Published for the Arts Based School Community
January 9, 2025
Save the Date for Community Creates- May 3, 2025
What is Community Creates?
Community Creates is a fabulous adult only party. For one evening, our ABS Middle School building and courtyard are transformed into a chic, hip art gallery full of unique artwork created for this event. Local artists you love, and new ones you don’t know yet, come together to provide pieces for our 100 for $100 drawing, silent auction and live auction. It’s an evening of great food, and fun! It’s an evening you don’t want to miss!
Community Creates is a vital fundraiser for ABS. ABS deeply arts-based, experiential learning includes visits and residences from highly accomplished professionals in visual, performing and literary arts (think Mr. Bill, Mr. Bob, Diana Greene & Thao Nguyen just to name a few). Funds raised from Community Creates help us pay for this artists-in-residence program. The relationships between our students and these local artists inspire and instruct us, while helping create and solidify meaningful bonds within the community.
Everyone is invited to Community Creates! Community Creates draws a mix of ABS parents, staff, Board members, artists and many people throughout the community who attend for the chance to walk away with some fantastic artwork, or at the very least, have a fabulous evening out! Tickets are $50 will be available for purchase very soon - but go ahead and save the date - Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 from 7pm–11pm!
Snow Days Update
May 27 will now be added to the school calendar as a makeup day for the snow day missed on January 7. Although three makeup days were built into the calendar, we have already missed four days this year. If additional days are missed due to inclement weather, they will be added to the end of the school year.
Please note that this adjustment will affect Field Day and the early release day. More details will be shared soon—stay tuned!
Student Intent for 2025-26 School Year
As we prepare for next year’s enrollment lottery (2025-26), it is important to know how many spaces are available in each grade. As a current student, your child has priority placement and no additional action is required until August Required Forms are due. If your child is not returning to ABS for the 2025-26 school year, please notify Director Hollis. Siblings of current students get priority placement, but you must complete an application in Lotterease before Jan 31 deadline.
NC School Report Card
Each year the North Carolina School Report Card provides a comprehensive resource for information about student achievement, the school environment and student safety at the state, district and school levels. Congratulations to our students and teachers for their hard work. We are very proud of the work everyone has done to meet and exceed the State’s expected academic growth!
To see our school’s report card click on the following link:
School/Parent/Teacher Compact
ABS recently had a monitoring visit to review our procedures and practices with regards to Federal Grants. ABS receives Title I funding which requires us to follow certain federal guidelines. During the visit, we were asked to update our School/Parent/Teacher compact. Here is a draft of the document for your review. Please provide feedback, comments, and questions on this form.
School Calendar 2025-26
The ABS Board of Directors is considering the school calendar for 2024-25. If you would like to review the updated Draft A calendar and Draft B calendar and Draft C calendar provide feedback, please respond to this form.
School Calendar Considerations
- 1050 hours of instruction
- Draft A starts school August 13, Draft B starts school August 11
- Draft C aligns Fall Break with WS/FC schools
- Major breaks coincide with WS/FC schools
- Trimester system allows teacher workdays to coincide with parent/teacher conferences
- Snow Make up days are built into calendar throughout the school year
- Gather input from teachers, staff, and parents
News from Parent Council
The next meeting is scheduled for January 17 at 8:30am Here’s the link to join.
mClass Reading Testing This Month
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has implemented and required a kindergarten through third grade reading assessment called mCLASS: Reading 3D to help teachers assess, track, and support each student’s reading skills. Each student will be assessed every trimester using the online assessment program. mCLASS:Reading 3D will instantly analyze your child’s development in grade-appropriate foundational reading skills. Teachers will use this data to focus their instruction around your child’s specific needs, in areas that may include:
- Hearing and using sounds in spoken words (Phonemic Awareness)
- Knowing sounds of letters and sounding out written words (Alphabetic Principle)
- Reading words in stories easily, quickly, and correctly (Accuracy and Fluency)
- Understanding what they read (Reading Comprehension)
After each assessment period you will receive a letter outlining your child’s specific assessment results and progress as a reader. The letter will also include learning activities you and your child can do together at home to reinforce skills learned at school. Parent support and reading at home are a vital part of your child’s education. The teacher’s efforts, combined with your support, will help your child read with mastery and confidence. If you have any questions about the assessment, the activities, or your child’s classroom work and progress, please talk to your child’s teacher.
Middle of the Year MAP Testing- Jan 15-16
ABS uses Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) to assess each student’s academic growth. We will give students in grades 3-4 MAP tests to determine each child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of math and reading. Your child will take the tests on a computer. MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. And with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth.
MAP results coming home
For students in Grades 5-8 who completed their MAP testing before the break, test results will be sent home today.
Flu Season
As you know, flu can be easily spread from person to person. We are asking for your help in reducing the spread of flu at ABS. The symptoms of the seasonal flu are: fever of 100 degrees or more, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Students with these symptoms will be sent home.
You can help us by taking these simple steps:
- Teach children to wash their hands often.
- Teach your children not to share food or drink.
- Teach children to cough or sneeze into their elbows to avoid spreading germs.
- Keep sick children home.
Get the flu vaccine for you and your children.
ABS Skate Night-Jan 23
The ABS Builders Club is sponsoring a Skate Night on Thursday, January 23, from 6:30 - 8:00 at Skate Haven, 120 Hood Drive in Winston-Salem. This event funds many charities the ABS Builders Club supports during the year.
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, ABS will announce school closings on local TV channels, under “The Arts Based School”. This information will also be posted on the ABS website (www.artsbasedschool.com).
ABS Regular Board Meeting
The ABS Board of Directors will meet in person on Tuesday, January 14 at 5:45pm at ABS North Middle School building. Board meetings are open to the public.