Students from all grade levels whose work was judged to be exceptional in the National PTA Arts in Education Reflections program were recognized at a ceremony held at Freeport High School.
Each school building PTA partnered with the school district to encourage every student to participate by submitting their original work relating to the theme "Dream, Believe, Inspire." Written words, photos, and musical compositions and performances were just some of the acceptable entry methods. All submissions were evaluated at the local level in Freeport. "It was wonderful to have judges from the community, including the Long Island Arts Council of Freeport and local artist in residence Lyle Cogen," said Freeport PTA Reflections coordinator Robyn Workman.
"I was thrilled to learn that 150 of your students participated in the program," said New York State PTA Reflections specialist Sarah Henris. "We strive to make a difference for all students."
The ceremony also featured the premiere of a video compiled by visual arts facilitator Catherine Rode-Flores from student artwork, including many entries that had been sent to the state level of competition for judging. These results won't be known for some time.
A Colorado PTA president named Mary Lou Anderson founded the Reflections program in 1969. The ongoing hope is that participation in the arts will inspire creativity and imagination in students and reinforce critical thinking and problem-solving skills in line with the new core curriculum.