Apalachee High School Shooter Faces Life in Prison

Good Day!

The Fall season is starting to settle with cooler weather becoming more normal and Halloween right around the corner. As a kid, we loved Halloween because candy! There is something about eating candy corn around this time that just feels so right. Eating it any other time of the year, it just feels strange…

Cheers ☕

Father and son charged for Apalachee H.S. shooting

On Thursday, the alleged shooter at Apalachee High School and his father were indicted on a dozen charges handed down by a grand jury. The shooting that occurred on September 4, 2024, left two students and two teachers dead, with nine others being injured. The shooter faces a total of 55 counts that include four counts of "malice murder," 22 counts of aggravated assault, and 18 counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. The shooter's father faces 29 counts, which include second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, and involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct.

Just a day before, disturbing details were released by authorities regarding the contents of the alleged shooter's notebook, including violent drawings as well as a descriptive detail of a planned school shooting. Another alarming detail is that the alleged shooter had a shrine in his bedroom. At this shrine, a picture of the Parkland shooter hung on his wall. The Parkland shooter killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The father, according to testimony, knew about his son's obsession with school shooters. Even with this knowledge, the father bought his son a laser sight, tactical vest, and ammunition just months before the shooting occurred. A week before the shooting, the alleged shooter had a conversation with his grandmother about the Parkland shooting.

The shooter and his father's arraignment is November 21, and they are both expected to take a plea deal. The alleged shooter, aged 14, is being charged as an adult and could face life in prison.

Is using AI against academic integrity?

Is artificial intelligence use in the classroom harmful? Or is it?

A senior at Hingham High School in Hingham, Massachusetts, along with his parents, are suing teachers, faculty members, and the school committee for punishment that the student received last year for using an AI tool in his AP course to help create an outline for his project with his partner. During his writing project, he and his partner were writing about basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabar; the AP U.S. history teacher discovered that they were using an AI tool to create an outline for the project. The teacher separated the students, who had to complete the project independently. Because of this, the student received a D on the project and an overall grade of C.

The student is looking to apply to Ivy League schools, and his main interest is attending Stanford. The C score he received has negatively impacted his overall GPA. Because of this infraction, he was barred from joining The National Honor Society until recently. The student also received Saturday detention.

The lawsuit states that the “student did not break any rules and is now at a disadvantage in the highly competitive Ivy League college application process after receiving punishments that included a detention, a poor grade, and the inability to join the National Honor Society.”

Peter Farrell, the family lawyer, stated that “AI is not plagiarism. It is an output from a machine.” Farrell expanded by comparing what the student did to using Google search—helping find sources and developing ideas—and not using the tool to write his paper for him.

It is clear that the student did not use the AI tool to write his project. There was no mention of not using AI in the student handbook, and it was only this year that AI was added under Academic Integrity, in which it states, “Academic Integrity: Cheating and Plagiarism section: defining cheating in part as “unauthorized use of technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), during an assessment.”

The student is currently withholding from submitting applications despite the early submission deadline on November 1 in hopes that this will all be cleared so that he does not have to indicate on his application that he has been disciplined due to academic dishonesty.

Adam Nguyen, founder of the college admissions firm Ivy Link, stated, “I don’t think Stanford is going to apply a red line rule when it comes to the use of AI…given the situation and context of this case, there’s a lot working in favor of the student.”

This is a first-of-its-kind case, and depending on how the district handles it, it is possible that this case will make it to the state Supreme Court and possibly even The Supreme Court. This is an essential case for schools nationwide to pay attention to because whatever the outcome is, the ramifications of this decision will impact how schools handle AI in their classrooms.

The Final Minute

1. In a concerning incident at Walter Reed Middle School in Los Angeles, 17 students aged 12 to 13 fell ill after consuming an unknown "banned substance," prompting a swift response from emergency services. While two students were hospitalized for further evaluation, the rest were released to parents or back to school, with Principal Robyn Friedman urging parents to discuss the dangers of substance abuse with their children. Coincidentally, a similar incident occurred at 52nd Street Elementary School, where two students consumed a nontoxic substance, highlighting the need for increased vigilance and communication about drug-related issues in schools.

2. Washington state's expanded school meal program now provides free meals to nearly 800,000 students, covering 70% of the state's kids, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. However, due to higher-than-expected participation rates and increased costs, Superintendent Chris Reykdal is requesting an additional $17.6 million annually in the 2025-2027 budget cycle to maintain the program. The expansion, driven by legislation championed by state Rep. Marcus Riccelli, has seen a significant increase in meal service, with lunches up 32% and breakfasts up 50% in participating schools, highlighting the growing need for such programs amid rising inflation and tightening family budgets.

3. Asheville City Schools are preparing to reopen on October 28th, nearly a month after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, leaving many without electricity or running water. The district is prioritizing students' emotional well-being upon return, recognizing the need to address the trauma experienced during the storm before diving into academics. While working towards reopening, the school system has been supporting the community by providing grab-and-go meals, organizing donations, and offering optional hands-on learning activities in temporary classrooms, all while facing challenges such as modifying bus routes, securing bottled water, and addressing inevitable learning loss.

4. Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada has opened a new 44,000-square-foot Inspiration Center in East Las Vegas, featuring simulated miniature cities designed to teach students financial literacy, workforce readiness, and entrepreneurship. The center, which cost $18 million and was largely funded by donors, includes programs like Betty's JA BizTown for elementary students and JA Finance Park for high school students, with plans to expand its reach to over 60,000 students in Southern Nevada. Additionally, the center will soon feature an Entrepreneur Incubator Hub and Career Center in partnership with Goodwill Industries, providing resources for career development and business startups for young adults up to age 25.

Closing Bell

On this day in 1955

Harry Belafonte recorded his song “The Banana Boat Song.” You know this song, but if you need a refresher and need a good earworm playing in your head, here you go - Day-ohhhhhhh🙂