottiglieri@wyalusingrams.com 570-746-1600 x3005
Matthew Wincek, Director of Curriculum and Instructional Technology, Wyalusing Area School District, Wyalusing, PA mwincek@wyalusingrams.com, 570-746-1600 ext 3010
Al Cirone,Principal, Babylon Junior-Senior High School
acirone@babylonufsd.com, 631-893-7920
Dr. Jason Uttermark, Aberdeen Central High School, Aberdeen, South Dakota Jason.Uttermark@k12.sd.us (605)-725-8100
George Seiler, Superintendent, Redfield School District 56-4, Redfield, South Dakoata, George.Seiler@k12.sd.us (605)-472-4520
Kathy Algieri, Hampton Bays Middle School, Hampton Bays, N.Y. kalgieri@hbschools.us 631-723-4700 ext. 2604
Kathy Dayton, Hampton Bays Middle School, Hampton Bays, N.Y. kdayton@hbschools.us 631-723-4700 x2221
Thomas Brindley, Superintendent, Oneonta City School District, Oneonta, N.Y. tbrindley@oneontacsd.org 607-433-8200 x1300