CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Catholic High School Debate and Speech Team has earned more accolades from the National Speech & Debate Association.
As members of the National Speech & Debate Association honor society, CCHS Debate and Speech students earn points and degrees based on competitive and service-related activities. Degrees range from the Degree of Merit, with 25 or more points, to the Degree of Premier Distinction, with 1,500 or more points.
The Charlotte Catholic chapter achieved more than 100 degrees last year, and as a result, is ranked in the top 21 percent of schools nationwide. This milestone demonstrates the high school’s outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills, including communication, research, listening, writing and organization.
“The team showed so much growth this year, and we can attribute that to the hard work of the team officers and members,” said head coach Mary Morales. “We are also grateful for the tremendous support we have received from the school administrators, staff and parents.”
The National Speech & Debate Association was established in 1925 to provide recognition and support for students participating in speech and debate activities. Its mission is to connect, support and inspire individuals and schools devoted to giving middle school, high school, and college students access to speech and debate.
The 78 members of the high school’s Debate and Speech Team learn to see the power of deploying rational arguments and compelling evidence. They learn the skills of researching, organizing, presenting information in a compelling fashion, and performing in public with great poise and confidence.
— Carolyn Kramer Tillman
CHARLOTTE — Members of the 2017-’18 Student Advisory Board for the Diocese of Charlotte Schools met for the first time this school year Dec. 13 with Dr. Janice Ritter, superintendent; Debbie Mixer, assistant superintendent; and other school administrators.
Established by Ritter when she became superintendent in 2012, the board is comprised of students from the diocese’s three high schools: Bishop McGuinness in Kernersville, Charlotte Catholic, and Christ the King in Huntersville. Its aim is to connect diocesan schools leadership directly with students, particularly on school programs and issues important to young people.
“Meeting with our young people provides me with insights and a perspective that I would not gain otherwise,” Ritter said. “I find these students to be thoughtful, reflective and articulate. I value the time I spend with this group and I am grateful for their willingness to give their time to serve in this capacity.”
Members are: Matt Kelly, Isaac Kohl, Lexi Marty, Carter Shannon and Mary Walsh of Bishop McGuinness High School; Patrick Collins, Juliana Hancock, John Kelly, Mae Levin, Samantha Pean, Astrid Salinas, Kristopher Welch and Ramsey White of Charlotte Catholic High School; and Kaitlyn Kogler, Luke Langbo, AJ McMahon and James Metz of Christ the King High School.
Although board members are high school students, they are asked to consider issues from the perspective of all students. Serving on the board also provides them with the opportunity to talk with their peers in other schools. Board members may serve for up to two years.
At their Dec. 13 meeting, students were asked to reflect on the value of their Catholic education and articulate those points in a format that can be shared in the future.
Joining the meeting were Kurt Telford, principal at Charlotte Catholic; Dr. Carl Semmler, principal at Christ the King; and Leslie Redmon, media center director, of Bishop McGuinness.
In addition to engaging in discussions, the board is also charged with certain tasks. Over the years board members have developed a brochure for beginning teachers expressing the qualities of effective teachers, created a video tribute to teachers that was shared with teachers at a diocesan-wide professional development day, and met with visiting members of the accreditation team with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI), a division of AdvancEd.
During this coming year the board has three projects it hopes to complete: create a document that articulates the qualities students appreciate in their teachers; develop a video, inclusive of all 19 schools, which clearly shows how we live our mission in Catholic schools; spearhead a joint service project for all schools in the diocese.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor