Seven Minnesauke Elementary School students have been selected as award winners in this year’s PTA Reflections contest.

For the competition, students across New York State were invited to submit original works of art in one of six categories: dance choreography, film, literature, music, photography and visual arts. This year’s theme for the contest was Heroes Around Me.

As school level winners, these students’ entries will now advance to the Suffolk County level. The district congratulates the following students and wishes them good luck on the next level of judging.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Award of Excellence: first-grader Kiera Carlson 

Title of piece: “My Papa”

“My papa is my hero because he fought for our country.”

Award of Excellence: third-grader Jamie Skaggs

Title of piece: “My Grandpa”

“My grandpa is my hero because he is a firefighter and he has saved many lives!”

VISUAL ARTS 

Award of Excellence: second-grader Olivia Lisa

Title of piece: “School Heroes”

“The school heroes are very important. Janitors help keep the place clean, security makes sure everyone’s safe, teachers teach and the nurse helps everyone stay healthy.” 

Award of Excellence: third-grader Holden Cone

Title of piece: “My Parents Equal Superheroes”

“My parents are smart, kind, and caring. They take care of me and they love me. I always feel protected by them. They seem like superheroes to me.”

Award of Excellence: sixth-grader Ally Becker

Title of piece: “Heroes Around the World”

“A hero is not just someone in a cape who flies around the world and seems to always save it from destruction. A hero is someone who has the superpower to make someone smile or to brighten their day. I made this collage to show that we are all heroes because we all have the superpower to make someone happier.”

Award of Merit: sixth-grader Soraya Masrour

Title of piece: “Bee the Hero”

“My drawing represents that bees are my hero. If we did not have bees, there would be no food. Imagine something that small saving the world. Bees are my heroes because they pollinate our food supply, they can make their homes out of practically nothing, and they make honey. Bees are saving the world as we speak.”

MUSIC COMPOSITION

Award of Excellence: sixth-grader Benjamin Hoffman

Title of piece: “The Call”

“To me, the heroes among us are the first responders: police, firemen, EMS and military. What inspired me was thinking how these heroes all start their day, just like us. However, when they get ‘the call’ and it’s time to go to work, the adrenaline starts pumping! It amazed me that these men and women deal with life and death, call after call, each day. I wrote and played and recorded this song myself. It is the first song I wrote and recorded and I dedicate it to the first responders among us.”