Hello All!



As you are winding down your school year, please mark your calendars and plan to attend the Nebraska Speech  Communication and Theater Association Convention 2010! The theme for the convention will be From Pen to Paper to Performance. Writing will be a major part of the focus for convention! It should be a fantastic event!



The convention will take place in North Platte at the Sandhills Convention Center at the Quality Inn and Suites. The convention will take place October 1 & 2. We are currently attempting to have an NSAA Rules Meeting for speech and play production to take place on the evening of September 30.

Reservations are being accepted for attendees at the Quality Inn and Suites.  The phone number is (308) 532-9090 or 1-800-760-3333. Room block will be held until September 9 and must specify "Nebraska Speech Communication & Theatre Association" for the block rooms -- $72 for "deluxe sleeping room accommodations in the main and north buildings" or $129 for "2-room suites with inside entrances."  Both room options include a full hot breakfast buffet and are flat rates for 1-4 persons per room.



Please take a moment to visit the NSCTA website at http://www.nscta.info/.  Convention details will appear here as they become available. In addition, the website lists the various awards that NSCTA will present at convention. Would you take a moment to look over those awards and determine if you know
someone deserving? If so, please take the time to NOMINATE this person for the award. Nominations are due by July 15.



Thank you for being a part of the NSCTA! We look forward to seeing you at the 2010 convention in North Platte!



Jeffrey Horner

NSCTA Membership VP

Gerald S. Oswald Outstanding Service Award

• This award is given to persons who have demonstrated truly outstanding dedication to the discipline of speech communication. The award is reserved for those persons retiring, leaving the state, or changing assignments. The award may be presented posthumously.

Dale E. Black Outstanding Young Teacher of Speech & Theatre Award

• Two awards may be given: one from the elementary/secondary and one from the college/university level. "Young" is defined as having a maximum of seven years (including the present year) of teaching experience (not including student teaching or teaching as a graduate student).
  The award is given for such traits as enthusiasm for work, scholarly integrity, knowledge of subject matter, innovation, ability to motivate and stimulate students, worthy goals in teaching, and professional promise including such areas as involvement in professional associations, research, and writing. Primary emphasis will be given to the individual's classroom performance. Other areas (e.g. extracurricular activities) will be given secondary consideration.

Outstanding Administrator Award

• This award is granted to school administrators that have shown a great support of and dedication to the Fine Arts, including speech, debate, and theatre in our schools. It may be given to individuals in administrative positions at the elementary, secondary or college or university levels.

John Thurber Distinguished Teacher Award

• This award is given to persons who have been teaching for longer than seven years at the elementary, secondary, or university level. The honor is designed to recognize individuals who have displayed exceptional teaching ability, innovation in teaching methods, and contributions to the growth and professionalism of organizations in speech communications and/or publications.

The link with a list of schools organized by district is:
http://nsaahome.org/textfile/about/count.htm.

Details on parking, registration, sessions and other convention goings-on are now available.

• Please wear the colors of your "nation" on Saturday. If you show up in some sort of school garb, be sure to register for the Barnes and Noble gift card.
• I am still looking for photos of your speech, theatre, classroom kids in action. If you have photos you are willing to share, please email them to me as soon as you can. If I don't have enough, I can't complete the project. I know there are some priceless photos out there...let's show them off!

The tentative schedule for the 2008 NSCTA convention is ready. Nearly every session has four options, one each for curriculum, theatre, speech and debate.