Baldwin Students Recognized in PTA Reflections Competition

Students across the Baldwin Union Free School District were recently recognized in the annual PTA Reflections competition, where more than 300,000 students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 from across the nation compete, creating and submitting original works in various categories, including Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Each submission must focus on a theme, which was “I Belong” this year. Those who succeed at the regional level advance to the state level, with the potential to reach national.

This year, more than 50 Baldwin students participated in the PTA Reflections competition from across Brookside, Lenox, Meadow, and Plaza elementary schools. Of them, 12 were named Nassau Region Finalists, with four advancing to the state-level competition.

Kayden Bramwell and Kari Hans from Meadow Elementary School each received an “Award of Excellence” in their respective categories while Plaza Elementary School students Miriko Aderer and Molly Kearns earned an “Award of Merit.” All four advanced to the state level competition. They were among the 30 “Award of Excellence” winners and 111 “Award of Merit” recipients from nearly 550 submissions for state-wide judging.

During the district’s April Board of Education meeting, each participant was recognized by their school's PTA with a certificate.

The National PTA has been dedicated to promoting arts education for over 50 years through the PTA Reflections program. This initiative inspires students to explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas, fostering artistic literacy and confidence. For more information about the Reflections program, visit the National PTA website. 

View complete list of Baldwin PTA Reflection participants >> 

New York State PTA Reflections Finalists

Meadow Elementary School

• Kayden Bramwell - Award of Excellence in Visual Arts, Grade 4
• Kari Hans - Award of Excellence in Photography, Grade 4

Plaza Elementary School

• Miriko Aderer - Award of Merit in Literature, Grade 4
• Molly Kearns - Plaza PTA, Award of Merit in Dance Choreography, Grade 2

View all New York State PTA Reflections Awards Winners for 2025-2026

Nassau Region PTA Finalists

Brookside Elementary School

• Victoria Voegtlen, Kindergarten, Dance Choreography      
• Amelia Andersen, Grade 3, Dance Choreography  
• Mariah-Renee Pratt, Grade 5, Dance Choreography          

Meadow Elementary School

• Charlotte Friedman, Grade 4, Film Production
• Kari Hans, Grade 4, Photography
• Sothanee Sainsurin, Grade 4, Photography
  Kayden Bramwell, Grade 4, Visual Arts

Plaza Elementary School

• Emilie Gervais, Grade 2, Visual Arts
• Lianna Martin, Grade 5, Literature
• Zoe Michel, Grade 4, Visual Arts
• Anjolaoluwa Salako, Grade 1, Visual Arts
• Ayanfeoluwa Salako, Grade 3, Visual Arts