Pageant F. A. Q.
1) What is the Miss California Pre-School, Jr. Elementary, Elementary, and Sr. Elementary America Pageant?
It is the sister pageant to the Miss California Jr. High, High School & Collegiate America Pageant. The Elementary divisions now go on to a National Pageant! The Miss Elementary America Pageant will crown 7 national winners with a prize package valued at $10,000 currently, including a $5,000 cash scholarship. The national divisions will include Pre-K/K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th & 6th grade as of Fall 2022.
Eligibility/ Divisions
2) How are the divisions determined? There are 4 “grade” divisions for the California state pageant. Your grade level determines the division in which you compete in, not your age.
3) What is the breakdown for the divisions (as of fall 2021-2022 school year)?
The Miss California Pre-School America division is for girls in Pre-School & TK-3, 4 & 5 year olds that missed the Kindergarten cutoff
The Miss California Jr. Elementary America division is for girls in Kindergarten & 1st grade.
The Miss California Elementary America division is for girls in the 2nd & 3rd grade.
The Miss California Sr. Elementary America division is for girls in 4th & 5th* grade. (5th graders may choose between Sr. Elementary and Jr. High)
Location/ Hotel/ Transportation
4) When is the California State Pageant held? The California state pageant will be held in January 7-9, 2022. This will now be a 2 1/2 day event with registration and fun event starting on Friday evening. Mentor event, rehearsal, stage optionals and banquet will be on Saturday. Interviews and final show will be on Sunday.
5) Where is the pageant held? This year, the pageant will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
6) Are there any airports nearby? Yes. The McCarran Airport in Las Vegas.
7) Is there a host hotel? Yes. The pageant and hotel are at the same location.
The link for the group rate will be posted in the Facebook group and available to you once you submit your entry fee.
8) Is there a group rate for the hotel? Yes. However, the group rate has limited availability. Must book early!
9) Will I be rooming with my family during pageant weekend? Yes. You will be rooming with your family during the weekend. You are responsible for your own lodging and transportation.
10) Do I have to stay at a hotel if I live nearby? No. However, many of the pageant events will begin early and run late. Attending all pageant weekend events is mandatory and punctuality is highly important. If you are driving each day to the hotel, we expect you to be on time.
11) What are the phases of competition? The phases of competition are Interview, Fashion Runway, Formal Wear, and Community service.
12) What is the score breakdown? Interview 30%, Fashion Runway 30%, Formal Wear 30% and Community Service is worth 10%.
13) How is the order of the contestants determined? Each contestant will select a city, county or area to represent. The order will be based off these titles and come out in alphabetical order.
Interview
14) What does interview consist of in an elementary school pageant? This is a great opportunity to prepare for future pageant interviews. It will be a fun interview, with questions about the contestants taken from their judge’s info sheet.
15) During interview do the contestants stand or sit? Stand, in a panel-style interview, with all the judges.
16) How long is interview? 2 minutes.
1 7) Will there be any political or controversial questions? Not for the Elementary age divisions.
18) What do I wear for interview? Contestants are expected to have dark denim shorts and shite tennis shoes. We will provide a red pageant t-shirt, with white writing, to wear with your shorts. You may accessorize with a white bow or headband.
19) Is there an onstage question or onstage interview portion? No. Not for the younger divisions. Depending on COIVD restrictions with microphones, they may introduce themselves during the opening number. If this occurs, they will say their name and title they are representing . Example: “Sally Sue, Miss Southern California Jr. Elementary” These 2 statements can be put in any order. Please practice with your contestant before pageant weekend, as talking on stage is new for many of the girls.
Fashion Runway
20) What do I wear for Fashion Runway? Fashion Runway is a high fashion outfit of choice: Pantsuit, Sundress, High Fashion off the rack, High-Low, Romper or Cocktail. Contact us for more examples.
21) Can my fashion outfit be a 2 piece? May be 2 pieces, but may NOT show stomach. Must be connected.
22) Is there anything I cannot wear? No props, No hats/hairpieces, No denim, no flip-flops. This is an outfit that shows your personal style.
23) Do I need a routine? No full routines. You will be given the competition pattern prior to pageant weekend.
24) Are there any examples of outfits worn? Yes! As this is new this year, please message us for examples.
Formal Wear
25) What do I wear for Formal Wear? Dress must be long; no cupcake dresses. This is based on the national pageant guidelines.
26) What type of dress should elementary girls wear for gown? Full or ball gown, depending on length. Must flare from waist.
27) Are there any colors or styles we have to wear? Styles and colors should fit the girl and her coloring. No specific color or style is required. However, keep in mind that the dress must be “age appropriate”.
28) Do we have to spend thousands of dollars on your dress to win? NO! You can find state and national quality dresses for less than $300. Many contestants even borrow dresses from other pageant girls or wear their Sunday best.
29) Do you have any examples of evening gowns? Yes, below are dresses from various pageants. There are many other options out there that will suit you!
Community Service
30) What is the reason for a community service project? We believe that our youth should learn the importance of giving back at a young age. Our national system puts a big emphasis on community service and requires each titleholder to do a minimum of 10 hours of service to get 10% of their national score.
31) What do I need to bring to get the 10% of my score? Bring your favorite new book or new school supplies. Please keep your donations under $20. The new titleholders will donate these items to various charity organizations. There is no need to wrap them; bringing items in a bag or box is just fine. Bring these items at registration and get the full 10% of the community service score.
Optionals
32) Are there any other awards to be given? Yes! New this year, we will hold a few stage optionals for the elementary contestants. These will consist of School Wear (similar to casual wear) and Fashion Model. We will also have a talent optional via video submission. There are optional competitions that you may enter, at an additional cost. Mini-optionals, optionals, and the photogenic awards will only be given to those who entered the competition. None of the extra awards given will have any bearing on the overall pageant competition. For photogenic, photo submissions must be from the last 1 year prior to the date of the pageant and resemble them currently. More info will be provided in the contestant Facebook group.
33) May we use props? Props are not necessary and may be distracting. However, we will allow backpacks/book bags for the School Wear portion. No schoolbooks or other large props allowed.
Rehearsal
34) Are rehearsals mandatory? Yes, all rehearsals are mandatory to ensure each contestant knows what to expect on pageant day and a great show!
35) Are rehearsals open to family and friends? No, only approved staff/ makeup artist are allowed in rehearsals.
36) What is the attire for rehearsal? Rehearsal clothes are listed on the contestant schedule. Photos will be taken throughout rehearsals.
37) Can I wear my hair in rollers/pin curls the day of the pageant, during rehearsal? Yes, there will be time to prepare for the pageant throughout rehearsal and prior to the show, but it may be easier to already come with your hair curled/pinned up.
38) Can we take pictures during rehearsal and backstage at the pageant? We encourage you to document your weekend at post to your social media sites, at designated times. No photos are to be taken inside the dressing rooms, as we want to keep the privacy of all the girls who may be changing.
39) Will we have chaperones? There will be multiple staff members chaperoning the contestants during the weekend. Contestants must let staff know where they are going and communicate with respect.
Hair and Makeup
40) Can Elementary Contestants wear makeup? Yes. PLEASE make sure makeup is age appropriate. Judges want to see the girl and not have to look through the makeup. For interview, non-noticable makeup. No false lashes, fake teeth, or falls/wigletts.
41) Will there be makeup and hair artist at the pageant? You may use the makeup artists who have contacted us about being at the pageant or use your own, if you choose to not get yourself ready. These artists will be available to hire. You may get yourself ready or use someone prior to going over to interview. Since our venue is in the same spot as the host hotel, there will be time for you to go back to your/h&m artist's room to get ready.
42) Do we have to hire a makeup artist? No, you do not need to hire a makeup artist. Many contestants and/ or their parents are great at doing their own makeup or being natural.
43) Will there be time to get ready between rehearsal and the pageant? Yes. Contestants will be given time to get ready. Girls will have the opportunity to go back to the hotel room for touchups.
Pageant Weekend Events
44) Will there be any extra events during pageant weekend? Yes. We want the girls to bond and have a great pageant experience. We will have new events this year! More details to come.
45) Will food be provided? Contestants will be released for meals on their own or with family, most of the time. We will be providing some snacks and goodies during the weekend. Water will be available outside the rehearsal room, on pageant day.
Pageant Info
46) What are we wearing for opening number? You will be wearing the same outfit you wore for interview. Dark denim shorts, red t-shirt (provided), and white shoes. Hair accessories and small jewelry are okay.
47) Do we have to be dancers to grasp the opening number? No. The opening number will be mainly walking patterns, some basic movements, and introductions. No dance experience is necessary. This portion is not judged.
48) Will we know the walking patterns and opening number prior to pageant weekend? Yes. Diagrams are in the contestant group, once signed up.
49) Will there be a top 10? A top 10 will be determined based on the number of contestants in each category.
50) How many runner-ups will be awarded? Number is dependent on the number of contestants. It will range from 0-4.
51) Will tickets be available to purchase at the venue? Yes. Additional tickets will be available at the door. The cost of the tickets are $40 each.
52) Can parents and family take pictures or video, in the audience, during the pageant? No photography. Our official pageant photographer will be capturing high quality photos for you to purchase. We will also be having a film crew in attendance to film the pageant.
53) How do I order photos or a video? Photo packages include interview, rehearsal and show pictures. Order form will be posted in the contestant group or will be available pageant weekend. Video orders are separate. More details, about ordering the video, to follow
54) Can my supporters bring signs to support me? Yes! They may have signs, but we ask that they are courteous to those around them. Everyone wants to see the show! They may be asked to lower them if disturbing the audience or photographer/videographer view. NO noisemakers of any kind are allowed!
55) Will a chaperone/helper be allowed backstage during the pageant? For the elementary divisions, we will allow only one (1) female chaperone in the dressing room area. This parent/female friend will be given a special stamp to identify them. The chosen chaperone will still need a ticket to watch the show, after changing their contestant; they may go back in forth to watch the show and change their contestant. The designated chaperone, or any other family and friends, will not be allowed in the backstage area. We will have our production staff in that area to assist the girls to the stage. Enjoy from the audience! At the conclusion of the pageant, one female family member/chaperone is allowed to assist with gathering your items. All contestants are required to stay backstage until the end of the pageant.
56) What is the AD page for? The ad page is a great way to thank your sponsors, family, and friends for their support. Great news! The ad page design is included in the entry free for each contestant this year! You will select 1 photo to send to our official program book designer, APJ Visions, and she will make a fabulous ad page for you that will be revealed in the state program book on pageant weekend. You will submit 1 high resolution photo, your name as you want it on the page, and any text you may want to ashley@naturalelegancepageants.com. This can include sponsors, favorite quote, bible verse, etc. Please proof your grammar and spelling, prior to emailing her, as she will not be responsible to misspellings or grammatical errors. We will have a reveal of the program book at registration, where you will get to see your ad pages.
57) Can I purchase additional ads? Yes! If you have additional sponsors that would like to help you on your journey to our pageant, or want additional ad pages, you can purchase them. Business sponsors ad pages can be submitted by them, however, any additional contestant AD pages need to be designed by APJ Visions. We have set pricing to help with your fundraising costs. Contact us for more info!
61) May I just leave after the pageant? Queen and court photos will need to stay to take photos onstage. All other contestants are welcome to gather their items to leave ballroom/dressing room. A parent or guardian MUST check out, all minors, with designated staff member.
58) Will I get my scores after the pageant? Yes. We will be glad to give you the feedback of the judges. We will be emailing you your scores and comments.
59) Is there a non-compete clause? If you were to win the title of Miss California Pre-School, Jr. Elementary, Elementary or Sr. Elementary America, you will not be permitted to compete in any other pageant during your year of service, without prior authorization from the state directors. Furthermore, you may not compete in a similar style pageant, which goes on to a state or national level, prior to competing at Miss Elementary America Pageant in June 2022. The title of “Miss California Elementary America” supersedes any other title that you may hold at the time of the competition (Please speak to us if you hold a current title so we can discuss your individual situation.)
60) How is COVID-19 affecting the pageant? In light of recent events, we are keeping a close eye on state and local mandates. Safety of the contestants, families, guests and staff is our #1 priority. We are in communication with our venue and everything is still currently on track for our event. There will be no refunds should the pageant date or location need to be moved. However, funds can be transferred to the 2023 state pageant, if this conflicts with personal schedules.
