Published for the Arts Based School Community
Sept 11, 2025
How We Do It and Why
By Mary Siebert, ABS Founding Arts Director, retired
“In a live performance, it's a collaboration with the audience; you ride the ebb and flow of the crowd's energy. On television, you don't have that.” - Jon Batiste
ABS students quickly learn how rewarding it is, to perform for your parents. Of course, most of them have been performing on front porches and in back yards or parks since they were very small. “Watch me! Watch me!” To perform for a whole audience of parents is to perform for the most attentive audience there ever will be for you. Those parents take their lunch hour, they pick up Grandma, they watch at least one cast member with absolute, riveted focus. It’s delicious.
Each grade level at ABS presents an annual production that demands disciplined preparation for about six weeks, with classroom teachers, arts specialists, and visiting artists all working together. Some of these shows are traditions stretching far back into our history, and are considered landmarks for kids who look forward to performing them. Some are new productions, changed to align with newly released standards from the state. All of them provide opportunities for community building, for learning. The shows are developed with gradual scaffolding, to help students feel safe and supported on stage. Adults might lead the way on stage, stand to the side and narrate, prompt forgotten moments and words, even appear as a character who can offer support right on stage. But as they enter middle school, they take on more independence, until finally, all fifty-plus kids in the class can perform a show together, without the net to catch them.
Complex rehearsal schedules are communicated out to administrators, receptionists, speech therapists, counselors, and interventionists so that schedules can be woven to keep all learning flowing and to know at all times where the students are. Parents pitch in, avoiding scheduling dental appointments or vacations during critical rehearsal weeks, helping with costumes, helping move platforms and props from place to place. We want everyone to feel excited, polished and prepared when the big day arrives.
What can you do to support your child’s performance?
- Save the date, and attend the show
- Avoid scheduling trips or appointments for 2 weeks before the show.
- Watch for announcements about costume pieces your students will need
- Help with costumes
- Help move the sets in, and help move them back out
- Encourage your child to have fun with it! (It’s not high stakes!)
You can find your student’s performance dates HERE.
Curriculum Night- Save the Date! Sept 16 & 17
Curriculum Night is an educational open house for parents to learn about their child's school year and how to support them at home. At curriculum night, parents can expect to learn about:
- Curriculum: What their child will learn in class
- Classroom routines: Schedules, Procedures, & Expectations
Curriculum night activities are held in your child’s classroom.
To ease parking, we have scheduled staggered sessions-
Parent Council News
ABS Fall Fest-Saturday, October 4 | 12–3 PM
Join us for an afternoon of fun, food, and community at the ABS Fall Fest!
Highlights include:
Food Trucks
Book Fair
Tons of Games & Activities
Vendors
Admission: $5 per child (adults free) – pay by cash or Venmo.
100% of admission fees directly support The Arts Based School!
This Parent Council–sponsored fundraiser helps cover the school’s annual operating expenses. Come hungry, bring your family, and get ready to play!
Keep an eye out for emails from your class representative about volunteer opportunities.
Interested in being a vendor?
Apply here: Vendor Application Form
Around Town…
Piano Sale Benefiting ABS
Mitchell’s Piano Gallery will host a special sale of pianos recently on loan to The Arts Based School, including baby grands, uprights, consoles, and performance-level digitals. Additional new factory-sealed pianos will also be available at reduced prices.
Early Access (by appointment only):
Thursday–Saturday, Sept. 25–27
Call 336-422-1997 to schedule.
Public Sale:
Sunday, Sept. 28 | 10:00 am–5:00 pm
Mitchell’s Piano Gallery, 5045 Country Club Rd., Winston-Salem
Thanks to Kawai America’s loan program, ABS students benefit from quality instruments, and now you have the opportunity to purchase them—most still under warranty—at significant savings.
Also, piano classes for beginners at Mitchell Pianos. More info here.
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