MONT BELVIEU Barbers Hill High students continue to distinguish themselves among their academic peers.
Francophiles from around the state of Texas met at the Woodlands High School in March for the 44th annual Texas State French Symposium.
The Symposium gives students the opportunity to meet with and compete against other high school French speakers throughout the state. This year, approximately 1,200 students from 50 high schools competed. The contest begins with written tests in grammar, vocabulary, civilization, and listening.
It is also an intense two-day competition with memorized recitations in poetry, prose, sight reading, descriptions of pictures, and drama presentations.
Non-academic areas of competition include art, projects, collages, and photography.
At the end of the competition, all schools are rated on a point system. Barbers Hill High School was ranked number 19 in the state—-this includes schools as Kingwood, Woodlands, Klein, Bellaire, Plano, Austin, John Cooper, etc.
This is a great accomplishment considering that the larger 5A schools can compete with 40 students and Barbers Hill, due to its size and enrollment, only competed with 16 students.
Out of the 16 students competing, 14 students advanced to the semi-finals (Top 20) and 6 students advanced to the finals (Top 10).
State winners were: Lillie Mayeux (French 2), 6th poetry and 7th guided speaking; Jennifer Dubose (French 2), 7th project; Ashley Wright (French 2), 6th collage; Jennifer Meeks (French 1), 6th drama solo; and Hailey Brookshire (French 1), 7th poetry.
Also advancing to the finals (Top 10) were: Brian Bender (French 3), drama solo and sight reading; Jenny Medrano (French 1), poetry; and Mirian Arana (French 2), vocal solo.
Semi-finalists (Top 20) were Ginna Blankenship, Lauren Hoyt, Julia Miller Janie Calzoncint, Jessica Miller, Miranda Petrosky
Katie Piper and Matt Wade also participated in the competition.