04.02.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:33 pm by glforensics
I hope that everyone has a fun, safe, and most importantly relaxing spring break! As you go about your week, please try to set an hour aside 1 or 2 days to run through your piece- even if it just your lines…this will help you stay fresh. Remember the week you come back is the week that we have our Regional tournament (that Saturday). We will hold practice Mon, Weds, and Fri. that week. We are still unsure if we are going to do any practicing this week for those of you in town. We will let you know. I have re-posted information about regionals below. As always, please feel free to contact either of us if you have questions.
Regionals Saturday April 16th @ Mattawan
We need to leave GLHS at 6 am.
This is going to be a long tournament because the schedule is different and run this regional is run at the same time as the BCD school regional. You will have 2 preliminary rounds and then there will be semis and finals. However, expect to have a hour between rounds and LOTS of down time. Bring homework, board game, book, etc. I would also suggest, if you would like, that you bring a change of clothes for “after”. Some of you will have your last round early, some late, finals rounds will be late and chances are that at least one of your coaches will be judging finals if not both. We can stash extra stuff in the cars. We will talk about Regionals again as we get closer to it.
I would also like to reiterate that if anyone has friends/parents/etc. that would like to come and join us at this tournaments they are more than welcome! Chances are we will have extra seats in the cars so they wouldn’t even need to drive if they didn’t want to (just let us know they’re coming 
)
Permalink
03.20.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:46 am by glforensics
First: GREAT JOB everyone this past Saturday at Walled Lake Western! It was a huge tournament and you all were fantastic performers and competitors. Sometimes it’s hard to clap for other people, but you represent Grand Ledge so well when you are able to congratulate the success of others.
Here are some notes about the upcoming week- our final run before regionals.
THIS WEDNESDAY March 23rd is the tournament at Albion.
We would like to leave the school no later than 2:15pm. We will be dismissing you from your 5th hour. We will leave from school and return to school. This means that those of you meeting us at the school will need to find someplace to park that is appropriate and won’t get in the way of everybody. The afternoon at Albion looks something like this:
General Meeting – 3:40 – 3:55
1st round – 4:00-5:00
2nd round – 5:00-6:00
Dinner – 6:00-6:30
3rd round – 6:30-7:30
You will need to bring money for dinner. Hopefully we will be home before 10.
It is your responsibility to be communicating with your teachers and your parents -BEFORE WEDNESDAY regarding the fact that you will be gone.
Saturday March 26th Mattawan High School- Last Tournament before Regional.
We will leave GLHS around 6:30 am. This tournament will be like a normal tournament.
Regionals Saturday April 16th @ Mattawan
We need to leave GLHS at 6 am.
This is going to be a long tournament because the schedule is different and run this regional is run at the same time as the BCD school regional. You will have 2 preliminary rounds and then there will be semis and finals. However, expect to have a hour between rounds and LOTS of down time. Bring homework, board game, book, etc. I would also suggest, if you would like, that you bring a change of clothes for “after”. Some of you will have your last round early, some late, finals rounds will be late and chances are that at least one of your coaches will be judging finals if not both. We can stash extra stuff in the cars. We will talk about Regionals again as we get closer to it.
I would also like to reiterate that if anyone has friends/parents/etc. that would like to come and join us at any of these tournaments they are more than welcome! Chances are we will have extra seats in the cars so they wouldn’t even need to drive if they didn’t want to (just let us know they’re coming )
Again, we are so proud of all the hard work and progress that you have put forth this season!
Remember we are just a text, email, or phone call away.
~Your Coaches
Permalink
02.09.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:09 am by glforensics
Here is some information regarding Saturday’s tournament.
We are going to Birch Run High School which is roughly 1.5 hours away. We need to leave GLHS @ 6:30 am.
Breakfast will be available in the morning.
General Meeting at 8:30
Round 1 will begin @ 9 a.m.
Awards will be around 5.
I am hoping to be back at GLHS no later than 7:30
Please remember to bring food/money for food that day. I will have water, juice, and granola bars.
Right now, there is one extra seat in my car. If you would like to go, please make sure you sign up outside Mrs. AY’s room-this is first come, first serve. If my car is full and others would like to go, you will need to make arrangements. Please be smart and safe about this.
Again, any questions comments concerns. Please feel free to contact me. ~Laura
Permalink
01.23.11
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:15 pm by glforensics
Can you believe that it is time for our first tournament already?!?! I am so geeked! (see how I continued the rhyme scheme there?)
(Cough) Anyhow…. Reminder that regardless of whether you are supporting or competing you need to sign up outside of Mrs AY’s room so we know about cars. There will be practice Monday and Wednesday this week (maybe Friday?). We should be seeing strong memorization and rough drafts this week! We should also be able to get some answers about shirts so that you will be able to have something to wear on Fridays/at the tournaments. Reminder, any comments, questions, concerns, feel free to get ahold of either of us through email, phone, and facebook.
See you soon,
Your coaches
Permalink
12.22.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:02 pm by glforensics
I hope all of you are spending time sleeping in to make up for all the early Saturdays that will be occuring once the season starts! 
Just some odds and ends to keep in mind over break.
~ We will meet the Wednesday of the week that school comes back into session, and then the following week, start practices on Monday and Wednesday.
~Over break you should be writing your speeches, memorizing your scripts, or finding scripts. Everyone should be attending the Jan. 29th tournament regardless of whether you are competing or not so that you can observe.
~Congrats on the fundraising! We were able to raise over $100! I can’t wait to see what we are capable of accomplishing in the new year!
~If you have any questions comments or concerns even, if it’s just about your piece, please feel free to contact either of us.
We hope you have a restful and enjoyable break!
Permalink
11.23.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:52 am by glforensics
I know that many of you were unable to attend Monday’s meeting, but given how much is going on right now (yay end of exams!) we understand. However coming back next week we will have to get into high gear for fund-raising. Here’s the game plan to sell puppy chow for the next three weeks before Christmas:
Next Wedsnesday (Dec 1) We will meet as usual but we are also asking, if you are able, to bring in/donate supplies to make the puppy chow. Remember the store brand on all of these items is ok! These are: Chex-type rice cereal, peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, small (quart size) resealable sandwich bags,or if you want to pitch in a couple dollars to put towards buying butter it would all help out alot!
Wednesday afternoon/night Liz, Kayleigh and Nick will be making the puppy chow and we are assured that it won’t take more than an hour or so. Extra helpers are always appreciated. Many hands make a light load.
Thurs and Friday we will sell during lunch in the gym. On Monday don’t forget that you will pick up your new trimester schedule and on Wedsnesday we will see who is available for which lunch and discuss logistics.
I think we will try and repeat this for all the weeks.
We will also be figuring out pretzel planning at next weeks meeting.
We think we found a good T-shirt design and we will show you next Wednesday. Liz do you think your friend Tim could get us a rough sketch for next meeting?
I know that you are all on the edge of your seats waiting for a tournament schedule, and it looks like you will have one the first Full week of December, but for right now, block off Jan 29th for Ford Fest at Groves High School (down near Royal Oak). That being said, some of you need to start buckling down on finding pieces so that you are able to polish over Winter Break.
Thank you all for your good work. I hope you have a relaxing break. Best, Laura
Permalink
11.18.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:28 am by glforensics
Hey All,
First and most importantly-practice will be held MONDAY of next week.
Sorry about the delay in posting new info…Here is the update on Fundrasing:
~We are not allowed to do 50/50 raffles
~Will will not be able to sell food outside of driver’s ed room
~No answer -yet- from athletic director…and since we are more or less “there” on the musical, I don’t think that will pan out.
That leaves us with the balloon pop, food items at lunch, and the bottle return in terms of top ideas we would like to pursue.
Since we will need to get a lot done that day, I would like to assign a few small tasks to people to speed everything up. Many of you I am asking you to “price out” something. If you are confused on this or are looking for a starting point, I will explain at the end of the post. I know that we do not have exact quantities, but use your imagination…think about how many you might think we would sell at a lunch, then times that quantity by 10 (2 lunches, 5 days).
Lee- You said your parents had a Sam’s membership? Can you price out the dum-dum suckers and see if they have bulk silly bands and price those out too?
Kayleigh- Since you are our resident expert 
Can you price out making puppy chow?
Liz and Nick- If you could price out the pretzel idea (chocolate, pretzel rods, peppermint candy, plastic bags) I don’t we have to be quite as fancy as these
but something along those lines
Sean-Can you see where we can get balloons and red ribbon (for the pretzels) the cheapest? Once you have a price on ribbon, report it to Liz and Nick so that they finish their price out. Could you also see if you can get a consensus from you fellow team mates as to what would be a fair price to charge people to pop a balloon or buy a pretzel?
Elena- Can I delegate T-shirts to you? Can you call around the places in GL and just see what they would want for a T-shirt verses a Long Sleeve verses Sweat shirt verses a zip sweatshirt (if that’s what you guys really want)…we’re only going to need maybe 10…I’m also going to have you be in charge of collecting design ideas, so you have my official permission to hound people
That being said you should ALL maybe come up with a design-Mrs Kendall and I will give one too.
I know that many of you have lots going on before the break (and some of you still need to find your pieces) but if you could do this it would be greatly appreciated.
THANK YOU(!) and have a good weekend! Your Coaches
Pricing Out :
This simply means that you are finding out how much it costs to make/acquire each Thing you are going to sell, so that you know that you will know not only that you are charging enough to make a profit, but how much that profit should be. Sometimes it is many steps, sometimes only one. Follow these steps to help you out:
1) Make a list of all the items you need to make your thing. Let’s say that I am going to sell a decorated pencil: I am going to need to buy pencils and stickers to put on the pencil.
2) See how much each of those items cost. I could buy 5 pencils for $10 (hypothetically) which would mean $2/pencil. But I can also get pencils in bulk at 20 pencils for $5 dollars meaning each pencil is $0.25. Since I know that I want to sell at least 20 pencils, this is my better bet.
3) Now I need to see about my stickers. After deciding about which kind of sticker that I want (animal? shiny? smelly?) I find out which quantity at a certain price is best, just like with the pencils. Remember, I need to make at least 20 pencils, so I would need at least 20 stickers. Let’s say I find stickers and I figure out that each sticker in a package of 10 is $0.10.
4)Knowing that I am going to put 1 sticker on each pencil I add $0.25 + $0.10 and I know that each ‘finished product’ costs $0.35 to make (since labor is free), so I should not charge less than that.You can find this another way also- How much will it cost to buy all the supplies?
(1 set of20 pencils @ $5) + (2 sets of stickers @ $1) = $7
$7/20 pencils = $0.35.
5) Sometimes, like with puppy chow, you are forced to make a base amount of something (i.e. use the whole box of cereal) so you figure out how much to make 1 batch, determine what size each serving will be, and see how many servings are in a batch and then do your math.
Permalink
10.26.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:40 pm by glforensics
Hey All!
In case you have forgotten the meet/tournament at Utica is THIS SATURDAY. We still have practice on Wednesday (TOMORROW). If you have not gotten your paperwork into us you need to do this ASAP, especially if you are planning on attending. I hope my capitalization is conveying my sense of urgency. Please read the items below-you may find them useful.
You can’t compete unless you observe. This is an excellent chance to do so. You may be saying “Laura! I have no idea what I need to do/be/bring/ahhhhh!” No worries, I will tell you now:
A) The car leaves at 6am. Be there at 5:55.
B) You might want to bring breakfast for later. I do not know if there will be ‘breakfast’ food available at the school. Please bring only drink containers that have secure lids. Clean cars make happy drivers
C) You will need to bring money or pack food for lunch (available at the school) AND dinner (usually fast food on the way home). You might also want to bring a water bottle.
D) You will need to bring something to do in the ‘down’ times between events. Homework, cards, book….you get the picture. Remember you will want to bring things that you can carry with you easily. Also, do not bring anything that might be tempting for someone else to take home (laptops, ipods, etc).
E) It will be a long day. Those of you who are not competing can dress in what you would normally wear to school (jeans, t’s ect). I would suggest layering. Remember, even as an observer you are a representative of GLHS. Competitors are expected to dress accordingly(and bring a writing utensil!).
F) Hopefully we will leave around 5:30pm putting us home around 8ish. However, I cannot promise anything. You will be able to call so that your rides will be there and waiting for you when we arrive (hint hint) Do not make plans for that evening.
G) Remember you will not be able to get into the school building at anytime
H) All school rules still apply even though we are off-campus
All that serious-ness aside. I am excited for this weekend and look forward to spending time with you all as we cheer on our Duo competitors.
Please feel free to contact us (facebook, email, text, note, Morse code, etc.) if you have ANY questions.
Best, Your Coaches
Permalink
10.16.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 8:39 am by glforensics
Hey everybody!
Wow! What a great (and fast) couple weeks it has been. We have really enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you all and hearing your thoughts as to what you would like to accomplish this season. We are really impressed with the ideas that you are bringing to the table.
Now that we are really underway, a couple of really important reminders:
1) YOUR PAPERWORK AND MONEY IS DUE OCT. 20th. That would be our meeting next week. You should bring your permission slip and at least your $5.00 pay-to-play fee.
2) You should be making your arrangements regarding the Oct. 30th tournament. This is a great opportunity to see many different events and support our Duo who is going to compete. Those of you that are positive you are going need to sign up on the sheet outside of Mrs. A-Y’s room. Those of you who are unsure need to find out and either sign up or remove your name from the list. We need to know how many people are going so that we can get cars and drivers lined up. Remember, you can not go if you do not have a permission slip turned in.
3) You need to be deciding on the material that you are going to perform. That may mean finding a script, a novel, a kid’s story, or choosing a product or topic.You can find material in Mrs. A-Y’s room, at the library, or online (we have some links here on the right) Once you have a piece, photocopy/type a copy that you will be able to mark/write on. Once you have done that, try to do the following
* Think about how you are going to present that piece in 5-8 minutes (roughly). This may mean you read it aloud (yes out-loud, not silently) while timing it. This may mean you start by creating a simple outline/sketch of the plot and selecting a key idea that you want to convey. This may mean doing some overview research on a product or topic.
*Those of you who already have a script should really start thinking about your blocking/actions. When are you going to sit? When are you going to stand? When should a character walk around? What is your high point/climax and what actions are going to convey this?
Remember, the more you bring to us in rehearsal/practice, the more we can help you. The piece is your baby, and while we provide suggestions, it is about YOU developing YOUR own presentation.
Feel free to contact either of us if you have any questions. Have a great weekend!
Your coaches
Permalink
10.02.10
Posted in Uncategorized at 5:04 pm by glforensics
Hi Everyone!
First I would like to welcome you to the GL Forensics Blog. It is on this site that we will post information regarding practices, tournaments, and other comments. We will also use this site to post forms such as the tournament schedule when it is established. Feel free to look around at the older posts and get a feel for things we have done in the past and how we use this site to communicate.
Second, We can’t express how excited we are about the upcoming season! You seem to be a great group of kids with good ideas of events you might want to participate in. The sooner you know what you’re doing, the sooner you can start practicing and we can help you get better. Hopefully, you guys are as excited (or getting as excited) as we are.
Third-Please keep in mind the tournament on Oct 3oth. We would really like to get everyone to go to observe different events. Which leads me to…
Fourth-Please get your paperwork into Mrs. Kendall ASAP so that we know who to bug and who not
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either of us through facebook or email.
Go Team!
Permalink
← Previous Entries
