The main office will serve as our headquarters and will be open at 7:00 am to start answering all your questions. Please bring any drops and/or substitutes to the office when you arrive.
The office can also help you store any coaches’ personal belongings or valuable items that
you do not want to store in the gym.
The main gym will serve as speech team headquarters for all students and coaches. Ratings will be posted here as well as outside the main office. The practice gym will be used as storage space for all set pieces including readers and choral blocks/ladders, ensemble acting tables, and musical theater tables and chairs. You can also use the practice gym as a warm-up space, but please keep the volume at a reasonable level and do not use any music players in this space as there is a performing center just next door. (Reminder that musical theater can warm up in the vocal music room.)
All contest centers will begin promptly at 8:00 am and should conclude before 5:00 pm. Check out the schedule tab on this website for more information. Reminder to be early to your performance time and be sure to tell your parents that the centers may run ahead of schedule. We would hate for them to miss a performance, but the show must go on as time allows. Make sure to notify your parents and spectators of your school code so they can follow along with the schedule.
Our office staff will NOT be providing school codes to anyone.
Complete contest programs will be available for purchase at the audience entrance doors for $2.
Programs will NOT be provided for coaches or students.
If there are problems or mistakes with the schedule,
please email contest manager Thomas Houdek at [email protected].
(Please email and refrain from leaving voicemails. Answering a quick email is much easier than keeping up on phone calls.)
I will try my best to work out the problem, but keep in mind hours upon hours were put into creating the schedule so we can’t change it simply because you “don’t like” your placement.
All special requests were to be submitted via phone to Craig Ihnen prior to scheduling. Distance from the contest site will be taken into consideration, but please be respectful of the schedule, especially if your school has numerous entries and category conflicts. There will be a chance I’ll ask you to wait until contest day to fix an issue based on other drops and holes in the schedule, so please be patient.
The office can also help you store any coaches’ personal belongings or valuable items that
you do not want to store in the gym.
The main gym will serve as speech team headquarters for all students and coaches. Ratings will be posted here as well as outside the main office. The practice gym will be used as storage space for all set pieces including readers and choral blocks/ladders, ensemble acting tables, and musical theater tables and chairs. You can also use the practice gym as a warm-up space, but please keep the volume at a reasonable level and do not use any music players in this space as there is a performing center just next door. (Reminder that musical theater can warm up in the vocal music room.)
All contest centers will begin promptly at 8:00 am and should conclude before 5:00 pm. Check out the schedule tab on this website for more information. Reminder to be early to your performance time and be sure to tell your parents that the centers may run ahead of schedule. We would hate for them to miss a performance, but the show must go on as time allows. Make sure to notify your parents and spectators of your school code so they can follow along with the schedule.
Our office staff will NOT be providing school codes to anyone.
Complete contest programs will be available for purchase at the audience entrance doors for $2.
Programs will NOT be provided for coaches or students.
If there are problems or mistakes with the schedule,
please email contest manager Thomas Houdek at [email protected].
(Please email and refrain from leaving voicemails. Answering a quick email is much easier than keeping up on phone calls.)
I will try my best to work out the problem, but keep in mind hours upon hours were put into creating the schedule so we can’t change it simply because you “don’t like” your placement.
All special requests were to be submitted via phone to Craig Ihnen prior to scheduling. Distance from the contest site will be taken into consideration, but please be respectful of the schedule, especially if your school has numerous entries and category conflicts. There will be a chance I’ll ask you to wait until contest day to fix an issue based on other drops and holes in the schedule, so please be patient.
Please remember one ballot (three for one-act) for each performance.
Copies of ballots will be available in the office for $1 per set if you happen to forget yours.
Remind your students that judges will give oral comments at district contest
(with the exception of the one-act center) at the end of their performance.
They are also not to speak to judges at any point during the contest day about their performance.
At the conclusion of your contest day once all of your ratings have been POSTED, we will distribute your comments sheets to you. We will NOT allow you to pick up comment sheets until all ratings are posted. Please do NOT camp out in the office waiting for them…go out and enjoy other performances until the contest day is over. If you wish to leave before your ratings are posted, you must leave a heavily stamped self-addressed envelope in the office before you leave.
Throughout the day, coaches should be with their students enjoying performances and most importantly supervising them and helping keep the hallways quiet. Please impress upon your students that this is a contest and not a sleep over, party, or a carnival. Do NOT let your team camp out in the gym! Reminder that stereos, iPod docks, guitars, and other players or instruments will be confiscated until the end of the contest day if they are creating too much noise anywhere in the school. (Only music players used for contest entries should be brought to contest and only played when warming up or in performance use.) Misbehavior will not be tolerated! DHS just completed an extensive remodel and we would like to keep it clean and tidy so that we can continue to host contest for you all. Remember that we are all part of the IHSSA Family. Thank you!
PLEASE USE THE PE LOCKER ROOMS NEXT TO THE CAFETERIA AS DRESSING ROOMS.
Do NOT use spectator restrooms as changing rooms.
(There is a make-up room and dressing rooms for one-act contestants only backstage.)
Weather related information will be released on KVIK 104.7, KQ 98.3, and KQ 92.3 radio stations as well as KWWL television and the IHSSA website. If weather related decisions need to be made, we will make a decision no later than 6:00 am the morning of contest day and will try to notify you all via email or phone as early as possible. If at all possible, a decision would be made the night before. Always remember that your safety is priority and we can work you in later in the day if weather creates issues for your transportation to contest.
Copies of ballots will be available in the office for $1 per set if you happen to forget yours.
Remind your students that judges will give oral comments at district contest
(with the exception of the one-act center) at the end of their performance.
They are also not to speak to judges at any point during the contest day about their performance.
At the conclusion of your contest day once all of your ratings have been POSTED, we will distribute your comments sheets to you. We will NOT allow you to pick up comment sheets until all ratings are posted. Please do NOT camp out in the office waiting for them…go out and enjoy other performances until the contest day is over. If you wish to leave before your ratings are posted, you must leave a heavily stamped self-addressed envelope in the office before you leave.
Throughout the day, coaches should be with their students enjoying performances and most importantly supervising them and helping keep the hallways quiet. Please impress upon your students that this is a contest and not a sleep over, party, or a carnival. Do NOT let your team camp out in the gym! Reminder that stereos, iPod docks, guitars, and other players or instruments will be confiscated until the end of the contest day if they are creating too much noise anywhere in the school. (Only music players used for contest entries should be brought to contest and only played when warming up or in performance use.) Misbehavior will not be tolerated! DHS just completed an extensive remodel and we would like to keep it clean and tidy so that we can continue to host contest for you all. Remember that we are all part of the IHSSA Family. Thank you!
PLEASE USE THE PE LOCKER ROOMS NEXT TO THE CAFETERIA AS DRESSING ROOMS.
Do NOT use spectator restrooms as changing rooms.
(There is a make-up room and dressing rooms for one-act contestants only backstage.)
Weather related information will be released on KVIK 104.7, KQ 98.3, and KQ 92.3 radio stations as well as KWWL television and the IHSSA website. If weather related decisions need to be made, we will make a decision no later than 6:00 am the morning of contest day and will try to notify you all via email or phone as early as possible. If at all possible, a decision would be made the night before. Always remember that your safety is priority and we can work you in later in the day if weather creates issues for your transportation to contest.
IMPORTANT BUS PARKING INFORMATION:
Please inform your bus drivers to enter the circle drive in front of the circle from the east
and drop you and your students off at the SECOND LARGE SET OF DOORS
labeled as the activity entrance on the map.
As soon as all students are dropped off, instruct your bus drivers to park their buses where the parking attendants instruct them to. Buses should remain there until the end of the day when students can be picked up at the same doors. Do NOT allow your bus drivers to park in the circle drive for ANY reason. It will create major traffic jams and many issues.
EQUIPMENT AND SET DROP OFF:
All equipment vehicles may enter the parking lot on the west side of the building. One-act props can be dropped off in the scene shop through the garage door. Please be extra quiet though as performances will be happening on stage at the same time.
All readers, choral, ensemble, musical theater equipment, tables, and chairs can be dropped off right into the practice gym also through doors on the west side of the school as marked on the map.
If your students enter through other doors with props and set pieces, they will be quite lost
and carry their equipment a long ways.
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE UNLOADING DIRECTIONS AS TO NOT CREATE
TRAFFIC JAMS IN THE PARKING LOTS AND THE HALLWAYS.
There will NOT be a bus drivers or coaches lounge this year as we are encouraging all bus drivers and coaches to be watching as many performances as possible and enjoy in the day together!
Please inform your bus drivers to enter the circle drive in front of the circle from the east
and drop you and your students off at the SECOND LARGE SET OF DOORS
labeled as the activity entrance on the map.
As soon as all students are dropped off, instruct your bus drivers to park their buses where the parking attendants instruct them to. Buses should remain there until the end of the day when students can be picked up at the same doors. Do NOT allow your bus drivers to park in the circle drive for ANY reason. It will create major traffic jams and many issues.
EQUIPMENT AND SET DROP OFF:
All equipment vehicles may enter the parking lot on the west side of the building. One-act props can be dropped off in the scene shop through the garage door. Please be extra quiet though as performances will be happening on stage at the same time.
All readers, choral, ensemble, musical theater equipment, tables, and chairs can be dropped off right into the practice gym also through doors on the west side of the school as marked on the map.
If your students enter through other doors with props and set pieces, they will be quite lost
and carry their equipment a long ways.
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE UNLOADING DIRECTIONS AS TO NOT CREATE
TRAFFIC JAMS IN THE PARKING LOTS AND THE HALLWAYS.
There will NOT be a bus drivers or coaches lounge this year as we are encouraging all bus drivers and coaches to be watching as many performances as possible and enjoy in the day together!
PARENT REMINDERS:
Admission of a suggested three dollar donation for each person kindergarten age or older will be asked for at each entrance. There are two main entrances on the front of the school that spectators can use to enter the building. All other doors will be locked during the contest day.
Programs will also be available at each entrance for $2 a piece.
It is important for you to know your school code before you arrive at the contest site as our office staff will NOT be allowed to share that information with any spectators.
Reminder that all photography and/or video of performances without the
permission of the IHSSA STATE OFFICE is strictly prohibited.
All cell phones and any other electronic devices should be turned off upon arrival at the contest.
INTERNET PASSWORDS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED DURING THE CONTEST DAY.
Spectators should arrive at least 30 minutes prior if not more to any competition. The rooms often run ahead of schedule and cannot wait for spectators. We would hate for you to miss a performance so please be early! The contest day will not stall to wait for parents.
Admission of a suggested three dollar donation for each person kindergarten age or older will be asked for at each entrance. There are two main entrances on the front of the school that spectators can use to enter the building. All other doors will be locked during the contest day.
Programs will also be available at each entrance for $2 a piece.
It is important for you to know your school code before you arrive at the contest site as our office staff will NOT be allowed to share that information with any spectators.
Reminder that all photography and/or video of performances without the
permission of the IHSSA STATE OFFICE is strictly prohibited.
All cell phones and any other electronic devices should be turned off upon arrival at the contest.
INTERNET PASSWORDS WILL NOT BE PROVIDED DURING THE CONTEST DAY.
Spectators should arrive at least 30 minutes prior if not more to any competition. The rooms often run ahead of schedule and cannot wait for spectators. We would hate for you to miss a performance so please be early! The contest day will not stall to wait for parents.