Like many schools, Highland has hired a certified Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) judge to assess their district large group speech performances.

Speech Coach Jayme Kallous says the students will perform for the judge at the high school starting at noon tomorrow, “The kids thought that noon would be a good time for them to get good sleep and be refreshed, in their opinion. So, we’re actually going to host our first round of districts here and then if we move to state, we will bring in three new judges for them and then All-State will be done virtually through IHSSA this year.”

Kallous says their district performances will include their traditional group improv with eight students involved. She says preparing the students to perform hasn’t always been easy due to COVID-19 safety protocols including wearing masks, but they’ve been real troopers through it all.