General Info

MAIN HEADQUARTERS

The main office will serve as our headquarters and will be open at 7:00 am to start answering all your questions. Please bring any drops and/or substitutes to the office when you arrive. The office can also help you store any coach’s personal belongings/valuable items that you do not want to store in the gym.

TEAM HEADQUARTERS

The main gym will serve as speech team headquarters for all students and coaches. Ratings will be posted here as well as outside the main office.

CONTEST CENTERS

All contest centers will begin promptly at 8:00 am and should conclude before 4:00 pm. Check out the schedule tab on this website for more information. Reminder: be early to your performance time and be sure to tell your parents/family the centers may run ahead of schedule. We would hate for them to miss a performance, but the show must go on as time allows. Make sure to notify your parents, families, and spectators of your school code, so they can follow along with the schedule.

COACH REMINDERS

-Our office staff will NOT be providing school codes to anyone.

-Complete contest programs will be available for purchase at the audience entrance doors for $2.

-Programs will NOT be provided for coaches or students, so please plan accordingly.

-If there are problems or mistakes with the schedule, please email contest manager Molly Holkesvik at molly.holkesvik@decorah.k12.ia.us. 

All special requests were to be submitted to Stacy Hansen prior to scheduling. Distance from the contest site will be taken into consideration, but please be respectful of the schedule, especially if your school has numerous entries and category conflicts. 

BALLOTS

Please remember a ballot for each performance. Copies of ballots will be available in the office for $1 per set if you happen to forget yours.

Remind your students that judges will give oral comments at district contest at the end of their performance.

They are also not to speak to judges at any point during the contest day about their performance.

At the conclusion of your contest day, once all of your ratings have been POSTED, we will distribute your comment sheets to you. Please wait until the end of the day to pick up comment sheets after all ratings are posted. If you wish to leave before your ratings are posted, you must leave a heavily stamped self-addressed envelope in the office before you leave.

Throughout the day, coaches should be with their students enjoying performances and most importantly supervising them and helping keep the hallways quiet. Only music players used for contest entries should be brought to contest and played when warming up or in performance use. Remember that we are all part of the IHSSA Family. Let's have a wonderful speech day!!!

PE LOCKER ROOMS

Please, use the PE locker rooms next to the cafeteria as dressing rooms only. DO NOT use spectator restrooms as changing rooms.

WEATHER

Weather related information will be released on KVIK 104.7, KQ 98.3, and KQ 92.3 radio stations, Decorah High School social media pages (twitter: @decorah_vikings; facebook: Decorah High School Activities), as well as KWWL television and the IHSSA website. If weather related decisions need to be made, we will make a decision no later than 6:00 am the morning of contest day and will notify you as early as possible. If we can, a decision will be made the night before. Always remember that your safety is priority, and we can work you in later in the day if weather creates issues for your transportation to contest.

IMPORTANT BUS PARKING INFORMATION

Please inform your bus drivers to enter the circle drive off of Claiborne Drive in front of the school. Drop off students at the SECOND LARGE SET OF DOORS labeled as the activity entrance on the map.

As soon as all students are dropped off, instruct your bus drivers to park their buses where the parking attendants instruct them to. Buses should remain there until the end of the day when students can be picked up at the same doors. Do NOT allow your bus drivers to park in the circle drive for ANY reason. It will create major traffic jams and many issues. Thank you!

The bus drivers'/coaches' lounge will be in room D125, and the judges' lounge will be in B111.

SPECTATOR REMINDERS

Admission of a suggested $3 donation for people kindergarten age or older and can be donated at each entrance. There are two main entrances on the front of the school that spectators can use to enter the building. All other doors will be locked during the contest day.

Programs will also be available at each entrance for $2 a piece.

It is important for you to know your school code before you arrive at the contest site, as our office staff will NOT be allowed to share that information with any spectators.

All photography and/or video of performances– without the permission of the IHSSA STATE OFFICE– is strictly prohibited.

 All cell phones and any other electronic devices should be turned off upon arrival at the contest. 

INTERNET PASSWORDS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED DURING THE CONTEST DAY.

 Spectators should arrive at least 30 minutes prior (if not more) to any competition. The rooms could run ahead of schedule and cannot wait for spectators. We would hate for you to miss a performance, so please be early! The contest day will not stall to wait for parents.