Speech and Surah Competition
​Rules and Regulations

Kindergarten  to  Level 2 --- Surah Competition
Level 3 – Level Youth Group --- Speech Competition


I. Introduction
1. Speech competition will take place on a date according to the calendar. The Speech Competition will be the second competition of the year. 
2. The speech competition is a requirement for all students enrolled in Sunday School.
3. Only registered students will be allowed to participate in the competition. It is the teachers' responsibility to make sure all the participants are registered.  If it is later discovered that the Winner of ANY COMPETITION is not registered in the school, the name of the unregistered winner will be withdrawn, and the medal will go to the next participant in line.


II. Topics
1. Level Pre-K to Level 2: Surah Competition. Teachers will select one surah per class and students will recite.
          a. The surah without meaning: Level KG and Level 1
           b. The Surah with meaning: Level 2
2. Levels 3 to Youth Group: Speech Competition - One topic per class. 
3. Topics will be announced by the teachers in class three weeks before the in-class competition, allowing three weeks for preparation.
4. The in-class competition will be held one week before the actual competition.


III. In-class Competition Day
1. The In-class Competition will be held during the first half of the school day, before lunch break. Students who are absent will not be allowed to participate. The in-class competition will end at Lunch break. 
2. Teachers will not be allowed to judge students within their own classes. Judges will be selected for each class. Speeches will be graded by the judges based on the grading rubric.
3. Students will give their speeches in front of the entire class, not privately, as this is a public speaking competition.
4. Students are allowed to bring in index cards or their speech written on paper. Students may lose points for having a paper aid during the speech.
5. Speeches must be a minimum of 3 minutes and no longer than 4 minutes.

IV. In-class Competition Winner Selection
1. Four students will be selected to participate in the final competition.
2. The four selected students will be announced the same day as the in-class Competition.
3. Teachers will be provided with a list of the selected students for their class.
4. Selected students’ names will be posted on the Al-Noor Islamic School website.

V. Competition Day
1. The competition will be conducted by the Board of Regents.
2. Students who are absent on the day of the competition will not be included in the competition.
3. Four judges will be selected by the administration.
4. Students can bring only one index card, size 4x6 inches for speech topic points. Computer printed or handwritten paper with full written speech is not allowed. Participants may lose the point when using paper aid.
5. Speeches must be a minimum of 3 minutes and no longer than 4 minutes. Assigned timekeepers will be monitoring the stopwatch and will ring the bell at 3 minutes and 30 seconds for a warning bell and again at 4 minutes, at which point the student will be asked to stop. Students will lose points for going beyond the 4-minute limit.

VI. Grading
Speeches will be graded by the judges based on the grading rubric.

VII. Winner Selection
1. Assigned tabulators will compile the results.
2. Winners will be selected as follows:
      a. 1st place- Gold Medal
      b. 2nd place- Silver Medal
      c. 3rd place- Bronze Medal
      d. 4th place- Honorable mention certificate
3. Winners will be announced the same day of the competition.
4. Teachers will be provided with a list of winners for their class.
5. Winners will be posted on the Al-Noor Islamic School website
6. Winner list will be posted on the Al-Noor Islamic School bulletin board.

Tips: How to win a Speech Competition

1.    Build your self-confidence. This can be done by reading extensively to master the language you speak and it helps you find the right words for your speech. When you are in front of a crowd, you might naturally get self-conscious about the way you look. That is why you should always make sure you have dressed smart and that you are looking good before going up on stage.

2.    Read a lot of material eventually and write your speech without over-thinking.The best of speeches are often those which are written in just a couple of minutes. However, you should revise and edit your speech, always thinking in terms of how the audience will respond. You should not use the opportunity to show off your knowledge or interests. Public speaking is about pleasing the audience and the audience is pleased when they understand what you are talking about.

3.    Humor is important to retain the audience's attention. When they laugh, they listen more attentively because some sort of fun is sensed in your speech. Yet, do not make abuse of humor as it might undermine seriousness.

4.    Practice is the most important thing in public speaking. It eliminates stage fright and makes you confident. You can practice in front of a group of friends and tutors. The more you practice, the better. It also allows you to get some feedback. You might then wish to modify certain portions of your speech.

5.    Do not get intimidated by your opponents. They will appear confident and deliver good speeches. You might start comparing yourself to them, but that is a mistake. You should forget them completely, and do not try to analyze how well they did.

6.    Always stand out through the different phases of the competition by appearing very confident. You should visualize yourself as being very charismatic and it will translate in the way you behave.

7.    Maintain eye contact at all times. Look at every single person in the room. People feel secretly flattered when you look at them: they think you intentionally looked at them because they are special in some way. Scan the entire audience with your eyes.

8.    Have appropriate body language to accompany your speech and do not be excessive. You should realize that you become the center of attention and people are watching you all the time. You should also not forget to appear physically confident before and after speaking.

9.    Speak loudly. A good public speaker must be able to speak without a microphone. This immediately draws attention and it is a sign of your commitment to passing on your message. Most of your opponents will forget this important aspect and the jury might not even hear their speeches properly.

Tips
1. You should believe that you are the most interesting and important person and that, it is the audience's loss if they fail to listen to you.
2. If you get uncomfortable making eye contact to strangers, you don't have to look straight in the eye. Looking at their nose or forehead gives the impression that you're making eye contact without suffering from anxiety.

Warnings
Rest before your competition and avoid practicing too much the day before and the day of your competition. Your voice might get tired and sound really funny. It is not a pleasurable experience.