“Beauty is . . .”

2009–2010 PTA Reflections Program

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 2009–2010 PTA Reflections Program is “Beauty is...” Only new pieces of artwork

inspired by the theme may be submitted.

Students must participate in the Reflections Program through a local PTA/PTSA in good standing.

Parent groups not affiliated with the national PTA organization 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.

Students may enter the Reflections Program in the appropriate division for their grade. The divisions

are as follows:

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If students do not fall under specific grade divisions, the national PTA organization suggests that they

be grouped as follows:

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It is the responsibility of the local PTA/PTSA to determine the appropriate division if necessary.

Students may submit works in any of six arts areas:

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The national PTA organization does not limit the number of entries a student may submit.

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.

Plagiarized entries will be disqualified and returned to the students.

All participants are required to fill out in its entirety 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.

Students have the option of titling their works. If a work has a title, the title must be included on the

Student Entry Form. If the work has no title, please write “Untitled.” All entries must include an artist

statement that describes how the piece relates to the theme. 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.

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 should not exceed 250 words; there is no minimum length. The Student

Entry Form provides a space for the artist statement; if the statement does not fit in the space given, it

may be written on a separate sheet and attached to the Student Entry Form. Make sure the student’s

full name appears on any sheet attached to the Student Entry Form.

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. The national PTA organization 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.

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.