Looking for new ways to reach students? That's all Griffin High School history and government teacher Robert Rice was doing when he created the mobile app, The Mr. Rice App, to communicate with his students.

Imagine his surprise when Appsbar recognized it as the App of the Day and news of it appeared online from California to Rhode Island.

Griffin-Spalding media monitoring service pulled 18 mentions ranging from the CBS affiliate in San Diego to ABC affiliates in Iowa, Rhode Island, and Oklahoma. Fox and CW affiliates in Minnesota and California were also including it in their online presence.

Mr. Rice said he discovered this honor while checking his email as students were working in class. He said, "I got this email saying congratulations that my app had been chosen and it was being reported throughout the country. I was flabbergasted. The students thought I was making it up. They were all very excited about it."

He had discovered Appsbar, the easy do-it-yourself app builder, and used it to create his app.

"I created my web site and Twitter page thinking of new ways to try to reach students. How can I reach the kids because they are always on their phone? So I browsed around for free services and found Appsbar."

He uses his online tools to remind students of class assignments, outline tutoring schedules, and update lesson plans in his geography, government, and United States history through film classes.

"It's just one more way to get in touch with students. There are a million ways to get in touch with people. It's just one more thing."

Last year Jed Paz, Griffin High School senior, became the latest Griffin-Spalding student to attend the prestigious no-cost four week summer program known as Governors Honors.

Jed said, "Governors Honors was this amazing program where I could meet people with similar mindsets who wanted to learn the same way I did. I didn't know how awesome it could be."

Jed said he believes three things helped him get accepted:

1 - Taking high school classes in areas of interest.

Jed knew he wanted to be an engineer when he entered 9th grade. He continued to take engineering classes and technology-related classes. He said, "It was actually in my engineering classes that I was nominated to go into my category. I am very thankful to Mr. [Richard] Burrell, [engineering teacher], for doing that. He really pushed me."

2 - Being involved in extra-curricular clubs to gain experience.

"The judges will be looking for different signs, what you are doing in school, what you are doing out of school," he said. "The Governors Honors Program students had been working on 'it' for as long as they could be. I got myself involved in the robotics club which gave me the experience to talk with judges at the interview."

3 - Taking advantage of teachers' knowledge and resources.

After Jed did not get past the final round of Governors Honors Program interviews his sophomore year, he was selected to attend the International Science and Engineering Fair.

"One of the things I was able to talk with the Governors Honors Program judges was how the judges at the International Science and Engineering Fair were interested in my science fair project. I noticed their faces after that. They had this shocked expression that this kid from a Georgia high school is being recognized by these people all over the world. I think that is something that allowed me to get into the Governors Honors Program.

"My teachers had been very supportive of science fair. I had exposure to the science fairs in the middle schools. I did my experiments at the University of Georgia Griffin campus. Just having those connections, those teachers having resources available to me. . . is really crucial when being considered.

"It's crazy thinking about what it would be like if I had not gone (to Governors Honors Program)."

Following are Griffin-Spalding's nominees for the 2013 Georgia Governor's Honors Program, who will be interviewed and audition during January and February. Best of luck to them!