Greetings Methow Valley Students and Families!
By Dr. Mark Wenzel, Superintendent
I’m pleased to launch a Speech and Debate team at Liberty Bell this year! We will compete in five tournaments in 2011-2012, leading up to the state tournament in March.
Speech and Debate is considered one of the top activities to do to support future success in post-secondary education. College admissions officers love it because it fosters critical reading, writing and thinking skills. There are also opportunities for university scholarships for Speech and Debate team members.
In addition, the club offers a special camaraderie among students. This is an opportunity to build skill, make friends, have fun, eat pizza and tell stories on long bus rides. Who could ask for anything more?
At Liberty Bell, our team will be comprised of students in grades 8-12. Eighth graders may not compete at the state tournament, but they can gain valuable experience (and earn trophies) at regional competitions leading up to state.
Our tournament schedule will be:
December 1 Renton
December 10 Wenatchee — first place!
January 7 Othello
Jan 28 Spokane
Feb 17-18 Pasco (state qualifying tournament)
March 10 Tacoma (speech state tournament)
March 17 Tacoma (debate state tournament)
For information on debate, please click on the link below. There are three types of debare in Washington high schools. In 2011-2012, Methow Valley will compete in public forum debate.
There are eight speech categories in two blocks. Students usually compete in one category in each block.
Block 1
Block 2
Practices will be before and after school, with a lot of coaching taking place before tournaments. The bar is high. We will work hard and show other schools very high-caliber performances. I’m excited.
If you have questions, please contact me by email at: mwenzel@methow.org
