Red Oak
Speech Team Handbook
2012-2013
Large Group and Individual
Head Coach:Contact information:
Laura Horn
712-623-6610 (school)
712-623-1513 (home)
712-309-1058 (cell)
Assistant Coach:Contact information:
Kim Reeve
712-623-6610 (school)
712-623-4876 (home)
Coaches:
Ms. Reeve will be working more closely with the freshman team; however, both Mrs. Horn and Ms. Reeve will be available for any practices. Please make sure to sign up for practices with either coach. Any information about conflicts, etc. need to be communicated with BOTH coaches. Do NOT just tell one, please. If you are not able to attend a meet, Mrs. Horn MUST be notified.
Blog:
There is a blog where information will be posted. This can include schedules for Districts and State, mandatory meeting reminders, and any other information we feel parents and participants need to know about. Parents, please know your students will also be given hard copies of schedules. The address for the blog is:
You can also find this link on Mrs. Horn’s web page on the school’s website. Simply look under High School (left-hand side) and Language Arts (Mrs. Horn’s name will be a pop-out link on the left-hand side).
Schoology:
All members of Large Group and Individual Speech teams will be invited to join a group on Schoology dedicated to speech. It is strongly encouraged that the student joins because announcements, events, and other pertinent information will be sent to the students through that group.
Meetings:
All meetings for speech team will be mandatory because that’s where you will receive information about Districts and/or State. These will be held during seminar. You will be expected to attend ALL meetings (attendance will be taken). If you have a prior conflict, please tell Mrs. Horn IN PERSON 1-2 days prior to the meeting. The consequence for not attending the meetings will be missing the next meet (meaning that if you are in Large Group and miss the meeting prior to Districts, you will be substituted from your group and will not be allowed to compete; if you are in Individual and miss the meeting prior to Districts, you will not be allowed to compete and your season is over). Meeting times will be in the school announcements, posted outside Mrs. Horn and Ms. Reeve’s rooms, posted on the Schoology group site and also posted on the blog – there should be NO excuse for missing a meeting – you WILL be informed about a meeting well in advance.
Contest Dates – PLEASE mark your calendars!!!
Day Event Place
Saturday January 19, 2013 District LG TBD*
Saturday February 2, 2013 State Large Group Waukee
Saturday February 16, 2013 All-State LG ISU
Saturday February 23, 2013 District Individual TBD*
Saturday March 9, 2013 State Individual Nevada
Monday March 25, 2013 All-State IE UNI
District Large Group site will probably be Glenwood
District Individual sites are Council Bluffs Abe Lincoln and Logan-Magnolia – not sure which one we’ll be sent to
In addition to the Contest Dates, please mark these dates on your calendar. All groups/students who make it to State will be performing for the public.
“Evening with the Stars” Large Group – January 25, 2013 @ ROHS Media Center starting at 5:30
“Evening with the Stars” Individual – March 4, 2013 @ ROHS Media Center starting at 5:30
It is extremely important that you check for conflicts with contest dates. I have no control over exceptions made for non-school activities receiving special performance times; this is completely under IHSSA control. They rarely, if ever, make exceptions. School conflicts are allowed special performance times, but only if we know several weeks in advance, prior to sending in entries.
Parents: You are ALWAYS welcome to attend meets. The host schools will ask for $3 donation at the door to help defray the cost of running the meet. The State Office forbids the use of cameras or video recording devices at all contests. Also, please do not wear anything with the school name on it. Students are identified by a school number so judges don’t know where they are from.
Required Forms: Make sure to have all the required forms turned in by the appropriate dates!!!! This shows responsibility and organization. The forms are attached to this handbook (and can also be found on the blog web page).
Upper-Classmen: Be aware there may be competition for spots in some events. The sooner you have a program picked out, the more you practice, the better the chance you will get one of those spots. Look on the description of events to see numbers allowed. First-time participants are included in this section, unless you are a freshman.
Freshmen: You will be placed as your own separate team when I go to register you. Therefore, you are only competing against each other for certain categories (if there’s more than the number allowed). You WILL NOT be competing against upper-classmen.
Conduct: Please remember you are representatives of Red Oak High School at ALL TIMES you are at the host school. You are expected to behave according to school policies. You will NOT be allowed to leave the building at ANY time during the day, UNLESS you are leaving with a parent. Your parent MUST have filled out the proper form prior to departure. This form can be obtained from Mrs. Horn and brought to the contest that morning. Please make sure to keep our area of the gym (which is usually the “holding area” at a meet) clean and picked up. Also, remember you are part of a TEAM. It is expected that, unless you are performing at the same time, you will go watch your teammates perform. Please support each other!
Good Conduct Policy: This can be found in the Red Oak Student Handbook. If you break the Good Conduct Policy set by the high school, you will be removed from the team.
Dress Code: Please dress nicely for contests. Do NOT wear anything with our school name on it. Your attire should be “game day” equivalent: khakis/dress pants and nice shirts or sweaters. DO NOT WEAR JEANS. Girls, you are allowed to wear a skirt or dress, but keep in mind your event! If you have to move around a lot, wear pants!
Eligibility: Failure of a class for a grading period will result in a student being ineligible for 30 days. For Large Group, Districts and State fall within those 30 days, so if a student fails a class at semester, they are ineligible for Large Group. Because groups are determined before the end of the first semester, please think about what that would do to the group if you had to be replaced!
Practices: It is expected that you will come in to practice four times per event with Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve prior to Districts. There will be a calendar or sign-up sheet posted outside each of our classrooms for practice times. You will sign up outside the door of the coach you will practice with. IF YOU SIGN UP, PLEASE SHOW UP! Chronic failure to attend practices could result in a student being dropped from the category. If the category is a competitive one, failure to practice drastically hurts a student’s chance of being placed in that category. For a practice to be excused, Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve should be informed as much in advance as possible. Do not make another student responsible for informing Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve of your absence. If Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve are not informed in advance, the practice will probably be considered unexcused. It is up to Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve to determine whether a reason is excusable. Do not leave a note or cross off name the day of the practice.
Entry Fees: The school pays for entry fees into the contests. However, students who don’t perform at contest -- either because they dropped after entry fees had been paid, or because they were dropped from a category, making it impossible for a group to perform -- will be expected to reimburse the school for the entry fee. This amount ranges from $7 to $30, depending on the event.
Transportation: All students will ride the bus to and from contest. Any exception would need to be approved by Mrs. Horn 2-3 days in advance and would need to include a note from the parent at that time. If permission is given, a student must ride with a parent. Most, if not all, exceptions would be made for another school activity on the same day. We are a team and all students will be at contest the entire day to support each other with our presence.
Scripts: Mrs. Horn has final approval on choice of topic or script. If you need help finding a script/program, please let Mrs. Horn or Ms. Reeve know! We are very willing to help create your programs!
Announcements: Speech team members need to check outside Mrs. Horn’s and Ms. Reeve’s doors every day for announcements. Sometimes announcements aren’t read in class, schedules change at the last minute, or practice times are changed or canceled. If there is a message that concerns you and you don’t respond appropriately, it will be considered an unexcused practice.
Illness on contest dates: If, because of illness, you are unable to attend a contest, call Mrs. Horn at 623-1513 the evening before or very early on contest day. You may also text me on my cell at 712-309-1058. Do not have a fellow team member relay your message to us when they arrive at school.
Inclement weather: Please listen to KCSI for information regarding postponements or cancellations. Please realize I don’t make the decisions, unless the weather is bad here and not at the contest site. I will get information to everyone as soon as I have information if there is a postponement or cancellation.
Evening With the Stars Speech Night: We will be having both a Large Group performance night and an Individual performance night to allow parents and family to come see the students, as well as giving students a chance to perform prior to State. The dates are: “Evening with the Stars” Large Group – January 25, 2013 @ ROHS Media Center starting at 5:30 and “Evening with the Stars” Individual – March 4, 2013 @ ROHS Media Center starting at 5:30. These dates should be on the school calendar as well. Any student competing at State contest is expected to perform that night.
Lettering in Speech: A student will letter in speech if they compete at the State level in any event.
Achievement Award: Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, the annual Excellence in Speech Achievement Award will be presented to one senior.
The Excellence in Speech Achievement Award will be given annually to one senior who demonstrates excellence in the following areas:
- Dedication and commitment to the program, Large Group and/or Individual
- Achievement and success, not limited to District and State recognition
- Surpassing personal expectations or belief in themselves
- Displaying high qualities of conduct expected from a Red Oak speech team member
All seniors will be eligible to apply for this award. Applications will be available towards the end of the season. The coaches will look at seniors based on performance and achievement in speech, selecting the senior they feel best exemplifies exceptional qualities in the four areas listed above.
Ratings: At the District level, there is one judge critiquing the performance. The judges will write comments and then will give you spoken comments at the end of your performance. A “I” rating at Districts sends you on to State. At the State level, there are three judges critiquing the performance. These judges will write comments, but THERE WILL NOT be spoken comments after your performance. I bring the comment sheets for you to hand to the room chair the day of contest.
From the IHSSA By-laws, for State contests:
In all contests except debate, each of the judges will indicate on the official ballot a rating for each contestant. This will be his/her estimate of the quality of the performance against the amateur standard for the field being judged. The ratings available for use are as follows:
Division I - Excellent
Division II - Good
Division III - Fair
Division IV - Disqualification because of a constitutional violation (such as going over time)
Rating combinations which will determine the rating of the contestant at the State level are:
Division I(Excellent) – (1-1-1) (1-1-2) (1-1-3)
Division II(Good) – (1-2-2) (1-2-3) (2-2-2) (2-2-3)
Division III(Fair) – (1-3-3) (2-3-3) (3-3-3)
Division IV – Disqualification because of Constitutional violation
All-State Nominations: Judges must nominate a group or student for All-State consideration. There is a system the IHSSA uses to determine All-State performers. It’s not an easy system to explain and I always tell the students that first and foremost, they are shooting for their personal best performance. If you would like more information about the point system used, please contact me and I will get you that information.
Description of Large Group Events
Choral Reading: a collection of material with group and solo lines, possibly some singing and acting. Facial expression, vocal blend and interpretation are important, up to 15 members. Length- up to 15 minutes; one group sent to Districts read from scripts
Ensemble Acting: two to six students act out a scene(s) from a play or book, only chairs and a table for props, no makeup. Length - up to 15 minutes; three groups sent to Districts memorized
Group Improvisation: two to five students are given a situation to use when making up a story and acting it out. Two minutes preparation time. Creativity, working together, and character development are important. Length - 3 - 5 minutes; three groups sent to Districts imagination needed
Group Mime: two to six students act out a situation or story with their bodies, no talking is allowed. Length - up to 7 minutes; three groups sent to Districts ability to develop characters and plot without words
Musical Theater:two to six students will combine their acting and singing skills using a scene from a musical, dance might be involved. Length - up to 10 minutes; three groups sent to Districts memorized
One Act Play: one or more students perform on the stage costumes, make up, props, etc. are all used. Length - up to 35 minutes; one group sent to Districts memorized
Radio Broadcasting: a group of up to 15 students gather, edit, organize and shape a radio broadcast which includes news, weather, sports and an original commercial. The performance is taped on a CD or audio tape. Students can select a certain style. Length - 5 to 6 minutes; 2 groups sent to Districts read from scripts – not all members have to be present at Districts
Readers Theater:a group of usually 7 to 12 people (can be 2-15 students) perform either a play or a collection of prose readings; no makeup, no props, interpretation is key, along with facial and vocal expression. Length - up to 25 minutes; one group sent to Districts read from scripts
Solo Mime:one person acts out a story or situation with their body and facial expression, no talking allowed. Length - up to 5 minutes; three sent to Districts same as Group Mime, only with one person – this event is with Large Group simply because the judges are qualified to judge mime
TV News: a group of 8-12 students gather, edit, and organize a news broadcast which includes news, weather, sports and an original special feature and commercial. The performance is videotaped and then judged at contest. On and off camera people are essential. Off camera people run cameras and computers, design the set, and help write. Length - 12 - 15 minutes; one group sent to Districts memorized; like Radio Broadcasting, not all members have to be present at Districts
Short Film: a group of 2-15 people create an original short film that is no longer than 5 minutes in length from opening title screen to closing credits. One sent to Districts like Radio Broadcasting and TV News, not all members have to be present at Districts
Descriptions of Individual Events
Acting: a student acts out a scene from a play or book. It can be serious or humorous. No make up or props are used. Length - up to 8 minutes; six sent to Districts memorized
After Dinner Speaking: the student writes an original humorous or inspirational speechaimed at a particular audience. Think of keynote speaker at some group’s annual dinner (the group can be completely made up – in fact, that makes it better! ) Writing and delivery skills are important, as well as creativity. Length - up to 5 minutes; three sent to Districts 50 words notes allowed
Expository Address: the student writes and presents an informative speech on a topic of interest to them. Props and posters can be part of thepresentation. Length - up to 6 minutes; three sent to Districts 50 words notes
Improvisational Acting: the student draws three characters and two situations, chooses two characters and a situation, and uses theseto create a story which he/she acts out 5 minutes of preparation time is allowed. Length - up to 5 minutes; three sent to Districts imagination needed; it’s like Group Improv, only you have to be two characters and you’re by yourself