PTA Reflections is a National PTA program that encourages students in Pre-K through 12th grade to create original works of art in response to an annual student-selected theme, boosting their confidence and love for learning through artistic literacy. Students submit entries in categories like dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts with opportunities for recognition and advancement through local, district, state, and national levels. The program also features an Accessible Arts Division for students with disabilities to participate with appropriate accommodations.

The PTA Reflections Program aims to:

• Inspire students and families to creatively engage around the annual theme.
• Share resources to support families’ artistic endeavors and access arts education opportunities.
• Provide student artists access to recognition and celebrations for their creative talent.
• Encourage continued participation in the arts.

Each year Baywood encourages students to create and submit original works of art in the areas of Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. This year’s theme is I Belong.

Entry forms can be found via this link. Entries are due November 3, 2025.

Process for Participating

1. Students should individually create a unique submission in one of the art categories.
2. Submit the artist’s statement (mandatory) along with the art piece using Baywood’s google form which can be found here. If you need to submit via a paper entry form, please pick one up in the front office. Entries are due by November 3rd.
3. Once we’ve received your submission, you will get a confirmation email. Please be sure you are not using a SMFCSD email address as the confirmation email may get filtered out.
4. All entries will be individually scored based on the interpretation of the theme, creativity, and technical skill.
5. We will announce the results in January and recognize our participants. 

Top Tips

• Student entry forms must be FILLED OUT COMPLETELY, HAVE A TITLE, and REQUIRE AN ARTIST STATEMENT.
• Students should use the artist statement to express how their submission relates to the theme.
• The student’s name and/or other identifying information should not be visible on or within the artwork that will be judged.
• Digital technology, AI and/or other software can not provide the primary design and/or concept. If a student uses technology to develop, enhance and/or present an entry they will need to include a description of the tools and methods they used in producing the submission.
• Entries must be the creative product of the student artist alone. Other individuals may appear in or perform a student’s work, but help from an adult or collaboration with other students is not allowed.
• Students may submit entries in their own language if English is not their first language however, an interpretive translation in English must accompany the entry.
• Copyrighted material in an entry must be incidental and/or a smaller element of a whole and be used to create a completely new and different work of art.

The National PTA has a great page for Crafting an Entry for Reflections. This resource is created by National PTA's Reflections Committee to help our students create original and thoughtful Reflections on the Theme "I Belong". Guidelines for each submission category can also be found via the link above.