Saurey, Barnes Reflections winners

Whitefish School District students Adia

Saurey and Bethany Barnes were among the recipients of first place

awards at the Montana State PTA Reflections Program awards banquet

held in Great Falls in September.

The theme of last year’s art

competition was “Together We Can...”

Saurey, a seventh grader at Whitefish

Middle School, won in the Middle/Junior Photography category. Her

sepia toned photograph of four black gloved hands building a

snowman earned her top honors in the state. The photograph

entitled, “Parson Brown,” will be on display at the State Capital

in Helena along with other photography and visual art winning

entries.

Barnes, a Muldown Elementary School

third grader, won in the Primary Division of the Literature

category. Barnes was encouraged to enter the competition by her

second grade teacher, Mae Koopal.  

Whitefish had nine first place state

winners, one of whom went on to receive national recognition. Regan

Tintzman, a fifth grader at Whitefish Middle School, won a National

Merit Award for her film production entry, “Together We Can Play.”

Winning the national award has inspired Tintzman to start work on

her entry for this year.  

The PTA Reflections Program is a

national art competition where students can compete in six

different categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production,

Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts. The

theme for 2011-2012 is “Diversity Means...” Each art entry must be

new and specific to the theme. The local Whitefish PTA competition

runs through Dec. 2. All entries are judged by local community

professionals in each field. Cash prizes are awarded to first,

second and third place winners at the annual artist’s reception,

dessert party and awards ceremony held in January at the Whitefish

Middle School Auditorium.

All student’s in the Whitefish School

District are encouraged to enter. Students can pick up entry forms

and rules at their school libraries.