St. Dominic Catholic School

Forensics

Every other year the Sheboygan Catholic schools have a "friendly" citywide Forensics Competition in the spring. It is usually in conjunction with our Catholic Schools Week activities.

As adults many of us are still uncomfortable with speaking in front of others and would have benefited from a program like this. It is an absolutely wonderful opportunity for our young people to get up in front of a small group and present a piece of literature that they really like and enjoy. The confidence, grace, and composure they get from doing this is priceless!

Students from grades five through eight may participate in several categories. They can choose from prose, poetry, or group reading, and it is vital that they choose their own selection. Each category has a particular time limit for the piece presented as well as numerous points to be evaluated by the judges. Each student or group works with a coach(es) from their school. These coaches might be teachers or parents!

Qualified judges assess each presenter on the night of the competition. Students win ribbons for first, second, or third place, but the real prize is in what they gain from just doing this. I assure you it is enjoyed by the coaches and judges as much as the students!