We have 15 units in our Council, each are allowed to send 16 of their best entries to council and from those council is allowed to send 16 to State. I have just spent 3 days going through our Reflections information because this will be my first year. I have requested each of our units to send me "how they do it" so we can share. I do know that many of the schools start early. They hold "workshops" after school for the students and provide art utensils and poster board for them. The Reflection Chairs put flyers in their newsletters, hang signs around the school, talk to the staff at their meetings and to parents at the PTA meetings and to the students either class by class or lunch room by lunch room.
Each school may recognize their participants and winners as they choose. (Usually an ice cream social and certificates for all and usually display all work at a PTA meeting with a punch and cookie reception afterward, work is usually displayed in the school somewhere)
At the council level we invite all 16 winners from each school and their families to our High School Auditorium for a "Celebrate our Youth" Awards ceremony. (about 500 people) All visual arts and photography entries are on slides and shown. Music entries taped, played and performed live and literature entries read. All are brought on stage almost 150 kids) where they are given certificates and get to shake hands with the Mayor, Superintendant, School Board and Judge. Pictures of course. We then all go next door to the cafeteria for punch and cookies.
The 16 council winners are also presented at a school board meeting in March and recongnized with a pin.
We then hang all the artwork and photographs at our main library for two weeks for public viewing, before they are finally returned to the students. There are usually a few newspaper items during this marathon!
It is absolutely daunting in our district but we get hundreds of entries. (120 from 1 middle school of 420 last year alone).
Great chance if you get teachers involved, give everyone ample notice and remind them again and again. The workshops are very helpful at the elementary level.
It is a wonderful program, if I get any good how to's I will pass them along to you.
The best thing to do with Reflections is to get the teachers invloved. Alot of times they work it right into the current curriculum. Talk to the art and music teacher, and see if they have any input that would be helpful.
Also, the teachers would know what students are more motivated to participate, ie kids who excel at drawing or music or writing.
Unfortunately, we haven't done Reflections in the last couple of years, but next year it is priority #1!
Also, make sure that you recognize this years winner(s) in the local papers, newsletter and hang their work on the main bulletin board. It will give other kids some motivation. It could be they just didn't understand what they needed to do.
This is one of those things where EVERYONE needs to be involved: school, parents, teachers, and kids.
hi, just a quick question about the Reflections art program for those who are pta's. How do you get the word out? We sent home info letters and then reminder letters, I pushed it at back to school night (even held up random picture my dd had drawn) and we still only have about 4 entries. At this point, it is too late to do anything else since our deadline is the 26th of november... my question really is: what can we do differently next year? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.
