Reflections is a National PTA art in education program. The program was started in 1969 and is the largest arts in education program of its kind in the United States. Students have the opportunity to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works created around a theme. Reflections is not “just an art contest.” It helps kids take risks, be inspired, think creatively and be celebrated for their creativity and work. Studies have shown there is a positive relationship between the arts and wellbeing. Get more information about Reflections Art Program (wastatepta.org)
Theme for 23-24 school year is:
Student may submit an entry in any of six arts areas. Only original works of art are accepted. Please carefully read and follow the rules for your category!! All artists must follow the rules of participation. Rules for each category are linked below.
The six art areas are:
- Dance Choreography (en Español) - originally choreographed dance composition.
- Film/Video (en Español) - original works, with or without sound, of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or music video/film.
- Literature (en Español)– works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics.
- Music Composition (en Español) – original musical composition, with or without words.
- Photography (en Español)- color or black and white, included techniques: photogram, negative sandwich, and multiple exposure.
- Visual Arts (en Español)- drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor & t-shirt paints, computer generated art, two-dimensional collage, printmaking, needlework & leather tooling.
- Special Artist Elementary Division (en Español) - The National PTA special artist division is an option for students with a disability as 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).
Participation is organized by student age and grade levels. The grade division for Clara Barton Elementary School is K-2nd & 3rd-5th.
How to Participate
Step 1 – CAREFULLY read the rules and guidelines for your specific art area (see links in Categories and Divisions section) or visit https://www.wastatepta.org/events-programs/reflections/). There are size requirements for visual art and photography and word counts for literacy. Dance, music and film production have specific ways to save and submit your file. Read the rules and guidelines carefully!
*Note: According to the guidance from Lake Washington PTSA Council, we do not accept 3-D artwork for the 2023-2024 Reflections program.
Step 2 – Electronically submit student's art work together with completed & signed (2023-24 application will open in Sept) to reflections@clarabartonptsa.org by October 20th, 2023.
Step 3 – Please save your original art, if your art is selected for the State Level Reflection program, we have to submit the original one.
Questions?
Contact our Reflections Chair, Ruchi Gupta, reflections@clarabartonptsa.org
2022-23 Reflections Recap
A really big Congratulations!! to 3 entries from 2022-23 who moved to the State level.
- Film Award of Excellence “BE YOU” Vaishnavi Hemant ( 3rd Grade)
- Literature Award of Merit “Show your Voice” Snehil Ghosh (3rd Grade)
- Music Compostion Award of Merit “Hear my Voice” Riya Mohan (5th Grade)
Additional congratulations to Riya Mohan who was asked to perform her Reflections original song at the Founders Luncheon. Riya wrote and sang her song which moved on the state level from the council. Check out the video online, way to go Riya!
Congratulations to all our 22-23 Clara Barton Reflection Winners!
Check out our video of the submissions!
Film Productions and Literature
Film Productions: Vaishnavi Hemant
Title: Be You
Artist Statement: Showing your voice is another way of being YOU. Copying others shows them, not you. My movie Is about a girl who wants to be gymnast and is trying to win a competition. Along the way she meets the ten times gymnastics winner. She thinks that she is no match for her. So, she loses her belief in being herself. Her best friend makes her realize that being yourself is very important. She finally achieves something great by being herself and showing her uniqueness. ‘Be YOU’ emphasizes what you can achieve by being yourself."
Literature: Snehil Ghosh
Title: Show your voice,
Artist Statement: My work shows how I help keep our planet safe and what everybody could do to help our planet too. This relates t0 the topic because I chose to write an open letter, an open letter address to everybody so they can fix what is happening to our planet.
Music Composition:
Vivienne Byskal
Title: A small voice can make a big change
Artist Statement: The words that I used felt dreamy and calming and felt it blended in with the topic “show your voice”. I think showing your voice is about having grit and kindness at the same time. And that is how I got inspired to write the song “ A small voice can make a big change”
Riya Mohan
Title: Hear My Voice
Artist Statement: When I think of art, I think of ways express emotions. The way that I express my emotions is through music. My song relates to how I want to explore the world in all its glory. I care about my voice and original composition being heard. From an aspiring singer, I give you "Hear My Voice"
Jose Sepulveda
Title: Rainbow
Artist Statement: I Showed my voice by writing about the Rainbow. The Rainbow represents hope. The storm represents bad thing that can happens. Recently, bad things have happened like coronavirus or the forest fires. But no matter how bad things get, there is always hope- there is always a rainbow at the end of the storm.
Santiago Sepulveda
Title: Storm
Artist Statement: When I am sad, happy, scared, excited or mad. It shows through my music. The song I composed, I named it “storm”. I was frustrated at the time. Just like a storm, which is a violent disturbance in the atmosphere, it passes. With my music, I want to show my voice that sometimes it is okay not to be okay! Just like me, I was able to express my frustration. I hope that by showing my voice through my music, other children can be inspired and express it with their music storm teaches us patience and help us be stronger.
Visual Arts
Visual Arts: Poppy Covington
Title: Cat for adoption
Artist Statement: My art is a cat available for adoption. I will show my voice by promoting pet rescue and adoption to friends and my community. I have been to the cat room in my local pet store Volunteers socialize cats to get them ready to adopt. I would like others to know about the cat room so they can visit too.
Visual Arts: Anaya Islam
Title: Tiger Help
Artist Statement: Because tigers need help they are dying out, this could help by maybe making a penny derive and sending it to a tiger center to help these endangered creatures.
Visual Arts: Pranav Verma
Title: Change for the better
Artist Statement: My picture shows three panels. One shows an unharmed beach, where the turtles follow the moon home and the deer feel safe to graze. The second shows the same beach with a town next to it. The lights are on and the turtles are confused, there is a great smoke cloud, and the deer do not feel safe. The third shows the same beach. But the lights are out, the turtles are headed back to the sea, the smoke cloud is gone, and the deer feel safe. Which picture is better for Earth, the second or third?
Visual Arts: Chloe Zhang
Title: These are NOT our food!
Artist Statement: Since COVID, we are using more single-use masks and plastic items every day. These things end up in our oceans and lakes. For many sea animals and creatures, masks and plastic wastes are a nightmare. Sea birds are caught up in masks. Turtles are eating plastic by mistake. Corals are losing their color. Please save our ocean and choose to reuse.
Please join us in celebrating all the 2022-23 Reflection Submissions, thank you to all our wonderful nominees!
| Arts Category | Name | Grade | Teacher | Grade Division |
| Film Productions | Vaishnavi Hemant | 3rd | Mrs. Jensen | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Literature | Snehil Ghosh | 3rd | Ms Sattari | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Music Composition | Vivienne Byskal | 3rd | Ms. Jensen | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Music Composition | Riya Mohan | 5th | Mrs. Hettinger | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Music Composition | Jose Sepulveda | 5th | Mrs. Hettinger | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Music Composition | Santiago Sepulveda | 5th | Mrs. Kirven | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Photography | Abhinav Gupta | 1st | Ms. Sego | Primary(K-2) |
| Photography | Hridhaan Shah | 3rd | Ms. McCreary | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Visual Arts | Sophie Zhang | 1st | Ms. Trimble | Primary(K-2) |
| Visual Arts | Chloe Zhang | 1st | Ms. Choe | Primary(K-2) |
| Visual Arts | Poppy Covington | 2nd | Ms. Haegele | Primary(K-2) |
| Visual Arts | Zayan Islam | 2nd | Ms. Rothbaum | Primary(K-2) |
| Visual Arts | Myra Kektapure | 3rd | Ms. McCreary | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Visual Arts | Anaya Islam | 4th | Ms. Oleary | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| visual Arts | Denoor Kaur Dhalimal | 4th | Mr. Turner | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Visual Arts | Ethen Peters | 4th | Ms. Turner | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
| Visual Arts | Pranav Verma | 4th | Ms.Freshour | Intermediate (Grades 3 - 5) |
2021-22 Artist Showcase: Clara Barton Reflections Entries
2020-21 Artist Showcase: Clara Barton Reflections Finalists
"The Future in my Head- My Dream": The astronaut you see is the very same girl I look at every day and every night in my sweet & beautiful dreams. I decided to draw her as its a reflection of my future... I believe possibilities are endless and hence I matter!!
Gaurangi G., grade 5
"Love Matters": My artwork for the theme "I Matter Because" is made from crochet. The doll in the middle represents me. The pink heart represents that I have a working heart and feelings. The Pencil presents that I know a lot of things and have a brain. It also shows that I have more to learn in the future. The stick figures represent my friends and family - the orange ones are my family, and the pink ones are my best friends. It shows that they care for me and love me. I matter because I'm surrounded by people who love me and things that I love.
Lynn H., grade 5
Questions? Email the PTSA Reflections Chair at reflections@clarabartonptsa.org.
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