April 5, 2024 - The Comal ISD Council of PTAs hosted its annual Reflections ceremony March 25 at Smithson Valley High School to honor this year’s student artists who submitted original work in six categories focused on this year’s theme, “I am Hopeful because . . . .”
Students were recognized for receiving honorable mention, award of merit, award of excellence and overall award of excellence.
The highlight of the evening were student performances from a few of these honorees including Django Gregersen, a 10th-grade student from Canyon High School, who explained how he created his musical composition title “A Message to Heaven;” Kherington Lietz, an eighth-grade student from Smithson Valley Middle School, who recited her poem titled “Hope in the Sunrise;” Cecily Warnock, an 11th-grade student from SVHS, who performed her dance, “We Are Enough;” and Ally Rider, a fifth-grade student from Rahe Bulverde Elementary who played her musical piece, “Notes of Hope,” on the piano.
Gergersen, Lietz, Warnock and Rider earned overall award of excellence honors for their entries along with 18 others.
At the state level, one student received an award of excellence, seven students receive award of merit and eight students receive honorable mentions. They will be honored at the Texas PTA Reflections ceremony on May 18 at the RBFCU Auditorium inside the RBFCU corporate building in San Antonio.
State Honorees
- Award of Excellence
- Valerie Akers, Award of Excellence, Visual Arts, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Award of Merit
- McKenna Bown, Award of Merit, Photography, Smithson Valley Middle
- Joseph Jimenez, Award of Merit, Film Production, Spring Branch Middle
- Kherington Lietz, Award of Merit, Literature, Smithson Valley Middle
- Ruby Packer, Award of Merit, Dance Choreography, Bill Brown Elementary
- Ava Peralez, Award of Merit, Visual Arts, Canyon Lake High School
- Merit Snow, Award of Merit, Visual Arts, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Charlotte Warnock, Award of Merit, Dance Choreography, Smithson Valley Middle
- Honorable Mention
- Finley Bell, Honorable Mention, Music Composition, Spring Branch Middle
- Brodie Bowman, Honorable Mention, Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle
- Peyton Crow, Honorable Mention, Photography, Indian Springs Elementary
- Django Gregersen, Honorable Mention, Music Composition, Canyon High School
- Holland Houghtaling, Honorable Mention, Photography, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Whitney Middlebrooks, Honorable Mention, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle
- Ally Rider, Honorable Mention, Music Composition, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Cecily Warnock, Honorable Mention, Dance Choreography, Smithson Valley High School
The Reflections program began 55 years ago to encourage students to express themselves. Today, students in preschool through grade 12 throughout the United States are invited to submit works of art in six categories including dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.
Students interested in participating in Reflections can get begin creating their entries today for next year’s competition which will focus on the theme, “Accepting Imperfection.” Learn more about PTA and the Reflections program at the Texas PTA website. Get involved at the campus level by joining the PTA.
The following students were honored at the district ceremony.
Overall Award of Excellence
- Valerie Akers, Visual Arts, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Finley Bell, Music, Spring Branch Middle School
- Brodie Bowman, Special Artist Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle School
- McKenna Bown, Special Artist Photography, Smithson Valley Middle School
- Peyton Crow, Photography, Indian Springs Elementary
- Gabriela Dorko, Photography, Hill Country College Preparatory High School
- Carter Gasparovich, Photography, Danville Middle School
- Django Gregersen, Music, Canyon High School
- Holland Houghtaling, Photography, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Sophia Jackson, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Joseph Jimenez, Special Artist Film, Spring Branch Middle School
- Odelia Knaebel, Literature, Bill Brown Elementary
- Kherington Lietz, Literature, Smithson Valley Middle School
- Whitney Middlebrooks, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle School
- Tyler Morris, Film Production, Hoffmann Lane Elementary
- Ruby Packer, Dance, Bill Brown Elementary
- Ava Peralez, Visual Arts, Canyon Lake High School
- Sienna Presley, Literature, Hill Country College Preparatory High School
- Ally Rider, Music, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Merit Snow, Visual Arts, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Cecily Warnock, Dance, Smithson Valley High School
- Charlotte Warnock, Dance, Smithson Valley Middle School
Award of Excellence
- Lily Alvarez, Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle School
- Aisosa Adun, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Laynie Batenhorst, Photography, Johnson Ranch Elementary
- Katie Chitwood, Literature, Pieper Ranch Middle School
- Paisley Crow, Visual Arts, Indian Springs Elementary
- Peyton Crow, Visual Arts, Indian Springs Elementary
- Isabella Joers, Photography, Spring Branch Middle School
- Reayen Keeton, Dance, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Noble Lisenbee, Music, Danville Middle School
- Jake McAnelly, Literature, Smithson Valley High School
- Leah Parker, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Isabelle Perez, Visual Arts, Hill Country College Prep High School
- Katharina Presper, Dance, Pieper Ranch Middle School
- Sydney Scardella, Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle School
- Charlotte Shephard, Photography, Bill Brown Elementary
- Rady Torres, Photography, Smithson Valley High School
Award of Merit
- Miranda Aleman, Visual Arts, Danville Middle School
- Emlyn Bennion, Literature, Hoffman Lane Elementary School
- Lindsey Biel, Visual Arts, Rahe Bulverde Elementary School
- Lincoln Bunker, Music, Smithson Valley Middle School
- Savannah Cargill, Visual Arts, Canyon Lake High School
- Paisley Crow, Photography, Indian Springs Elementary School
- Camila Joers, Film Production and Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary School
- Henry Joers, Film Production, Rahe Bulverde Elementary School
- Isabella Joers, Film Production, Spring Branch Middle School
- Hunter Johanningmeier, Visual Arts and Literature, Danville Middle School
- Indiana Johnson, Visual Arts, Smithson Valley Middle School
- Giana LaFleur, Visual Arts, Kinder Ranch Elementary School
- Ayla Meeks, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle School
- Grace Miller, Literature, Danville Middle School
- Galilea Romero, Visual Arts, Timberwood Park Elementary School
- Avery Rubalcaba, Visual Arts, Kinder Ranch Elementary School
- Randie Selzer, Visual Arts, Canyon Lake High School
- Lily Urban, Photography, Timberwood Park Elementary School
- Sophia Vinson, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary School
- Aubrey Wilson, Dance, Hoffman Lane Elementary School
Honorable Mention
- Rachel Backlund, Visual Arts, Smithson Valley High
- Gemma Barnes, Visual Arts, Arlon Seay Elementary
- Evelyn Barnett, Literature, Danville Middle
- Bryn Bennett, Photography, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Reese Breda, Visual Arts, Specht Elementary School
- Brody Bright, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle
- Kaylee Carmichael, Visual Arts, Smithson Valley High
- Asher Castleton, Literature, Kinder Ranch Elementary School
- Claire Corona, Visual Arts, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Elisa Delgado, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Marley Donovan, Visual Arts, Hill Country College Prep
- Brayden Finley, Literature, Timberwood Park
- Olivia Flores, Visual Arts, Hoffman Lane Elementary
- Dennamae Gatlin, Literature, Specht Elementary School
- Jenna Gossett, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Cadence Greathouse, Visual Arts, Bill Brown Elementary
- Emily Harper, Literature, Mountain Valley Elementary
- Camila Joers, Photography, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Parker Kohl Johnson, Dance, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Wyatt Lonsberry, Literature, Danville Middle
- Kristen Mann, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle
- Amberly Mazurek, Visual Arts, Danville Middle
- MJ McCormack, Visual Arts, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Joslyn McCumber, Literature, Timberwood Park
- Harper McNeely, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Elementary
- Emma Murphy, Visual Arts, Church Hill Middle
- Elaina Pham, Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle
- Yemaya Portillo-Ober, Visual Arts, Timberwood Park Elementary
- Ethan Rakowitz, Literature, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Caitylyn Rhynes, Literature, Danville Middle
- Dahlia Rios, Visual Arts, Hill Country College Preparatory High
- Shay Rogers, Visual Arts, Johnson Ranch Elementary
- Arianny Rudolph, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle
- Ella Saathoff, Literature, Danville Middle
- Layla Self, Visual Arts, Mountain Valley Middle
- Ximena Serrano, Literature, Spring Branch Middle
- Aaron Soliz, Visual Arts, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Kaiden Sorenson, Literature, Indian Springs
- Madeleine Suarez, Visual Arts, Spring Branch Middle
- Emma VanDewark, Photography, Kinder Ranch Elementary
- Eleanor Vu, Visual Arts, Pieper Ranch Middle
- William Wyman, Literature, Danville Middle
- Avery Xavier, Visual Arts, Pieper Ranch Middle
- Emerson Young, Visual Arts, Rahe Bulverde Elementary
- Tala Zamora, Literature, Danville Middle
- Laurel Ziegler, Visual Arts, Hoffman Lane Elementary
The Reflections ceremony was presented by the Comal ISD Council of PTAs. This year’s Reflections chair was Michelle Ross. Special guests included Comal ISD Superintendent Dr. John E. Chapman, Comal ISD Fine Arts Director Gary Cooper and Texas PTA President Jennifer Easley.
Smithson Valley High School theater students supported the Council during the ceremony with technical support under the direction of the SVHS theatre arts director Casey O’Bryant. The students included Antonio Agraz, Rowen Hamilton, Aiden Somers and Ella Winkler.
Photo Information
-Students who received at overall award of excellence for the 2023-2024 PTA Reflections program were honored at the annual Comal ISD Council of PTAs Reflections ceremony on March 25 at Smithson Valley High School.
-Award of excellence honorees.
-Award of merit honorees.
-Honorable mention honorees.
-Four students performed their Reflections entries during the Comal ISD Council of PTAs Reflections ceremony on March 25 at Smithson Valley High School. Pictured from left is Kherington Lietz, Cecily Warnock, Django Gregersen and Ally Rider.
-Smithson Valley High School students supported the Comal ISD Council of PTAs Reflections Ceremony with technical support. Pictured from left is Ella Winkler, Rowen Hamilton, Aiden Somers and Antonio Agraz.
-Brodie Bowman proudly shows off his Reflections entry.
-Emily Harper proudly shows off her literature entry at the Reflections ceremony.
-Sydney Scardella proudly shows off her Reflections entry.
-Indiana Johnson proudly shows off her Reflections entry.