Published for the Arts Based School Community
July 6, 2023
Hellos and Goodbyes
Welcome to more New Staff joining ABS...
Anna Hoffman has twelve years of experience teaching middle school. She has her Masters in Education and is licensed in Science and ELA. She will be teaching 7th/8th grade Science at ABS. Anna is also an ABS parent.
Heather Cruz will be teaching First Grade at ABS North campus. She has 9 years of experience in elementary grades at both charter and traditional public schools. She is licensed K-6. Heather will be an ABS parent too!
Katie Pipes will be joining the Second Grade team at North campus. Katie did her student teaching last year at ABS with Ms. Jess. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has a NC K-6 teaching license.
Monique Johnson to ABS fifth-grade team. Monique is licensed K-6 elementary with 17 years of teaching experience. She taught both 4th and 5th grades at AppState Academy at Middle Fork.
We learned this week that both Gracie Warren and Alexis Long will be leaving ABS. It's always hard to say goodbye. We wish them both the best on their new adventures.
Value of Volunteering
Of course, each of you knows that volunteering is an important commitment that each family makes to our school. We ask each family to volunteer one hour per week for each child enrolled at ABS. We welcome and encourage parents to volunteer in a variety of ways—we know that you are people of many talents! Our volunteers help in the classrooms and with schoolwide projects. Ongoing volunteer opportunities are also posted throughout the year in our Thursday Notes. Please complete this form to let us know how you will share your time and talents with ABS! Check out our Volunteer Handbook to learn more.
ABS Family Portal Access
Access to our ABS Family Portal will be switching over to new credentials for the 2023-24 school year. Currently enrolled families will receive login information via email. The ABS Family Portal is your source for a great deal of information that is not publicly available on our website, including class lists, a family directory, links to videos of our past productions, and more.
ABS Bus Service
For the 2023-24 school year, ABS will offer morning and afternoon bus service with dropoff and pickup locations of: Winston Lake YMCA, Hanes Mall, and Sherwood Plaza. For more information see links below.
ABS Bus Registration Form
Bus service is scheduled to begin Monday, August 21.
After School Care Registration for 2023-24
We are happy to offer an in-house after school care program! Our After School Care program is offered Monday-Friday, from the end of the school day until 6pm. On some days when school is not in session, full day care may be available from 8am - 5:30pm. More detailed information on After School Care is available in the ABS Aftercare Parent Handbook. Please contact Ashley Tate, Director of Operations/Student Services, with any questions. Registration opens Monday, July 10.
School Calendar and Important Dates
The approved 2023-24 school calendar is available here, on our website or Student Calendar
Important dates coming up (details below):
- July 25: ABS North Campus Playdate
- July 26: ABS South Campus Playdate
- August 2: New Parent Orientation
- August 16: First Day of School (Staggered Entry dates for Kindergarten)
New Student Playdates
We're bringing back an old tradition! We will host a playdate for our incoming K at local parks, an informal opportunity to meet one another and play. We've reserved the shelters at the splash parks for these events.
- July 25 10am-12:30
- North Campus K Play Date- Hathaway Park 301 Anita Dr.
- July 26 10am-12:30
- South Campus K -2 graders Play Date-Happy Hill Park 1230 Alder St
Special Visits
Educational research shows that the relationship between the student and his or her teacher is one of the most important factors in a student’s academic success. This critical relationship is enhanced by our small class size and our educators’ commitment to children. In support of the teacher/student relationship, our teachers will be offering a Special Visit before school begins. A Special Visit is simply an opportunity for your child to meet his or her teacher in a familiar setting, a chance to learn a bit about the class and what to expect in the coming school year. This year’s scheduled day for Special Visits is August 14. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to schedule a 15 minute meeting (zoom or at school) in early August.
Ways to get involved and learn more about ABS:
- Follow us on Social Media
- Catch up on Thursday Notes you may have missed
- Explore the ABS website
- Make sure we have best contact information so that you receive all communications