Students showcase speech team and project-based learning; district schedules May 22 student showcase

ROWAN COUNTY, Ky. — Students from Rowan County Middle School and Rowan County Senior High School presented during the board’s April 14 special meeting, sharing competition results and project-based-learning work and asking the board and community to attend upcoming showcases.

Brenna McLean, a three-year member of the RCMS speech team, reviewed the team’s 2024–25 season results and said the group placed in sweepstakes five times, including two first-place finishes, and won the regional championship for the second consecutive year. "Speech and debate has been close to me for a while now," McLean said, describing how debate helped her use her voice and accept both winning and losing.

The speech team reported numerous individual awards: 39 first-place finishes, 44 seconds, 24 thirds, 27 fourths, 27 fifths and 22 sixths across their season, and the team qualified for the Kentucky High School Speech League state tournament where the school placed second runner-up. Coach Chelsea Watts and assistant coaches Nikki Cornett, Ivy Litton and Hayden Watkins were named during the presentation.

High school teachers and students also described a cross-curricular project-based-learning (PBL) unit in which freshmen use research and scripted arguments to advocate on topics ranging from mental health to school nutrition and pay.…