The Comal ISD Council of PTAs hosted its annual Reflections Awards Ceremony on April 2, at Smithson Valley High School.
This year, the Comal ISD Council had 26 entries advance to the state competition, and 14 of those placed at state.
In fact, two students from the district had entries chosen for display in Austin at the Austin Veteran’s Art Festival from October 18 through November 17.
An original photograph submitted by Garden Ridge Elementary student Carter Gasparovich was chosen for the festival, as well as an original musical composition piece by Alaura Arringdale, a sixth grader at Pieper Ranch Middle School.
One of the highlights of the awards ceremony every year, is watching student performances, and this year did not disappoint with Dakota Martine performing her original dance entry; Phinneas Thompson reciting his original poem; and Auria Arringdale performing her original music composition. The SVHS award-winning colorguard presented the colors, and SVHS Freshman Ryann McAnelly created the evening's wrap-up video.
Comal ISD School Board Trustees Marty Bartlett and Michelle Ross along with Superintendent Andrew Kim and Chief of Staff Mandy Epley helped hand out the awards and honored the students who participated in this year’s Reflections competition.
During the event, awards were given to students with entries that advanced from the council level, which are the top awards, as well as those which received an Award of Excellence, Award of Merit, Honorable Mention and participation.
Those receiving Award of Excellence honors included the following: in literature, Claudia Pohlke from Rahe Bulverde Elementary, Lacey Stewart from Arlon Seay Elementary, Sarah Isabel Thomason from Smithson Valley Middle and Vishali Baker from Smithson Valley High; in music, Alexi Lehning from Garden Ridge Elementary; in film, Aislin Collins from Smithson Valley High; in photography, Kennedy Van Dewark from Kinder Ranch Elementary, Evelyn Gusman from Oak Creek Elementary, Rio Brown from Pieper Ranch Middle and Avery Backlund from Smithson Valley Middle; in visual arts, Auria Arringdale from Kinder Ranch Elementary, Owen Hakes from Johnson Ranch Elementary, Trinity Gates from Pieper Ranch Middle, Allyson Del Toro Baker from Canyon Lake High and Sydney Wetens from Canyon High.
Reflections is an arts program founded by the Parent Teacher Association in 1969. It has grown to be one of the largest nationwide programs of its kind with more than 200,000 students participating annually. This year's Comal ISD Council of PTAs Reflections Chair is Jessica McAnelly. Each campus has a Reflections chair as well.
Students of all ages and abilities may participate through their local PTA. The categories include dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. Next year's Reflections theme has been announced as well, so students can get started now on their entries. The theme is "Look Within." For more details visit https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections.
Good luck next year, and congratulations to all of this year's honorees!
Student entries, which advanced to the state level and were honored as Comal ISD Council Winners, are listed below.
Dance
- Auriana Dumas, Garden Ridge Elementary
- Kynadi Britt, Hoffmann Lane Elementary
- Isabelle McCleary, Pieper Ranch Middle
- Dakota Martine, Smithson Valley High
Film
- Paige McCormick, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Chloe Sorenson, Pieper Ranch Middle
- Nicholas Knighton, Smithson Valley High
Literature
- Phinneas Thompson, Garden Ridge Elementary
- Isabel Templeman, Garden Ridge Elementary
- Elizabeth Johnson, Mountain Valley Middle
- Presley Downs, Smithson Valley High
- Nathan Nunez, Canyon High
Music
- Auria Arringdale, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Alana Stanford, Garden Ridge Elementary
- Alaura Arringdale, Pieper Ranch Middle
- Philip Templeman, Canyon High
Photography
- Fernando Alvarez, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Carter Gasparovich, Garden Ridge Elementary
- Jake McAnelly, Smithson Valley Middle
- Lindsay Pattison, Smithson Valley High
Visual Arts
- Liliana Pohlke, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Jackson May, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Maddie Spencer, Pieper Ranch Middle
- Casey Santos, Canyon Lake High
- Walker DeBoom, Mountain Valley Elementary
- McKenna Brown, Johnson Ranch Elementary