PUSD students earn accolades through PTA’s ‘Reflections Program’

The Palomar Council PTA Reflections Art Show is now on display at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. 15498 Espola Road in Poway. This is part of the National PTA Reflections Program, which provides students with the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition.

Students in preschool through grade 12 were encouraged to make art in six areas: dance choreography, film production, literature, musical composition, photography and visual arts.

This year, the theme was “The World Would Be a Better Place If...” with 172 Poway Unified School District students being recognized for their entries in the program. Seventy students who received Awards of Excellence advanced to the Ninth District PTA Reflections Program.

Nine students advanced to the California State PTA Reflections Program competition, with one student, 10th grader Austin Nyugen, who attends Del Norte High School, moving on to the national level competition for his musical composition.

In addition to Nyugen, these 8 students competed at the state level: Elle Siemens, first grade at Chaparral Elementary, for dance choreography; Jessica Tijam, fifth grade at Chaparral Elementary, for dance choreography; Jaden Tijam, second grade at Chaparral Elementary, for film production; Anushree Chaudhuri, seventh grade at Mesa Verde Middle School, for literature; Alysa Lutz, second grade at Adobe Bluffs, for music composition; Archimedes Li, fifth grade at Willow Grove Elementary, for music composition; Kylie Kim, eighth grade at Meadowbrook Middle School, for music composition; and Abby Kooyman, eighth grade at Mesa Verde Middle School, for photography.

Viewing for the visual arts and photography is available 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through Tuesday, May 26. Please check in with the front office of the Poway Center for the Performing Arts for a parking permit.

Award of Excellence

Photography

Noelle Brownlee, second grade, Sundance Elementary; Rachael Keddington, fourth grade, Canyon View Elementary; Madison McPherson, fourth grade, Sunset Hills Elementary, Helen Farenc, fourth grade, Deer Canyon Elementary; Katherine Schwenker, fifth grade, Deer Canyon Elementary; Lauren Kim , fifth grade, Monterey Ridge Elementary; Abby Kooyman, eigth grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Daniel Xu, eighth grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Haley Underwood, 11th grade, Del Norte High; Eric Tyler Wright, 12th grade, Mt. Carmel High School.

Film Production

Kiki Lund, first grade, Willow Grove Elementary; Jaden Tijam, second grade, Chaparral Elementary; Amelia Cyrus, third grade, Chaparral Elementary; Aden Jacob George, third grade, Chaparral Elementary; Charlotte Kester, third grade, Sundance Elementary; Catcher Tseng, fifth grade, Monterey Ridge Elementary; Callie Mitchell, fifth grade, Deer Canyon Elementary; Kylie Anne Embree, fifth grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Lauren McLaughlin, eighth grade, Black Mountain Middle School; Seth Dacio, ninth grade, Westview High School.

Dance Choreography

Madeline Olivia Smith, kindergarten, Sunset Hills Elementary; Elle Siemens, first grade, Chaparral Elementary; Alexa Rose Carlson, third grade, Willow Grove Elementary; Seo Hyun “Ellie” Lee, third grade, Stone Ranch Elementary, Grace Chee Chee He, fourth grade, Park Village Elementary; Rianne Thomas, fourth grade, Shoal Creek Elementary; Jessica Tijam, fifth grade, Chaparral Elementary; Sanvi Pal, fifth grade, Stone Ranch Elementary; Grace Mihata, seventh grade, Meadowbrook Middle School; Sashi Chhabra, 10th grade, Mt. Carmel High School.

Literature

Jessie Bao, second grade, Park Village Elementary; Aditi Adapala, second grade, Shoal Creek Elementary; Lana Lippe, third grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Sydney Hubbard, fifth grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Radhika Sreelal, fifth grade, Creekside Elementary; Erin Dominquez, fifth grade, Del Sur Elementary; Chloe Johnston, sixth grade, Meadowbrook Middle School; Anushree Chaudhari, seventh grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Skyler Wu, seventh grade, Oak Valley Middle School; James Mori, 11th grade, Mt. Carmel High School.

Musical Composition

Alysa Lutz, second grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Prisha Puntambekar, fourth grade, Creekside Elementary; Zoe Xu, fifth grade, Deer Canyon Elementary; Andrea Ramos, fifth grade, Painted Rock Elementary; Katie O’Connell, fifth grade, Painted Rock Elementary; Archimedes Li, fifth grade, Willow Grove Elementary; Kyle Huynh, sixth grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Noah Poulin, seventh grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Kylie Kim, eighth grade, Meadowbrook Middle School; Austin Nguyen, tenth grade, Del Norte High School.

Visual Arts

London Mitchell, first grade, Chaparral Elementary; Gianna DeLeone, second grade, Midland Elementary; Anirudh Kalyanaraman, second grade, Canyon View Elementary; Madeline Irawan, third grade, Los Peñasquitos Elementary; Seo Hyun “Ellie” Lee, third grade, Stone Ranch Elementary; Nicole Pi, fourth grade, Monterey Ridge Elementary; Elika Gerami, fourth grade, Chaparral Elementary; Alexandra Rose Lum, fifth grade, Deer Canyon Elementary; Anastasia Schas, eighth grade, Mesa Verde Middle School; Sarah Lee, ninth grade, Del Norte High School.

Special Artist Visual Arts

Irvin Martinez, second grade, Chaparral Elementary; Kiera O’Donnell, third grade, Chaparral Elementary; Addison “Addie” Kruse, third grade, Chaparral Elementary; Reiza “Joy” Liwanag, third grade, Chaparral Elementary; Rebecca J. Neuhausel, fourth grade, Chaparral Elementary; Maxwell Ly, fourth grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Justin Pagel, fourth grade, Adobe Bluffs Elementary; Zachary M. Johnston, fourth grade, Chaparral Elementary; Paul W. Nanquil, fifth grade, Chaparral Elementary; Ryan W. Exley, fifth grade, Chaparral Elementary.