The Reflections Program is a National PTA and Washington State PTA cultural arts competition. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works.

Each year, Reflections challenges students to create art that supports a specific theme. Themes are selected from thousands of ideas submitted by students to National PTA's Reflections Theme Search. The 2008-2009 Reflections theme is: "Wow!".

Young artists get involved in Reflections through their local PTA. A student may submit an entry in any of four arts areas. Only original works of art are accepted. The four art areas are:

• Literature -- works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, prose, drama, short stories and lyrics.
• Music Composition -- original musical composition, with or without words.
• Photography -- prints up to 11 x 14 inches in color or black and white, including techniques: photogram, retouched, montage, sandwich and multiple exposure.
• Visual Arts -- drawing, painting in tempera, oil, acrylic, watercolor & t-shirt paints, computer generated art, two-dimensional collage, printmaking, needlework & leather tooling.
• Film/Video -- original works, with or without sound, of animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or music video/film.
• Choreography/Dance -- originally choreographed dance composition (recorded on VHS tape or DVD).

Look for entry forms and deadlines in September after school begins.  We hope you spend the summer thinking of ideas that reflect the theme -- "Wow!"