Each year over the last five decades, students from throughout the country submit creative works to be considered for an award from their school’s PTA as part of the annual Reflections contest. If they win, their art goes on to compete for state and national recognition.

Three local students won awards from the National PTA this year for their work under the theme “I matter because…” According to the National PTA’s website, over 300,000 students in pre-K through 12th grade participate in the contest every year.

Categories students can submit under include dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts.

Jason Hayes, a student at Centennial Junior High School in Kaysville, won an award of merit in film production. At Foxboro Elementary School in North Salt Lake, Brooke Lemon won an award of excellence in literature for students in pre-K through second grade. And among students in the third through fifth grades, MaeLee Scoville of Majestic Elementary School in Harrisville won an award of merit for literature.

MaeLee was recognized for her poem, titled “M!ss!ng”:

Everyone has a part on th!s earth

You’ve had a role ever s!nce your b!rth

Th!nk about a computer with all of !ts keys

!f you were missing the letter “T” you couldn’t spell trees

Or what !f you were m!ss!ng the letter “O”

!t would be !mposs!ble to have an Oreo

What would you m!ss if there wasn’t the letter “U”?

! would miss Utah, uncles and un!corns too

We need every letter and each computer key

Just l!ke the world needs you and me

Th!nk about how the stars !n the sky sh!mmer

!f one were m!ss!ng the l!ght would be d!mmer

Have you not!ced the d!fference one letter makes?

The same as !ngred!ents !n a rec!pe for cakes

You can make a d!fference and so can !

That’s why ! matter because all ! have to do !s try

All it takes is to replace the ! with the letter I