The program is designed to enhance rather than replace a quality arts education. It provides opportunities for students to express themselves and to receive positive recognition for National PTAs Reflections their artistic efforts. Parents, teachers, and community members all play a critical role in fostering a positive learning environment for children.

Participation

Each PTSA/PTA Unit site will chose their input deadline based on the Council deadlines.  Check your unit website for your schools input deadline.

• Primary (preschool-grade 2) 
• Intermediate (grades 3-5) 
• Middle/Junior (grades 6-8) 
• Senior (grades 9-12)
• Special Artist  (all grade levels)

The Reflections Program is structured for PTAs to recognize students at the local, council, district, state, and national levels. Entries are first judged at the local level, where selected works, are chosen to represent the PTA at each subsequent level-council, district, or state-depending on each state PTAs structure. Once entries reach the state level, the state PTA may select entries to submit to the National PTA. Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit are recognized at the annual National PTA Convention and are displayed as a part of the programs traveling exhibit.

The Reflections Program is structured for PTAs to recognize students at the local, council, district, state, and national levels. Entries are first judged at the local level, where selected works, are chosen to represent the PTA at each subsequent level-council, district, and state. Once entries reach the state level, the state PTA may select entries to submit to the National PTA. Awards of Excellence and Awards of Merit are recognized at the annual National PTA Convention and are displayed as a part of the programs traveling exhibit.

Blind judging will be conducted by local community members who are experts in their fields. Professional individuals working in the dance composition, film, literature, musical composition, photography, and visual arts fields volunteer to judge student entries at the district level. Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit, and Honorable Mention are selected in each grade division for each of the six arts areas.

Awards will be announced at award receptions that will take place at the Capistrano Unified Council PTSA on November 9, 2023 and then to the Fourth District (Orange County) levels, for public viewing.

Deadline for Entries

General rules

Please remember that:

• Students may submit entries only through a PTA or PTSA unit in good standing
• All entries submitted must be original works created for this contest and not be a classroom project or work submitted to any previous contest and must relate to the annual Reflections Program theme: "I am Hopeful Because..."
• All entries must have a title, artist statement, and required student and parent signatures.
• Each entry must be the work of only one student. Assistance from teachers, parents, or friends is not permitted except in special cases of disability (such as for those with visual or physical disabilities)
• There cannot be a tie in the Award of Excellence for any category, but there can be multiple Awards of Merit and Honorable Mentions.
• Participation encourages creativity and exploration. Students should do their best, but crooked lines, incorrect musical notes, or misspelled words do not disqualify anyone  
• Student entries not forwarded for the next level of judging will be returned to your schools.
• Although we do our very best to accommodate all entries, those not meeting the stated rules or that we deem illegible, are incomplete or arrive beyond the deadline, may not be judged or displayed at the gallery event or appear in the gallery program. We thank you for understanding the time restrictions that our volunteers have in order to send all entries to judging and on to the next levels of competition.