'Reflections' about diversity garner student honors

The Walled Lake Consolidated School District honored all Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Reflections participants in a district-wide celebration on Monday, March 26.

Reflections is an annual arts program through the PTSA that offers students in preschool through 12th-grade the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition following that year’s theme in a number of categories that include film production, dance choreography, musical composition, photography, visual arts, and literature.

The theme for 2011-12 was “Diversity means…”

“With more than 65 languages and cultures represented in our district, Walled Lake Schools celebrates diversity everyday in our 20 schools,” said Superintendent Kenneth Gutman. “I am duly impressed at the incredible ways in which our students expressed what diversity means to them. I can reflect that their insights are refreshing and show the understanding they have about the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.”

Ten students from the district were honored as state award winners, with one being chosen to represent Michigan as a national entrant.

In literature, Madeleine Brown of Hickory Woods Elementary School received an Award of Excellence; while Hayley Tibbenham of Walnut Creek Middle School, Mary Stephens of Sarah Banks Middle School, and Sandeep Siva of Walled Lake Central High School were honored with Awards of Merit in the Literature category.

Jordan Tabu of Walled Lake Northern High School received an Award of Merit in the Photography category.

In the Musical Composition category, Abbas Sabir of Meadowbrook Elementary School received an Award of Excellence and Kara Scussel of Wixom Elementary received an Award of Merit.

For the visual arts, Jayden Baldas of Glengary Elementary School was honored with an Award of Excellence, as was Lukas Curtil of Meadowbrook Elementary. Curtil’s “Many Friends Make My World” is a national entrant this year.

Sophie Snyder of Hickory Woods Elementary received an Award of Merit in the Visual Arts category, as well.

“Every year we are impressed and moved by the creativity and thoughtfulness with which our students examine the prompt for the PTSA Reflections Program,” said Nancy Scott, Walled Lake PTSA Council Reflections Program chairperson. “Walled Lake Consolidated Schools continues to have one of the best participation rates of all the school districts in the state. This year we are honored to have 10 students recognized with State PTA Reflections awards and one student’s work sent to the National PTA Reflections Program. We are in awe of our students’ talent.”