PTA REFLECTIONS PROGRAM

WHAT IS REFLECTIONS?

The Reflections Program is a national arts recognition and achievement program for students. Since 1969, over 10 million students across the nation have taken part in this popular PTA program.

The Reflections Program provides an excellent opportunity for students of all ages to:

Unleash their creative talents and be inspired

Express themselves imaginatively in their artwork

Experience the joy and fun of making art

Tap into critical thinking skills to create art inspired by the annual theme

Receive positive recognition for their original works of art

As an added bonus, in showcasing and celebrating student talent, the Reflections Program increases community awareness of the importance of the arts in education.

BASIC RULES

Artwork must be the original work of the student

All artwork must be based on the Reflections theme2019-20 Theme: Look Within

Student entry form, signed by a parent, must accompany each piece

Rules for each category, including size/length limits, are available on the Jeffco PTA website

STUDENTS ENTER WORK IN 6 CATEGORIES

Students create a work of art based on the theme in one of these categories:

Visual Arts – Drawing, Painting, Sculpture

Photography – Film or Digital

Music Composition – Instrumental or Vocal

Film Production – Live Action, Documentary, Animation

Dance Choreography – Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary

Literature – Short Story, Essay, Poem

Your school can decide how many of these categories you want to use.

SPECIFIC RULE FOR JEFFCO

National PTA does not mention any limit of entries per student, but defers to state and district rules.

Because we have gotten many complaints about students winning multiple awards in the same category at Jeffco, we are limiting students to ONE entry per CATEGORY.

This will also encourage critical thinking – “What is my BEST interpretation of the theme?”

Students may enter multiple categories, i.e. one visual arts piece and one literature piece, etc.

STUDENTS ENTER IN 5 GRADE DIVISIONS

Primary (P – 2nd grade)

Intermediate (3rd – 5th grade)

Middle School (6th – 8th grade)

High School (9th – 12th grade)

Special Artist All grades

Students with disabilities who receive services under IDEA or Section 504

See rules for details on criteria and accommodations; parents & students should decide whether to enter under Grade Division or Special Artist Division

RUNNING YOUR PROGRAM

LOCAL CHAIRPERSON DUTIES

Market the program & collect entries

Arrange for judging

Display entries & celebrate in your school

Turn winning entries in to the district

Coordinate a volunteer for one district-level task

Pick up entries after they are displayed for the district and/or state level program

Communicate results of district, state, and national program to your school’s participants

Return entries to students

SETTING UP YOUR PROGRAM

You must run the program through a PTA in good standing

Register at Jeffco PTA through the webpage (no need to register on the National PTA site)

Sign up for the Jeffco PTA Reflections newsletter and “Like” our Facebook page

Set your deadlines appropriately, leaving time for judging, display, and celebrations

Jeffco turn-in: November 2, 2019

Reserve space at the school for display and awards

Recruit volunteers

PROMOTE YOUR PROGRAM

Posters and other materials available on the Jeffco site. Buy a $3 poster to benefit our scholarship fund.

Have rules and entry forms available at the school or on your school’s website – or connect to Jeffco Student page

Send information home with students

Enlist teacher help to promote the program to their students

Use school newspapers, Facebook, announcements

JUDGING YOUR ENTRIES

Judges should be recruited

from outside the school

Use professionals, retired

teachers, teachers from other

schools, local college programs

Judging needs to be unbiased

and anonymous

Judges choose up to 3 entries

from each category in each

grade division to move on

DISPLAY YOUR ENTRIES

Use school bulletin

boards or display cases

to display all entries

Great way to promote

the program for next

year

CELEBRATE YOUR WINNERS

Get ribbons and print

certificates for either all

participants or just your

winners

Have an awards evening

to present certificates

Include special guests or

school personnel

MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Use the Winner’s Log (Excel sheet) on the

Jeffco website to enter all student information

for those students moving on. Email it to us.

Volunteer for at least one time slot at Jeffco –

signup on the Jeffco website

Prepare your entries for turn-in

Bring entries to turn-in day

Pick up your entries on take-down day

FILLING OUT THE WINNER’S LOG

FILLING OUT THE WINNER’S LOG

PREPARING YOUR ENTRIES

All artwork must be prepared as instructed on the “Entry Packaging Guidelines” on the Jeffco website.

Include entry form with each piece.

Jeffco cannot accept 3D works – mount 3 photos of the work on a mat and prepare the same as other visual arts and photography entries.

JEFFCO DEADLINES

Turn-in: Nov 2 (Red Rocks Community College

in Arvada)

Judging: Nov 9 (RRCC Arvada)

Pickup Non-Winning Artwork: December 7

(Colorado PTA Office)

Awards: Dec 14 (RRCC Arvada)

REFLECTIONS PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Individual School Reflections Program: All entries are collected, judged, displayed

Up to 3 Awards of Excellence are given under each

category/division and advanced to Jeffco PTA

Reflections during Turn In Day

Other entries

returned to

students

Jeffco PTA Reflections accepts and judges all

entries.

Jeffco PTA selects 5 Awards of Excellence

and 1 Award of Merit; these winners are

invited to the Awards Reception

Awards of Excellence only are advanced

to State PTA Reflections

All entries not

advancing to State

are picked up and

returned to

students

REFLECTIONS PROGRAM OVERVIEW

State receives entries from Jeffco, El Paso, Boulder, Denver, & Regional Units

1 Award of Excellence and 2 Awards of Merit are given in each

category/division. Awards ceremony in March.

National PTA selects 3 Award of

Excellence winners, and 5 Awards of

Merit in each category/division and

one Outstanding Interpretation Award

in each category.

Jeffco PTA will inform all

local unit chairs of

winners at each stage.

We ask you to inform

your students who

advanced of the results.

Colorado PTA sends one entry per

category/division to National PTA.

RESOURCES

Check out the “How to Run Your Program” on the Jeffco website for detailed requirements and helpful suggestions

Be sure you are signed up for our email newsletter – link to MailChimp on the website

Like our Facebook page

National PTA site has leadership guides and promotional materials - most are linked on the Jeffco website.

RESOURCES

Jefferson County Reflections:jcpta.org/programs/reflectionsCindy Vaughan-Sanger jeffcoreflections@gmail.com

Jeffco Reflections Facebook Communityfacebook.com/JeffcoReflections “Like” our page

National PTA Reflections:www.pta.org Click “Programs”, then “Reflections”

Colorado State Reflections:copta.org Click “Programs”, then “PTA Reflections”