As many of you know, the rewards for participating in (or chairing) this PTA program are plentiful. Students create amazing art, film, music, photography and literature that is beautiful and inspirational not only to us, but to parents, fellow students and judges. We would like to thank you for committing your time and energy to our talented students and giving them an opportunity to express themselves in an artful way!

Whether you are a local PTA Reflections Chair or a student who is interested in entering Reflections, the following information is important for you to know and adhere to. All of this information can be found in the Maryland PTA Reflections 2012-2013 Guidelines.

All Reflections chairs (and any interested parents) should join the Yahoo listserv. The yahoo group is our primary means of communication, so it is very important that all Reflections chairs join the group eList! Important information will be sent out on a regular basis throughout the school year. Rules and deadlines vary from state to state. Although the National PTA website has a great deal of information, it is imperative Montgomery County entries use the Maryland Guidelines and accompanying forms. It is also imperative that you pay attention to the MCCPTA website and yahoo group emails regarding the rules and regulations for the MCCPTA Reflections Program.

Make sure your PTA has met all the requirements of Maryland PTA (MDPTA) regarding Maryland PTA Standards of Affiliation. PTAs that are not in good standing with the MDPTA for even one aspect of required documentation (or arriving past the deadline) will be disqualified, as will all of that PTA’s entries, and they will not be able to continue on through the state and national Reflections process. So Reflections Chairs, please make sure you check the Reflections guidelines and ensure your student’s entry meets the categorical requirements, and also that your PTA President and Treasurer are taking care of the various requirements needed to be “in good standing” with MDPTA. The requirements for “Maryland PTA Standards of Affiliation” Good Standing” can be found on page 4 of the Maryland guidelines.

Rules and Regulations pertaining to individual categories are included in the guidelines.


MCCPTA REFLECTIONS AWARDS CEREMONY AND GALLERY – Award winners will be announced in early February. Celebration of our artists and their work will be in March 2013 (date tbd). State winners are announced by April 1, 2013.

RESOURCES:

To learn more about Reflections and find the documents you need, please see the following sites:

•http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReflectionsMCCPTA/ - Montgomery County Reflections Group. All Montgomery County Reflections information is posted on this site. All PTA Reflection Chairs and PTA Presidents should join this group if participating in the program.

•www.mdpta.org/bridge_reflections.html - Maryland PTA Reflections Rules and Guidelines. Contains student entry forms, pta forms and explicit requirements for each category.

•www.ptareflections.org/ - National PTA website for general information on the program. Contains logo, English and Spanish flyers, and more.

QUESTIONS?

Please do not hesitate to contact either of your MCCPTA Reflection Co-Chairs with your questions:

Chris McDermott, malimcdermott@verizon.net, or (301) 253-9059
Melissa McDonald, Melissa.lewis.mcdonald@gmail.com, or (240) 654-4855

For general information, contact the MCCPTA Office at office@mccpta.com or call (301) 208-0111.