MOCK TRIAL TEAM FROM LOGOS READY FOR NATIONALS TEST
by Justyna Tomtas for the Lewiston Tribune & Moscow/Pullman Daily News April 8, 2019
A team from Logos School has secured a trip to the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Georgia, while also landing job offers from one of the highest-ranking justices in the state.
The private Christian school has established itself as a fierce competitor at the mock trial state championship, securing 18 wins in the program's 25-year history.
"When you finish up and are getting ready to look for a job, send me a letter," said Idaho State Supreme Court Justice Robyn Brody. "We're looking for law clerks. I mean that sincerely, because you all have done something special."
Brody, who was the presiding judge at the final round of the state competition, said she wished others she encountered while on the bench had the skills the students from Logos displayed. Brody was accompanied by Idaho Supreme Court Justice Gregory Moeller, who judged the semifinal event.
"Both of us came away wishing every lawyer that stepped into our courtrooms could be as prepared and as ready to argue their cases as you all were," Brody said. "It was truly, truly a privilege to watch."
The students were honored last week for their win at the state tournament, but the hard work put forth by the eight-member team is far from over.
"Think about this as a charge, because we still have some season ahead of us," coach Chris Schlect said during the celebration. "Our first practice is later tonight to get ready for a new case at nationals."
The students seemed prepared and ready to take on the new challenge and much stiffer competition, but not before they received some glowing accolades from some of their mentors.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson has helped the team since 2007, and became an attorney coach in 2013. He's spent countless hours helping the students hone their craft. "What I do for a living, I see a lot of darkness in the world and you are the exact opposite," Thompson said. "You glow and make things good because you are good. It really brightens my life."
In a heated competition at the state tournament in Boise, the "A team" from Logos just narrowly managed to defeat the school's "B team" in the semifinals. The A team then went on to secure the championship.
Though there was much reason to celebrate, the school also showed gratitude in emotional speeches to longtime coach Schlect, who has coached the team for 24 years.
Bennett Schlect, a senior on the team, led the charge with a speech to his coach and father. "He's taught us to be the most thankful team in the courtroom, to give it everything we have and to do our best in the glory of God, knowing that is what matters most," Bennett said. "... He created a mock trial team and program that will not crumble."
As a departing gift, coach Schlect was given a book with handwritten notes from coaches, students and attorneys who have worked with him throughout his leadership of the program.
"You've been called the Nick Saban of mock trials. You've been called a servant, an influencer, a friend and a leader," Bennett said. "The coach of the Ambrose School of Boise called you the greatest competitor that he's ever had to face."
After nearly 2½ decades, Schlect said it's his time to step down. He wanted to leave while the team was at its pinnacle and let someone new take the reins.
His last time coaching will be as he takes the team to the national competition in mid-May, where in the past the team has scored as high as fifth place.
"They can run with the best of them. They're a very strong team, but the competition is the best in the country," Schlect said, bracing for a rigorous competition.
Senior Nate Miller said his experience on the mock trial team and at Logos in general has prepared him for nationals and life after graduation. "We've learned to speak persuasively, pursue excellence and do our best in everything we do," Miller said.
Logos Superintendent Larry Stephenson said the classical Christian education provided at the school shapes the students into experienced public speakers, and in some cases expert competitors, from a young age. "The common denominator in our children is we expect the kids to do well," Stephenson said.
Logos supporters celebrate new K-12 campus, seek construction funds
'Geronimo, Amen' prayer created Logos Daily News, September 26, 2016 By Shannon Quinn, Daily News Staff Writer Upwards of 700 people wandered a recently harvested 30-acre wheat field adjacent to Mountain View Park on Saturday afternoon, which will, as time and money allow, become Logos School's new campus. Babes in arms, elders with canes and all ages in between tramped over the stubbly field. Some played Frisbee, some volleyball and others examined the hills and dales of the property, marked to indicate where buildings, playfields and drives will spring up in coming years. "This is a combination of vision and gratitude," Doug Wilson, Christ Church pastor and Logos cofounder, said. "After 35 years of God blessing us I'm looking forward to this being the next big step up." For years, Logos has had a goal of expanding its ever growing school, in what previously was a roller skating rink to a campus with all of the academic, spiritual and athletic amenities for its K-12 students. Once, its creators questioned whether it would make it through its first year in a church basement with fewer than 20 students. The past three and a half decades have seen annual growth that necessitated expansion, Wilson said. It's a reality that was not even imagined during the early years, which began with a quiet family conversation, he said. "God loves that great two word prayer, 'Geronimo, amen,' " Wilson said. "The creation of Logos school was along those lines." In telling of the school's origins, he strove to identify where key players in the story were sitting - particularly his wife, Nancy, and daughter, Becca. "The germ of all of this came about in our living room when Becca, who was a toddler, was toddling around," he said. "Nancy said to me, 'Doug, I can't imaging handing her over to someone that we don't know, saying here she is, teach her about everything.' I didn't know anything about Christian education - zero - but I knew I agreed with that." What began as a minute Christian academy has grown to more than 100 students. The plot of land was dotted with signs of various colors, each noting where another campus feature will lie. "All of the blue flags represent buildings, green represents competition fields, red the main drive," said Gene Liechty, Logos' development director. "We're trying to give people an idea of what they're walking on." Liechty, who first announced the property's purchase earlier this spring, said he hopes people will get excited about the project. "We're trying to get people fired up," he said." It's one thing to get on it, it's another to get everything built." Liechty said as soon as the school has access to the property, work can truly begin, but a bridge over the creek running through it is the first order of business. That is no small project, but Liechty said the school plans to begin work on it in the spring. "The kids can use the property as soon as we can get the bridge in and the field in," he said. "Phase one is just getting all the infrastructure in. It'll be an entire year just getting the bridge and the playing fields in." The project has no timeline for completion, officials noted, and is dependent for the time being on the success of fundraising programs. While funds are of importance, Wilson pointed out, it's the people involved in the process who will make it a success. "God does not generally act with invisible rays from the sky. He works through intermediaries, he works through his people, he works through the gifts he assigns to his people," he said. "Isn't God good?" Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4636 or by email to squinn@dnews.com.Logos School Purchases 30 Acres For Move In Moscow
By Shanon Quinn, Daily News staff writer Logos School has purchased 30 acres on the northeast side of Moscow where school officials plan to construct a new campus. Gene Liechty, the school’s development director, said the sale closed Feb. 26. The plan of expanding the school’s campus — which is currently on 2 acres on Baker Street — has been in the works for some time. “The school has been here for 35 years,” incoming Logos Superintendent Larry Stephenson said. “Logos has been looking for property for at least the last 10 to 15 years. Praise God this piece has come about.” Moscow Community Development Director Bill Belknap said the property is just east of Mountain View Park and has been examined for the purpose of a possible school site in the past. “It’s a location that was previously considered for the new Moscow High School, so it’s been under consideration for building a school in past years,” Belknap said. Although there are currently no renderings of what the school will look like, Liechty knows one thing for sure. “It will be a beautiful brick-columned campus,” he said. Logos is currently working with DesignWest Architects of Pullman in creating a plan for the campus and buildings, Liechty said, and he believes the school’s neighbors-to-be will be pleased with the outcome. “Some of the folks will be sad that development is finally occurring here,” he said. “What I think they’ll be happy about it that we’re building a beautiful school that faces the street and that there’s lots of green space.It doesn’t obstruct views in any way, and we’re putting in tree-lined streets so it’s going to be a beautiful entrance. It’s going to be the nicest looking school in the county.” Changes to the parcel won’t be evident for some time, as the school is still working to raise money for architectural designs and construction. “Buying a piece of land and building a new building, that takes money and that’s going to take time,” Stephenson said. “Being a private school, we have a very few people we pull from and we can’t just raise the tax base for everybody and get money.” Liechty said school officials have been encouraged by the donors they have met with so far. “We need to raise several million over the coming months so we can hopefully start getting sewer lines run, water lines run,” he said. Stephenson said the school has also received help from the 30 churches associated with it. “Our churches have always been supportive financially, as well as in prayer, and we’re thankful. God has allowed Logos to be able to serve and support here,” he said.Logos School Mock Trial Team Participates in National Competition
Logos School's Mock Trial team has a tradition of excellence and perseverance. Coached by long time veteran Dr. Chris Schlect, Logos School has won the state Mock Trial competition for Idaho sixteen times and is tied for most appearances at the national tournament. This year's team of dedicated student attorneys and witnesses did not disappoint, taking 7th place of 46 teams at the National Mock Trial competition in Boise the weekend of May 14. The path to this impressive top-10 finish, however, was not without pain and hardship. After losing the closely contested state championship to Ambrose High School in April, the Knights had two weeks where they prepared for the national competition without knowing if they had qualified to compete. Each state sends just one team to the national competition, but since Idaho was hosting the event, a second team would be needed if there weren't an even number of competing teams. But Coach Schlect pointed out that since the final bracket wouldn't be settled right away, the team "had to go all in and prepare as if they knew they would be competing."-even when it could all be for nothing. They held official practices three days a week, but preparations did not stop there: students practiced on their own or in groups six days a week on the national case, a (fictional) civil suit between a sheepherder and The Flying B Cattle Ranch involving the suspicious infection and death of a flock of sheep in Idaho. Of course, the good news finally came, and Logos students knew they would get to take their hard work to Boise. The week prior to national competition, the Logos Mock Trial Team scrimmaged themselves (A Mock Trial team prepares both a prosecution and a defense for each case.), and they got some unique assistance. The University of Idaho graciously opened up the courtroom at the Law Building, and local dignitaries Mayor Bill Lambert, Richard Walser, Latah County Commissioner, Kara Besst, CEO of Gritman Medical Center, and radio personality Evan Ellis selflessly volunteered to serve as jurors. After the scrimmage, jurors gave insight and advice that was "essential to our success in Boise," according to veteran witness Luke Mason, a junior. Mason's teammates this year wereDanny Bradley (sr), Sonya Isenberg (sr), Sofia Minudri (sr), Preston Evans (jr), Ethan Howell (jr), Luke Mason (jr), Regan Meyer (jr), and Emma Story (jr). At national competition in Boise, the team performed outstandingly. In four rounds, they were beaten only by the eventual national champions, Iowa. Logos senior Sofia Minudri was named one of only ten Outstanding Attorneys out of 500 participants total. Sunday morning after attending church the team drove home to a town they made proud through their hard work and dedication.IHSAA Announces Schools of Excellence Recipients
The Idaho High School Activities Association announced the 2015-16 winners of the Schools of Excellence program earlier today. For the third year in a row, Logos School has been awarded 3rd place in our division - 1ADII. Congratulations Knights! The Schools of Excellence program is a yearlong, voluntary initiative where schools earn points in three areas: athletics, academics and citizenship. The citizenship component consists of a self-evaluation conducted by the school. The Schools of Excellence program is the most prestigious award a school can receive as it combines all aspects of our core mission for education-based participation. The 2015-16 Schools of Excellence recipients are being honored at the IHSAA Annual Meeting on August 3 at the Boise Centre.Logos Students Feed the Need
Written by Shanon Quinn, Daily News Staff Writer, Friday, October 16, 2015
The Multi-purpose room at Logos school was buzzing with activity Thursday as students from all grades worked in shifts to mix and package 15,000 meals for donation to area fool banks for the annual Feed the Need project.
The event began last year when Logos partnered with Homestead Ministries to help stock food pantries for the cold months ahead.
Music played and children laughed and visited cheerfully while they turned measured bulk legumes, grains and spices into plastic packaging at an accelerated pace in order to meet an ambitious goal.
"I'm getting the system down," high school junior Boden Lloyd said between measuring ingredients and directing younger children to the spices. "We're trying to make 15,000. We're trying to beat our goal by 5,000 since last year."
"At the food banks we hardly ever get meal items, so it's great to get one thing that's a complete meal," said Paige Collins, executive director from the Council on Aging and Human Services. "This is especially awesome. We may get tons of other donations but this is more important than most of them because it has all of the pieces of a whole meal."
Linda Nickels said the Latah County Food bank also did well donation wise this year, with an abundance of produce from Backyard Harvest as well as individuals sharing from their own gardens. "Now most people are pulling their gardens up, so it's mainly apples and squash," she said.
"The numbers of people using has really climbed the last couple of years," she said, but for now the numbers are steadying.
But with winter right around the corner, both women expect an influx of families. Between the holiday season, high electric bills and lay-off time for seasonal workers, many need an extra hand.
Collins said the Logos and Homestead Ministries donation helps to fill in the gap before Thanksgiving, "When everyone and their mother wants to donate," she said. "And the kids are so excited about it, it just makes me happy in my heart."
To donate to the Moscow Food Bank, visit their location at 110 North Polk St in Moscow.
An Intramural Scrimmage
Logos Mock Trial Team Practices for Nationals
Moscow Pullman Daily News, Friday, May 8, 2015
By Shanon Quinn, Daily News staff 
A Moscow jury decided late Thursday that Detail Security Incorporated was responsible for damages incurred after one of its employees allegedly used a Taser on a young woman he perceived as a threat.