Published for the Arts Based School Community
October 3, 2024
ABS By the Numbers!
We've only just begun this year’s Annual Giving campaign, we wanted to share a few big-picture numbers:
- In a typical year, state, local, and federal funds cover approximately 90% of ABS expenses. The remaining 10% of our budget must be generated annually via fundraising, grants, and other revenue. This is why we hold an Annual Giving campaign. What do we do with your support?
- We serve approximately 670 students from 21 zip codes across Winston-Salem and the surrounding area. This means paying our outstanding teachers and staff, keeping our buildings safe and secure, and making sure we have what we need to deliver an intentional, arts-based curriculum centered on state standards.
- For the 2024-25 school year, 22% of our students qualify for Free and Reduced lunch. Part of our budget includes supporting these families throughout the year—and Annual Giving helps us meet this growing need.
- Through the years, we have hosted more than 150 unique visiting and resident artists, and we annually put on 9 full-scale grade level productions. These enriching experiences are a huge part of what makes our school special… and we rely heavily on fundraising to make these possible.
- 100% of our students participate daily in the arts—music, dance, drama, and visual art. We are so proud of all of our students and teachers for bringing the idea of an arts-based school to life every day! We believe that what we have together is special and worth sustaining.
HOW CAN I MAKE MY GIFT?
There are two simple ways to give:
Make your check payable to “The Arts Based School,” You can send it by mail, or drop it off in the front office. We also accept cash in the school front office.
You can make a secure gift online at our website
Hurricane Relief
Builders Club and K Kids are collecting donations for families in need after the devastation of Hurricane Helene to the Boone area. We are partnering with The Summit, an indoor pickleball facility in Boone, to help the community. Donations will be collected today through next Thursday, October 10th. Please bring any items to donate to Ms. Hannah in the MLK building or Ms. Donna in the 7th Street building. Items to be collected include: diapers, wipes, bottled waters, dog food and batteries.
Art at the Fair
Congrats to these young artists, whose work is exhibited at the Carolina Classic Fair:
Kinder: Wesley Klorig, Sophie Hiatt
1st: Carson Davis., Luca Haaf, Harper Blackwell., Sylvie Gentry
2nd: Silas McGee, Addy Hoffman, Madeline Maggs, Maisie Moreland, Beatrice Bennett, Valerie Berkovich, Clemency Russell
3rd: Emma Marshall, Ava Hughes, Lila Barbour, Emelia Arnold, Roland Drake, William Townsend; Jorja Trejo; Thomas "Ace" Benner
4th: Sayda Smith, Claire Alderman, Iris Mann, Jonathan Driver, Paloma Kuzmovich, Juniper Stottlemyer, Elliot Pisapia, Eli Winn
5th: Coraline Broughton, Autumn Meeks, Meredith Blaylock, Otto McGowan, Ellie Young, Amelia Simpson., Cruz Rementer, Reese Maier, Molly McBride-Gambill, Bo Powell, Lyla Moreland, CoCo Garcia, Jaylah Boyd
6th: Austin Beckwith
7th: Sofia Avila, Jolie Douglas-Steele
8th: Isaac Morgan, Logan Cruz
Second Grade Performances
All Second graders perform American Tapestry at the North Campus, 1380 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in the Ewing Black Box Theater beginning next week. All performances begin at noon and last only half an hour. Parking may require a few extra minutes, so please arrive in time to enjoy the show.
Campbell - Thursday, October 3, 12:00
Ward - Friday, October 4, 12:00
Pipes - Tuesday, October 8, 12:00
Rebhan- Wednesday, October 9, 12:00
Soesbee - Thursday, October 10, 12:00
ABS Family Directory
This year’s Family Directory is published behind the Parent Portal of our website by October 1st! Families who opted out of the directory or did not complete the required form are not listed. This information is provided only for school related communications. If you’d like to make any changes to your contact information or be added to the directory, please email Director Hollis
Parent Council Notes:
New-ABS Parent Council Newsletter comes out today!
SAVE THE DATE-October 19 for Fall Fest! We are looking forward to an amazing afternoon of community, fun, games, vendors and food. Please join us!
ABS Book Fairs Oct 15-21
The Scholastic Book Fairs are coming!! Exciting news! We will have a fair set up at both North and South Campuses and the North Campus will also open the Fair at Fall Fest which will be a great way to shop early AND enjoy Fall Fest!
We will NEED YOUR HELP! Volunteer signup is LIVE! This is a really fun opportunity to get volunteer hours during the school day and during Fall Fest.
Sign up to volunteer here for North Campus: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4AA4AC23A02-51296008-absnorth
Sign up to volunteer here for South Campus: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4AA4AC23A02-51605729-abssouth
Please visit the links below to sign up for an E-Wallet account*, see the fair schedule, view the book fair flyer, or shop our online book fair.
North Campus Book Fair link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/ABSNorth
South Campus Book Fair link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/ABSSouth
*Set up an E-wallet account so your student can shop the Fair cash-free. If you have multiple children, you must create a separate account for each child, be sure to use the correct fair link.
Every purchase you make at the book fairs earns money towards new books for ALL CLASSROOM libraries and BOTH SCHOOL LIBRARIES! More than half of all dollars spent at the book fairs go directly to purchase books for the school!
Questions can be directed to Kristen Faulkner, Book Fair Chairperson at [email protected]
Halloween is Coming
Please do not send students to school in costumes. We all enjoy the fun and excitement of Halloween but find that costumes and accessories make it very difficult to concentrate. Also we do not want students to bring candy in their lunch bags for snacks. Although it can be delicious, high sugar snacks should not replace a healthy snack. Thanks for your help!
K-Kids Club-South Campus
Does your child want to make a difference in our school, community, and the world? Your child is invited to join the K-Kids program at the Arts Based School. K-Kids is a service organization and a member of the Kiwanis Family, which sponsors our club. K-Kids provides the opportunity to develop self-esteem, leadership skills, morals and standards, and respect for others. This program involves students (grades 3-5), their parents, teachers, and Kiwanians in community service projects that impact our school, our city, and our global community. With your permission, your child will be inducted to the K-Kids at ABS as well as K-Kids of Winston-Salem. Director Hollis will be facilitating K-Kids-South this year. Meetings will be held every Thursday, beginning October 17, 7:45am-8:10am in the art studio. If interested, please sign the form provided in their Thursday folders today, and have your child return it with the $2 fee in a labeled envelope.
Prospective Parent Tours
School tours for prospective parents begin in October. They are scheduled weekly on Tuesdays at 9:30am at South Campus and Thursdays at 9:30am at North Campus. Each tour is limited to 10 adults in an effort to limit the disruption to our students and teachers in the classrooms. Parents interested in learning more about ABS and how to enroll their child, should contact the front office to sign up for a tour. 748-4116 ext 1023. Applications will be accepted beginning January 1. The lottery will be held the second Tuesday of February.
ABS Regular Board Meeting
The ABS Board of Directors will meet in person on Tuesday, Oct 8 at 5:45pm at ABS North Middle School building. Board meetings are open to the public.
Save the Date- Saturday, November 2nd, 10-1 Parent-Child Retreat at ABS!
We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Parent-Child Retreat with former ABS counselor Scott Ertl on Nov. 2 from 10am to 1pm! This special event is designed for you to spend quality, meaningful time with your child while engaging in fun, interactive activities. Together, you'll explore new ways to communicate, strengthen your bond, and reminisce about special memories. In our busy lives, we depend on routines to make things predictable. This retreat will provide an opportunity to see if any morning, mealtime and/or bedtime routines could be more enjoyable and effective. Take this opportunity to step away for a few hours, reconnect with your child, and enjoy a day of learning, laughter, and love. Spaces will be limited to 50 parent-child pairs, so don't miss out! Cost is $10 per family which includes pizza lunch and will take place at the North Campus 1380 N MLK. Payment can be made in cash at the ABS front office. Sign up today and reserve your spot!
After performing comedy magic and juggling in the circus for 9 years, Scott Ertl ran away from the circus to join a school where he worked for 22 years as school counselor! He loves to have fun and uses his creativity to uniquely engage both parents and children to talk and play together. When he was a school counselor, he saw how so many students struggled to sit still for hours at a time, so he invented Bouncy Bands. These heavy-duty bands attach to desks and chairs for students to wiggle while they work. Millions of students around the world now use them—even at ABS! TO summarize, Scott is someone who likes to have fun, play, and be creative—but especially when he can help others. His approach is proven to create lasting, meaningful bonds between parents and children. Scott is excited to bring this experience to your family, ensuring a retreat filled with learning, laughter, and lifelong memories.
School Calendar and Important Dates
The approved 2024-25 school calendar is available here, on our website, or Student Calendar Here is a copy of the updated Parent Student Handbook
Around Town:
Save the Date-WS Holiday Parade December 7, at 5pm. Hosted by the WS Ambassadors.
Kaleideum-Sleepover at the Museum
Imagine spending your birthday at the museum! Join author/composer Karen LeFrak's whimsical characters on their scavenger hunt through all the exhibits that make any museum so special. The concert also includes fun and familiar big-top circus music and playful tunes from Grieg’s Peer Gynt.
Tickets include Kaleideum admission, so come play and explore first, then make your way downstairs to enjoy the 3 pm show!
- Adults $20
- Children $17
- Museums for All $8 (Includes museum admission and must show EBT, WIC, or Link2Feed card at Welcome Desk)
- Kaleideum Members $5