School briefs

Alpine School District

Utah Jazz players recently visited four elementary schools in the Alpine School District. Students earned the visits based on the number of minutes they read outside of school. Jazz players visited Alpine Elementary in Alpine, Northridge Elementary in Orem, Pony Express Elementary in Eagle Mountain and Snow Springs Elementary in Lehi.

Students collected their reading minutes from Jan. 12 through Feb. 12. The Utah Jazz Scholastic Committee divides each school's total and divides by the number of students. The top 12 schools in Utah were rewarded with a visit from a Jazz player.

American Fork

The Alpine School District has begun using an automatic system that calls the homes of junior high and high school students daily when they don't show up for class. The calls are for unexcused absences.

Assistant Superintendent Gary Seastrand put a task force together last September to research and implement the system. The district will soon configure it to call the homes of absent elementary school students whether they are excused or not, officials say.

Elementary students' homes will be called in the morning, while junior high and high school students' homes receive an afternoon call.

The caller has 48 lines dedicated to the system.

The district can also make automatic school-based calls regarding testing schedules, general school updates and registration information. District officials can also make districtwide calls in emergencies or other general items affecting the entire district.

Sharon Elementary

Katie Anderson, a sixth-grade teacher at Sharon Elementary, has been selected as a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Honored at a dinner last month, she now competes for a trip to Washington, D.C., and $10,000. White House officials will notify the winner.

Spanish Fork

Erin Ridge, an eighth-grade student at Spanish Fork Junior High, earned the opportunity to compete in the State Geography Bee at Thanksgiving Point. She is the daughter of David and Lesa Ridge, Spanish Fork.

She won the competition earlier this year, then took a special geography test to qualify for the state contest. The test covered such topics as world cultures and natural resources.