Jody Richards Elementary School Junior Beta Club
Sponsors: Hannah Blankenship and Laura Terry
December 10, 2012
Dear Convention Attendee,
Excitement is building as the 2013 Kentucky Junior Beta Convention quickly approaches. Convention is February 28-March 1, 2013 in Louisville. As you are aware, every JRES Beta member that attends convention MUST compete in a minimum of 1 competition in order to attend convention (Don't get too nervous we will have at least 1 competition that everyone competes in as a club, Songfest). To help us determine who will represent JRES in each area of competition, we will have a preliminary competition. You may indicate that you are interested in an academic area, but those will be decided by sponsors.
In the attached packet you will find all of the competitions that we will be competing in as well as any guidelines given for that competition. Please review the packet of competitions and guidelines and return the competition form to school no later than December 17, 2012. Please return only the form and keep the rest of the packet to refer back to as you prepare for competitions.
Also attached in this packet is information on the cost of this trip. A $20 non-refundable deposit to secure students spots for the trip will need to be turned in no later that December 17, 2012. We have broken down the cost of the trip into three installments. Please review this information and return the deposit to school no later than December 17, 2012. You may keep the rest of the information to refer back to when needed.
If you should have any questions please feel free to contact one of the sponsors at school.
Sincerely,
Hannah Blankenship
Laura Terry
“The Heart of Beta”
Kentucky Junior Beta Convention
Jody Richards Elementary Competition Areas & Guidelines
Please read each section very carefully as well as the guidelines for each competition. Discuss the competitions and guidelines with your parents and then indicate on the form which competitions you would like to compete in.
TALENT:
Students may audition to represent JRES in talent on Tuesday, January 15. This can be an individual or group talent of up to 4 people.
ARTS AND CRAFTS:
Students may only enter 1 item per category; however, a student may enter in more than 1 category.
Paintings, photography and other similar works SHOULD BE matted or framed for best presentation. Students must provide own easel if the item is to stand.
No kits of any kind should be used.
All work must be solely created by the student.
All work should have been completed sometime between December 2012 until competition date.
ARTS:Art entries will be judged by a jury of three people based on the following criteria:
A. Creativity - Originality, innovation
B. Composition – Lines, simplicity, balance, color contrast, details
C. Focus – Degree of sharpness or softness, depth of field
D. Lighting – Exposure, direction quality, use of shadows, shading
E. Technique – Camera angle, paint strokes
F. Primary Visual Impact – Subject mater
G. Presentation – Appearance, complimentary framing and/or
mounting, overall artistic appeal
H. Degree of difficulty
Photography – In this category the photograph must be original content.
The photograph must not be a picture of a picture. No larger than 8' X 10' framed.
- Black and White Photographs
- Colored Photographs
- Digitally Enhance Photographs – Must have the original photo with the digitally enhanced photo entered for competition.
Art Work – 1. Oil or acrylic paintings (any size)
- Sculpture (hand built)
- Sketching (pastel/charcoal)
- Sketching (pen/pencil)
- Watercolor paintings (any size)
CRAFTS: Craft entries will be judged by a jury of three people based on the following criteria:
A. Originality – exhibits creativity
B. Craftsmanship – Artists skill in the use of material
C. Elements of Art – Line color, space, form texture
D. Composition – Effective use of forms or abstract techniques
E. Unity and Variety – Balance of elements, repetition
F. Medium and Texture – appropriate use of materials and
textures
G. Use of space – Prospective and mass
H. Presentation – appearance, complimentary framing and/or mounting
I. Degree of difficulty
Craft Pieces - 1. Cross-Stitch (MUST be original and related to the 2012 – 2013 Beta Theme)
2. Hand-made Jewelry (ONLY one piece and must be displayed on black or white foam board ONLY)
3. Quilting – May be hand quilted or machine quilted
4. Recyclable Art
5. Woodworking
6. Wreath – (MUST be related to the 2012 – 2013 Beta Theme)
ACADEMICS:
Academic competitors will be decided upon by the sponsors. The following is a list of academic competitions. Students participating in the academic competitions will take a timed one-hour exam at the convention. The following are competition areas in the academics:
1. Language Arts
2. Math
3. Science
4. Social Studies
5. Quiz Bowl (This is a 4 member team)
6. Spelling (Oral)
WRITING:
Essay - Students competing in the essay competition must submit their essay to school no later than January 14. Late essays will not be submitted for judging. Essays must follow the following guidelines and will be judged by the criteria listed.
- Title: The Heart of Beta
- Length of Essay: Limit the essay from 600 – 1000 words. Count the words and note the total number of words on the title page. Every word will be counted except dates (such as March 1, 1981) which will be counted as one word only. Do not exceed the word limit.
- Judging: All essays will be judged by a panel of impartial individuals. Essays will be judged on adherence to theme, neatness, spelling, punctuation, and organization.
- Bibliography: All essays should include a bibliography with the essay if material from books, pamphlets, letters, newspapers, etc. is used.
- Essay must be typed and double spaced.
- Title Page: Must include 1. title of the essay, 2. contestant's name, 3. contestant's full address, 4. school represented and 5. number of words in essay must be plainly written on the title page ONLY. Lack of any of these items will be cause a deduction in points.
Judging Criteria:
Adherence to and Interpretation of Theme30 points
Organization and Development30 points
Creativity30 points
Punctuation /Grammar10 points
Deduction of points for each of the following rule infractions:
No word count-25 points
Incomplete Title Page-25 points
Essay not typed or double spaced-25 points
Poetry- This is an on-demand poetry writing competition. Students will be given a 60 minute time limit in which to write a poem of no more than 200 words. Students who indicate that they would like to compete in this area will compete at the JRES level first and then the winner will be selected to represent JRES at the state convention. Students will be given the expectations and guidelines of this competition on the day of the competition.
SPEECH:
Students will write and then give their speech before an audience. The students must have their speeches written and ready to present no later than January 15, 2013. Speeches must follow the following guidelines and will be judged accordingly.
- Topic: The Heart of Beta
- Time limit: 1 – 2 minutes. There will be an official timer to record times. Any variation from the limits – over or under – will result in points being deducted from the speaker's score – five points for every fifteen seconds.
- No props or costumes allowed. (loss of 25 points if used)
Judging Criteria:
Adherence to theme20 points
Interest level10 points
Effectiveness of delivery10 points
Organization10 points
Eye Contact10 points
Transition10 points
Enthusiasm10 points
Verbal support10 points
Overall Effectiveness10 points
OTHER COMPETITIONS:
There are several other competitions that Jody Richards Elementary as a whole will be entered in. These competitions are club competitions but some have restrictions on the amount of students that can compete for the club. Club sponsors meet to determine what students and how many for each competition. The students chosen for the competitions listed below will be notified no later than the middle of January 2013. Students may indicate whether or not they are interested in these areas of competitions; however this DOES NOT guarantee that they will compete in these areas. ALL MEMBERS GOING TO CONVENTION WILL COMPETE IN SONGFEST UNLESS THEY ARE IN A COMPETITION THAT COMPETES AT THE SAME TIME OR IF OTHERWISE DETERMINED BY THE SPONSORS. Some of these areas may also require students to stay after school several days beginning in December to begin preparing for convention.
Poster Competition: This is an on-demand competition meaning that a team of up to 4 students will be given 60 minutes in which to design an original poster based on a theme that is given to them at the beginning of the competition.
Scrapbook: Students will work with sponsors to create a scrapbook with the beta theme, The Heart of Beta This scrapbook will display things about JRES club for the current year. The preparation for this competition will happen primarily after school during the months of December, January, and February. The Beta Historians will be the primary contributors in this area of competition. If they need other members help, we will let them know.
Spotlight: Students will work with sponsors to create a display that highlights Jody Richards Elementary School Junior Beta Club. This board must be the size of a regulation science fair board. The spotlight will contain a county map pinpointing the location of Jody Richards Elem.. It will also contain photos & information about the club, the school, the sponsors, the community, service projects, etc. This board will be created during the months of December, January, & February. Students will stay after school to assist in this competition. (A maximum of 10 students will be used in this competition.)
T-Shirt Design: Students may submit a t-shirt design for consideration. Designs may not be from a website, but must be original artwork by the student. It must go with the beta theme The Heart of Beta This t-shirt will be professionally reproduced and all the members and chaperones going to convention from JRES will receive this shirt to wear on Friday of the convention.
Songfest: Sponsors will take the melody of a well-known song and re-write the words for Junior Beta in connection with the theme The Heart of Beta.The club will be dressed alike and will perform this song as a club. No movements are allowed and members are EXPECTED to sing and smile. (ALL JRES students attending the convention WILL BE in this competition unless they are in one that competes at the same time. After school practices in January & February will be held & student will need to attend.
Jody Richards Elementary Junior Beta
Convention Competition Form
Name: ______Grade: ______Teacher: ______
Please place a check mark to indicate which competitions you will enter at the Jody Richards Elementary Junior Beta School Competition. If you win that competition you will represent Jody Richards Elem. in that competition at the Kentucky Junior Beta Convention.
Arts:___ Black & White Photography___ Digitally Enhanced Photography
___ Color Photography___ Oil or acrylic Paintings
___ Sculpture___ Watercolor Paintings
___ Sketching (Pen/Pencil)___ Sketching (Pastel/Charcoal)
Crafts: ___ Cross Stitch___ Hand made Jewelry
___ Quilting___ Recyclable Art
___ Woodworking___ Wreath
Writing: ___ Essay___Poetry
Speech: ___ Speech
Academics:I would like to be considered to compete in the following academic competitions.
___ Language Arts ___ Math___ Science___ Social Studies
___ Quiz Bowl___ Spelling
Other Competitions:I would like to be considered to compete in the following competitions.
___ T-shirt Design ___Poster___ Scrapbook___ Spotlight
Talent:
___ I would like to audition with a specific talent. The talent that I will compete with is ______. I understand that the auditions will be held January 15, 2013 after school.
Please list names of other students that will be doing the talent with you if needed:
1.) ______2.) ______
3.) ______4.) ______
Parent/Student Acknowledgement of Guidelines:
We have read and reviewed and agree to the guidelines for competitions. We understand that the pieces for the Jody Richards Beta Competition are due not later than January 14, 2013and understand that late pieces will not be judged.
Parent Signature ______Date ______
Student Signature ______Date ______
Jody Richards Elementary Junior Beta
Convention Payment Form
Based on the number of students that have shown interest in attending the 2013 Jr. Beta Convention, we were able to set a fee for the total trip. Each student will be asked to pay $200. Below is a break down of the expenses:
$100 - Hotel (2 nights staying at the Galt House)
$50 - Food (This includes all food Thursday and Friday – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and snacks)
$10 – Convention themed shirt (Each student going to convention will get a shirt for us to wear Friday)
$25 - Convention Fee
$15 – Travel
$200 – Total Cost
A $20 non-refundable deposit from students attending Convention is required to secure their spot on the trip. It is part of the $200 total cost. This is necessary for us to book our rooms at the Galt House.
We understand that this is a costly trip and appreciate your support and understanding. This is an amazing opportunity for the students and we are so excited that they will be joining us! To help, we have broken the cost of the trip down into three payments of $60 each. The due dates for these payments are below. You may pay based on these dates or more in advance, whatever works best for you. If your child needs assistance in paying for the trip, please don’t hesitate to talk to us. We will be happy to work with you and do everything we can to make sure the students can attend if they would like to.
Payment 1: January 7, 2013 - $60
Payment 2: January 28, 2013 - $60
Payment 3: February 11, 2013 - $60
We will be having a Spaghetti Dinner at JRES on February 7 as a fundraiser for our trip. This will help aid students that applied for scholarships for the trip and/or lighten the overall fee of the trip for everyone. We will have to see how it goes.
Please cut on the dotted line and return the bottom portion to Mrs. Terry along with the $20 non-refundable deposit by December 17, 2012 to secure your child’s place.
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Student Name: ______Grade: ______
I have read and understand the payment information for the 2013 Jr. Beta Convention. I understand that for my child to have a secure spot on the trip a $20 non-refundable deposit must be made. I also understand that a $200 payment for the entire trip much be paid by the above payment deadlines.
Parent Signature: ______Date: ______
Parent Printed Name: ______
***Please make all checks payable to JRES PTO. We will also accept cash.
We will need parent chaperones to assist on the trip and have one parent in each room of three students. We are unsure of how many parents we will need at this time, however, we would like to know who is interested. Please check below if you are interested in this. We will contact parents later on when we have a specific number needed.
_____I am interested in being a chaperone on the Convention trip.