A dedicated and creative teacher, she instituted a new program at her school for GATE children this year. It combined elements of language learning, career exploration and general knowledge and skill building into a comprehensive program to challenge high achieving students. The culminating event was a mock trial. Students took on various roles and simulated a trial of Hansel and Gretel. Not only did it goes amazingly well, but the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin was there to report on it. You can read the text of the article here, or you can read on to see it here.

Fairy tale ending to this Grimm tale on trial

By CHRISTINA GUERRERO, STAFF WRITER

Two siblings were accused of murdering an elderly woman by pushing her into an oven. The pair also were accused of grand theft and conspiracy to commit murder.

But both were found not guilty on June 10 by a jury of their peers, literally.

It was all part of the mock trial at Banyan Elementary School in Rancho Cucamonga, an annual event that teaches children about the judicial process. The brother and sister on trial were Hansel and Gretel Grimm, made famous is the fairy tale.

"I pushed her in because I knew she was trying to kill me," Gretel said during her testimony. Her brother, Hansel, clammed up and invoked his Fifth Amendment rights.

Karissa Colbrunn, who portrayed Gretel, was one of 36 G.A.T.E. students who played various roles in the trial in front of their fellow classmates, teachers, and parents.

"This is just like a field trip in the first person because instead of observing they're doing," said David Masters, the students' legal adviser and real-life Rancho Cucamonga attorney. "When you live it, you understand it in a different way then when you observe it."

Masters said the goal of this exercise is to introduce students to the judicial process.

"It's a real fun exercise for the kids because it helps them think outside the box," he said.

The court case was based upon Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's fairy tale, "Hansel and Gretel," in which two children, left in the woods by their parents, stumble upon a witch's candy house. The witch makes plans to cook the children, but her plans are foiled when she is shoved into the oven instead, and the children escape with the witch's jewelry.

Masters was a bit surprised when the jury deliberated and found the defendants not guilty on all charges.

"It's not a perfect system, but it's certainly one of the best systems in the world," he said.

Erin Hames, a fourth-grade teacher and coordinator for Gifted and Talented Education, said the students' participation in this exercise spanned two months and included a visit to the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse.

"The kids really enjoyed it, especially the seriousness of it," Hames said. "They really felt the severity of it and that was really great."

Hames said the students, who were primarily responsible for using the tools and the material available to them, did a great job.

"I'm so proud of them," Hames said. "It's been my pleasure to work with the G.A.T.E. students."

Jury member and fourth-grader Sarah Dorriz, 10, said she thought Hansel and Gretel were innocent because they were just trying to defend themselves. Defense attorney and fifth-grader Keana Marin, 11, agreed.

"Hansel and Gretel did not commit the murder," Keana said during closing arguments. "It was simply an act of self- defense."

Keana and prosecuting attorney and fourth-grader Travis Schmauss, 9, said it was thrilling to be part of a trial.

"It's one thing to watch a trial and one thing to actually be in it," Travis said. "This case inspired me to go to law school and become a district attorney just like my mom."

Other students, like defense attorney and fourth-grader Sarah Jiang, 9, and defense attorney and fifth-grader Christian Dade, 11, had similar reasons for participating.

"It was really cool because my dad's a lawyer and I got to see what that's like, and I want to be a lawyer because my dad's my role model," Christian said.

Deputy District Attorney Karen Schmauss, who was seated in the audience, said she was impressed with the students.

"I thought they did a very good job for elementary school kids to actually conduct a whole trial by themselves," Schmauss said.