Reflections Awards--"Wow!"

This post will probably be boring to everyone but grandparents and immediate family.

You're forewarned.

For anyone who doesn't know or doesn't remember, Reflections is an annual fine arts contest at public schools, and its theme changes yearly. You can enter in several different categories, and you can enter as many pieces as you want. Last year our elementary school had at least three students' art that won at District and went on to Regionals. The next winners go to State, then National.

This year's theme was "Wow."

This year both Jeffrey and Bryce won at the school level in the visual arts category, Jeffrey won at the school level twice in the photography category, and Jeffrey's third photograph went on to District, even though it didn't win an award there.

I'm so proud!

Since none of Jeffrey's visual arts entries have ever won at the school level, this was a real treat to have both Bryce and Jeffrey win for their grade levels. It was also amazing that every single one of Jeffrey's entries won an award beyond the 'participatory' award (he entered four different pieces of art). Especially after I learned that this year, the photography category had TONS of pictures, so he was picked 3 times (!) out of all those photo submissions.

If you can't read the text, it says "These are all the Reflections Contest Winners from K-6 grade at our Elementary school. Four of Jeffrey's & one of Bryce's entries are up there!" And I've circled them in white. Remember, the judging is blind; they don't know the students' names when they do the judging. They had no way of knowing that all four of Jeffrey's entries were from one student. So cool.

Bryce's "Candy Store," marker and crayons.

Jeffrey's "Mountains with Reflection" watercolor. (watercolor pencils, they are so cool)

Jeffrey's two school-level photography winners, both taken in our yard one morning when there was still dew on the leaves. Jeffrey did an especially amazing job on the left one, I think.

Jeffrey's district-level photograph that he took of Nathan Danger holding his mommy's hand. He was only 2 months old at the time (he's 8 months old now, that's how long ago we submitted reflections entries).

Jeffrey poses for the Visual Arts winners, grades 3&4.

Jeffrey poses for the Photography winners 3-4th grade; this is before they came back and gave him a fourth ribbon for having an entry that went on to District.

Bryce with the Visual Arts winners, K-2.

THIS is Jeffrey's strength. He was SO happy today, and people complimented him all day long, and, most importantly, the girl he likes was beaming for his accomplishments today. After school he told me, "Today was the best day ever." At the end of school the principal randomly pulled Jeffrey's class name out of a hat, when she was giving out extra recess time, and his entire class got 10 extra recess minutes. So he was one happy camper after school!

Bryce accepts his award. That's his principal over there on the right, in the black shirt.

Proud Bryce. : )

Bryce's "Star Wars" entry, for which he earned a 'participatory' ribbon because he entered. Yay Bryce!