March 2011

March was a month of much schoolwork and long practices preparing for our TACS state competition.  I usually go to Gatlinburg as a sponsor for our honor society, but didn't get to make the trip this year.  Since the event is hosted by TACS, Brian got to go and on his way home he stopped at Pottery Barn in Knoxville.  He received some help and surprised me with some beautiful spring decorations.  I love this centerpiece.  The spring touches lifted our spirits and gave us hope that the long winter would eventually come to an end.

I did get to go to Gatlinburg on March 11 & 12 with one of my teacher friends for the "Dare for More" women's retreat.  The founder and speaker of the retreat is my good friend Reba Bowman.  It was a relaxing, challenging weekend during which I was recharged.  I'm so thankful that I was able to go.

Finally it was time for state competition.  We planned and prepared for this event all year long.  We drove to Murfreesboro and spent the night on Wednesday, March 23.  Elementary and junior high speech competitions were on Thursday.  Although we had a few close calls everyone showed up, performed, and handled the pressures of competition like champions.

Here is the junior high choric speaking group preparing to compete.  Both this group and the junior high reader's theater did very well.  Both groups won first place in state and the reader's theater group got to perform at the Thursday night awards ceremony.  One girl told me she was so nervous to perform in front of everyone.  However when she was up on her box saying her lines she said it hit her that she really loved it.  That's the rush I always had as well. 

On Friday the "Big Dogs" arrived ... senior high speech students.  I was so proud of all of these students.  There were 15 in the choric speaking group and almost everyone competed in at least one other speech category as well.  We had a blast during competition.  We actually have a little "following"...the students told me some ladies asked them when and where they were performing because they came to watch Berean. Both choric speaking and readers theater won first in state.  We also placed first in senior high religious reading, declamation, duet acting and humorous interpretation. 

At the senior high awards assembly on Friday afternoon choric speaking and the girl that won humorous performed.  Our school won the award for overall points in senior high.  What a wonderful time we had and best of all, all 15 students qualified to continue on to the AACS National competition at BJU on April 12-14. 

Thankfully our spring break began as soon as state competition finished.  I needed the week to recover.  We stayed around town, but had a relaxing week.  Brian even took a vacation day.  Although the week went by quickly, I felt much better by the end and then it was time to return to school on April 4.  To be continued ...

April 2011

(I'm almost caught up:)