Reflections program celebrates student creativity
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Student creativity took center stage last week when students throughout Ventura County were recognized for their work in this year’s PTA Reflections program at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Westlake Village.

The Reflections program is designed to encourage students to explore and learn about various art forms, including visual arts, literature, musical composition and photography.

“The goal is to celebrate the gifts and talents of all students and to give those who have never tried a chance to experiment and explore their creativity,” a PTA representative said.

Winning artwork, photography, essays and poems were displayed at the Hyatt. Winning student musical compositions were performed at the reception.

Entries were judged on artistic merit, creativity and interpretation of PTA’s 2005 national theme, “I Wonder Why.”

Kyle Holcombe, a third-grade student at Justin Elementary School in Simi Valley, created a collage that included sheet music. “I wonder why music sounds so beautiful to me,” he said.

Olivia Winck, a kindergartner at Brookside Elementary in Oak Park, received the Merit Award in literature. Winck wondered about many things in a poem, from why her grandparents live so far away, to why the earth is round and not a triangle. She also wondered why she liked vanilla and not chocolate and why camels have humps. “I wonder why I wonder so much,” Winck pondered in the final line of her poem.

Laura Traffenstedt, a thirdgrade student at Walnut Canyon Elementary School in Moorpark, had a winning art piece depicting a cockatoo in an airplane looking out the window at another plane. She wondered why airplanes fly.

Another student wondered why his brother smoked, and he snapped an award-winning photograph of his brother smoking a cigarette.

Reflections entries in the 12th District PTA, which includes Ventura County schools from Oak Park to the city of Ventura, totaled 3,293. The regional event recognized 150 students. In each category, one student received an Award of Excellence, three students received Merit Awards and six others garnered commendations.

The theme for the next year’s Reflections program is “My Favorite Place.” Two new categories will be included in next year’s event: theater and dance.

The following students won the award of Excellence:

Musical Composition

Grades K-2: Nilay Khatore, Los Senderos Elementary School, Camarillo

Grades 3-5: Cassidy Cooper, Atherwood Elementary School, Simi Valley

Grades 6-8: Chris O’Shea, Colina Middle School, Thousand Oaks

Grades 9-12: Jason Lee, Westlake High School, Westlake Village

Literature

Grades K-2: Lexie Seligman, Sycamore Canyon Elementary School, Newbury Park

Grades 3-5: Connor Cavanaugh, Glenwood Elementary School, Thousand Oaks

Grades 6-8: Jamie Katz, Chaparral Middle School, Moorpark

Grades 9-12: Annelise Mah, Thousand Oaks High School, Thousand Oaks

Visual Arts

Grades K-2: Breanna Scranton, Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Simi Valley

Grades 3-5: Evan Laffer, Lang Ranch Elementary School, Thousand Oaks

Grades 6-8: Karen Hong, Sinaloa Middle School, Simi Valley

Grades 9-12: May Zhang, Thousand Oaks High School, Thousand Oaks

Photography

Grades K-2: Ryan Cooper, Tierra Linda Elementary School, Camarillo

Grades 3-5: Melanie Tran, Tierra Linda Elementary School, Camarillo

Grades 6-8: Ashley Ryan, Las Colinas Middle School, Camarillo

Grades 9-12: Daniel Cusworth, Thousand Oaks High School, Thousand Oaks