Digital Student Arts Showcases
Winners will be released here in June.
See below for winning entries in each category.
The County Office of Education is proud to present a series of digital arts showcases that highlight the incredible talent and creativity of students in TK-12th grade across our county. These showcases will feature student work in all five art forms: dance, theater, music, visual arts, and media arts.
This project celebrates and uplifts student voices, fosters artistic expression, and provides a platform where students can share their work with the broader community. Through these showcases, we aim to inspire future artists and ensure that the arts remain a vital part of every student's educational experience.
Explore each of the five sections below, which include submission requirements, judging criteria, important dates, and other information for each showcase.
Submission Guidelines
Music
The Arts at San Mateo County Office of Education invites elementary, middle, and high school students to submit videos of themselves performing either instrumental or choral music of any style (school-appropriate selections only, please). This is an online contest only.
Submission Requirements:
- Submissions can be solo performances or group performances (with 2 or more participants).
- All music genres from all cultures and in all languages are welcome.
- Please ensure the audio is clear with minimal background noise, and the lighting is bright enough to see the student performer(s).
- All entries should be submitted by teachers or caregivers for TK-grade 8 students. High School students may self-submit.
- Each teacher is limited to ten entries, and each family may submit up to five entries.
Judging Criteria:
- Technical Accuracy
- Musical Expression
- Interpretation and Style
- Creativity and Originality
Important Dates to Remember:
- Monday, December 15, 2025: Google Form Opens - USE THIS LINK TO SUBMIT
- Sunday, January 11, 2026: Google Form Closes
- Week of January 19, 2026: Winners Announced on the SMCOE Arts website.
Age Categories:
- Preschool/TK–Kindergarten
- 1st–2nd Grade
- 3rd–4th Grade
- 5th–6th Grade
- 7th–8th Grade
- High School
Prizes:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners will be selected.
2026 Winning Submissions
3rd - 4th Grade
First Place - Yaoheng Li
San Mateo-Foster City SD
5th - 6th Grade
Honorable Mention - Sarah Seif
San Mateo-Foster City SD
Gavotte
Second Place - Fangyu Chen
San Mateo - Foster City SD
Honorable Mention - Nolan Butterfield & Leyna Butterfield
Hillsborough City SD
7th - 8th Grade
9th - 12th Grade
First Place - Anthony Wu
San Mateo Union High SD
Earl Wild Virtuoso Etude #4 based on Gershwin’s “Embraceable you”
Third Place - Naia Wolfe
Jefferson Union High SD
Mozart’s Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major K.314 1. Allegro aperto
Honorable Mention - Nadine Muckerheide
Jefferson Union High SD
The Nightmare Before Christmas by Danny Elfman, arranged by Michael brown
Visual Arts
The Arts at San Mateo County Office of Education invites elementary, middle, and high school students to submit original artworks of any theme (school-appropriate selections only, please). This is an online contest only.
Submission Requirements:
- All visual art mediums are welcome. There are no size restrictions.
- Please submit a clear, complete photograph or scan of the artwork.
- No coloring sheets will be accepted.
- All work must be original and not a copy of another artist's work or a trademarked image.
- Entries will be judged by arts professionals, and their decisions are final.
- All submissions should be entered by teachers or caregivers for TK-8th grade students. High school students may self-submit.
- Each teacher is limited to ten entries, and each student may submit up to five entries.
Judging Criteria:
- Technical Skill and Craftsmanship
- Artistic Expression
- Creativity and Originality
- Composition and Design
Important Dates to Remember:
- Monday, January 12, 2026: Google Form Opens - Submit Art Here!
- Tuesday, February 10, 2026: Google Form Closes
- Week of February 16, 2026: Winners announced on the SMCOE Arts website.
Age Categories:
- Preschool/TK–Kindergarten
- 1st–2nd Grade
- 3rd–4th Grade
- 5th–6th Grade
- 7th–8th Grade
- High School
Prizes:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners will be selected.
2026 Winning Submissions
1st - 2nd Grade
First Place - Adeline Burkhart
Private - Hilldale School - Daly City
Midnight of Silence, Watercolor Paint
3rd - 4th Grade
First Place - Sebastian Luong
Private - Hilldale School - San Mateo
5th - 6th Grade
Second Place - Zarmina Iftekhar
Portola Valley SD
Wolf in the Moonlight, Watercolor ground with chalk pastel and charcoal
7th - 8th Grade
Second Place - Ashley Arriaga
Redwood City School District
Second Place - Gabriella Niermann
Portola Valley SD
Third Place - Lulu Khiari
Portola Valley SD
Color Finds a Way, Mixed Media/Collage, Yarn and tissue paper
9th - 12th Grade
First Place - Caitlin Smith
Sequoia Union High SD
My Brother is a Mola Mola, Acrylic Paint, Oil Paint, Oil Pastel
Second Place - Caitlin Smith
Sequoia Union High SD
Dance
The Arts at San Mateo County Office of Education invites elementary, middle, and high school students to submit recorded dances of any style or genre (school-appropriate selections only, please). Dances can be solo or performed in groups.
Submission Requirements:
- Please ensure the background music is clearly audible in the recording, and the lighting is bright enough to see the student(s).
- No dance studio submissions will be considered; only individual student performances or classroom dance numbers are eligible.
- Costumes are optional, but will be considered as part of the overall judging criteria.
- Videos should be no longer than ONE MINUTE, so please choose your music accordingly. Partial routines are acceptable.
- This is an online contest only. Entries should be submitted by teachers or caregivers for TK-8th grade students. High school students may self-submit.
- Each teacher is limited to ten entries, and each family may submit up to five entries.
Judging Criteria:
- Technical Skill
- Artistic Expression
- Choreographic Creativity
- Musicality and Rhythmic Accuracy
Important Dates to Remember:
- Monday, February 9, 2026: Google Form Opens
- Sunday, March 8, 2026: Google Form Closes
- Week of Monday, March 16, 2026: Winners Announced on the SMCOE Arts website.
Age Categories:
- Preschool/TK–Kindergarten
- 1st–2nd Grade
- 3rd–4th Grade
- 5th–6th Grade
- 7th–8th Grade
- High School
Prizes:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners will be selected.
2026 Winning Submissions
5th - 6th Grade
7th - 8th Grade
Theater
The Arts at San Mateo County Office of Education invites elementary, middle, and high school students to submit recorded monologues or scenes from any age-appropriate material. (school-appropriate selections only, please). Performances can be solo or in groups.
Submission Requirements:
- Ensure that the recording has minimal background noise and that the lighting is bright enough for the student(s) to be seen clearly.
- Submissions are only open to individual students or classroom theater groups; after-school or private theater troupes are not eligible.
- Costumes are optional, but they will be considered in the overall judging.
- Videos must be no longer than ONE MINUTE in length. Submissions may include an excerpt of a longer monologue or scene.
- This is an online contest only. Entries should be submitted by teachers or caregivers for TK-8th grade students. High school students may self-submit.
- Each teacher is limited to ten entries, and each family may submit up to five entries.
Judging Criteria:
- Characterization
- Voice and Diction
- Physical Expression and Movement
- Emotional Depth
- Staging and Spatial Awareness
Important Dates to Remember:
- Wednesday, March 25, 2026: Google Form Opens
- Monday, April 20, 2026: Google Form Closes
- Week of May 4, 2026: Winners Announced on the SMCOE Arts website.
Age Categories:
- Preschool/TK–Kindergarten
- 1st–2nd Grade
- 3rd–4th Grade
- 5th–6th Grade
- 7th–8th Grade
- High School
Prizes:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners will be selected.
2026 Winning Submissions
3rd - 4th Grade
First Place - Beatrix McIntire
Hillsborough City SD
Valley Girl (the movie excerpt) - Wayne Crawford and Andrew Lane
Second Place - Beatrix McIntire
Hillsborough City SD
7th - 8th Grade
Media Arts
The Arts at San Mateo County Office of Education invites elementary, middle, and high school students to submit short videos or films about any school-appropriate topic. Films can be created solo or in groups.
Submission Requirements:
- Recordings should have minimal background noise, and the lighting must be bright enough to clearly see the student(s).
- Films can be submitted by individual students (who may work with family members or fellow students) or classroom groups. After-school or private film programs are not eligible.
- The maximum film length is ONE MINUTE. This can include excerpts from a longer project.
- This is an online contest only. Entries should be submitted by teachers or caregivers for TK-8th grade students. High school students may self-submit.
- Each teacher is limited to ten entries, and each family may submit up to five entries.
Judging Criteria:
- Storytelling
- Originality and Creativity
- Technical Elements
- Performance and Directing
- Production Quality
Important Dates to Remember:
- Monday, April 13, 2026: Google Form Opens
- Sunday, May 10, 2026: Google Form Closes
- Week of Monday, May 18, 2026: Winners Announced on the SMCOE Arts website.
Age Categories:
- Preschool/TK–Kindergarten
- 1st–2nd Grade
- 3rd–4th Grade
- 5th–6th Grade
- 7th–8th Grade
- High School
Prizes:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention winners will be selected.
2026 Winning Submissions
7th - 8th Grade
First Place - Theo Schiro
Hillsborough City SD
First Place - Zanna Schiro
Hillsborough City SD
