PO Box 943
Fargo, ND 58107
701.371.4550
Welcome North Dakota Students and Families!
Explore the Arts and Express Yourself!
For over 50 years, National PTA Reflections program has helped students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.
Each year, students in Pre-K through Grade 12 across the country create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. The theme for the 2023-2024 school year is I am Hopeful Because... Students can submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, Visual Arts. Some may also qualify to enter through the Special Artist division. 👉Click for rules!
How to enter the Competition?
🔸 South High PTSA - Questions and submissions to Amy Kain amykain@yahoo.com
🔸 Fargo North High PTSA - Questions to Shanshan Sateren shanshansateren@gmail.com and submit directly HERE
🔸 Carl Ben Eielson Middle School PTA - Questions and submissions to Darla Bakko miss_verbitsky@hotmail.com
🔸 Eagles Elementary PTA - Questions and submissions to Casinda Langseth casindalynn@hotmail.com
🔸 HMR PTA - Questions and submissions to Whitney Oxendahl whitneyoxendahl@gmail.com
🔸 🔸 🔸 *Let us know if anyone is chairing but not mentioned here 🔸 🔸 🔸
🔶 Submit to your school's PTA: Students are asked to follow their own school PTA's rules on how to participate. Your PTA may require you to turn it in to your school office with a completely filled out a Student Entry Form. (You don't need this form if you're submitting online, as described in the next paragraph.) Or your PTA may have asked you to turn it in digitally via an email or via the student entry portal. They may have set a deadline for mid-January, 2024. You might find these info at your school office or on your school PTA’s website.
OR
🔶 Submit online directly to North Dakota PTA: If PTA Reflections is not being actively promoted by your school PTA, or you're not able to find support, you may submit entries directly to North Dakota State PTA via the Student Entry Portal by 11:59PM on *January 31st, 2024. The portal is powered by National PTA. First time users need to register and sign in. Please note that only students who attend schools with active PTAs are eligible to participate. After all, this is a PTA competition. If there's no active PTA at your school, parents/guardians can join PTA at the state level for their students to qualify.
(Parents and Guardians, it's easy to become a PTA Reflections Chair at your school's PTA! Please volunteer yourself and you'll get all the assistance and training you need. Contact us now! We can also help to to start up a PTA at your school with all the trainings you'll need!)
How to Make Your Entries Stand Out?
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Judging at the state and national level will be based on:
INTERPRETATION (50%) -- How closely the piece relates to the theme, based on the artwork itself and the artist's statement.
CREATIVITY (25%) -- How creative and original the piece is in it's conception of the theme and it's presentation.
TECHNIQUE (25%) --The level of skill demonstrated in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area.
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Families can support their students’ participation by creating time and space for students to work on their entries, providing encouragement and needed materials.
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Entries should represent students’ unique creativity. Adults are welcome to encourage students but are asked not to assist in any way with their interpretation of the theme or artistic expression.
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Use of copyrighted material (i.e. cartoon character, sports team logos) is prohibited in the literature, music composition, photography and visual arts categories. Use of copyrighted music in dance choreography and film production entries is acceptable when the title, composer and performer of any music in the submission are cited on the student entry form.
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Try to participate in not just one, but two - or more - arts categories! It can be as fun and as easy as snapping a photo, writing a short poem/essay and/or drawing a picture.
State and National Awards
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Students submit their entries to their school PTAs. Or directly to the Student Entry Portal by Jan 31st if their PTAs can't offer assistance.
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North Dakota PTA will check all entries for eligibility and arranges for judging.
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North Dakota PTA announces state level winners on March 1st, and advances all 1st place winners to National PTA.
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North Dakota PTA holds PTA Reflections Celebration Party in Fargo for all participants. Usually on a Saturday afternoon between mid March and mid April. For 2024 it's on March 23rd, 1PM at Fargo North High School. https://fb.me/e/zuR8FIv7x
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National PTA announces national level winners on May 1st, and would be in direct contact of them shortly afterwards about national awards.
Questions?
❓🤔 Send any questions to the North Dakota PTA Reflections chair to ShanshanSateren@gmail.com or text//call (701) 429-8742
