Reflections 2011

National Arts Program

2011-2012 Theme:

“ Diversity Means...”

PTA believes all children deserve a quality arts education and encourages students to express themselves artistically through participation in its annual arts Reflections Program. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art, centered around a specific theme, for fun and recognition. Students are encouraged to create and submit works of art in any of six areas:  visual arts
(which includes art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage), musical composition, photography, literature, dance choreography and film
production.  Grades K through 6th at Fern Drive are welcome to participate.
Outside judging will be conducted with respect to grade level divisions.

Artistic expressions must completely adhere to specific PTA State Guidelines or cannot be accepted.
MANY guidelines are new since summer break 2011!


**Requests to sign up for the Reflections Program will not be received from the office nor online after Monday, September 26th, 2011. People who have not submitted their name, teacher, grade and category interest to the office or to fernreflect11@gmail.com by this time will not be enrolled in the contest.** 
 

The Deadline for all entries with correct packaging, entry form, and consent forms (when applicable) is Thursday, October 13th,  by 10:30 AM at the Fern Drive Office.

Questions can be directed to fernreflect11@gmail.com.   We hope to return correspondence in a timely manner, but please understand replies may take at least one school/work day.

GENERAL STUDENT PARTICIPATION RULES

Students must adhere to the following General Student Participation Rules as well as the rules for their specific arts area.

The theme for the 2011–2012 PTA Reflections Program is ―Diversity Means…‖ Only new pieces of artwork inspired by the theme may be submitted. 

Student Eligibility Through Local PTAs 
Students must participate in the Reflections Program through a local PTA/PTSA in good standing.
Parent groups not affiliated with National PTA are not eligible to sponsor this program. It is the responsibility of the state and local PTA/PTSA to determine each student’s eligibility in the Reflections Program. A student may develop an entry in or outside of school.

Grade Divisions
Students may enter the Reflections Program in the appropriate division for their grade. The divisions are as follows:
  Primary: preschool–grade 2 
  Intermediate: grades 3–5
  Middle: grades 6–8
  Senior: grades 9–12

Arts Areas
Students may submit works in any of six arts areas:
  Dance Choreography
  Film Production
  Literature
  Musical Composition
  Photography 
  Visual Arts

National PTA does not limit the number of entries a student may submit. 

Originality
Each entry must be the original work of one student only. An adult may not alter the creative integrity of a student’s work. Because the program is designed to encourage and recognize each student’s individual creativity, help from an adult or collaboration with other students is not allowed. Only one student may be recognized as the award recipient for each entry. Other individuals may appear in or perform a student’s work, but the work itself—the dance choreography or film production (including screenplay, camerawork, and directing) or musical composition (including written score and any lyrics), etc. — must be the creative product of one student only. (See the specific arts area rules for details.)  Use of copyrighted material (other than recorded music in dance choreography and film production entries) is prohibited.  Plagiarism is defined as taking and using another person’s ideas, writings, or inventions as one’s own. Plagiarized entries will be disqualified and returned to the students. 


Student Entry Form
All participants are required to complete and sign the Student Entry Form. Students who have not
completely filled out the entry form will not be eligible to participate in the program. In situations where the child cannot fill out the entry form or write legibly, a parent may complete the form.  Beginning in 2011-2012, students must title their works, and the title must be included on the Student Entry Form. For most arts areas, students must also answer a few questions about how they created their works; see Required Information on the Student Entry Form. 

All entries must also include an artist statement that describes how the piece relates to the theme. Each
participant is required to submit an artist statement that describes what inspired him or her to create the work and how it relates to the theme. The artist statement is mandatory for all entries in all grade divisions. The statement may not exceed 250 words (1,000 characters maximum); there is no minimum length. 

Children with Disabilities
PTA believes that each child with a disability should be provided a free and appropriate public education. Therefore, the Reflections Program at the national level does not have a special division for students with disabilities. National PTA believes it is the right of parents to place their child in the Reflections Program grade division that best reflects the child’s developmental age. However, guidelines for state and local Reflections Programs may vary. Check with your state PTA for its guidelines.

Deadlines 
Students must submit all works by the deadline established by their local PTA/PTSA. Each local PTA/PTSA sponsoring the program sets its own deadline for entries, in adherence with state, district/region, and council deadlines. Entries are judged at the local level and the top entries are forwarded to the next level of judging (council, district/region, or state). Direct all questions regarding deadlines or rules to your state PTA office or arts chair. National PTA does not record deadlines for local, council, district/region, or state PTAs.

Judging
All national entries are judged on artistic merit, creativity, mastery of the medium, and interpretation of the theme. Mastery of the medium in the context of the national Reflections Program pertains to the level of skill the student demonstrates in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area. However, a well-developed concept is more important than technique. Entries will be judged primarily on how well the student uses his or her artistic vision to portray the theme.  The Reflections Program makes no restriction on content or subject in artwork. Students who are submitting entries need to meet school and/or local and state PTA standards.  Each PTA determines its own judges for the program. Under no condition may parents or students contact the judges to dispute the status of an entry. All decisions of judges are final.

Links to Specific Rules/Guidelines

About Reflections
Student Entry Form
Dance Choreography Rules
Film Production Rules
Literature Rules
Musical Composition Rules
Photography Rules
Visual Arts Rules
Consent Form
How to Use the Consent Form