Tehachapi News

Students thrill large crowd at oral language competition

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Tehachapi’s sharpest young thespians put on quite a show for hundreds of parents who crowded into the Tompkins Elementary cafeteria Tuesday night, Dec. 1 for the fourth- and fifth-grade district oral language competition.

“It was thrilling to see how amazing our students are,” competition judge Terry Reible said. “I was blown away.”

Students were given several minutes to recite a piece of literature. Contestants are judged on their memorization, as well as their ability to tell stories in interesting ways.

All winners advanced to the regional competition, which was scheduled to be held Tues., Dec. 8 at the Richard B. Lynch Auditorium in North Edwards.

Taking home the top prize in the verse choir category were Golden Hills Students Clarise Baker, Marie Sink, Valoree Haubruge, Taylor Williams, Faliciti Rahberger, Alexa Higginbotham and Angela Navarrete.

The group performed “The Birthday Party” from There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom by Louis Sachar.

The story detailed the saga and eventual horror of boys being invited to  an all-girls birthday party.

Emma Grimes of Tompkins won the serious solo category with an excerpt from Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.

The piece tells of a dramatic day when a young girl goes searching for her lost dog, and has an emotional moment with her lone parent, her father.

“It feels really good,” said Emma, who practiced her performance for several weeks.

Cummings Valley student Taylor Welch secured the top prize for the humorous solo category with her version of Judy Sierra’s “The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School.”

“It was really weird,” Welch said of the story. “And I like weird stuff.”

Cummings Valley students Dianna Partridge and Aubrey Siverson won the humorous duo category for reciting “Little Beaver and the Echo” by Amy McDonald.

McDonald’s tale chronicles the journey of a beaver who makes friends while wandering through the wilderness, drawn by the the echo of his own voice.

“The Pain and the Great One” by Judy Blume helped Golden Hills students Sierra Self and Maranda Maliska earn top honors in the serious duo category.

The short story was made up of jealous lamentations of a growing young girl.

Reible said it was difficult picking just one winner.

“I was hoping some kids don’t get discouraged,” she said. “I think it helps them grow.”

The middle school district oral language event occurred earlier that day at Jacobsen Middle School.

At the middle school’s oral language competition, Valerie Malcolm, Lizzie Segovia and Jasmine Medovitch took home first place in the verse choir category for their rendition of “Slugs” by David Greenberg.

In the humorous solo category, “Why the Chicken Crossed the Road” by David Macaulay won Hannah Miles a first place ranking.

Hailee Riddle and Presslee Gallegos were victorious in the humorous duo category after performing “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” by Judith Viorst.

Judges for the fourth and fifth grade competition were school district board trustee Patty Snyder and district employees Reible and Liz Hartgrove.