Tyler Cornia wanted to give his Business Law students an authentic lesson in how the justice system works. So, he decided to turn a large classroom into a courtroom and conduct a mock trial. The students were given the summary of a criminal case, which was based on an actual murder trial. Students were divided into prosecution and defense teams, and the jury. They worked with real attorneys to prepare their cases and present arguments before the jury, and a real judge, U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead presided over the trial. In the end, the jury delivered a not guilty verdict in the mock trial and the defense team won.

It was a hands-on lesson in how real criminal trials are run and what goes into preparing and arguing a case in the courtroom. Thanks to Mr. Cornia for giving students a valuable, memorable, real-world experience in the classroom.

It was a fun and lively way to motivate students to do their best. Principal Suzie Williams along with teachers and staff at Aspen Elementary School held a RISE kickoff assembly hoping to inspire students to work hard and be successful with end-of-the-year assessments. They performed a flash mob to a rap song written by one of the teachers. Students were cheered on by teachers and staff with pom poms as well. South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey even stopped by to give the students some words of encouragement.

Best of luck to students at Aspen with their assessments and thanks to teachers and staff for finding a fun way to motivate the young learners.

It was an opportunity to practice how to stay safe in the event of an earthquake. Students, teachers, and staff throughout the District participated in the Utah ShakeOut. At Columbia Elementary School they did a great job following instructions to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during the drill.

Approximately one million Utahn’s participated in earthquake drills at work, school, or home, practicing earthquake safety and other aspects of their emergency plans.

Participating is a great way for everyone to be prepared, survive, and recover quickly from big earthquakes wherever you live, work, or travel.