
REFLECTIONS
OVERVIEW

National PTA has a long-standing commitment to arts education. The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts, boosting student confidence and success in the arts and life.
Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+-year-old program helps them explore their thoughts, feelings, and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them succeed in school and life. The theme this year was “Accepting Imperfection.” Students were encouraged to create original works on this theme highlighting one of six areas: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts.
For the 2024-2025 year, hundreds of art entries were submitted at the school sites throughout Glendale Unified School District, out of which 142 were judged at the Council PTA level. At the Council level, 25 Award of Excellence winners, which are featured below, were then judged at First District PTA. From these 25, two moved on to the State competition and one moved on to the National competition.
You Don't Have to be Perfect to be Worth It
Goldie Gordon, Grade 2, Glenoaks Elementary
Primary Division (Pre-K - Grade 2)
I love dance and I wanted to show that you don’t have to be perfect and nothing has to be perfect. You just have to like it and you just have to know that you did a good job.
Imperfection
Sosie Hakopyan, Grade 5, Mountain Ave Elementary
Intermediate Division (Grades 3-5)
This dance is about understanding that you don’t have to be perfect, and on the contrary imperfection is often beautiful. I intentionally recorded this dance with one take and in doing so made mistakes. These imperfections do not take away from the beauty of the piece, movement, or the message. I let the music move and guide me naturally. The floorwork in the dance represents adversity, the leaps symbolize struggles, and the turns celebrate my perseverance through it all. Art, just like people, can be imperfect and the measure of one’s ability or talent is not perfection.
Who You Are
Emma Shomer, Grade 6, Franklin Elementary
Middle School Division (Grades 6-8)
There are some days where I wish I would look different or change the way I am! But I don’t need to think about that because it’s good to accept imperfections and how people are! I think that we all know that there is someone in the world that wishes they looked like you. Everyone is unique and has their own kind of style. Imperfections are not a bad thing! No one is perfect and the only thing that we are perfect at is being imperfect!
Strange
Brianna Legacion, Grade 12, Glendale High
High School Division (Grades 9-12)
As a dancer, I learned to accept my imperfections and grow from them. I have discovered my own qualities and strengths as a dancer. No one is perfect, but everyone has something unique about them. It is important to accept who you are and be yourself. My solo, titled Strange, represents the acceptance that someone may not be good for you. Everyone makes mistakes, but you can always learn from them.