School notes for March 13

Oak Park High School

Outstanding orators: Sierra Sheppard, a junior, competes in state poetry finals on Thursday.

Sheppard advances to the Poetry Out Loud state contest in Jefferson City after winning the regional title at Park University. She presented recitations of three poems.

She will compete for the state championship with winners from nine other regional sites in Missouri.

In the American Legion’s state oratorical competition, Aggie Rieger, a senior, won the state championship and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship.

Her oration was titled “Let’s Talk About Pennsylvania.”

Rieger will compete at the national level with some 50 other contestants in April in Indianapolis.

Students were required to present an original oration about some phase of the U.S. Constitution and the duties and obligations of citizens.

Park Hill South High School

Educator honored: Journalism teacher Megan Hughes was selected as Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association.

Hughes was nominated by her students. She will receive the award during State Journalism Day on April 10 in Columbia and will represent Missouri in national competition later in the year.

Liberty School District

Debaters advance: Students have qualified for the National Forensic League’s tournament in June.

Competing in public forum debate at the tournament in Birmingham, Ala., will be Caroline Abbott and Hailee Ames and Kathrine Kuhlmann and Jimmy Sitzman, both teams from Liberty High School; and Quinn Mars and Raj Patel from Liberty North High School.

Max Accardi and Chris Vlamis from Liberty High will compete in policy debate.