Hello Everyone!
I want to be one of the first to welcome you back to Durham Academy. I can let you know that campus is buzzing waiting for your return in the coming weeks. As the school starts to prepare for the beginning of the school year, the Speech and Debate coaches are quickly preparing for the beginning of the season. You’ll find a large amount of important information in this email. Please make sure that you look throughout the entire email.
Returning Members
We will host a meeting for all returning members on Thursday, August 24th at 3:45PM. Location is TBD. Please make sure that you are putting it on your calendar. If you are involved in other activities, please let those coaches know that you have this obligation. This meeting will go over the new Speech & Debate Handbook as well as a general overview of the year, coach introductions, preparation for information sessions, and discussion of the practice and tournament schedule.
Prior to that meeting, each returning member needs to go to the website to resubmit their information at this website: http://www.dadebate.com/team-signup.html
If you are not returning to the team for the 2017-2018 year, please respond to this email with “Unsubscribe,” and I will have your removed from our mailing list, and our incessant email nagging will cease.
Information Sessions
We will be hosting three information sessions for new team members. They will occur:
Practice Schedule
We have created a temporary practice schedule. This still will be subject to tweaks as we look at availability in the coming weeks. I’m already considering adding an LD session to that Thursday Evening practice. This is the current draft:
Team Communications
In an effort to streamline communications, the following will happen this year:
We will be releasing the Slack signup information at the Returning Members Meeting.
For both students and parents, you should join Remind by texting “@dadebate” to 81010. If you have issues with 81010, please text “@dadebate” to 919-238-6906.
2017 -2018 Tournaments
We have released the tentative schedule to http://www.dadebate.com/schedule.html
There are some important things to know in regards to changes for the 2017-2018 School Year!
Tournament Tiers
You’ll also notice that there is a now a column called “T”. This is because we are creating tournament “tiers.” This is to help get coaches, students and parents get on the same page about expectations for tournaments.
There are 5 Tiers:
Cavalier Invitational
We will host the 4th Annual Cavalier Invitational on January 13th and 14th.
This is a required activity for all team members.
Please put it on your calendar now.
International Public Policy Forum
This year, we will attempt to field teams for the Brewer Foundation’s International Public Policy Forum. Participants have the opportunity to win $10,000 in scholarship money. We are internal process however. All interested team members need to apply via the website (http://www.dadebate.com/international-public-policy-forum-debates.html) by September 18th. The coaching staff will form teams, and work with members to prepare for competition.
Questions or Concerns
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at crawford.leavoy@da.org. I’m looking forward to a great year, and cannot wait to see all of you!
Crawford Leavoy
Director of Speech & Debate
Durham Academy
I want to be one of the first to welcome you back to Durham Academy. I can let you know that campus is buzzing waiting for your return in the coming weeks. As the school starts to prepare for the beginning of the school year, the Speech and Debate coaches are quickly preparing for the beginning of the season. You’ll find a large amount of important information in this email. Please make sure that you look throughout the entire email.
Returning Members
We will host a meeting for all returning members on Thursday, August 24th at 3:45PM. Location is TBD. Please make sure that you are putting it on your calendar. If you are involved in other activities, please let those coaches know that you have this obligation. This meeting will go over the new Speech & Debate Handbook as well as a general overview of the year, coach introductions, preparation for information sessions, and discussion of the practice and tournament schedule.
Prior to that meeting, each returning member needs to go to the website to resubmit their information at this website: http://www.dadebate.com/team-signup.html
If you are not returning to the team for the 2017-2018 year, please respond to this email with “Unsubscribe,” and I will have your removed from our mailing list, and our incessant email nagging will cease.
Information Sessions
We will be hosting three information sessions for new team members. They will occur:
- September 5th at 3:45PM
- September 6th at 6PM
- September 7th at 3:45PM
Practice Schedule
We have created a temporary practice schedule. This still will be subject to tweaks as we look at availability in the coming weeks. I’m already considering adding an LD session to that Thursday Evening practice. This is the current draft:
- Monday Afternoon – LD (Leavoy), PF (Siegel), EXT (Leech), INT (Harris)
- Tuesday Afternoon – LD (Leavoy)
- Wednesday Afternoon – CON (Leavoy), PF (Welty)
- Thursday PM – CON (Leavoy), PF (Welty/Siegel), EXT (Leech)
Team Communications
In an effort to streamline communications, the following will happen this year:
- Day-to-Day Communications will move to Slack
- Announcement (Travel and Emergency) will move to Remind
- Newsletters (General Announcements & Results) will still come via Email.
We will be releasing the Slack signup information at the Returning Members Meeting.
For both students and parents, you should join Remind by texting “@dadebate” to 81010. If you have issues with 81010, please text “@dadebate” to 919-238-6906.
2017 -2018 Tournaments
We have released the tentative schedule to http://www.dadebate.com/schedule.html
There are some important things to know in regards to changes for the 2017-2018 School Year!
- In an effort to get travel arrangements to you faster, we are significantly moving up deadlines for travel tournaments. Signups for all Fall Semester travel tournaments now have hard deadlines.
- Due on August 18th
- Grapevine
- Yale Invitational
- Laird Lewis at Myers Park
- Holy Cross
- Due on September 22nd
- East Carteret
- Florida Blue Key
- Apple Valley
- Glenbrooks
- Isidore Newman
- Due on November 9th
- George Mason University
- Arizona State University
- These deadlines will not be extended.
- If you signup, you are obligated to attend.
- If you cancel, you are responsible to pay for all expenses and any associated fees. You will also be unable to signupfor the next block of tournaments.
- For the first time, the Coaches have written some thoughts on the upcoming tournaments requiring signups so that you may plan:
- Grapevine – Suggested for PF, LD and Congress. Speech is welcome, but rounds are limited (2 prelims straight to Semis)
- Myers Park – Suggested for PF and Speech students
- Yale – Suggested for LD, Congress and “serious” Speech students
- Holy Cross – Suggested for PF, LD and Speech
- E. Carteret – Suggested for all those interested in qualifying to NCFLs in May
- Blue Key – Suggested for all events
- Apple Valley – Open only to LD, PF and Congress (Suggested for those wanting to prep for Glenbrooks)
- Glenbrooks – Suggested for all events
- Newman – Suggested for all events
- GMU – Suggested for all events
- ASU – Suggested for all events
- Based off of your individual goals, I’m happy to consult with you about what a plan is for the year. Just email me to set up a time to talk.
Tournament Tiers
You’ll also notice that there is a now a column called “T”. This is because we are creating tournament “tiers.” This is to help get coaches, students and parents get on the same page about expectations for tournaments.
There are 5 Tiers:
- Local - Local tournament; same day; open to anyone; Free to $15 (At practice minimum of one time week of tournament; respectable independent work)
- Extended - Localish tournament; one night overnight; open to anyone; $50 to $99 (At practice minimum of one time week of tournament; respectable independent work)
- Tier 3 – Driving Regional Circuit; one or two nights overnight; open to anyone; $100 to $300 (At practice minimum of one time each week for two weeks prior to the tournament; reasonable independent work)
- Tier 2 – Flying Regional Circuit or Small National Circuit; one or two nights overnight; open to limited spots; $301 to $600 (At practice minimum of two times each week for two weeks prior to the tournament; moderate independent work)
- Tier 1 – Largest National Circuit; multiple nights overnight; limited spots; $601 to $800 (At practice as much as possible month of tournament; significant independent work)
Cavalier Invitational
We will host the 4th Annual Cavalier Invitational on January 13th and 14th.
This is a required activity for all team members.
Please put it on your calendar now.
International Public Policy Forum
This year, we will attempt to field teams for the Brewer Foundation’s International Public Policy Forum. Participants have the opportunity to win $10,000 in scholarship money. We are internal process however. All interested team members need to apply via the website (http://www.dadebate.com/international-public-policy-forum-debates.html) by September 18th. The coaching staff will form teams, and work with members to prepare for competition.
Questions or Concerns
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at crawford.leavoy@da.org. I’m looking forward to a great year, and cannot wait to see all of you!
Crawford Leavoy
Director of Speech & Debate
Durham Academy