Congratulations to Millburn coach Jordy Barry for being recognized by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Read about her honor here.
The New Jersey District will be hosing our Big Questions qualifier at the Newark Tech tournament on March 9th. Pending the number of entries, we may have virtual rounds extend into Sunday (or if teams agree, we will host elimination rounds at a mutually-agreeable locations during the following week).
Here are some resources you can share with students. Once again, only NSDA member schools may enter the BQ District Qualifier. And students must be active members of NSDA (25 points with paid dues).
We welcome everyone to join us on October 21st at Summit High School for a day of learning for both students, parents, coaches and educators. The first half of the day will feature workshops for those new to speech and debate activities! In addition, we will have teacher and judge workshops for those who would like to learn how they can share in New Jersey speech and debate activities.
Summit High School will once again offer their ‘suit swap’ where students can donate their old suits and/or pick up a new-ish one at a great price!!
Lunch and snacks will be sold at the event. Our teachers, coaches and judges will be provided lunch free-of-charge.
We welcome everyone who is interested in learning more about the NJSDL events and tournaments!! Click the following link in order to register!
If you’re an educator who plans on bringing students for the workshop portion of the event, please complete this Student Registration/Workshop Form for each student so we can plan for an appropriate amount of space and instructors.
We will be posting more detailed information as the date draws closer.
ADULT WORKSHOP SCHEDULE (Coach, Educators, Parents and Judges Welcome!) Student workshops schedule will be posted as soon as it is finalized.
8:00 – 9:00
Registration
9:00 – 10:00
Teaching Speech or
Tournaments 101
10:00 – 10:15
Late Registration I
10:15 – 11:15
Teaching Debate or
Judge Training
11:30 – 12:30
Worlds / Parliamentary or
Judge Training
12:30 – 1:30
LUNCH / Late Registration II
1:45 – 3:00
Round 1 – Adults can observe and practice judging rounds w/ debrief.
3:15 – 4:30
Round 2 – Adults can observe and practice judging rounds w/ debrief.
I hope you’re all having a restful summer! With August upon us, it’s time to start getting the NJSDL organized for the start of another season. The league membership form is linked here. We only need one submission from each school. We also need each school that intends to be a member for this year to complete the form, even if you have done so in the past and the information remains the same. Completion of this form allows the league leadership to plan events accurately and ensure that everyone is included, update the league’s roster, and adequately provide insurance coverage for league events and members. Please submit the form by Friday, September 8.
If you are receiving this message and are no longer the coach of your school’s program, please do us a favor and forward this email to the new advisor or inform us so that we can update our records and reach out to that individual.
Many of you pre-pay your dues annual because they are included on the invoice for each year’s state championship tournament. For those that defer payment, are deciding to rejoin after a hiatus, or are joining for the first time, league membership dues are $175 if paid before October 31. Dues increase to $200 if paid between October 31 and January 31. League membership is required to participate in the NJSDL State Championship Tournament in March. Middle schools are exempt from membership dues. The high schools that are already paid for 2023-2024 are:
Arthur L. Johnson, Barringer, Bridgewater-Raritan, Central, Cherry Hill East, Columbia, Delbarton, Elizabeth, Freehold Township, Hunterdon Central, Manville, Millburn, Monroe Township, Montgomery Township, Montville Township, Morris Knolls, Mountain Lakes, Newark School of Fashion and Design, Newark Science, Newark Tech, Noor Ul-Iman, North Star Academy, Princeton, Randolph, Ridge, Ridgewood, Summit, The Pingry School, Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School, Timothy Christian, and University.
Let me know if you need an invoice in order to pay your dues. The league’s W-9 is linked. Dues payments (and payments for the speech festivals, Borelli tournament, high school and middle school state championships, and the New Jersey district tournaments) can be sent to the league address:
New Jersey Speech & Debate League
#337
203 Main Street
Flemington, NJ 08822
Help the league grow by sending the membership form to friends and colleagues at other schools! I’m looking forward to working with all of you again this year. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns, either to me or one of the other league officers. Most importantly, enjoy your remaining weeks of summer break!
National Speech & Debate Association Announces 2021-2022 Leading Chapter Awards
This is the highest recognition a speech and debate charter school can earn.
DES MOINES, IOWA (October 4, 2022) — The National Speech & Debate Association is proud to award one chapter from each competition district with this year’s Leading Chapter Awards. Only approximately 3% of schools are recognized as Leading Chapter Award winners.
“This award, which is based on student participation, represents a tremendous dedication to speech and debate education,” said Executive Director J. Scott Wunn. “Our Leading Chapter schools understand the importance of speech and debate, and the life changing benefits of the activity. We are proud to recognize these hard-working schools with this coveted honor.”
Each year the top chapter in accumulated members and degrees, not more than one per district, receives the Leading Chapter Award; then its accumulated total returns to zero and it begins a new record. Each school must wait at least five years before being eligible for the award again.
Leading Chapter schools are recognized based on student participation throughout the school year. Schools earning the Leading Chapter Award must have previously achieved Charter School Status in the National Speech & Debate Association. These speech and debate programs serve as an inspiration for new speech and debate teams around the United States.
“Speech and debate advances communication skills, develops interpersonal skills, improves reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking, and prepares students for college, careers, and beyond,” said Wunn. “Nowhere is this more evident than our Leading Chapter schools.”
The 2021-22 Leading Chapter Award winners:
The Montgomery Academy – Mockingbird
Har-Ber High School – Arkansas
BASIS Peoria – Arizona
Bear Creek High School – Big Valley (CA)
The Harker School – Calif. Coast (CA)
John F. Kennedy High School – Capitol Valley (CA)
Alhambra High School – East Los Angeles (CA)
Dougherty Valley High School – San Fran Bay (CA)
Orosi High School – Sierra (CA)
Redlands High School – Southern California
Loyola High School – West Los Angeles (CA)
Cherry Creek High School – Colorado
Resurrection Christian School – Rocky Mountain-North (CO)
Regis Jesuit High School – Rocky Mountain-South (CO)
TCA – Colorado Grande
Delta High School – Western Slope (CO)
West Broward High School – Florida Manatee
Wellington Community High School – Florida Oceanfront
Paul J Hagerty High School – Florida Panther
Newsome High School – Florida Sunshine
Ransom Everglades School – Florida Flamingo
Midtown High School – Georgia Northern Mountain
Fayette County High School – Georgia Southern Peach
Mount Carmel School – Pacific Islands
Parker School – Hawaii
Wood River High School – Idaho Gem of the Mountain
Bonneville High School – Idaho Mountain River
University High School – Greater Illinois
Naperville Central High School – Illinois(IL)
Prospect High School – Northern Illinois
McCutcheon High School – Hoosier Heartland (IN)
Fishers High School – Hoosier Crossroads (IN)
Bethany Christian High School – Northeast Indiana
Munster High School – Northwest Indiana
Grinnell High School – East Iowa
CAM High School – West Iowa
Lansing High School – East Kansas
Topeka High School – Kansas Flint-Hills
Wichita Collegiate Upper School – Sunflower (KS)
Chanute High School – South Kansas
Louisburg High School – Three Trails (KS)
Moundridge High School – West Kansas
Larry A Ryle High School – Kentucky
John Paul The Great Academy – Louisiana
Dirigo High School – Maine
Portage Public School – Michigan
Jackson-Reed High School – Chesapeake (MD)
Stillwater Area High School – Central Minnesota
St Michael Albertville High School – Northern Lights (MN)
Eagan High School – Southern Minnesota
St Andrew’s Episcopal School – Magnolia (MS)
Carthage High School – Carver-Truman (MO)
Columbia-Hickman High School – Eastern Missouri
Liberty Sr High School – Heart Of America (MO)
Parkview High School – Ozark (MO)
Lee’s Summit North – Show Me (MO)
Great Falls High School – Montana East
Glacier High School – Montana West
Westside High School – Nebraska
Lincoln Southeast High School – Nebraska South
Ed W. Clark High School – Golden Desert (NV)
Sage Ridge School – Sagebrush (NV)
Lexington High School – New England (MA & NH)
Millburn High School – New Jersey
Eldorado High School – New Mexico
Mount Mercy Academy – Iroquois (NY)
Stuyvesant High School – New York City
Durham Academy – Carolina East (NC)
The Bronx High School Of Science – Hudson Valley (NY)
Charlotte Catholic High School – Carolina West (NC)
Fargo North High School – North Dakota Roughrider
Stow-Munroe Falls High School – Eastern Ohio
Hawken School – North Coast (OH)
South Range High School – Northern Ohio
Perrysburg High School – Western Ohio
Owasso High School – East Oklahoma
Norman North High School – West Oklahoma
Lincoln High School – North Oregon
South Medford High School – South Oregon
Greater Latrobe High School – Pennsylvania
Oakland Catholic High School – Pittsburgh (PA)
Holy Ghost Prep – Valley Forge (PA)
Riverside High School – South Carolina
Watertown High School – Northern South Dakota
Stevens High School – Rushmore (SD)
Jefferson County High School – Tennessee
Claudia Taylor Johnson High School – Central Texas
Northland Christian School – East Texas
W B Ray High School – Gulf Coast (TX)
Westlake High School – Heart Of Texas
Wylie Sr High School – LBJ (TX)
Plano Sr High School – Lone Star (TX)
Clark High School – North Texas Longhorns
Elkins High School – South Texas
Cy-Fair High School – Space City (TX)
Midland Legacy High School – Tall Cotton (TX)
Lindale High School – UIL (TX)
Franklin High School – West Texas
Caney Creek High School – Yellow Rose (TX)
Skyline High School – Great Salt Lake (UT)
Stansbury High School – Sundance (UT)
Logan High School – Utah-Wasatch
Dominion High School – Virginia
Wenatchee High School – Inland Empire (WA)
The Bear Creek School – Puget Sound (WA)
Wheeling Park High School – West Virginia
Auburn Riverside High School – Western Washington
James Madison Memorial High School – Northern Wisconsin
West Bend East High School – Southern Wisconsin
Buffalo High School – Hole In The Wall (WY)
Rock Springs High School – Wind River (WY)
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The National Speech & Debate Association is the authority on public speaking and debate in the United States. The Association builds the infrastructure for speech and debate competitions around the world by providing topics, educational resources, and training for students and coaches. For nearly 100 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has built a platform for youth voices that culminates in the National Tournament, the largest academic competition in the world. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.
