Welcome PTA Reflections Chairs,

PTA officers and school staffs!

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Thank you for making it possible for your students to participate in this awesome program! 💓 It is never too early or too late to start! PTA Reflections continues to make positive impact on students' lives by giving them the platform to express their talent and creativity. For some students, this experience may even be life-changing!

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Steps to run the program at your school:

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1.) Register HERE to let National PTA know that your school PTA is participating by end of January. This step is not required but helps National PTA to plan ahead. Also make sure your PTA is in good standing.

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2.) Decide on a deadline for your school, probably 2 weeks before January 31st, coz that's when submissions from each schools to the North Dakota PTA are due every year. You can promote PTA Reflections by hanging posters around schools, sending information home with the students, or including a blurb in the school or PTA newsletters/websites/social media… etc. You can also ask your school to mention it during morning announcement, and ask teachers to incorporate the current Reflections theme in writing, art or social study assignments.

 

3.) Update your PTA’s website so you can refer all students/families/teachers to it for updates on school-specific rules/due dates/awards/celebrations set out by you.

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4.) Collect entries from students. Make sure each has followed the official rules and have submitted the student entry form. Click for the generic Student Entry Packet (rules + form) or the Student Entry Form (form only). Please submit all entries from your schools to North Dakota PTA via the Student Entry Portal by the state deadline-- 11:59pm on January 31st during each school year.  Even entries in the Visual Art category (i.e. a 2D drawing or a 3D sculpture) can be submitted electronically, by taking 3 good photos of each entry and submit the photos via the Student Entry Portal. This is to streamline with how the National PTA accepts entries advanced from each state. After receiving a personal email or text that confirms your entries are submitted, you can return all physical entries back to the students, with the exceptions of entries in the Visual Art category. Keep them until at least March 1st, when North Dakota PTA will announce the state winners. All 1st place state winners from each art category/age division will be advanced to the national round, and if any of them wins 1st place again in the national level (announced by May 1st of every year), we will need to collect the physical entry from you so to submit to the National PTA for exhibition purposes. You might want to make a copy or take a photo of each entry and student entry form, in case they're needed in the future. 

 

5.) If you have to submit entries the old fashion way, we will gladly accept! For photography and Visual Art entries, we suggest protecting them with boxes, shrink wrap, and/or cellophane. Make sure each is accompanied by a signed and fully completed Student Entry Form, and mail to North Dakota PTA (new address is

PO Box 943, Fargo, ND 58107) and make sure we receive it by January 31st. If you're in the Fargo, ND area you can contact the North Dakota PTA Reflections Chair to arrange for pick up.

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What if no one is chairing PTA Reflections at your school?

 

If your PTA doesn't have anyone to run Reflections and you still want to give the students a chance to participate... We Can Help! Just post the latest Reflections flyer at your schools to direct students or their parents/guardians to the North Dakota PTA Reflections web page.Where there should get all the help they need. Feel free to direct any questions to North Dakota PTA. 😉

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What are the categories and rules?

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Students need to create original entries, reflecting on the theme of the particular school year. 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 students may also qualify to enter through the Accessible Arts division. 

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What if I have receive way too many entries? How many can I submit?

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Wow! What a nice problem to have! If your school receive more entries than specified by North Dakota PTA, you might need to recruit creative professionals (i.e. a dance instructor, an art teacher) to conduct initial judging, so to keep the number of entries within range:

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Number of Entries Each Local PTA Can Advance to NDPTA 

Enrollment at School                  # of Entries per Category/per Grade Division

1-200                                                                        10

201-400                                                                     13

401-Up                                                                      16

 

For example, if your school has 300 students, you can submit up to 13 dance entries from Primary division, another 13 dance entries from Intermediate division. Plus 13 film entries from Primary, and 13 film entries from intermediate… and so on.

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State and National Awards

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Students will have the opportunities to move up through their school to compete at the state level and the national level. 

The first-place winner from each grade division/art category at the state level (announced around March 1st each year) will be advance to the national Level. Winners at the national level are announced in early May each year and will be celebrated in June at the National PTA Convention & Expo.

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Reflections Promotional Materials

See the Reflections Library. 

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👏 Thanks again for all your hard work! 👏

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If you have any questions or suggestions, or need help customizing the forms

email ShanshanSateren@gmail.com with subject "PTA Reflections", or text/call 7014298742