1. Award of Excellence at the 2015 National PTSA Competition Love by Hosannah Choi, 2 nd grade, Somerset Elementary REFLECTIONS TRAINING AND INFORMATIONAL SESSION OCTOBER 8, 2015 WISC OLYMPIC ROOM

2. Every Year there is a competition for a new theme. The deadline for the new theme is Nov 13, 2015. Forms are available online THEME: LET YOUR IMAGINATION FLY…

3. REFLECTIONS AT THE LOCAL PTSA LEVEL

4. 1 ST STEPS TO START  Go to www.ptareflections.org to register your PTSA/PTA for submittals. See sheet for important informationwww.ptareflections.org  Talk with your PTSA/PTA president about viability of your group and planned date to vote on standing rules  Ask if you have a budget to spend  Find out from your treasurer:  Last date membership dues were sent in  Date you paid your AIM insurance  Fill out the top form of the student entry form with information before passing out or posting on website

5. STUDENT ENTRY FORM  Fill in all local PTA information on student entry forms prior to printing copies DO NOT ALTER STUDENT ENTRY FORM.

6. HOW TO GENERATE INTEREST FOR VOLUNTEERS  Job description of reflection chair duties to post on your website or pass out to people is available. This is posted on the council website  Plan a coffee meet and greet at your school for parents interested in the program. For deadline day, make it fun for all the submittals to come in.  Reflection flyers to pass out to the students to generate interest at the school. These have already been created, just fill in the information.  Website and Facebook

7. HOW TO GENERATE INTEREST FOR STUDENTS  Have a poster board display at lunchtimes or after school in areas where students pass.  Send out a flyer to all the students  Post the flyer and information on PTSA facebook site  Make sure that it is mentioned in your weekly newsletter a couple of times.  Create an art nite or afternoon where paper and supplies are provided for students to create their art  Talk with the art teacher(s) at your school  Emphasis that this is a competition

8. REFLECTIONS LOCAL PROGRAM  Art is submitted by students at each school on a due date working back from December 5 th.  Ideas for this level for  Certificates or participation ribbons for each entry  Awards for Outstanding Interpretation, Award of Excellence and Award of Merit for pieces of art  Awards ceremony at the school  Display of the art for a period of time  Order ribbons from Olympic Ribbons: Olympicribbons.com  The judging is to meet the criteria of 25 or less art pieces to move to the council level competition. Deadline to submit art to council is Saturday, Dec 5 th.

9. SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED  Sheet protectors for student entry forms( ½ sheet size is totally acceptable  Ribbons for participants and winners  Mount all visual arts and photography on sturdy backing, such as: ◦ Foam core ◦ Pressboard ◦ Canvas board ◦ Cardboard (solid piece, no seams or folds)  Resealable manila folders for literature, music, film dance

10. HELPFUL HINTS  Encourage students to review the rules for their submittal  The student entry form MUST be signed and complete.  Encourage students not to write their name on the front of visual arts photography, and literature entries.  Use sheet protector/plastic sleeves for student entry form and attach securely on the back of the art or on the manila envelope  Mark the orientation.  Use re-closable manila envelopes for literature, music composition, dance choreography, and film production.  NOTE: We are not asking for the submittals to have the plastic wrap. We will do this for the ones that move onto State competition.

11. COMMON DISQUALIFICATIONS  Missing or incomplete student entry form. This includes title, artist statement, and parent signature.  Artist statement over 100 words.  Literature over the word count.  Literature that is mounted or bound. NO BOOKS  Music composition, dance choreography, and film production: ◦Incorrect file type ◦File size over 1GB ◦Entry is over time limit

12. COMMON DISQUALIFICATIONS  Visual arts and photography mounted improperly (this is the most frequent disqualification by far).  Improper mounting examples: ◦ No mounting ◦ Paper ◦ Construction paper ◦ Cardstock ◦ Posterboard ◦ Scrapbooking paper ◦ Wood-framed canvas ◦ Glass Framed artwork  Lettering on photography – should be visual arts

13. Category Guidelines for Advancing Entries WSPTA encourages PTAs to submit at least six (6) special artist entries from their local PTA or council. Special artist entries are not included in the category limits, the special artist division includes all categories. Category Guidelines Visual ArtsNo more than 30% PhotographyNo more than 20% LiteratureNo more than 20% Dance, Film, and MusicNo more than 30%

14. THINGS TO DO ON DEC 4TH Reflections Submission Checklist Use this checklist to review all entries prior to advancing them to the next level. The “Reflections Submission Checklist” is available at www.wastatepta.org/programs/reflections. Use sheet protector/plastic sleeves for student entry form and attach securely on the back of the art or on the manila envelope  Wrap entries securely with cellophane wrap or art sleeves( optional)  Use re-closable manila envelopes for literature, music composition, dance choreography, and film production.  Remove stickers, labels, Velcro, signage, etc.  Make sure the art you are submitting is worthy of council level and will not be disqualified

15. REMIND YOUR PARENTS THAT ONLY VISUAL AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART ARE RETURNED. ANY ART TO GO ONTO STATE OR NATIONAL WILL BE RETURNED LATER

16. REFLECTIONS AT THE COUNCIL PTSA LEVEL

17. BELLEVUE COUNCIL REFLECTIONS TRAINING  The Bellevue Council will be providing a training for the local Reflections chairs and their volunteers on requirements for the Reflections program and Bellevue Council

18. DISPLAY OF THE ART TO THE COMMUNITY  The Council will be displaying all the art at the WISC Rainer room from January 4 th -8th. All awards will be announced at that time. Reflections Volunteers hanging over 150 pieces of art at the Rainer room

19. SPECIAL COMPETITIONS  During the week of display, the artwork can be judged by visitors for 2 special competitions.  The Ever popular People’s Choice award.  Vote for15 pieces of visual art and/or photography to be published by Bellevue Council for sale as a 15 blank card set. Pre-sales of the card pack will be available in December. Each card will have the art on the cover and the back cover will have the name of the artist and their school and the Bellevue PTSA council logo.

20. AWARD CEREMONY  The Council will be holding an award ceremony at WISC TBD  20% of the total number of pieces submitted will be given the Outstanding award of Interpretation and will move onto State Competition.  All other pieces will be given either Award of Excellence, Award of Merit. All participants will receive a ribbon of participation.  People’s choice award will be given to the top two art pieces based on votes. Ribbons given.  The 15 pieces of art that will be a part of the Reflections 2015 “ let your Imagaination Fly…: blank card packets will be revealed.

21. REFLECTIONS AT THE STATE PTSA LEVEL

22. AWARD CEREMONY  April timeframe  The award ceremony for the state winners will be announced. Since the convention is in Yakima, there is a possibility for the ceremony to be in Seattle.