NATIONAL PTA REFLECTIONS PROGRAM
Updated: Oct 3, 2020

Does your student enjoy art, dance or have an interest in writing? Then join us and have fun with unleashing his or her inner artist with PTA Reflections!

This year's theme, "𝘐 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦..." calls for your own unique interpretation through the arts.
Learn about how the 2020-21 theme was selected and how it can inspire young artists from National PTA President-Elect Anna King. For inspiration visit the reflections virtual art gallery and learn more about prizes and scholarships at www.PTA.org/Reflections/Awards
Download the submission guidelines for your category and the student entry form today and return to Chambers Primary PTA by December 4, 2020.
Visual Arts - drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor & t-shirt paints, computer generated art, two-
dimensional collage, print making, needlework and leather tooling.
Choreography / Dance - originally choreographed dance composition.
Literature - works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics.
Entry Form - due by December 4, 2020 to Chambers Primary PTA. You can drop off your submission to the school office or mail it to:
Chambers Primary PTA
Attn: Reflections
3800-A Bridgeport Way W
University Place, WA 98466
Special Artist Division
The National PTA Special Artist Division is an option for students with a disability defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Generally, rules and guidelines within the special artists division are intended to ensure accessibility to the National PTA Reflections program and are modeled after the guidelines outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Program Details
Participation is organized by student age and grade levels. Student works are critiqued against others in the same grade division. This allows recognition and judging of artworks by appropriate developmental age and skill levels. The grade divisions are: Primary: Preschool - Grade 2
Intermediate: Grades 3 - 5
Middle School: Grades 6 - 8
High School: Grades 9 - 12 Entries are judged on creative ability and interpretation of the theme.
Volunteers
Would you like to be a part of the Chambers Primary PTA Reflections Committee? We are looking for community members with a passion for or profession in the arts. These amazing programs aren't successful without volunteers. Please sign up to volunteer at the link below. CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE VOLUNTEER FORM
Theme Search
National PTA is seeking a theme for the 2022-2023 Reflections program year. The student who submits the winning entry will receive $100 and his or her theme will be
presented at the annual National PTA
Convention in June 2021. Repeat themes will
not be considered.
The due date for submitting a theme search entry is November 1, 2020.
Scan and submit entries by email to laura.peterson@wastatepta.org
Art Activities
Doing art activities together is a fantastic way for families to communicate and foster lifelong memories with one another. It's especially important to find unique ways to connect during the COVID-19 pandemic. Attached is a resource for families to do some art together at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can enter the art program, Reflections?
Reflections is a National PTA arts contest open to students in grades pre-K through 12th grade. Although membership in a PTA is not required to enter, a Reflections program is a benefit of attending a school where there is a PTA. Students must enter the contest through a local grade-equivalent school PTA in good standing. A local PTA may, but is not required to, accept entries from students who do not attend its particular school (i.e. home-school students or students from schools where there isn’t a PTA).
Students who do not attend a PTA school, but wish to enter, should contact the Reflections chair at a grade-equivalent school PTA in their district, to ask if their entry will be accepted by that PTA.
Reflections entries by a student shall not be accepted if submitted directly to a PTA council, Washington State PTA, or National PTA.

What is the 2020-2021 Reflections theme? The 2020-21 Reflections theme is I Matter Because…
The theme is determined by National PTA. Students may find more information above under “Theme Search”.
Learn about how the 2020-21 theme was selected and how it can inspire young artists from National PTA President-Elect Anna King.
Do children have to sign the entry form?
Yes. The entry form must be signed by the submitting student (even if it is only a printed first name) and the student’s parent/guardian. If the student is at least 18 years old, only the student must sign.
What does "rigid backing" mean for visual arts entries?

This means that the entry must be mounted in a way that it cannot be folded, rolled, or bent. Acceptable backing includes: foam core, press board, canvas board, cardboard (solid piece, no seams or folds), and thick mat board.
How should dance entries be submitted?
Film and dance entries must be submitted on a USB thumb drive. If you have a file to submit but cannot obtain a USB drive, let your PTA leader know. The USB drive should be placed in a re-closable manila envelope, with the entry form attached to the front in a page protector.
What are the recommendations for quality recordings?
Make the room you record in as quiet as possible. Close windows and turn off all noise-making devices in the room (air conditioners, fans, telephones, etc.). Do not place the recording device on top of an instrument or speakers. If needed, improve recording quality by changing the record volume or microphone location. Pay attention to what is behind the performer – make sure the background isn’t distracting. If using a phone, record in landscape mode, not portrait mode.
Can more than one person create and submit the same entry?
Only one person can submit each entry. However, more than one person can perform in a dance, music or film creation, even though one person is the creator/submitting the entry.
How many entries can one student submit?
Students may submit in as many arts categories as they would like, however, only one entry per arts category is allowed.
What is considered copyrighted material, subject to qualification?
An entrant may use copyrighted material in a Reflections® entry as long as that material is not the primary focus of the entry, or if the entrant is not trying to pass off the copyrighted material as his/her own creation.
For example, if a photograph is taken where someone is wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt, that entry is acceptable as long as the Mickey Mouse character is not the primary focus of the photograph. Even if the entrant takes a photograph of a family with Mickey Mouse at a theme park, that would still be an acceptable photograph if the subject of the photograph is the family and not the Mickey Mouse character. If an entrant creates an entry that includes Mickey Mouse as a primary subject in the artwork, that entry would be infringing on copyrighted material and would be disqualified.
If you have any questions, contact Lindsay Yost, WSPTA Reflections Chair at reflections@wastatepta.org
Why are there so many rules? Isn't Reflections a program to encourage kids to be creative?
Since the primary goal of Reflections is to promote creativity, the program’s rules create the necessary boundaries to allow judging, exhibits, and awards.
Most of the rules associated with the Reflections program have been developed to protect student creations once they’ve been turned in and provide the ability for artwork to be displayed. A handful of volunteers are tasked with moving large numbers of artwork from place to place, and we treasure each creation.
For more information, questions or assistance, please contact Chambers Primary PTA's Reflections Chair, Leslie Hensley: reflections@chambersprimarypta.com