Have you heard of the Reflections Theme Search contest? This is how the National PTA chooses its Reflections themes. Students submit ideas for future themes, the school chairs send their best theme search entries to the Virginia State PTA, and the state PTAs sends their best entries to the National PTA for judging.
Unfortunately, the state Theme Search deadline is November 7, which, of course, is the single most inconvenient time possible for our city schools’ Reflections chairs, so many Alexandria schools do not take part in the Theme Search contest. Are you a school Reflections Chair? Will your school run a Theme Search contest this year? If you don’t want to deal with it, that’s fine. Overworked Reflections Chairs should not feel pressured to take on one more duty! But I would like to give all of our students a chance to enter a theme idea, if they’d like.

Take Care of the Earth Just How You Take Care of Yourself, by Raffaella A., Hammond MS
So I’m thinking of running a Theme Search at the Alexandria City level, just for kids at those schools that will not have their own theme searches. (When I submit the winners to the state, I’d identify them by their school, so the school still gets credit!)
If you’re an Alexandria City school Reflections Chair and haven’t told me yet whether you’re running a Theme Search contest this year, please drop me a line to let me know. Thanks!
(And if you have never heard of the Reflections Theme Search and are now wondering what the heck I’m talking about, here’s a link that explains it all.