EVERYONE IS INVITED TO THE
FULTON BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC
Bring your family and come out and meet the faculty and staff of Fulton!
We will be happy to give you a tour of the campus and tell you about our
college preparatory school, where each graduate averages over $140,000
in scholarships. We have a 100% graduation rate and a 100% college
acceptance rate. Fulton offers generations of Service, Excellence & Honor.
Refer a friend and receive
$500 off your enrollment fee!
August 13, 2016
5:00pm - 7:00pm
1626 Smirl Drive
Heath, TX 75032
August 13, 2016
5:00pm - 7:00pm
1626 Smirl Drive
Heath, TX 75032
GOOD THINKING
11
Back to School Edition 2016
BlueRibbonNews.com
A group of local home school students
began the summer loaded with a wealth of
knowledge of the legal system after having
the exciting opportunity to conduct a mock
trial inside the historic courthouse
in downtown Rockwall.
As part of their analytical, rhetorical,
and debate studies, teams from two local
home school communities – the Classical
Conversations Challenge B programs
from the Mesquite and Terrell campuses –
stepped into the roles of prosecutor, defense
attorney and testifying witnesses in a mock
trial that saw Justice Craig Stoddart of the
Fifth Court of Appeals preside over the case.
The trial involved a dog owner charged
with murder and possession of a dangerous
animal after his dog attacked a teenager.
About half of the kids (ages 13-15)
who participated in the mock trial are
from Rockwall and attend the Mesquite
campus, as there are currently no Classical
Conversations homeschool groups for those
levels yet in Rockwall. Six parents served as
jurors, and Justice Stoddart provided
critiques for each student and general
feedback to build the students’ skills.
The community directors and students spent
the spring semester in preparation for the
trial, which included opening and closing
statements, direct and cross examination of
witnesses, and basic evidentiary objections.
In the Classical Conversations Challenge
B program, students hone their research,
writing and presentation skills through the
study of current events and the history of
science. During the second semester, they
are asked to put all the skills and knowledge
they learned in the first semester into
practice in a mock trial before a judge
and jury, relying on their own preparation
and teamwork to argue their case.
Classical Conversations student Mary
Claire Weible of Rockwall said the
experience taught her a lot about the legal
system. During the trial, Mary wrote
her own closing statement as a defense
attorney, cross and direct examine various
witnesses portrayed by her fellow students,
and even had the opportunity to play a
witness for the prosecution when the
teams switched sides.
“The thing I enjoyed most about the
mock trial experience was expanding my
knowledge of the legal system, and I loved
the acting it allowed me to do,” Mary said.
“Justice Stoddart was enthusiastic about
the trial throughout the day, he was patient
when we had questions, and he took he
time to help us really understand the
process of a criminal trial.”
Although she does not plan to pursue law
as a career, Mary said she wants to continue
to expand her knowledge of the subject.
“I find it very interesting, and I plan to
continue to broaden my understanding
of law,” she said.
Following the trial, Justice Stoddart guided
the students on a tour of the old Rockwall
County Jail on the top floor of the historic
courthouse.
Story by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News
editor. Photos provided by parents of
participating students.
Mock trial provides fun, practical way
for home school students to study law
Front row: Parker Yarbrough, Justice S, James Newlin. Back row: Mary Claire Weible,
Charles Russell, Justice Craig Stoddart, Roman Hill, Abigail Hoyle