Reflections at Willow Springs Elementary School

By Christina Nelson, Reflections Chair for Willow Springs Elementary

The Reflections Arts Recognition Program is a national PTA arts recognition and achievement program for students. Since 1969, over 10 million students across the nation have taken part in this popular PTA program. There is also a different theme each year. This year’s theme was “Magic of a Moment.”

A student can participate in all categories (submitting one entry per category) or one category. Categories include Dance, Film Production, Literature, Musical Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. There are also various levels regarding grades. Primary is for grades K-2, Intermediate refers to grades 3-5, Middle is for grades 6-8 and High refers to grades 9-12.    

Willow Springs Elementary School had 32 students compete at the local level (i.e. school level) with 38 entries and judging was completed in November. We had 10 top-scoring entries submitted to the council level on November 19, 2012. Out of these 10 entries, two entries received Outstanding Interpretation and chosen Cluster 7 winners at the intermediate level. These two submissions went onto District level judging.

These two students were 1) Lara Nelson, Intermediate (4^th grade), Photography and 2) Ella Wood, Intermediate (4^th grade), Literature. Lara’s photo was of an old barn in Leesburg. Asked why she chose that landscape, she replied “This barn did not fall down when Hurricane Sandy came. It is still standing. That is a Magic of a Moment.” Ella wrote a poem and was inspired by “child in a field enjoying a moment engaged with all the nature around her. She is lost in thought and a voice brings her back to reality. She realizes she has to leave this magical place and return home.”

All participants’ entries can be seen at the Centreville Regional Library display case in April.