Published for the Arts Based School Community
July 17, 2025
First Day of School - Monday, August 11 (Staggered entry for Kindergarten)
Thank You, Parent Volunteers!
We are so grateful to the many parents who came out for our Parent Workday last Saturday! Your time, energy, and good humor made a huge difference—and proved that many hands really do make light work.
At South Campus, we tackled the enormous task of moving four classrooms and the entire library to make room for our exciting expansion: two new fourth-grade classrooms. It was no small feat, but the teamwork and can-do spirit made the day feel like a true celebration of community.
Meanwhile, North Campus volunteers rolled up their sleeves for a series of “honey-do” projects—small jobs with big impact! From touch-ups to tweaks, everything you did helped spruce up our learning spaces for a strong start to the new school year.
Thank you again to everyone who joined us. Your support helps make ABS such a special place to learn and grow.
Helpful Links and Reminders:
- Who is my student’s teacher? What supplies do we need? You can find class lists, supply lists, and class pages behind our parent portal, on this page.
- Have you filled out your required student form in Enrollease? Please complete these ASAP! More details below.
- If you are new to ABS, please download the app PikMyKid for our dismissal process. You should have received your car tag and Pikmykid number at Special Visits.
ABS Aftercare Program
We are delighted to offer the Arts Based School After School Care Program for your child at both North and South Campuses! We look forward to providing a safe and fun filled environment where we focus our efforts on the social, emotional, and physical development of your child.
Please review the 2025-2026 Aftercare Handbook and register with the link below. Email Ashley Tate at [email protected] with any questions.
2025-2026 Aftercare Registration
ABS Bus Service
For the 2025-26 school year, ABS will offer morning and afternoon bus service with dropoff and pickup locations of: Winston Lake YMCA, Hanes Mall, and Sherwood Plaza. Please review the Bus Guidelines and Information before registering.
Please contact Mr. Cutts at [email protected] with any questions.
2025-2026 ABS Bus Registration
ABS Bus Guidelines and Information
PikMyKid App: Afternoon Pickup Made Safe and Simple
The Arts Based School uses the PikMyKid app to ensure a safe and efficient afternoon pickup for all students. This app streamlines the dismissal process by allowing parents to announce their arrival, manage pick-up permissions, and receive real-time notifications—all from their smartphones.
All new families will need to download the PikMyKid Parent app before the first day of school. After downloading, simply tap “Register” and follow the prompts to create an account. A QR code and further instructions will be sent by email to new families in the coming weeks—please be on the lookout for this important message.
In preparation for the new school year, student records in PikMyKid are being updated to align with changes in student ID numbers due to the state-wide transition to Infinite Campus. While this update should not impact returning families’ ability to access the app or use existing accounts, they may notice a new student number associated with their child. The updates should be completed by August 6.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in using PikMyKid to help keep our dismissal process running smoothly and safely.
Staffing Update
We are excited to welcome Natalie Gwyn as a new part-time school counselor for middle school. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with degrees in both teaching and school counseling, Natalie brings valuable experience from her recent work at Lewisville Middle School and Summit School. Her warmth, insight, and dedication to student well-being make her a fantastic addition to our team. She will partner with our returning counselor, Allison Carlisle who will work with our K-4 students at both campuses.
Budget News
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) has announced that, due to the change in administration, it is currently reviewing federal FY 2025 funding decisions and placing a temporary freeze on certain federal grant programs.
For ABS, this results in a reduction of approximately $36,000 in federal funding—affecting support for our Elementary Spanish program (Title IV) and Teacher Training (Title II).
This development highlights the uncertainty surrounding school funding in the coming years under the current administration. As we move forward, we will need to take steps to stabilize our budget and plan carefully for the future.
School Calendar and Important Dates
The approved 2025-26 school calendar is available here, on our website or Student Calendar
Important dates coming up (details below):
- July 22: ABS North Campus Playdate
- July 23: ABS South Campus Playdate
- July 28: New Parent Orientation
- August 11: First Day of School (Staggered Entry dates for Kindergarten)
Class Representatives Needed
Each classroom should have a Classroom Representative that will coordinate with their teacher to communicate needs to the classroom. Parent Council will work with you to make sure you have all of the information and support you need. Main responsibilities include:
- Coordinating class-specific volunteer efforts and classroom needs.
- Coordinating parent volunteers for Book Fair, Fall Fest and Field Day.
- Coordinating any hospitality events (Teacher appreciation week, recognizing teacher birthdays, etc.)
- Communicating information from Parent Council.
Please sign up to be a class representative using this Google Sheet: [link]
Learn more about what being a class rep involves here: [link to information sheet]
Please contact Parent Council Rep Coordinators with any questions.
Tabatha Smith, North Campus [email protected]
Sara Morales, South Campus [email protected]
Thank you for helping build our school community!
Who’s My Teacher?
Classroom teachers met with the grade level team before school was out to create the class rosters for next year. They use all that they know about your child’s academic, social, emotional, and behavioral qualities to determine which classroom is the best match. Class placement lists were posted on the Family Portal Thursday, July 10 EOD. Parents received an email with Family Portal access credentials.
New Parent Orientation
Save the Date- Monday, July 28 at 10am for the New K-4 Parent Orientation at ABS. Families will attend orientation at the campus of their enrollment. This program is designed specifically for new families in grades K-4th at ABS to support your transition into ABS and to answer your questions. Please mark your calendars and join us!
Middle School Orientation
Save the Date-Monday, July 28 at 2pm for Middle School Orientation. For new parents (grade 5-8) and also for parents new to middle school. Families will meet in the middle school courtyard, 107 E 7th St. This program is designed to answer questions about how our middle school program works (grades 5-8) and what to expect.
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 days for Special Visits are August 5 and 6, 2025. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to schedule a 15-20 minute appointment when they return from summer break, after August 1st.
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