For the fourth consecutive year, NDCL's mock trial team has advanced to the Ohio Mock Trial State Competition.
Legal Lions Sweep Regionals
For the fourth consecutive year, NDCL’s mock trial team has advanced to the Ohio Mock Trial State Competition.
The return trip to Columbus comes after the Legal Lions won both trials in regional competition at the Lake County Courthouse on Feb. 15, beating strong teams from Mayfield High School and Mentor High School.
NDCL swept all four individual awards in both trials. Judges named senior Tommy Shero the best witness for the defense and best attorney for the prosecution. Junior Pierce Thomas won the best defense attorney award while sophomore Connor Marrot won best prosecution witness award.
The Lions will now prepare to compete March 7-8 at the Franklin County Courthouse. The state finals will be argued in the Ohio Statehouse on March 9.
English teacher Victoria Frabotta ’86 and social studies department chairperson Molly Schneider advise the team.
For more information on Ohio’s mock trial competition, visit the website of the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education.
Gemmell Wins Writing Awards
Senior Hanna Gemmell has won gold key and honorable mention awards in regional judging of the 2019 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
The Scholastic Art & Writing competition is the nation’s longest-running, largest and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Students submitted nearly 350,000 works for judging in the 2019 contest.
Hanna is among only 5-7 percent of entrants to earn the gold key designation, which qualifies her to advance to the national competition. She credits her involvement in NDCL’s Creative Writing Club and the guidance of English department chairperson Katie Ours for sharpening her writing craft and encouraging her to enter the Scholastic competition.
Records Set on Practice ACT
Members of NDCL’s Class of 2020 set new school records on every component of the full-length practice ACT they took this week as part of NDCL’s multi-faceted effort to prepare students for the statewide administration of the ACT next month.
NDCL scored the practice ACT in-house and returned detailed score reports to every junior on the same day they took the exam. Teachers also received comprehensive data on student performance so that they can target instruction to areas of relative weakness.
In addition to the practice ACT, the efforts to challenge and support students to succeed on this high-stakes exam include skill development embedded in classroom instruction, text and online practice resources, drop-in help sessions for English and reading sponsored by English teachers during Lion Time and an ACT Boot Camp facilitated by Academic Success Center Director Sister Michelle Kelly during students’ Enhanced Learning Blocks (ELBs).
