Elementary

Activate your Greatness

Master Rick Rando has been guiding young people and speaking in schools for over 27 years. His enthusiastic, playfully humorous approach to learning is evident when he wholeheartedly connects with smiling, eager members of his audience. Students and their educators alike walk away from his presentations with concrete, tangible applications of life-lessons, and a renewed commitment to becoming responsible, respectful leaders in their community. With well over two thousand speaking engagements/seminars under his “belt”, he’ll be sure to kickstart the academic year into becoming the best one yet!

TOPICS PRESENTED:

“School Year Kickoff”

It’s the first month of school and everyone’s excited! Teachers are enthusiastic after 2½ months of prep, parents celebrate as children are out of the house without video games in hand, and students are….well….students are trying to figure out a new year. That means new teachers, a new environment, and new rules. In this 45-minute presentation, Master Rando reinforces the rules of the school through an ingenious way of tying learning to engaging, real-life stories. He utilizes student volunteers to help emphasize the key points and rewards them with special certificates honoring their demonstrated learned lessons. All this is done while refocusing student energy and while celebrating the beginning of another fantastic academic school year.

“We really appreciate you taking the time to come and speak to our students. They absolutely loved your presentation. You are a very inspirational person and we can’t wait to have you back.”

– Mrs. Nelson (School Counselor)

“Bullies No-More”

Master Rando is no stranger to stomping out bullying in the public school system. A featured speaker at the 2008 Western Maryland Guidance Conference (and a parent of two wonderful children), he values the importance of facilitating an environment of “zero-tolerant” bullying. This 45-minute presentation focuses on 7 non-violent tips in handling bullies. This presentation is geared for grades 3-5 but can be applied school-wide if desired.

*Master Rando currently hosts the community organized Bully Prevention/Youth Empowerment Day at his martial arts studio each year. This wall-busting event gathers hundreds of families each fall to teach the basics of bully prevention in a fun and non-violent way.

“Your presentation was absolutely fantastic! Your ability to integrate our PeaceBuilders principles was very helpful and the enthusiasm displayed by our students indicates their eagerness to develop and continue with the Kick Masters’/PeaceBuilders’ attitude! I am blown away.”

– Mr. Tim Murphy (School Counselor at Cash Valley Elementary)

“Stranger Safety Seminar”

Are your children really safe? Do they really know what to do if a “bad guy” tries to take them away? Master Rando has created a special 30-minute presentation to empower young children to be safe in almost any situation at school, at home, and in public. Nine years in the making, the Stranger Safety Seminar will teach your students how to identify potentially dangerous predators, know the difference between good strangers and bad strangers, and how to combat an attacker if they try to take them away. By using active role-playing, Master Rando will highlight the actual “tricks” strangers use to abduct, the “5 Rules For Being Safe”, and will teach practical verbal self-defense in order to allow them to get away. This presentation is geared for Pre-K through 2nd grade but can be applied school-wide if desired.

“It has been my pleasure for the last several years to include karate instructor, Rick Rando to our school’s agenda. Rick has given different presentations including ‘Bully Busting’ and ‘Stranger Safety.’ The students learn from each of these demonstrations because they are presented with humor, talent, and intense suspense. They can’t wait to see how a scenario plays out and what they should do in each situation. Rick gives an awesome demonstration of how to handle bullies and people who might try to hurt you. It’s not only entertaining and informative; it very well could be life saving. Rick is a wonderful person and an excellent instructor. It is a pleasure to work with him.”

– Mrs. Della Raines, RN (Former School Nurse)

“Making Healthy Choices”

FACT: The average young adult spends over 49-hours a week in front of an electronic device! FACT: 3 out of every 5 children are over-weight. FACT: Diabetes in American children is significantly on the rise as children are becoming more and more lethargic. FACT: Some schools have even cut gym class all together. What should we do as our children become more and more sedentary? Master Rando gets everyone up and moving during this 45-minute presentation by emphasizing basic/stationary exercises that can be done to get the heart-rate up and the positive endorphins flowing. He uses “edutainment” as a core reinforcer for his interactive message about exercising and making healthy choices. This is usually done in a large space such as a gym or open auditorium.

“Many thanks to Master Rando for presenting such a high quality program to our students at Grantsville Elementary! There are always high expectations for a ‘Master Rando Presentation,’ and we were certainly not disappointed. Students laughed and moved along with Master Rando as he led them in an engaging and motivating discussion about making positive choices that will lead to their good health and overall wellness. The day after the presentation, I had an entire class of ‘fire starters.’ There were no ‘energy suckers’ to be found. It’s obvious that Master Rando is a ‘master’ at sharing the message in an effective and entertaining way. He’s the best!”

– Mrs. Shana Rhoten (Teacher at Grantsville Elementary)

“5 Keys to Succeed”

Ongoing research suggests structure is the key to develop confident leaders in school, at home, and in our community. In this 45-minute presentation, Master Rando lays out his 5-Keys to Succeed in all three areas, including being Respectful, Polite, Organized, Accountable, and “Level 10” (doing your absolute best at all times). Audience members are utilized throughout this presentation and are given certificates as they help demonstrate the 5-keys to a happier, healthier future!

“We were thrilled to have Master Rando get our students pumped up to be successful. He shared the 5 success keys in a humorous and energetic way that got the kids attentions and kept their attention. We often talk about the same themes and similar concepts, but it’s nice to have someone come in and give real life examples and expectations in society. When I went to classes over the past couple of days I had the kids recall the 5 keys and even the Kindergarten students could remember them. The most fun one to practice is ‘Level 10.’ I don’t think they’ll ever forget that one, and I’ll have fun with that for years while also getting students to sit up and be prepared to learn. The kids mentioned that they thought the story about an impolite friend’s visit to Master Rando’s house when he was young was super funny. They want to see a photo of his bald mother (ha, ha, ha…how creative this man is!).”

– Mrs. Katie McCord (School Counselor, Rolling Knolls Elementary School)

“Finishing Strong”

It’s May/June and the students (and some teachers) have already checked out for the school year. What do they desperately need….re-energized, re-invigorated, re-focused for the last few weeks of learning. Utilized at the end of the school year, this 45-minute presentation emphasizes the importance of finishing the school year strong without celebrating the summer too early. As usual, he uses “edutainment” as a core reinforce for his interactive message and certificates are presented for those willing to “finish strong!”

“Master Rando returned for his third visit to Annapolis Elementary School on February 27th – each year he comes seems to be better than the last! His message of being a ‘fire-starter’ and not an ‘energy-sucker’ really resonated with our students, as they now use those phrases as part of their vocabulary. While his presentation is entertaining, engaging, and fun, the critical content of being a giver with a positive attitude and working to your best potential did not get lost with the kids. He managed to keep the whole student body’s attention, grades Pre-K through 5, for an hour – a feat that is not accomplished by many! As he looked at his watch to wrap-up, our principal repeatedly encouraged him to keep going. The staff and students of Annapolis Elementary look forward to having Master Rando back for future programs, he is fantastic!”

– Mrs. Andrea Beckman (School Guidance Counselor, Annapolis Elementary School)

Schools/Organizations I’ve Previously Worked With:

• Accident Elementary*
• Accident Library
• Annapolis Elementary*
• Augusta Elementary
• Beall Elementary*
• Bel Air Elementary*
• Bishop Walsh Elementary*
• Broad Ford Elementary*
• Brothersvalley Elementary School
• Calvary Christian Academy*
• Cash Valley Elementary*
• Chinese Emersion Program Facilitated Through Westside Elementary*
• Cresaptown Elementary*
• Cub Scout Pack 91
• Cumberland Street Head Start Program*
• Eckhart United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School*
• Flintstone Elementary*
• Frederick Street Head Start Program*
• Frostburg Library
• Frost Elementary*
• Frostburg State University Children’s Center*
• George’s Creek Elementary*
• George’s Creek Library
• Georgetown East Elementary
• Grantsville Elementary
• Grantsville Library*
• Hope for Hyndman Elementary School
• Independent Living Skills with Allegany County Foster Care
• John Humbird Elementary*
• John J. Cornwell Elementary*
• Keyser Primary School*
• Lake Butler Elementary
• LaVale Library*
• Lighthouse Christian Academy*
• Maryland City Elementary
• Memorial Heights Baptist Church
• Meyersdale After School Program*
• Meyersdale Elementary*
• Meyersdale Library*
• MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) of Allegany County*
• Mt. Savage Elementary*
• New Creek Elementary*
• Northeast Elementary*
• Oakland Library
• Parkside Elementary*
• Red Ribbon Week/Lights On for After School Programs*
• Rt. 40 Elementary*
• Rolling Knolls Elementary
• Salisbury/Elklick Elementary School*
• The Smiling Faces Daycare*
• Smithsburg Elementary
• South Penn Elementary*
• Springfield-Green Spring Elementary
• St. Michaels Pre-School*
• Trinity Assembly of God
• Welsh Memorial Baptist Church*
• Westernport Elementary*
• Westside Elementary*

* Proudly worked with multiple times!