22 CFBISD Student Entries Advance to State PTA Reflections Contest

22 CFBISD Student Entries Advance to State PTA Reflections Contest

Twenty-two entries from CFBISD students are advancing to the State PTA Reflections Contest in March.

The CFBISD Council PTA celebrated and awarded CFBISD students from 20 schools who submitted art in the 2022-23 PTA Council Reflections Contest at an awards ceremony Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. 

“We are so proud of the talented artists in CFBISD and congratulate all of those who participated this year,” said Bonnie Potraza, Reflections Committee Chair.

The Reflections Contest theme was “Show Your Voice” and included six contest categories – dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts.

The CFBISD Council PTA received the top 20% of entries from each school and judged those entries based on Interpretation of Theme, Artistic Merit/ Creativity, Mastery of Medium. The Council then awarded Honorable Mention, Award of Merit and Award of Excellence. The top winner of each category and age group, the Award of Excellence, advanced to the State PTA level.

According to the National PTA website, more than 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. Throughout its 51-year existence, the PTA Reflections program has helped students examine their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them become successful life-long learners. PTA's Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts, which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and life.

The entries advancing to the state contest are:

Dance

  • Myra Verma, Tom Landry Elementary
  • Bella Kendzierski, McCoy Elementary
  • Madeleine Birmingham, Newman Smith High School

Film

  • Peter Kenworthy, McCoy Elementary
  • Kellan Lewis, Kent Elementary
  • Krish Kohir, R. L. Turner High School

Literature

  • Varun Singh, La  Villita Elementary
  • Jeffrey James, McCoy Elementary
  • Aderonke Obikoya, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Dhruv Pal, R. L. Turner High School

Music Composition

  • Vyan Patel, McCoy Elementary
  • Evelyn Vo, Kent Elementary
  • Sahir Rai Hasija, DeWitt Perry Middle School

Photography

  • Jackson Shafer, McCoy Elementary 
  • Mia Surmideda, McCoy Elementary
  • Diya Vemireddy, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Karishma Pilla, R. L. Turner High School  

Visual Arts

  • Pranav Vemireddy, McCoy Elementary
  • Suhaana Balakrishnan, McCoy Elementary
  • Sophia Wilson, Blalack Middle School 
  • Emily Ortiz-Arvelo, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Emily Bauer, R. L. Turner High School 

Students awarded Honorable Mention, Award of Merit and Award of Excellence were:

  • Olivia Wise, McCoy Elementary
  • Myra Verma, Tom Landry Elementary
  • Mihika Verma, Tom Landry Elementary
  • Anastasia Busby, Country Place Elementary PTA
  • Bella Kendzierski, McCoy Elementary
  • Kaila Belt, Newman Smith High School
  • Sophia Glover, Creekview High School
  • Madeleine Birmingham, Newman Smith High School
  • Lucas Knobloch, Rainwater Elementary
  • Peter Kenworthy, McCoy Elementary
  • Pete Adamo, Rosemeade Elementary PTA
  • Kellan Lewis, Kent Elementary
  • Krish Kohir, R. L. Turner High School
  • Wilson Wai, McCoy Elementary
  • Amaya Dubey, McCoy Elementary
  • Varun Singh, La  Villita Elementary
  • Avery Gonzalez, McCoy Elementary
  • Shikhar Gudala, McCoy Elementary
  • Avyukt Gupta, McCoy Elementary
  • Krishaanu Manuj, McCoy Elementary
  • Riya Singh, La Villita Elementary
  • Manasvi Thirumanyam, Las Colinas Elementary
  • Sanjay Umashankar, McCoy Elementary
  • Lanah Topps, Rainwater Elementary
  • Kimora White, McCoy Elementary
  • Jeffrey James, McCoy Elementary
  • Ghayathiri Anandaraman, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Amelia Samuel, Polk Middle School
  • Aderonke Obikoya, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Lara Cardoza, Creekview High School
  • Dhruv Pal, R. L. Turner High School
  • Giada De La Vega Crawley, Rosemeade Elementary PTA
  • Vyan Patel, McCoy Elementary
  • Manasvi Thirumanyam, Las Colinas Elementary
  • Eray Cokmez, Rainwater Elementary
  • Evelyn Vo, Kent Elementary
  • Lucas Truong, Blalack Middle School
  • Sahir Rai Hasija, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Nakshwin Mehta, McCoy Elementary
  • Kayln Oommen, Rainwater Elementary
  • Jude Fones, Country Place Elementary PTA
  • Jackson Shafer, McCoy Elementary
  • Payton Melton, McCoy Elementary
  • Ava Vo, Kent Elementary
  • Muaaz Hussain, McCoy Elementary
  • Mia Surmideda, McCoy Elementary
  • Diya Vemireddy, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Karishma Pilla, R. L. Turner High School
  • Karishma Pilla, R. L. Turner High School
  • Vihaan Agarwal, McCoy Elementary
  • Kenneth Blackwell, Rosemeade Elementary PTA
  • Aurora Coleman, Good Elementary
  • Snyder Cruz, Davis Elementary
  • Aadit Dash, McCoy Elementary
  • Flor Guardado, Davis Elementary
  • Raghav Krishnan, McCoy Elementary
  • Neyom Mahajan, McCoy Elementary
  • Mysha Moosa, McCoy Elementary
  • Advika Singamaneni, La Villita Elementary
  • Vihaan Agarwal, McCoy Elementary
  • Michael Harris, McKamy Elementary 
  • Vyan Patel, McCoy Elementary
  • Kashyap Samudrala, McCoy Elementary
  • Varun Singh, La Villita Elementary
  • Kanish Achary, McCoy Elementary
  • Manya Anandaraman, McCoy Elementary
  • Aberdeen Spencer, Rainwater Elementary
  • Pranav Vemireddy, McCoy Elementary
  • Saanvi Jaiswal, McCoy Elementary
  • Shlok Jha, McCoy Elementary
  • Advik Kothari, McCoy Elementary
  • Mia Maldonado, Furneaux Elementary
  • Maya Rajesh, McCoy Elementary
  • Elijah Sammons, La Villita Elementary
  • Riya Singh, La Villita Elementary
  • Ryan Isaac, McCoy Elementary
  • Sarah Morchower, Las Colinas Elementary
  • Advaita Rai, McCoy Elementary
  • Violet Thompson, McCoy Elementary
  • Delilah Bear, Country Place Elementary PTA
  • Alistair Muth, Rainwater Elementary
  • Ethan Jeev Solomon, McCoy Elementary
  • Suhaana Balakrishnan, McCoy Elementary
  • Sarang Kim, Blalack Middle School
  • Camila Perez, Polk Middle School
  • Nathalie Rios Abad Polk Middle School
  • Lucy Sultana, Field Middle School
  • Shannon Johnson, Polk Middle School
  • Fernanda Ortiz, Polk Middle School
  • Diya Vemireddy, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Sophia Wilson, Blalack Middle School
  • Cordelle Smith, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Emily Ortiz-Arvelo, DeWitt Perry Middle School
  • Leslie Quijano, Early College High School
  • Morgyn Hixson, Early College High School
  • Emily Bauer, R. L. Turner High School