General Info

Please use this link to submit all drops, substitutes, title changes, etc.

CHANGE FORM

**If you are dropping an event, please write DROP ENTIRE EVENT as the students name** 

If there are problems or mistakes with the schedule, 

please email contest manager Molly Holkesvik at molly.holkesvik@decorah.school. 

(Please email and refrain from leaving voicemails. Answering a quick email is much easier than keeping up on phone calls.)

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. 

IHSSA State Large Group Shirts can be purchased using this link.

*Please note that updates are still being made to this website.

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.

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. The practice gym will be used as storage space for all set pieces including readers and choral blocks/ladders, ensemble acting tables, mime chairs, and musical theater tables and chairs. You can also use the practice gym as a warm-up space. (Reminder that musical theater can warm up in the elementary music room over at John Cline.)

All contest centers will begin promptly at 8:00 am and should conclude before 6:00 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 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 and spectators of your school code, so they can follow along with the schedule.

*A designated sensory safe place is available if there is a need. 

Please talk to the office staff during the contest day for more information.*

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

Programs will NOT be provided for coaches or students.

Please remember three ballots 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 not give oral comments at state 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!!!

PLEASE USE THE PE LOCKER ROOMS NEXT TO THE CAFETERIA AS DRESSING ROOMS.

Do NOT use spectator restrooms as changing rooms.

(There is a make-up room and dressing rooms for one-act contestants backstage.)

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!

EQUIPMENT AND SET DROP OFF:

All equipment vehicles may enter the parking lot on the west side of the building. One-act set and props can be dropped off in the scene shop through the garage door. Please be extra quiet, though, as performances could be happening on stage at the same time.

All readers, choral, ensemble, musical theater equipment, tables, and chairs can be dropped off at the practice gym, which is through doors on the west side of the school as marked on the map.

If your students enter through other doors with props and set pieces, they will be quite lost and carry their equipment a long way.

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE UNLOADING DIRECTIONS AS TO NOT CREATE

TRAFFIC JAMS IN THE PARKING LOTS AND THE HALLWAYS.

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

WEAPONS POLICY: WE WILL FOLLOW IHSSA'S GUIDELINES FOR WEAPONS.  ALL WEAPONS MUST BE CHECKED IN AT THE CONTEST OFFICE.  THE COACH WILL THEN NEED TO BE THE ONE TO COME CHECK THE WEAPON OUT FOR THE PERFORMANCE AND CHECK BACK IN UPON THE COMPLETION OF THE PERFORMANCE.  WHEN THE COACH COLLECTS BALLOTS AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ITEMS MAY BE RETRIEVED AS WELL.