SPEECH & DEBATE
Welcome to the award-winning Bulldog Speech & Debate team! Our team has been in existence for over 20 years. We are currently the largest team in the largest middle school league in the country. We believe deeply that our trophies aren't just won with our ability, but with our hearts. We applaud for all, advise each other, and grow from the expertise we all share.
Our team is made up of many different levels of learners, some of whom are ready to trophy right away and some simply learning to speak up in class. Nevertheless, we learn from each other and we all participate both as students and teachers.
We are a founding member of the nationally-ranked Southern California Junior Forensics League, and all details about upcoming tournaments can be found at the following website:
scjfl.weebly.com
Competing at our level takes a village, as it were, and as such, families will be asked for help and support in different capacities. Please expect to be approached about the following:
1. $25 Voluntary Lab Fee - this fee goes to paying for our buses and registration fees. Make checks payable to Jefferson Speech & Debate.
2. Judging - we are required to bring a judge for every 6 students competing. As the largest team in the league, therefore, we must supply the most judges. This means attending a short training before a tournament and attending that tournament, possibly until the bitter end. We will, of course, permit you to watch your student during at least one of the possibly 4 rounds of competition. This is always a desperate need for us, as the team gets charged $100 for every judge we cannot provide. Just a side note here of encouragement: some parents get absolutely addicted to judging at tournaments. It's fun, we feed you, and you get to learn the behind-the-scenes-ins-and-outs of what makes a tournament run. It means less waiting around time and less confusion during the actual tournament itself. You are "in the know."
3. Food, Set Up, Take Down - When we host a tournament, we need parents to help supply food for the many judges and volunteers that help make a tournament run. This means anything from setting op the media center to simply agreeing to drop-off donated food for the many hungry helpers.
What to expect from our tournaments:
1. They run long. Period. There's no way around that. Expect students to call 30 min before they need to be picked up, but this might be as late as 11:00pm on particularly long nights. Do not be late picking up your student.
2. Students are required to attend at least one league tournament a quarter. Invitationals, the State Tournament, and any other competitions are voluntary. The one league competitions per quarter are, however, required for your grade. Obviously, illness is taken into consideration, but the dates for the tournaments for the year are already posted. Please, as a family, plan accordingly.
3. Trophies DO NOT equal an A. And an A DOES NOT mean that your student will get a trophy.
4. Students MUST STAY for the awards ceremonies even if it is obvious they did not trophy. We support everyone on our team.
5. Students will need a little money to pay for food at the tournaments. Many schools sell food as fundraisers for their own programs, and the nights can be long. Please make sure they have a bottle of water as well.
Our team is made up of many different levels of learners, some of whom are ready to trophy right away and some simply learning to speak up in class. Nevertheless, we learn from each other and we all participate both as students and teachers.
We are a founding member of the nationally-ranked Southern California Junior Forensics League, and all details about upcoming tournaments can be found at the following website:
scjfl.weebly.com
Competing at our level takes a village, as it were, and as such, families will be asked for help and support in different capacities. Please expect to be approached about the following:
1. $25 Voluntary Lab Fee - this fee goes to paying for our buses and registration fees. Make checks payable to Jefferson Speech & Debate.
2. Judging - we are required to bring a judge for every 6 students competing. As the largest team in the league, therefore, we must supply the most judges. This means attending a short training before a tournament and attending that tournament, possibly until the bitter end. We will, of course, permit you to watch your student during at least one of the possibly 4 rounds of competition. This is always a desperate need for us, as the team gets charged $100 for every judge we cannot provide. Just a side note here of encouragement: some parents get absolutely addicted to judging at tournaments. It's fun, we feed you, and you get to learn the behind-the-scenes-ins-and-outs of what makes a tournament run. It means less waiting around time and less confusion during the actual tournament itself. You are "in the know."
3. Food, Set Up, Take Down - When we host a tournament, we need parents to help supply food for the many judges and volunteers that help make a tournament run. This means anything from setting op the media center to simply agreeing to drop-off donated food for the many hungry helpers.
What to expect from our tournaments:
1. They run long. Period. There's no way around that. Expect students to call 30 min before they need to be picked up, but this might be as late as 11:00pm on particularly long nights. Do not be late picking up your student.
2. Students are required to attend at least one league tournament a quarter. Invitationals, the State Tournament, and any other competitions are voluntary. The one league competitions per quarter are, however, required for your grade. Obviously, illness is taken into consideration, but the dates for the tournaments for the year are already posted. Please, as a family, plan accordingly.
3. Trophies DO NOT equal an A. And an A DOES NOT mean that your student will get a trophy.
4. Students MUST STAY for the awards ceremonies even if it is obvious they did not trophy. We support everyone on our team.
5. Students will need a little money to pay for food at the tournaments. Many schools sell food as fundraisers for their own programs, and the nights can be long. Please make sure they have a bottle of water as well.