ABOUT
ABOUT
ABOUT
Katy Speech & Debate Academy
Informed thinkers. Confident speakers.
Our Middle School Students
2023 Fall Speech & Debate Students
Keanee D.
6th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
"I like how we learn about different types of speeches. We learn about posture, how to speak, tone, volume, and different types of speaking such as extemporaneous and informative. This class has helped me be more confident learning how to project my voice and how to pronunciate and improve my diction while speaking. We do lots of speech drills and every week we do reading logs which helps us write summaries and learn about what is going on in the world. We present speeches which help us practice everything we learn. Overall, this class has helped me grow as a speaker."
Hanna L.
6th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
"This class has helped me know the proper volume you need in order to give a speech. With getting help from comments, it has helped me get to know how to give out a speech. The informative speech has helped me know how to plan out a speech, make revisals, and how to project. The reading logs have helped me to summarize an article and the articles taught me a lot of facts. When I started this class, I wasn't able to give a speech well. Now, I can do 4 minutes at my best and speak confidently."
Evelyna R.
7th Grade
Beck Junior High
"Speech Class has helped me so much! I have been here for 3 semesters and I have noticed so much personal improvement. It helped me with impromptu speeches, toasts and class work. It helped me a lot with my impromptu toasts at the dinner table, earning me the title of one of my family's toastmasters. I also love the speech drills that we do in class which helps me speak fluently and not say um. Thank you for the speech class."
Elina K.
6th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
"This class has helped me a lot including how to research, how to speak confidently, and has improved my ability to write. It has allowed me to make wonderful friends and have fun. I am so glad I have enrolled in this class. Thank you Mrs. Luu."
Siya M.
Grade
Junior High
"I learnt a lot in this class. I leant about the correct posture I have to stand in. I made a few friends in this class and whenever we are able to, I can talk to them. At the start of the semester, I wasn't very excited about talking to people. Now, I'm not as nervous as I was at the start. I can speak more loudly and confidently. I am warming up to this class really quickly and I am excited to see what we are doing next."
Isabella F.
7th Grade
Haskett Junior High
"What I learned is how to improve my speech and how to organize it. I learned also how to speak confidently and how to write an informative. I love this class because I have improved a lot on how to write and speak pretty quickly too. I made a lot of friends in only under 12 weeks and I hope to improve some more. Thank you Mrs. Luu."
Nathan A.
5th Grade
St. John Paul the II Catholic School
"I enjoyed having fun researching and playing games which helped me in gaining more confidence. I liked making new friends and learning new words and how to prepare for a tournament. I learned a lot from topics like global leaders."
Isabella F.
7th Grade
Haskett Junior High
"What I learned is how to improve my speech and how to organize it. I learned also how to speak confidently and how to write an informative. I love this class because I have improved a lot on how to write and speak pretty quickly too. I made a lot of friends in only under 12 weeks and I hope to improve some more. Thank you Mrs. Luu."
Aditya A.
6th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
"I enjoy being with my friends while learning. I have learned how to research more. I have also learned how to memorize things quicker. My writing also became better. After taking this class, my English grades have increased a lot. I suggest that everyone that is struggling with speaking should take this class."
Samantha M.
7th Grade
Adams Junior High
Maks L.
6th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Swastik R.
6th Grade
Adams Junior High
Manasvi N.
6th Grade
Sartaria Middle School
Samuel L.
4th Grade
Kilpatrick Elementary School
Ben R.
7th Grade
Beck Junior High
"I enjoyed 2023 because I practiced writing an informative and saying it in front of the class. We did speech drills like tongue twisters and it was very fun. Speech is a very fun class and I will probably come back next year."
Andy S.
7th Grade
Tays Junior High
2023 Summer Debate Students
Back row: Rishi (7th), Vihaan (7th), Aarya (6th), Zoe (7th)
Front row: Shaunak (6th), Andy (7th)
Not pictured: Luke (5th), Noora (5th), Tasreef (6th)
Front Row: Sean (8th), Gabriel (8th), Name (#), Mya (8th), Annika (9th)
Find a playlist of these student's informatives here.
2023 Spring Debate Students
Anika L.
7th Grade
Smith Middle School
Lina L.
7th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
Luke Z.
4th Grade
Stanley Elementary School
Jessica F.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Isabel H.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Yanxi L.
9th Grade
Jordan High School
Raghav A.
8th Grade
Seven Lakes High School
Asmir K.
8th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
Dhruv C.
10th Grade
School
Kevin C.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Rishi P.
Grade
Tays Junior High
Sarvesh A.
6th Grade
School
Andy C.
8th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Sean N.
7th Grade
Adams Junior High
Vihan S.
5th Grade
Huggins ElementarySchool
2023 Spring Speech Students
Evelyn R.
6th Grade
Beck Junior High
"Every Sunday, I go to speech class and I love it, but more importantly. I've learned so much from it. I have been able to write my speeches faster and the words flow a lot easier to me than a lot of people at my school. I've learned to analyze articles and quickly write speeches about them. In class, we also get to memorize our speeches and present them which has helped me a great deal with memorizing things in a short amount of time. I also love that we get to play this game where you try to sell an item which helps you with improvisation skills and not saying "um" so much. In conclusion, this class is AMAZING and it is so much fun."
Isabella F.
6th Grade
Haskett Junior High
"The main thing that I enjoy about this speech class is how much I have improved in public speaking. It also really helps me get out of my comfort zone. But not only that, this class helped me with writing quicker and I know what to say. But I also feel like I can speak my mind without being judged, but if people were giving feedback, I know that it's to help me improve my speeches."
Luke Z.
4th Grade
Stanley Elementary School
"Speech and debate class has helped me expand my vocabulary and learn about news. Speech and debate has also helped me with my speaking skills and helped me be more confident. Also it has helped me make new friends. Speech and debate has also improved my writing skills and learn to stand properly during a speech."
Ben R.
6th Grade
Beck Junior High School
"Some things I learned at speech are that I learned how to research fast. I also learned how to give a speech without stressing too much. I learned how to give a speech correctly and how to be in the correct position. Some things that I like about speech is that we learn new things and do random fun things. My favorite time at speech was when we played a game at the end of the class for an hour. In conclusion, speech is fun and I like it."
Shivani O.
6th Grade
McMeans Junior High
"This class has helped me in gaining confidence and making my writing better. I learned about
the different types of speeches, such as oratory! I also was able to read more, learning lots of new and interesting facts. This class helped me in critiquing others' work when we share our writing. I got a lot of good feedback from the teachers and students that made my writing better."
Andy S.
7th Grade
Tays Junior High
"5 things I like about speech class
The class is very interactive and has interactive activities. We are always working on something fun. This class helps me analyze articles and texts better. I have learned how to be a good speaker. It is easier to pull information out of texts and turn it into essays."
Chelsea N.
6th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Lina L.
7th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
Ria R.
6th Grade
Haskett Junior High
Josh N.
7th Grade
Epiphany of the Lord Ctholic School
Jessica F.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Michael T.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Kelly Y.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Katherine W.
8th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Isabel H.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Anika L.
7th Grade
Smith Middle School
Alexander
Grade
School
2023 Spring Break Speech and Debate Students
Katherine (Seven Lakes - 8th)
I really enjoyed this class, not only did I improve my fluency, but I got to learn the format of PF. As I’ve always wanted to learn how to do PF and I really enjoyed writing my case and debating it. I hope to do PF in high school, and this class really helped me learn how to debate PF.
Sophia (Seven Lakes - 6th)
I really enjoyed this class over spring break. This speech and debate camp helped me improve my speech and debate skills. Although I took a couple of other speech classes, this one has been the best for me. I never waste any time in class, so I use my time very efficiently. Thank you so much for sponsoring this camp over spring break!
Photo: Mrs. Luu with Morning Speech and Debate Camp Pajama Day, 6th-8th
Sarvesh S.
6th Grade
McMeans Junior High
Isabel H.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Andy S.
6th Grade
Tays Junior High
2022 Fall Speech Students
Angela J.
8th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
Joshua N.
7th Grade
Epiphany of the Lord Catholic School
Katherine W.
8th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Yanxi L.
9th Grade
Jordan High School
Ben R.
6th Grade
Beck Junior High
Isabella F.
6th Grade
Haskett Junior High
Luke Z.
4th Grade
Stanley Elementary
Evelyna R.
6th Grade
Beck Junior High
2022 Fall Debate Students
Anish K.
6th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Angela J.
8th Grade
Cinco Ranch Junior High
Kevin C.
7th Grade
Beckendorff Junior High
Andy C.
8th Grade
Seven Lakes Junior High
Sean N.
7th Grade
Adams Junior High
Aiden X.
7th Grade
British International School
2021 - 2022 Speech and Debate Students
Elise
8th Grade
"Joining KSDA has truly been THE best decision I have ever made. Every student is always eager to offer constructive feedback and remains respectful towards one another, even in the midst of a heated debate. The coaches have introduced me to a field of possibilities and their passion for their respective events stuck with me. The curriculum’s diversity has allowed me to fully immerse myself in the different events in both debate and public speaking. Through this academy, I learned how to achieve excellence in a team setting and speak confidently about topics that interest me. Mrs. Luu has provided me with so many opportunities that allow me to apply my talents to help my community and has given me life-changing advice. Overall, KSDA has played a major role in transforming me into the confident and outspoken person I am today."
Sebastian
7th Grade
"Speech and debate has taught me how to be more confident in what I have to say and it has taught me to express myself in a professional way. It has also prepared me on answering difficult questions and thinking on the fly."
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Yangxi
8th Grade
"I find this class very helpful. I am an immigrant and I moved to the U.S. last year. I knew some English before I took the class but I couldn’t organize sentences well; I have trouble expressing my thoughts and constructing sentences in formal essays. After I took this class, my English skills increased gradually and I feel happy with it! I can now stand up and speak in front of others and am always encouraged to improve from my last speech. The students I met here are very outstanding and kind. They inspire me to persevere through my language barrier and help me do my best. My favorite part of the class is when I am working. Everyone works hard which inspires me to work hard as well, whether I want to or not. This encourages an environment where people build their writing and speaking skills. The coaches are professional and serious when giving advice but not harsh. They give critique, you receive it, and practice it again. And this is how you improve. I will take the class next year."
Michael
8th Grade
"Mrs. Luu is a great teacher. I really like the class' environment and coaches' enthusiasm and love for teaching. Through my 3 years in the program not only have my speech and debate skills improved, but my day to day conversations by allowing me to speak more fluently."
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Andy
7th Grade
"I enjoy the debate class because it provides a safe place for everyone to express their thoughts and opinions freely. All the coaches in the debate class are extremely helpful and often personalized critiques tailored to every student. Throughout my time in the debate class, I have improved greatly in my speaking skills and have become a more confident speaker. The debate class has also exposed us to discussion about our economy, world leaders, and foreign government. Not only do I enjoy debating, but I also play chess in my free time."
Aria
6th Grade
"I like speech for many reasons. One of them is the discussions we have. They really open my mind in thinking of good solutions for problems and how to help people. For example we once had a conversation about if rich would you were you pay a 20% income tax to help people in poverty. Another reason I like speech is prose pieces. I think it is important to see what is going on in other people's lives and it is interesting how they put it on paper describing what has happened. My third reason that I like s speech is that it gives me a chance to improve at writing things such as informatives and oratories and helping me improve my public speaking skills. Lastly, I live my speech because of the games we play. I think the games are a really nice way of improving my speaking skills in an interesting way."
Vivan
6th Grade
"KSDA speech and debate classes improved my speaking skills, decreases my social anxiety and allowed me to make friends. In speech and debate, the teachers really won't judge you, even when you're wrong. Speech and debate classes are also really fun. In speech, we usually do drills and write speeches and other fun stuff. You get to talk about fun and interesting topics and you learn a lot! In debate, we usually debate against each other. Overall, speech and debate is a really fun class!"
Enzo
6th Grade
"I really love KSDA because everyone is really nice and I’ve learned a lot in these classes like how to write a good speech and present a good speech. This has also helped in my school. Also, I think it is very fun because no one judges you and it’s really easy to make friends with people. Also, I have learned how to research efficiently and find trustworthy sources. When I’m not doing this, I like to play the piano."
Mingyi
6th Grade
"I enjoy going to KSDA because the class is interesting and fun. The class pushes me to try more and learn about new things. Even if i sometimes struggle to finish the homework but its worth it after all and sometimes we play games and stuff. And I will look forward to class next year :D"
Jeremy
6th Grade
"I like many things about debate, such as the good environment and speech building skills. But I also don't like having to speak in public, and having to spend hours at home doing homework. The good environment helps me feel welcome and helps me learn more about debates and how to speak my thoughts. Debate also helps my speech skills, helping me talk in public and improve my everyday speech. But I also don't like talking in public. It makes me nervous in case I mess up or embarrass myself in front of everyone. I also don't like the very time consuming homework because I never got used to it or have been able to manage my time efficiently. That is something I need to work on. These are the things I enjoy and don't enjoy about debate class. I enjoy it more than I don't, and I look forward to staying in this class and getting better at debating and speech in general."
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Sean
6th Grade
"This class helped me increase my confidence and speaking skills by a large margin. To look at it in detail, this class has improved my skills in categories like extemp, congress, and speaking in front of others. For example, I developed a bad habit of reading off of my pad word for word, but the speech class helped me erase this within a week by suggesting extemp. This may seem boring, but for me, it was a lot of fun to participate in my first extemp tournament and now I enjoy competing. Furthermore, the debate class helped me understand the "bigger picture" from political and economical standpoints. I know big terms like inflation and subsidies which I would not have understood if I did not take these classes. Overall these classes developed me in a positive standpoint."
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Akshay
6th Grade
"I go to debate class. I like this class because the teachers are great and I learn a lot. The instructors are specifically chosen for their capabilities. When I first joined, I could barely stand up and speak, but now, I can make a speech and read clearly. We learn many things and the class is enjoyable."
Nina
6th Grade
"Debate class has helped me improve my english. It helps me construct better arguments and learn new vocabulary while being encouraged by my peers. It has also helped me become more confident while speaking to an audience. The teachers are not judgmental and create a welcoming environment for students."
Student
6th Grade
"I like this class because it allows me to get used to talking to a group. Also, this class allows me to understand and get to know what other people are thinking. My superpower is the way I can make friends with people if I get to know them. I like to nap in my spare time and I like to eat chicken."
Chelsea
6th Grade
"What I personally enjoy in speech classes is how we learn what public speaking is like. We do projects that help us learn more about issues and news happening in the real world. We can passionately speak our minds and work together without worrying we're being judged by other students. Although I spend 2 hours in speech classes, those 2 hours consists of fun and work balanced out."