Happy New Year!
It’s go time! I hope you had a restful break and are back at school with rejuvenated energy and love for teaching. District competition is right around the corner. Here’s what’s new!
Storytelling Practice Stories
You’ve been asking for them for a while now and we have delivered! We are proud to introduce our first edition of Storytelling Practice Stories. These stories are all original, typical stories that you might see in the actual Storytelling contest. The packet comes with a dozen stories, arranged by word length. Use the first couple of stories for beginning Storytellers to get their feet wet. As you go through the packet, the stories get longer, and thus more challenging to recite. This will build up the contestants’ ability to remember and recall the elements of the stories. The stories include a variety of exciting adventures, including a field day and a trip to NASA! To order your copy, visit the PSIA Online Ordering page at
https://www.psiaacademics.org/orders/ (The Practice Stories are listed as the last item in the Publications section.)
Academic Meet Companion
Don’t forget that AMC (at
https://www.academicmeet.com/meet/) is where you will enter the names of your contestants and personnel volunteers, in addition to printing schedules. Several schools have emailed asked me what the deadlines are for entries. The State Office does not keep a record of all of the entry deadlines from each competition, since each District sets their own schedule within the guidelines. Please consult with your District Director on deadlines for entries for District information.
Dual Entries
Dual Entries should be declared when registering a contestant in AMC. Also note that you should declare a dual entry when the overlapping speech contest is for FINALS as well. You cannot wait until the day of the contest to declare that there is a conflict in the Finals round. You should anticipate your contestant making it to Finals and declare early.
Also AMC
Please note that AMC registration does not work the same as Members Plus registration. You should start with only one account in AMC for your school. IF you need to have another person share your school account, you should add a new account using the “Add New User to Your School” button at the bottom of the Main Menu page. If you create a wholely new account, they will not be linked together, which will cause major problems. District Directors: Remember to only accept one version of the school in AMC to prevent problems later on.
DEADLINES
Don’t forget, the deadline for adjusting your Participation in Members Plus is next Monday, January 15th. After that, you will not be allowed to add or remove contests. I will go through an adjust your Membership and Participation Invoice to reflect any changes you have made and will reissue the invoice if necessary. This new invoice will be due by the end of January. Your school will not be allowed to compete in District or Area when an unpaid invoice. You may pay with a credit card for your convenience or you may send in a check. Just make sure we receive by the end of January.
Tax Exemption
Heather has been busy calling schools so that we can update our records concerning your Tax Exempt status. Thank you for cooperating with her and getting her the appropriate tax exempt forms. We need to make sure that we stay compliant with the state concerning tax exemptions. If you received a phone call or email from her concerning tax exemption, please send her the tax exemption form at your earliest convenience.
Thinking about Hosting a District in 2025?
Now is the time to start thinking about hosting a district in 2025 as well. As we continue to grow, we will need more district hosts so that each contestant has a fair shot at making it to State. In addition to being able to guarantee your spot in a district, you’ll have the opportunity to select the best date for your contest that accommodates your school, there is no travel, and the district meet serves as an excellent fund-raiser for your academic program. Please take some time to visit with your current district director and volunteer to help out in the Tab Room during your District so that you can get a feel of how the meets are run behind the scenes. Worried that your campus is too small? That’s no problem—there are many small community colleges or other facilities that can easily host this event.
Let’s make it a great 2024!
-Doug