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Arts in Education

Contact chair: artsineducation [at] planopta.org

Council Reflections Information

The 2009-2010 theme is “Beauty is…”

All Reflections forms, rules, logos and other resources are available from the Texas PTA Reflections page.

Remember that Reflections is a Program and not a competition. For this reason we are all strongly urged to use the same Award Levels:

  • Award of Excellence — approx the top 20% of your entries that are forwarded on to the next level of judging
  • Award of Merit — approx the 2nd 20% of your entries
  • Honorable Mention — approx the 3rd 20-30% of your entries
  • Participation Award — the rest of your entries

Correct number of entries allowed per age group/division: You are allowed to send up to 20% of your total number of entries to the Council level judging regardless of age group or division. If you do not have entries in one area you may send more in another. As long as you do not send more than 20% of your TOTAL entries based on the number that you complete on your ‘Participation Form’. Please only send QUALITY works rather than quantity.

State PTA has pre-set ALL deadlines this year to avoid the hundreds of questions that they receive from parents every year. However, the local and council deadlines are NOT set in stone — you are able to set you own deadline but it must be prior to the one set by State. These are ESTIMATE dates so you can plan over the summer and complete your Plan of Work.

• Entries are due to the local campus in late October for local judging. • Local Master Spreadsheet for advancing entries should be emailed to Council Chairman by November 13, 2009. • Advancing entries are due to Council on Tuesday, December 8 2009 at Sockwell Center. • Council judging occurs on Wednesday, December 9, 2009. • Local chairmen pick up entries that are not advancing to State on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at Sockwell Center. • Entries advancing from Council to State are due in Austin on January 15, 2010.

Completing Entry Forms At the bottom of the entry form the following information is requested: Local PTA good standing status and Membership dues date paid. Please ensure that all this information is completed.

If your PTA has not yet paid their membership dues please put the date that they will be paid. Good standing is having paid your dues, so mark this box with a YES. This information needs to be completed otherwise if State sees blanks it is possible that the entry will be disqualified. There is no time for your Council Chairman to locate this information so please ensure that it is completed before you send them on.

All entries forwarded to Council must have one of the following colored dots to signify age/division

  • PreK - 2nd Grade (Primary): Red Dot
  • Grade 3-5 (Intermediate): Blue Dot
  • Grades 6-8 (Middle School): Yellow Dot
  • Grades 9-12 (High School):Green Dot

Music/Dance Choreography/Film/Video: place dot on the front of the envelope not the entry form side

Literature entries: place the dot on the front (outside) of the folder not the entry form side

Visual Arts/Photography: place dot on the BACK of the entry

Size / thickness / length parameters

  • Visual Art may not exceed 24 inches by 30 inches, including a mat, and be no more than 3/8 inch thick
  • Photography: minimum 8”x10”, maximum 11”x14”
  • Literature: not to exceed 8 1/2” x 11” and must not exceed 2,000 words • Music Composition: may not exceed 5 minutes • Film Production: may not exceed 5 minutes • Dance Choreography: may not exceed 3 minutes. The artist’s statement must be at the beginning of the recording. (It is not included in the 3 minutes.)

Correct number of copies of entries is included:

  • Literature: 2 copies, 1 attached to the inside back of the folder & 1 left loose inside the folder
  • Music: 2 copies of tape/CD and notation (if required), both inside a large envelope
  • Dance Choreography: 2 copies of CD or DVD in a plastic or cardboard container then placed in a large envelope *Film/Video Production: 2 copies of CD or DVD in a plastic or cardboard container then placed in a large envelope

Entry form completely filled out Do not seal the open end of sheet protectors containing entry forms.

2 hard copies of your Master Spreadsheet (entries advancing to Council ONLY) including”

  • Student’s Name, first and last
  • Title of work
  • Group by age group and by arts category (ie Primary-Literature, Primary-Visual Arts, Senior-Music etc)
  • Make sure your name and your school name are on the list

Email this master list to your Council Chairman by the date that they specify so that they can prepare adequately for their judging.

Participation Form completed. 2 copies This standard PTA form tallies your totals for each category and age group or division — please check the sample you were provided with and ensure that this is completely filled out before forwarding to your Council. Verify that you are advancing no more than 20% of your total entries to Council.

Tri-fold Brochure State PTA has a color tri-fold brochure that is available in both English or Spanish that can be used to help promote the Reflections Program — they are limited so local units are urged to order early - email Carrie Mays at programs@txpta.org or call 1-800-825-5782 ext. 215.

Traveling Exhibit State PTA would like everyone to know that there is traveling exhibit of Reflections Artwork that is available to help promote the program. You will be shipped approx 25 pieces of artwork from previous years and will be able to keep it for 2 school weeks. The only cost involved is approx $30 to ship it to the next location. To schedule the exhibit for your school or Council email Carrie Mays at programs@txpta.org or call 1-800-825-5782 ext. 215.

2009-2010 Council Judging Results

We’ve had a tremendous response to the Reflections Program this year. Fifty-six Plano schools participated this year and they received and judged 2,697 entries! They advanced 562 entries for Council level judging, which occurred on December, 9, 2009. The Council award results are as follows:

Award of Excellence advancing to State judging 57
Award of Excellence 43
Award of Merit 102
Honorable Mention 153
Total Awards 355

For a complete listing of Plano award recipients by school, please click on the link at the end of this article.

State judging will take place in Austin in late January or early February. Results are expected to be available in March.

An Awards Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Sockwell Center for student award recipients and their families.

Thank you to all of the students who participated and to all of the parents who encouraged them to express themselves through the arts.

2009-2010 Reflections Results [Adobe Acrobat .pdf file] You will need the user name and password from your PTA membership card to access this file.

Students Nationally Recognized for Arts Achievement

More than half-a-million kids participate in PTA national arts program

CHICAGO (May 15, 2009) — As arts programs disappear from schools nationwide every year, hundreds of thousands of children have less and less ways to creatively express themselves.

That’s why the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is proud to announce this year’s national award recipients of PTA’s Reflections Program. The nearly 40-year-old arts based program — themed this year as “Wow!” — provides opportunities for kids to receive recognition for their artistic efforts and expressions.

PTA is recognizing six students as recipients of PTA’s Reflections Program Outstanding Interpretation Award — the best-of-the-best in six arts categories. The six students will be recognized during a special ceremony at the 113th Annual PTA National Convention and Exhibition (June 26-June 29) in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. They also will receive cash awards of $800 and cash awards of $200 will go to their local PTAs.

The organization will also recognize 71 students with Awards of Excellence and 119 students with Awards of Merit across four grade divisions — primary, intermediate, middle/junior, and senior — and six arts categories — dance choreography, film/video production, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts. All the national award-winning pieces will be featured in a virtual gallery in July; however, the complete list of winners is currently available on PTA’s website.

Professionals from well-respected institutions, including the National Assembly of States Arts Agencies, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Cable in the Classroom, College of Arts and Sciences, DC Youth Orchestra, The Dance Institute of Washington, Wolftrap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and National Children’s Museum, volunteered to judge close to 1,500 art pieces which reached the national level of judging.

Posted by Webmaster on January 12, 2010 |