​INTRODUCING THE
​CULVER CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL
SPEECH TEAM!

SPEECH TEAM SPRING AUDITIONS

The speech team will be opening up 10 - 15 new spots for students interested in joining the team this Spring. Students will be able to train and compete in tournaments in acting, speech, and debate events.

Practices are after school every Thursday from 2:45 pm - 4:45 pm.
For interested students, audition materials can be picked up in
Room 217 on Thursday, January 9th, 16th, or 23rd between 2:45 pm - 4:45 pm.
Auditions are due on Friday, January 24th.

MANDATORY STUDENT & PARENT MEETING
Monday, January 13th from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
https://pepperdine-2u-com.zoom.us/j/3012172666
Zoom Meeting ID: 301 217 2666

Questions: Gina Polesetsky, Speech Coach, [email protected]

​Join the new speech team at Culver City Middle School! This is a year-long afterschool program that will meet once a week on Thursdays from 2:45 pm - 4:45 pm at CCMS and compete in 3 - 6 tournaments during the school year. This activity requires that students dedicate themselves to practices, attending as many of the tournaments as they can, and working on their own to memorize and practice their pieces.

Tournaments take place on weekends and allow the students an opportunity to present their work and compete with other middle school students. All student members will also be a part of an honors society associated with participation in speech and debate through the National Speech & Debate Association  https://www.speechanddebate.org/

This activity is open to 6th - 8th graders and allows our students an opportunity to compete in a variety of events that are designed to engage them in communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. Speech programs are not common at middle schools in our area, outside of private schools and a few charter schools, and this team will ensure that our students are afforded every opportunity to grow and have fun in this academic sport. CCHS does have a high school team that students can advance to when they complete 8th grade.

Students can compete in multiple events at scrimmages and tournaments. The 16 events students will be able to compete in are: 
  • Cold Reading: Performing a script that is provided onsite with one minute to prepare before performance.
  • Declamation: Delivering a public speech that is up to 10 minutes in length.
  • Dramatic Interpretation: Performing a selection up to 10 minutes in length of a dramatic play, short story, or other work.
  • Duo Interpretation: A memorized performance up to 10 minutes in length performed in a pair with two students.
  • Extemp: Speaking in a limited-prep event in which students receive a topic in the area of domestic news, international news, sports news, pop culture, economy, technology, and science, and have 30 minutes to prepare a speech up to 7 minutes in length.
  • Impromptu: Students draw a topic and have 7 minutes to brainstorm, outline, and deliver a speech with a intro, body, & conclusion.
  • Original Oratory: Students deliver a self-written speech on a topic of their choice that is up to 10 minutes in length.
  • Humorous Interpretation: Performing a selection up to 10 minutes in length of a humorous play, short story, or other work.
  • Informative Speaking: Performance of an original, factual speech to inform about a topic of the speaker's choice with optional audio-visual aids. This speech is memorized and up to 10 minutes in length.
  • Poetry Interpretation: Performance up to 7 minutes in length of poetry of literary merit.
  • Prose Interpretation: Performance of a single prose material (e.g. short stories, novellas, novels, articles, essays, etc.) of literary merit up to 7 minutes in length.
  • Sightreading: Performing a short story, essay, or article that is provided onsite with one minute to prepare before performance.
  • SPAR Debate: Judged on the basis of overall presentation, wit, persuasion and quality argument construction, SPAR is a single-competitor brief form of debate that includes opening statements, crossfire, and rebuttals.
  • Speech to Entertain: An original humorous speech up to 10 minutes in length that is memorized and can contain optional audio-visual aids.
  • Storytelling: Students select a published story that meets a specific theme and perform the story for up to 5 minutes.
  • Tall Tales: Students are provided 3 words and have 6 minutes to prepare and deliver a "Tall Tale" that incorporates all three words.​
If interested in joining, please email: [email protected]
​and include your name, phone number, your child's first and last name, and grade.  ​
​COST:
$275/semester + $20/per event/per tournament attended.
Scholarships will be available for students who want to participate, but are unable to pay fees.
SCHOLARSHIP LINK: https://tinyurl.com/SpeechScholarship
​
WHEN:
Thursdays, 2:45 - 4:45pm After School  /  Compete in 3-6 Tournaments.

WHERE:
CCMS Rooms 217, 218 & 222

WHO:
Open to 6th, 7th & 8th Graders
​
QUESTIONS?
Contact Coach Gina Polesetsky
[email protected]

IMPORTANT DATES & TIMES

Spring ‘25 Practice Dates (2:45 pm - 4:45 pm):
  • January 30
  • February 6, 13, 20 & 27
  • March 13 & 20
  • April 10, 17 & 24
  • May 1, 8 & 15

 Team End of Year Party & Awards Ceremony:
  • Saturday, May 31st (2:00 pm - 4:00 pm)
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​Expenses for the Speech Team are being generously subsidized by the Culver City Education Foundation (CCEF).

MEET THE COACHES

GINA POLESETSKY

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Gina Polesetsky (she/her) has extensive performance experience as a high school speech student, serving as the President of the Speech Team and a champion and finalist in the state of Texas in Poetry Interpretation and Prose Interpretation, with additional experience in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Cross-Examination Debate, Extemp, Humorous Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Duo Interpretation. In her previous career as a teacher, Coach Gina led the theater department and a speech and debate team for Alamo Catholic High School before leaving education to create an entertainment agency focused on speakers and comics focused on the college market which provided the opportunity to work with many professional speakers and performers over 20 years. Gina also developed, wrote, presented, and trained speakers for the program, Students Fight Back, teaching personal empowerment and self-defense to students internationally. After returning to school for a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, she sold her companies and began a full-time career as a therapist in private practice. She has also utilized her public speaking skills as a Humanist Chaplain for the past 9 years, providing services as a celebrant for weddings and end-of-life celebrations. Gina is thrilled to lead the CCMS Speech Team for Panther Partners, bringing the love of public speaking and performance to students. She believes that when young people find their voice, they step into their power and have a greater ability to positively impact the world around them.

JULIA LINGER

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Julia Linger (she/her) is a New Jersey native and graduate of Emerson College with a degree in Communications with honors. Coach Julia has always had a passion for speech and debate. After becoming the graduation speaker after winning her middle school's speech competition, the passion was ignited. She studied, judged, and competed in debate during her time in college and was a resident debater for the award winning Emerson Channel's debate show Speechless. She has also formally studied improv, theatre, and public speaking for over 15 years (and counting) and have had the privilege to create a career of it.  Coach Julia not only assists in coaching at CCMS, but teaches theatre and improv through a non-profit bringing arts education to at-promise youth in the Los Angeles area. 

KEVIN KING

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Kevin King (he/him) has extensive experience in coaching high school students in school and summer camp settings, including at the prestigious University of Texas, Austin National Institute of Forensics. His competition history includes placing in the NSDA finals for Original Oratory two years in a row, placing in the Texas Forensic Association finals for Duo Interp and Original Oratory in multiple years, and serving as his high school speech team captain two years in a row. Coach Kevin also competed in college and was a champion in Informative and Persuasive Speaking for the AFA and NFA National competitions. He served as the Speech Team Captain on his college team at UT Austin. In addition to his full-time career, Coach Kevin also has a speech writing and speech coaching business, focused on helping others achieve success in their public performances and presentations.

SURYA BUDDHARAJU

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Surya Buddharaju (he/him) is a graduate of acting programs at Columbia University and the Atlantic Acting School in New York. He has experience coaching individual clients and middle schoolers with a focus on interpretation events. In high school, Coach Surya made it to out-rounds in NSDA and NIETOC competing in Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Humorous Interpretation (HI), and Program Oral Interpretation (POI). He was a Nebraska State Finalist in HI, DO, and Poetry.

SAL TINAJERO, JR.

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Sal Tinajero, Jr. (she/they) is a writer and speech and debate coach located in Peoria, IL. She has eleven years of competitive experience in speech and debate, as well as nine years of coaching experience. In her time competing, she was one of the top 60 Duo Interpretations (DUO) in the nation and received 2nd place in Poetry at NSDA. At Orange Coast College, she made history as being part of the first community college team to win State and Nationals four years in a row. She was a CA state champion in DUO and Poetry, as well as a Bronze medalist in Program Oral Interpretation (POI) and Poetry, in addition to being a Silver medalist in DUO and Reader’s Theatre. In attending Western Kentucky University, she was a state champion in DUO, as well as top 24 in the nation in After Dinner Speaking and DUO at the NFA and AFA tournaments. As a coach, she has supported hundreds of students in their speech and debate journeys from elementary through collegiate levels of competition, and helped dozens of students reach national final rounds in Poetry, Informative Speaking (INFO), Original Oratory (OO), Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Humorous Interpretation (HI), Prose, Declamation (DEC), POI, Storytelling (STO), and DUO. She has also supported national champions in OO, INFO, DEC, Poetry, and POI. Her work aims to empower students and make their voices heard because it is through this activity that we find our leaders of tomorrow.

SUPRAJA SUDARSAN

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Supraja Sudarsan (she/her) is a student at Northwestern University. Coach Supraja coached a middle school team as a high school student, and also was an assistant camp director at a summer speech camp. She has extensive experience in platform and interpretation events, particularly in Original Oratory (OO), Humorous Interpretation (HI), and Dramatic Interpretation (DI). Her competitive success includes reaching the final rounds of several national invitational tournaments such as Yale, Emory, and Harvard. And, she was a double finalist at the 2023 Tournament of Champions (TOC) in HI and OO, and a semifinalist in OO at the NCFL and NSDA national tournaments.

FRANCES JEREB

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Frances Jereb (she/her) is a Communication student at UC Santa Barbara with broad speech and debate experience in the California Community College Circuit, receiving the Top Speaker Award at the 2024 CCCFA State Championship. Her competition experience centers on limited preparation events, receiving gold medals for both Extemporaneous and Impromptu speaking two years in a row at the Phi Rho Pi National Championship. Coach Fran has also competed nationally in IPDA debate, Communication Analysis, Persuasive, and Informative speaking.  As she finishes her degree, she is focusing on After Dinner Speaking and NPDA debate. Recently, Coach Fran also co-developed instructional coaching videos for beginner speakers at Moorpark College.