September 30, 2024
Dear 1st-8th grade Parents,
We are pleased to announce the details of our annual RCS Elementary Speech Meet for Grades 1-5, as well as the PSIA competitive Speech and Academics District Meet for Grades 1-8. Please read below for more information!
RCS Elementary Speech Meet (Required for Grades 1-5)
RCS will first host in-house speech meets on January 10, 2025 (for grades 4-5) and January 17, 2025 (for grades 1-3). Participation in the RCS speech meet will be mandatory for grades 1-5. Students may choose between Bible Memorization (1-5), Fables & Folklore (2-4), Poetry (1-5) and Dramatic Bible Prose (5th only). Students must submit their selection via the ”RCS Speech 1-5” tab of the RCS Speech and Academics website by December 6, 2024. If any student has not submitted their choice by December 6, their homeroom teacher will assign them one of two standard selections. If you desire to use a selection outside of the website, you must have the piece approved by Mrs. Strange prior to December 1, and bring three copies of the piece on the day of the RCS meet (i.e. one copy for each judge).
Gold, silver, and bronze medals will once again be awarded for our RCS school meets and presented at an end-of-day awards ceremony. From those winners, the PSIA team for Storytelling (grades 1-3) and Poetry Interpretation (grades 4-5) will be selected and coached.
PSIA District Speech and Academics Meet (Optional for Grades 1-8)
Over the past three years, our elementary and middle school students have had tremendous success at the PSIA District and State Meets, including winning multiple state championships in various contests. PSIA offers 18 different speech and academic contests at the District and State Meets, including: Calculator (6-8), Mathematics (2-8), Number Sense (4-8), Science (6-8), Dictionary Skills (4-8), Listening Skills (4-8), Maps/Graphs/Charts (4-8), Spelling (2-8), Vocabulary (5-8), Creative Writing (1-2), Ready Writing (3-8), Music Memory (3-8), Art Memory (4-8), On-site Drawing (6-8), Storytelling (1-3), Poetry Interpretation (4-8), Modern Oratory (7-8), Impromptu Speaking (7-8).
The PSIA District Meet will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran School in Spring, Texas. The State Meet will be held Saturday, April 26, 2025 at TSU in San Marcos, TX, for those who qualify.
PSIA District Speech Team (Grades 6-8)
As mentioned above, the PSIA District Speech competitors for Grades 1-5 will be selected from among the winners at the RCS Elementary Speech Meets in January 2025.
All students in grades 6-8 who wish to compete for a spot on the RCS PSIA Speech Team must register by December 6, 2024, at the “Speech 6-8” tab of the RCS Speech and Academics website, where the competition selections and additional details can be found. Qualifiers will be held as needed for Poetry Interpretation (January 10, 2025), or for Modern Oratory or Impromptu Speaking (January 17, 2025).
PSIA District Academic Team (Grades 1-8)
For the PSIA Academic events, we encourage students and parents to review the “Academic Events” tab of the RCS Speech and Academic Website to learn more about each of the events available to students in grades 1-8. Students must register their interest in any academic events via the website links by Friday, December 6, 2024. If the number of students interested in any event exceeds the available competition spots, an appropriate qualifier will be held to determine the final competitors. RCS will have coaches available for the various academic contests starting in December 2024 to help your student prepare for the PSIA District Meets.
Important Dates - RCS and PSIA Meets
Please make note of these important dates related to the RCS and PSIA meets:
September 30, 2024 RCS Speech Academic Website opens
December 6, 2024 Deadline to register academic event interest online
December 6, 2024 Deadline to register speech meet selections online
January 10, 2025 PSIA Poetry Qualifier (grades 6-8)
January 10, 2025 RCS Speech Meet (grades 4-5)
January 17, 2025 PSIA Impromptu/Oratory Qualifier (grades 7-8)
January 17, 2025 RCS Speech Meet (grades 1-3)
March 1, 2025 PSIA District Meet at Trinity Lutheran in Spring, TX
April 26, 2025 PSIA State Championships at TSU in San Marcos, TX
Additional Information/Questions
As referenced above, our RCS Speech & Academic Website has been updated with this year’s contest information for both the RCS Elementary Speech Meet and the PSIA District Speech and Academics Meet. This website will allow you to review the rules, choose your child’s category and piece, learn about and sign up for academic events, and have access to key information, steps, dates, and updates. It is accessible beginning today – please review the details for the events relevant to your student and register your selection(s) and event(s) online. Please note that the last day to register for all events is December 6, 2024.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the RCS Elementary Speech Meet and/or PSIA opportunities for your child, please reach out to either one of us. We are excited to work with our elementary and middle school students and to grow our PSIA presence every year! Most importantly, we hope that every RCS student, no matter where his or her gifts may lie, will experience the blessings of success and teamwork in a whole new way this year as we glorify Him together.
In Christ’s service,
Mrs. Shannon Strange
RCS Competitive Speech Director
PSIA Campus Director
sstrange@rcseagles.org
Mrs. Carrie Blume
PSIA Academic Director
cblume@rcseagles.org