PTA Reflections Winners – I Belong

CCUSD is pleased to announce Culver City’s 2025-2026 Reflections Art Program winners!

Artworks are submitted to school-level PTAs, where they are first recognized, celebrated and judged by grade-level divisions at their school unit. Winning works from the schools units, then advance to the Council PTA level where they are judged among entries from all the local Culver City schools. Winners from the council level are recognized at a school board meeting before advancing to District, and then potentially to State and National PTA Reflections art competition rounds.

DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY – Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Award of Excellence: KAASHVI BAIS, Farragut Elementary

LITERATURE – Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Award of Excellence: EMMY KAPLAN, Farragut Elementary

Award of Merit: FINLEY KRUEGER, Linwood E. Howe Elementary

Honorable Mention: PREET SHAH, El Rincon Elementary

MUSIC COMPOSITION – Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Award of Excellence: KAASHVI BAIS, Farragut Elementary

MUSIC COMPOSITION – Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Award of Excellence: AUDREY OGOSTA, Farragut Elementary

Award of Merit: MAX TAUSANOVICH, La Ballona Elementary

Honorable Mention: CHARLOTTE DE OLIVEIRA CABRAL, El Rincon Elementary

MUSIC COMPOSITION – Middle School (Grades 5-8) Award of Excellence: WILLIAM LIEBL, Culver City Middle School

PHOTOGRAPHY – Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Award of Excellence: ATTICUS KRELLE, Linwood E. Howe Elementary

PHOTOGRAPHY – Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Award of Excellence: PAULINE RICHARDSON, El Rincon Elementary

Award of Merit: DELIA PINZON-TAIME, La Ballona Elementary

Honorable Mention: AUGUST GOLDEN, Linwood E. Howe Elementary

VISUAL ARTS – Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2)

Award of Excellence: RAVEN KNIGHT, Linwood E. Howe Elementary

Award of Merit: CHLOE BOEDICKER, Farragut Elementary

Honorable Mention: PRIYA SHAH, El Rincon Elementary

VISUAL ARTS – Intermediate (Grades 3-5)

Award of Excellence: CARSON KIMMET, El Rincon Elementary

Award of Merit: EMMY KAPLAN, Farragut Elementary

Honorable Mention: ADA HECK, Linwood E. Howe Elementary School

VISUAL ARTS – Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Award of Excellence: ARYA RATH, Culver City Middle School

VISUAL ARTS – High School (Grades 9-12)

Award of Excellence: XIOMARA PALACIOS, Culver City High School

Award of Merit: ELENA MINALE, Culver City High School

Honorable Mention: NOAH KIM, Culver City High School

All students above will be recognized for their artistic achievement at a special awards presentation during an upcoming school board meeting.

All Award of Excellence winners will be advancing to the next round of judging at 33rd District, with the chance to compete in the state and national level competitions. The Culver City Council PTA would like to thank the following program chairs for coordinating the contest at their local units:

EL RINCON: Donna Simone Johnson and Cesili Williams

FARRAGUT: Rituparna Roy

LA BALLONA: Paris McCarthy

LINWOOD E. HOWE: Parrish Walsh

CCMS: Rhoda Santos

CCHS: Keira Tsai and Heather Moses

The Reflections contest is a program of the National PTA and organized locally by Council PTA 1st Vice President, Megan Oddsen Goodwin. All PTA Reflections entries are judged on three criteria: Interpretation of Theme (40 points) Creativity (30 points) and Technique (30 points). Entries are judged primarily on how well the student uses his or her artistic vision to portray the theme – which this year, was “I BELONG.”

The program has been bringing the arts to life for more than 10 million students since 1969. California State PTA and its members, families and kids are on the forefront of this amazing program, which increases community awareness of the importance of arts in education.


Reflections encourages students of all ages to unleash creative talents and be inspired,express themselves imaginatively in their artwork, experience the fun and joy of making art, tap into critical thinking skills to create art inspired by the annual theme,receive positive recognition for their original works of art.

If you are interested in volunteering to support the 2026-2027 Reflections program, please email the Council PTA at Megan.Oddsen@icloud.com

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