Five students earn state-level honorable mentions
Two Downers Grove Grade School District 58 students will advance to the national level of the PTA Reflections art competition. Congratulations to Sienna Chansey, a Lester first grader, and Sarah Richtman, a Herrick eighth grader, for earning their way to the highest level of PTA Reflections! The Illinois State PTA only selected 25 students statewide to advance to the national level.
The PTA Reflections program annually invites students in grades preschool through 12 to submit original works of art in one of six categories: dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. This year’s theme is “Heroes Around Me.”
Sienna will advance in the dance choreography category for her entry, entitled “Dance For Heroes.”
Sarah will advance in the literature category for her story, “Heroes Around Me.”
The National PTA will announce this year’s national winners on May 1, 2019.
In addition, five District 58 students earned Honorable Mentions at the PTA Reflections state level. Honorable Mentions were awarded to:
- Ashley Warmbir, a Highland second grader, music composition: “Be Someone’s Hero”
- Maahi Shah, a Highland second grader, photography: “My Super Mom”
- Erin Sievert, a Hillcrest fourth grader, photography: “Firefighters Are Heroes”
- Jaxon Sydello, a Hillcrest second grader, visual arts: “The Army Defending Us”
- Michaela Romero, a Herrick eighth grader, visual arts: “Stronger Together”
"We are incredibly proud of all of the talented students who've participated in this program and congratulate those students whose projects advanced to represent Downers Grove in Regionals, State and especially at the National Level. We also look very forward to fall to see the how the students will reflect on the theme "Look Within" and the works of art that they will create. We are honored to be a part of a district and PTA with support for the arts," said Downers Grove Area Reflections Council Chairs Shannon McBrien, Jennifer Luhm and Dione Swierczynski in a joint statement.
This winter, the Illinois State PTA received 406 art entries that advanced from the PTA Regional Reflections competition.