The Maercker PTA is proud to announce that Sreyashi N., an 8th grader at Westview Hills Middle School has won a National PTA Award of Excellence in the 2025-2026 Reflections program. Her literature piece, "The Last Chair," was one of only three from Illinois to receive this prestigious national honor. This year, National PTA received nearly 950 submissions from 42 states with 247 students recognized for their artistic achievements. As a national winner, Sreyashi has received a Young Artist Scholarship. We are incredibly proud of this amazing accomplishment. She is the first student from Maercker School District 60 to achieve this level of recognition.
In our sixth year of participation in the 57-year old program, the Maercker PTA had 42 entries from 33 talented students. Of these, 25 advanced to the DuPage East Regionals, 11 to the Illinois State competition, and Sreyashi's entry was the only entry to advance to nationals where she went on to be recognized with this silver-level achievement.
To celebrate the diverse talents of our students, the Maercker PTA also introduced two new awards this year:
The DaVinci Award, for students who entered work in at least three of the six Reflections categories and advanced to regionals in at least two. This year we celebrated four inaugural winners.
The Renaissance Award, for students who participated in both the Reflections program and the Science Fair. We are full of Wildcat Pride for our 12 inaugural winners.
All of the amazing student artwork can be viewed in our virtual gallery.
The Maercker PTA congratulates all the students who participated in this year’s Reflections program and encourages everyone to get involved next year. The theme for the 2026-2027 school year is “What my Culture Means to Me.” It is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their creativity and share their unique cultural perspectives through art.