“Mama’s Sunhat”
Dancer performing "Moment"

Left: “Mama’s Sunhat” by Jazy LiDrazzah. Right: “Last Moment” by Adrienne Paulu.

Three Vancouver School of Arts and Academics students are finalists in the Washington State Parent Teacher Association’s 2018-19 Reflections cultural arts competition.

  • “Last Moment” by Adrienne Paulu has been recognized with an Outstanding Interpretation in the dance choreography category in the high school division.
  • “Mama’s Sunhat” by Jazy LiDrazzah has been recognized with an Outstanding Interpretation in the photography category in the high school division.
  • “Counting Sheep” by Truly Rylander has been recognized with an Award of Merit in the literature category in the high school division.

In addition to representing their school, these students also represent the VSAA Parent-Teacher-Student Association, Vancouver Council PTA 3.7 and Washington State PTA Region 3. Joceylyn Kollasch and Amy Surface are the Reflections co-chairs for the Vancouver Council PTA.

Judges at the local level selected pieces to advance to the WSPTA competition, where more than 900 entries from all over Washington state interpreted the theme “Heroes around me” in six categories: literature, music composition, photography, visual arts, film/video and choreography/dance.

In each category, state judges selected one entry per grade division and the special artist division to receive Outstanding Interpretation awards. The top three entries in each arts category in each division earned Awards of Excellence, followed by five Awards of Merit.

The Outstanding Interpretation recipients will be honored at the WSPTA awards ceremony at Issaquah High School on April 20. Their pieces, including Paulu and LiDrazzah’s, will move on to the National PTA’s Reflections program. They will compete against artwork by students from across the nation.

The Reflections program encourages students of all ages and abilities to explore and be involved in the arts. Students are recognized each year for their artistic ingenuity in bringing the theme to life in a way that is personal and meaningful.

Counting Sheep

By Truly Rylander 

It was in the way he collected rocks,
The way she numbered the stars,
They all picked up little habits like that.
It was preferable to counting sheep
And it helped them sleep.
More so than the heavy scent of lavender,
That curled and clung around cold toes,
Hung heavy like a drape in the air.
At least that’s what they told themselves.

One by one,
each day would pass.
And he would collect pretty gemstones by the light of day
While she waited for the sun to set.

They didn’t talk.
Favored silence to the hustle and bustle of a new age.
From time to time a sharp noise would fill their quiet hall.
He would flinch,
She would pat his hand.
They all picked up little habits like that.

It was preferable to counting sheep
And it helped them sleep.
They ignored the sobs from down the hall.
Another nightmare,
Another night.

They got used to the heavy scent of lavender,
That hung in the air like a winter blanket in the spring.
It wasn’t necessary,
But comforting.

Reminded them of the good old days.
Before he collected rocks,
And she would count the stars.
Before they all picked up those little habits,
The ones that helped them sleep.