Christian schools hold regional speech meet

Heather Cory

Green Valley Christian Academy student Taylor Ostrowski entertains parents before she competes in the Association of Christian Schools speech competition Friday at Mountain View Christian School.

By Frances Vanderploeg (contact)

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 | 2:35 p.m.

Heather Cory

Calvary Chapel's Mary Cullen talks to her daughter, Summer, before she competes in the Association of Christian Schools speech competition on Friday at Mountain View Christian School.

Heather Cory

Green Valley Christian Academy student Nadia Voelkening and her mother, Michele, make their way through the halls of Mountain View Christian School to the classroom where Nadia will compete in the Association of Christian Schools speech competition.

Hundreds of students from around Las Vegas and Henderson yelled and giggled while taking the stage of an east Las Vegas private Christian school Friday to celebrate one of many events held by the Association of Christian Schools International.

The elementary school regional speech meet was held on the campus of Mountain View Christian Schools, drawing students from 10 local private Christian schools, including Calvary Chapel, Calvary Christian Academy, Community Christian Academy, Cornerstone Christian Academy, Grace Christian Academy, Green Valley Christian Academy, Lake Mead Christian Academy, Mount Olive Lutheran, Mountain View Christian Schools and Word of Life Christian Academy. A small group from Flagstaff Community Christian School also participated.

The students rushed the stage as their school was called up, each waiting in eager anticipation for their name to be called and a ribbon to be presented.

Students earn points based on memorization and oratory skills. At the end, they were presented with one of three ribbons: blue for superior, red for excellent and white for good.

Frances Vanderploeg can be reached at 990-2660 or frances.vanderploeg@hbcpub.com.