Published for the Arts Based School Community
February 6, 2025
Friday, February 14- Early Dismissal-Conferences
- K-4 Dismiss at 11:45
- 5-8 Dismiss at 12 noon
Monday, February 17 No School-Conferences
2025 ABS Summer Camps
New and exciting camps are in for this upcoming summer! Registration is now OPEN for Summer Camps. Please follow the link below to view all of our amazing camps and register today! Click on the description of the camp that you would like to register for and fill out the Google Form. Invoices will be sent in the coming weeks following registration to secure your spots! Check out the FAQ at the bottom of the flier for important information!
2025 Summer Camp Registration
Contact Ashley Tate at [email protected] with any questions.
Visit to Ovation Sound
Ovation Sound has opened its elegant new location near The Arts Based School’s North campus. The owners transformed an old space into a sleek, state-of-the-art recording studio with a two-story recording area and unique sound-absorbing art.
This week,6th, 7th, & 8th graders visit the studio to explore its features. Bill Stevens, co-owner and ABS parent, shared insights into the importance of backstage roles in performances, supported by guest experts in the field.
A landmark business for decades, Ovation Sound serves musicians, ensembles, podcasters, and more. Owner-engineers Bill Stevens and Evan Richey bring expertise in recording, mixing, and livestreaming. We congratulate them on their dream studio and appreciate their hospitality!
5th Graders Enjoy the Mary Starling Concert
Our 5th-grade students had a fantastic musical experience at the Mary Starling Concert today at Reynolds Auditorium! This year’s program, "Building the Orchestra," led by Maestro Michelle Merrill and the Symphony musicians, gave students a hands-on look at how an orchestra comes together. Through interactive activities, they actively participated in assembling the orchestra from their seats.
To prepare, students explored the Building the Orchestra Playlist and curriculum guide, and teachers reviewed concert etiquette to ensure they were respectful audience members.
It was an unforgettable experience, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to witness the magic of live orchestral music!
National School Lunch Program launches Feb 10!
We are pleased to announce that The Arts Based School will soon be participating in the National School Lunch Program! This is an exciting opportunity to ensure our students have
access to nutritious meals to support their growth and learning. This system will replace the mymealorder.com system beginning March 1. We will still be working with our catering service, Goodness Gracious.
As part of this program, we will be accepting applications for the Free and Reduced Meal
Program beginning February 10th. Please complete these applications before March 1. We ask that all families complete these forms as you have in the past with the Household Income forms to help us qualifying for all potential grants and funding. Families can conveniently apply through LINQ Connect, an online account management service designed to make the process easy and efficient. There is no need to create an account.
Click on School Service & Free & Reduced Meal Applications
Type in Arts Based School and fill in your student’s information.
Through a LINQ Connect account, parents can:
- Apply for free and reduced-price meals (no account necessary)
- Make online payments for school meals (a service charge is applied for online payment processing.)
- Set up auto-payments and low balance alerts
- View transaction history and account details
- And much more!
We encourage all eligible families to apply and take advantage of this valuable program. If you
have any questions or need assistance with the application process, please don’t hesitate to
contact us at [email protected].
Successful Compliance Review at ABS
The Arts-Based School has successfully met all statutory compliance requirements in the recent Cross-Program Consolidated Monitoring Review conducted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The review, which took place the week of December 9, 2024, assessed programs such as Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, and others applicable to our school. We extend our gratitude to our dedicated staff for their hard work and collaboration in ensuring compliance with all federal program requirements. Thank you for your commitment to supporting our students and school community!
PowerSchool Data Breach Update
PowerSchool recently experienced a cybersecurity incident affecting some personal information from its Student Information System (SIS). Data involved may include names, contact details, birthdates, Social Security Numbers, and other related information.
Impacted individuals are eligible for two years of free identity protection, with credit monitoring available for adult students and educators.
For more details or to enroll in these services, please refer to the official notice from PowerSchool emailed to you this week. PowerSchool has begun sending notification emails to those impacted by their cybersecurity incident. They are using the email address [email protected].
News from Parent Council
Join us for the next Parent Council virtual meeting Thursday, February 13 at noon. Here’s the link
Pizza Friday Tees!
Ordering now open for your very own Pizza Friday Tshirt (made by an ABS parent, YAY!) Shirts are available for ordering directly through the Etsy store, SweetJellyCo. Orders will be shipped directly to your home! $5 from the sale of every T-shirt will be donated to the Arts Based School Parent Council that will go to our Teacher Appreciation Fund.
Here's the link to order yours!
Arts Based School Pizza Friday Shirt
Volunteering at ABS
We ask each family to volunteer one hour per week per child enrolled at ABS. Your time and talents make a huge impact!
Ways to Help:
- Use your creative skills (photography, makeup, event planning).
- Assist with clerical, technical, or organizational tasks.
- Support classroom activities (field trips, Thursday Folders, gardening).
- Help with Parent Council, performances, or school events.
- Contribute business connections or partnerships.
Why It Matters:
Your volunteer hours strengthen our school community and help us secure funding. So far, families have donated 2,070 hours—thank you! At this point in the year, you should have 36 hours of service. Shout out to those super volunteers who have already given way more…
Allison Simpson, Kathleen Stimely, Kristen Faulkner, Tabatha Smith, Courtney Joyner, Erin Sorensen, MaryAnn Davis, Jonathan Joyner, Kaitlynn Havens, Nicole Taylor, and Katy Whiteheart!
If you’ve forgotten to record your volunteer hours, it’s not too late!
Record Your Hours:
Remember to check for volunteer opportunities and log your hours! After your account is created and approved, you will sign in here to access the service. If you need to reset your password, use this link.
Parent Satisfaction Survey
Yes, that's you! We want to know what you think! Please follow the link ABS Parent Survey to a 10-question online survey about our school. Your responses are completely anonymous and help us determine what's working well and what needs more work! Please take a few minutes to complete and submit. Thank you!
ABS Yearbook
Here is the link for online ordering for the ABS Yearbook.
Deadline for ordering is March 31st. Yearbooks are $30.00 and will be hardcover this year.
Crazy Running
We’re all about sparking a lifelong love for fitness in our young athletes! Our coaching style is all about blending fun with fitness, ensuring our kiddos are learning essential skills while having a blast. From drills to plyometrics, we’re shaping not just runners, but strong resilient athletes with a burning passion for the sport. Let’s get them moving, improving and achieving their best. This program will run February 24-April 22 and is $120 per student. This includes the training season, a t-shirt, and season ending race entry for the Crazy Kz Kidz Race on April 26th. Register now HERE!
North Campus K-4: Mondays
North Campus 5-8: Tuesdays
South Campus K-3: Mondays
Mad Science
Mad Science is coming back to The Arts Based School! In this introductory STEM program, kids explore a variety of introductory topics and learn about the wonders of both the life and physical sciences. They explore themes and answer questions like “What makes your hair stand up?”, “Is it a magnet or magic?”, and “Just what are carbs, anyway?”. See more in this fun video! This program runs from February 26th-April 23rd and is $135. Register now at triad.MadScience.org.
North Campus K-5: Thursdays
South Campus K-3: Wednesdays
Inclement Weather
In the event of inclement weather, ABS will announce school closings and remote learning days on local TV channels, under “The Arts Based School”. This information will also be posted on the ABS website (www.artsbasedschool.com).