Published for the Arts Based School Community
February 13, 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
ABS Fundraiser-Community Creates! May 3rd
What is Community Creates?
Community Creates is ABS’s biggest fundraising event—a vibrant, adults-only evening featuring art, auctions, great food, and community connections! Our Middle School building transforms into a chic gallery with incredible artwork from local artists, all supporting our artists-in-residence program.
Enjoy a night of fantastic art, a 100 for $100 drawing, silent and live auctions, and delicious food and drink! Save the date: Saturday, May 3rd, 7–11 PM!
Want to get involved?
Become a Sponsor – Advertise for your company or business…Contact Ellen Coble ([email protected]) Sponsorship Package info
Submit Artwork or Volunteer – Contact Robin Hollis
Tickets go on sale soon—$50 in advance, $60 at the door. Don’t miss it!
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
By Liz Green, Director of Arts and Curriculum
Fairy tales are timeless stories told across cultures for generations, evolving through oral tradition. The Brothers Grimm, famous 19th-century folklorists, collected and preserved over 210 of these tales, many of which were far darker than their modern adaptations.
This year, ABS 7th graders will bring fairy tales to life in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, a fast-paced, comedic mash-up of classic stories like Cinderella, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel—but with unexpected twists, humor, and a touch of dark comedy. Written by Dan Zolidis, this play adds a modern perspective while staying true to the Grimms' legacy.
Performed in the Story Theater style, the show blends narration, improvisation, and audience interaction, challenging students to develop teamwork, confidence, and creative expression. Drama teacher Jordan Brown has adapted the script to be engaging, yet family-friendly.
Save the Date: March 5 & 6 at 7:00 PM
At SECCA – ABS 7th Grade presents The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
Due to limited seating, we are allowing each 7th grade family to reserve 6 tickets (total) per student. Please choose the date you would like tickets and how many per performance (up to 6 total) (example: 4 for Wednesday and 2 for Thursday). Paper tickets will be sent home with your student on February 24, 2025. Please make sure you receive these as tickets cannot be replaced.
Remaining tickets will be made available to the general school population beginning February 24th. Please contact Donna Brown on 2/24 to reserve additional tickets.
Please use this link to order Brothers Grimm Shirts and Sweatshirts in various colors. Brothers Grimm Order Form Link
Orders will be distributed to students. Ordering closes on February 19th.
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.
National School Lunch Program launches Feb 10!
We are pleased to announce that The Arts Based School will soon participate 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].
ABS Staff Tutors
Here is a list of our teachers that offer tutoring in different areas. There are many options available.
mClass/DIBELS Reading Results Sent Home
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires 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 is assessed every trimester using the online assessment program. mCLASS:Reading 3D analyzes your child’s development in grade-appropriate foundational reading skills. Teachers 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)
You will receive a letter today in Thursday folders outlining your child’s specific assessment results and progress as a reader. The letter also includes 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.
Peter and the Wolf Videos
Archival Videos of last week’s wonderful kindergarten performances of Peter & the Wolf are now available for viewing on Vimeo, through the Parent Portal on the ABS Website. Video Password: Clarinet
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
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.
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).
Published for the Arts Based School Community
February 13, 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
ABS Fundraiser-Community Creates! May 3rd
What is Community Creates?
Community Creates is ABS’s biggest fundraising event—a vibrant, adults-only evening featuring art, auctions, great food, and community connections! Our Middle School building transforms into a chic gallery with incredible artwork from local artists, all supporting our artists-in-residence program.
Enjoy a night of fantastic art, a 100 for $100 drawing, silent and live auctions, and delicious food and drink! Save the date: Saturday, May 3rd, 7–11 PM!
Want to get involved?
Become a Sponsor – Advertise for your company or business…Contact Ellen Coble
Sponsorship Package info
Submit Artwork or Volunteer – Contact Robin Hollis
Tickets go on sale soon—$50 in advance, $60 at the door. Don’t miss it!
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
By Liz Green, Director of Arts and Curriculum
Fairy tales are timeless stories told across cultures for generations, evolving through oral tradition. The Brothers Grimm, famous 19th-century folklorists, collected and preserved over 210 of these tales, many of which were far darker than their modern adaptations.
This year, ABS 7th graders will bring fairy tales to life in The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, a fast-paced, comedic mash-up of classic stories like Cinderella, Snow White, and Hansel and Gretel—but with unexpected twists, humor, and a touch of dark comedy. Written by Dan Zolidis, this play adds a modern perspective while staying true to the Grimms' legacy.
Performed in the Story Theater style, the show blends narration, improvisation, and audience interaction, challenging students to develop teamwork, confidence, and creative expression. Drama teacher Jordan Brown has adapted the script to be engaging, yet family-friendly.
Save the Date: March 5 & 6 at 7:00 PM
At SECCA – ABS 7th Grade presents The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
Due to limited seating, we are allowing each 7th grade family to reserve 6 tickets (total) per student. Please choose the date you would like tickets and how many per performance (up to 6 total) (example: 4 for Wednesday and 2 for Thursday). Paper tickets will be sent home with your student on February 24, 2025. Please make sure you receive these as tickets cannot be replaced.
Remaining tickets will be made available to the general school population beginning February 24th. Please contact Donna Brown on 2/24 to reserve additional tickets.
Please use this link to order Brothers Grimm Shirts and Sweatshirts in various colors. Brothers Grimm Order Form Link
Orders will be distributed to students. Ordering closes on February 19th.
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.
National School Lunch Program launches Feb 10!
We are pleased to announce that The Arts Based School will soon participate 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].
ABS Staff Tutors
Here is a list of our teachers that offer tutoring in different areas. There are many options available.
mClass/DIBELS Reading Results Sent Home
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requires 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 is assessed every trimester using the online assessment program. mCLASS:Reading 3D analyzes your child’s development in grade-appropriate foundational reading skills. Teachers 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)
You will receive a letter today in Thursday folders outlining your child’s specific assessment results and progress as a reader. The letter also includes 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.
Peter and the Wolf Videos
Archival Videos of last week’s wonderful kindergarten performances of Peter & the Wolf are now available for viewing on Vimeo, through the Parent Portal on the ABS Website. Video Password: Clarinet
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
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.
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).