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The chorus concert on Wednesday, December 11 was a holiday extravaganza! The packed room was buzzing with excitement as the Mixed and Treble Choruses took the stage. The performance was filled with energy and joy, featuring a diverse repertoire of holiday classics, from playful renditions of "My Little Saint Nick" to the awe-inspiring "Carol of the Bells" accompanied by the LMS Orchestra's string quartet. Ms. Novitske and her students should be commended for their exceptional talent and dedication. A special thanks also goes to the teacher helpers for their invaluable support. There is a link below to hear a short snippet of "Carol of the Bells." Enjoy

The band concert on Tuesday, December 10 was a resounding success! Our students showcased their exceptional musical abilities, captivating the audience with their skill and passion. We extend our sincere gratitude to Mr. Hancock and Mr. Gilbert for their tireless efforts in nurturing these young musicians.

The Lanier Middle School Kindness Club in partnership with Jambos and the North Gwinnett Co-Op will be collecting items for those in need this holiday season.

The Lanier Middle School cheerleaders are running a Bedsheet Fundraiser. The fundraiser runs thru December 20th. Order now for the holidays!

Tryouts for the 2024-2025 soccer season will begin on Monday, January 20th. Tryouts are open to all Lanier Middle School students in grades 6-8. There will be both a girls and boys team. Interested players must have all required information uploaded into RankOne no later than January 13th. See the Lanier website for more details and links to RankOne. Students > Athletics

Each week we will post a question for students to discuss with their adults over the weekend. Questions can be funny, serious, or thought provoking, but each week provides a new occasion for a family discussion. Students will have opportunities to write about some of these topics as well as earn extra credit in language arts for their participation.

From Ditch That Textbook:

When ChatGPT was released, teachers kept wondering about one thing.

"How do I know if students used artificial intelligence to do their work?"

Immediately, there was a demand for AI detectors.

Today, there are several options. (We'll get to that in a second.)

But it begs a bigger question: Do they really solve the problem? (And is the perceived problem really a problem?)

Let's put it this way. When TurnItIn came on the scene, did it fix the problem of plagiarism in classes? Did it make plagiarism go away? No. It's a tool.

Point 1: AI detectors are a tool, not a cure-all. If you found the most accurate, effective one, it wouldn't keep students from using AI to do their work, and it won't make AI tools go away.

Point 2: Today's AI detectors aren't very reliable. They routinely produce false positives, saying human-created text was created by AI. Just like in court, you can't accuse someone using evidence that isn't reliable.

Point 3: They can be the beginning of a discussion. If a student wants to turn in work that appears to be heavily AI-generated, it might be time to talk. How do I know what you've learned? Are there barriers preventing you from doing the work yourself? In a world with more and more AI, how will you leverage your humanity so you're not outsourced by AI?

Point 4: Use your eyes and brain. If you've been reading your students' work and following their progress, your human senses might detect that something doesn't look or sound like them better than an AI checker could.

So, with that all established, what's available?

• AI Text Classifier by OpenAI: A tool released this week by the creators of ChatGPT.
• GPTZero: A tool created by a college student to help educators.
• Fictitious.ai: An AI detector that integrates with Canvas LMS.
• AI Writing Check: A free service provided by Quill and CommonLit.
• Writer's AI Content Detector: Created for web designers by available to anyone.
  
  

Students in Guitar will take the stage on Wednesday, December 18. The concert begins at 6 PM.

All students will continue with District Final Exams in their core content classes during their 3rd and 4th periods.

The Hangout is the schoolwide celebration in recognition of good behavior. Students were able to sign up for a variety or activities such as volleyball, basketball, board, card or digital games, or even a quiet space to watch a movie. Every student is able to participate unless they have received a referral on or after December 2nd.

We are selling concessions for real money, All candy is $2, all chips are $2, and water is $1. The funds raised will go directly back to the PBIS fund for further recognitions and celebrations.

The last day of the semester is Friday, December 20th. The holiday break will begin on Monday, December 23rd with students returning to school on Monday, January 6th.

We would like to urge you to disable the digest option in your Parent Square account settings for Lanier Middle School. Many of our communications are time-sensitive, and we don’t want you to miss any important updates. Your attention to this matter will ensure you stay informed and connected with all school activities and announcements.

Thank you for your consideration!

Parents now have the option to be notified in the ParentVUE mobile app if their student’s grade fall below a preset threshold. Follow this link for more information.

At Lanier Middle School, mornings are an excellent opportunity for students to receive extra support in their core subjects. With that in mind, for the 2024-2025 school year we will target each core content area on a specific day of the week. If your student needs additional support or needs assistance in a Connection class, they can see their content teacher to arrange an additional day that works with the teachers morning schedule. In order for students to attend morning tutoring, they need to arrive at 8:05 AM.

Beginning with the 2024-2025 )school year (Effective July 1) GCPS will be implementing fines for damaged and lost Chromebooks and power cords. Please discuss the importance of taking care of the equipment that has been issued to your student.

*A device could have multiple damaged components such as broken hinges as well as a cracked screen, this would result in a fine of $50. $25 for each damaged component.

Currently we have about 37% of our families using the Parent Square App. This is a great and easy way to stay connected to all things Lanier and GCPS. Consider downloading it this weekend.

Keep up to date with all the great things happening at Lanier Middle School by joining our social media platforms. See the Bottom Banner of this newsletter for Links to our Twitter, Facebook pages OR see the "Let's Be Social" section of the Lanier MS Homepage for links to all our social platforms including Instagram and our YouTube Channel. It is here you will see many more pictures and videos of all the activities and events happening here at LMS!