Students Show What 'Diversity Means' in Art Contest

Several students from will be advancing to the next stage in a nationwide arts competition after winning a recent school contest. 

The students were among 23 young people in first grade through sixth grade who created works as part of the PTA Reflections program, one of the largest student arts recognition programs in the country. This is the second year Portola participated in the program, and the art works were based the theme, “Diversity Means.” 

All entrants were recognized for their participation on Tuesday. 

In its more than 40-year history, the Reflections program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to explore their artistic talents. The program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition.  

Portola Elementary’s PTA sponsored two creative arts workshops in both the literature and visual arts categories to help young artists realize their own interpretation of this challenging theme.

The Portola PTA will support several of these student works as they elect to move on from the school level competition to compete with the winning entries from other entries around San Mateo County, and they possibly will be selected to move on to the state or national level arts competition. 

“We hope that you too will have the opportunity to see creatively through the eyes of youth as you celebrate with your friends and family this holiday weekend and look over the entire gallery of these student’s works,” Jesai Bancroft-Connors, the chair for the competition for Portola’s PTA, said last week. 

The students’ artwork is available online at www.Artsonia.com. Many works of art will also be at The Shops at Tanforan.

William Bombosch

Julien Bancroft-Connors

Alison Scheiber

Adrianna Choi

Taylor Conde

Daniel Gao

Marissa Teng

Joshua Hendarto

Garrett Green

Raisa Gagas

Jayden Wong

Bruce Zhang

Kaleo Noah

Joseph Pearson

Chance Hernando

This story was written with the help of Portola Elementary parent Jesai Bancroft-Connors.

San Bruno Patch Editor Martin Ricard was one of the judges for the contest.