GREETINGS, FELLOW SPEECH AND DRAMA ARTISTS,
The Valley High School Speech & Drama Family is honored to welcome your presence and your artistry at the IHSSA Southwest State Contest on February (6 and) 7 in West Des Moines.
Please check out the tools and info throughout this website to assist you.
LOCATION
Valley High School, 3650 Woodland Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
COACHES
The media center will serve as our headquarters and will be open at 7:00 A.M. Ratings will be posted ONLINE and OUTSIDE of the media center. Contest centers will begin at 8:00 A.M.
Please introduce yourself and check in at the main desk. Please leave your cell phone # in case of emergency.
Please also make sure you are supervising your students in/out of centers. It takes all of us working together and supporting each other fully.
SCHEDULE
If you can’t determine your school code, email me and I’ll be happy to send it to you.
Head Coaches, when the schedule is posted: Please email WEDNESDAY by 3:00 PM if there is an issue with the schedule. Click here for schedule.
Please have your students at their centers early! Inform audience members who might be attending that centers sometimes run early and can't wait for family members to arrive before starting.
If there are problems with the schedule (conflicts, I blew a special request, etc.), please email me at melzs@wdmcs.org - I will try my best to work it out. There will be a chance I’ll ask you to wait until Saturday when we have drops and such to consider.
Additionally, a reminder that ALL special requests must be submitted to STACY HANSEN at the IHSSA State office by telephone at 515.401.1834. Please do not make special requests with me, as I will only ask you to contact Stacy.
Please make schedules available for the parents, etc. of your students. Complete schedules will be available for $5 purchase for spectators if interested.
If you are need of a substitution, you’ll fill out the online WHITE SUB CARD. Please inform me in the media center on the day of contest before the performance.
CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE SUBSTITUTION FORM.
BALLOTS/COMMENT SHEETS
You may pick up your ballots after all your ratings are posted. If you wish to leave before your ratings are posted, leave a self-addressed, heavily stamped envelope for us to send them on.
Please remember your three (3) comment sheets for each category. If you forget, extras will be available at the office for .25 cents.
If you need assistance finding comment sheets, CLICK HERE FOR ALL OF THE COMMENT SHEETS.
RULES AND NUTS/BOLTS
Coaches should be with students and supervising. Please impress upon your students this is a contest and not a sleepover, party, or a carnival. The Coldiron Fieldhouse will serve as one large “homeroom” for all schools. Please leave all video game devices at home. Misbehavior will not be tolerated. We are very proud of our school and we would like to keep it clean and tidy. Ultimately, we are all on the same “team”—the IHSSA Family. We must all work together.
Weather related information will be on WHO-AM radio and WHO-TV. We will not make any decisions until 6:30 a.m.
If your group is using any type of prop weapon, look-alike alcohol or tobacco prop, you must contact us for permission. Additionally, make sure you contact your own administrators. Thanks for your understanding and concern to keep all students safe.
2 NURSES will be available IN THE MEDIA CENTER all day.
Additionally, an administrator will be available all day should a special concern arise.
IHSSA APPAREL
IHSSA State t-shirts/sweatshirts/swag will be available for purchase. The goods are completely customizable with each category/name/etc. Bring your $$.
ONE-ACTS
All One-Act Plays will perform in the Staplin Performing Arts Center. Please impress upon your students the importance of treating it as well as all spaces with kindness, respect and cleanliness. Please consult the Valley PAC stage diagram by clicking here.
READERS THEATRE/CHORAL READING
If you are in need of risers, please email me ASAP!
SHORT FILM/TV NEWS/RADIO NEWS
Per the IHSSA Constitution, every individual school is responsible for providing their own individual projector/DVD player/computer/devices/cords/speakers etc. for SHORT FILM/TV NEWS/RADIO NEWS. Make sure you bring your own equipment and test it before contest day. Again, each individual school is responsible for bringing their equipment. Does your equipment currently work? Do you have a back-up plan?
BUS PARKING
Please inform your bus drivers to drop off students on the north side of Valley in the bus concourse.
Please instruct your bus drivers to park their buses on the south side of the schools by the baseball fields.
CLICK HERE FOR VALLEY BUS PARKING and BUS DROP OFF LINK.
It will be your responsibility as coaches to inform your bus driver where to park at Valley by the baseball fields.
There will be a bus drivers’ lounge available. Please inquire in the media center.
GETTING AROUND VALLEY
As advised by our administration and security, maps of Valley High School will NOT be posted on the web site. The school will be heavily “signed”. We will also have plenty of volunteers in bright orange t-shirts throughout the school to provide directions and assistance.
Please do not leave campus for eating. We depend on your $$$ to make our contest profitable. Without it, we (and other schools) cannot afford to host. We are offering an extensive menu option for patrons with low, low prices!
ABSOLUTELY NO FOOD OR BEVERAGES will be permitted outside of the cafeteria or student center. FOOD IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE FIELDHOUSE!!
PLEASE REMIND PARENTS/GUARDIANS
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Donation boxes will be at all entrances. Suggested donations are $3/person.
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No photography or video of performances is allowed at all.
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All cell phones and other devices must be silenced or (better yet) turned off while attending performances.
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Families and friends should arrive at least 30 minutes prior to any competition. The rooms often run ahead of schedule and cannot wait for spectators.
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VHS is completely handicapped accessible for all performers and patrons.
Please come into the office and introduce yourselves, and then we'll know who you are if you have to come back with a concern. We are looking forward to seeing you all!!
We will see you Friday, February 6 for the first session of One-Act Plays and Saturday, February 5 for ALL events!
Let's have an amazing day together!!
Samantha Melz, Valley HS Head LG Speech Coach
Valley High School Speech & Drama
3650 Woodland Avenue
West Des Moines, IA 50266
PHONE: 515. 633.4222
EMAIL: melzs@wdmcs.org