Published for the Arts Based School Community
July 16, 2026
First Day of School - Monday, August 10 (Staggered entry for Kindergarten)
Happy Summer to our new and returning ABS families! Thursday Notes is our schoolwide, weekly communication for the ABS community. As we close out the last school year and transition to the 2026-27 school year, you will find important information in these weekly Notes and at our school website. All recent and archived Thursday Notes can be found on our website. Enjoy these summer days and we look forward to seeing you all in August.
Welcome Back Breakfast
Help us treat our teachers by signing up to bring food or donate funds. This is for staff at both campuses - breakfast is at North campus. Your support means so much! Sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4FABAF22A4FD0-64759259-2026#/
Volunteering at ABS
The Arts Based School Volunteer Hub offers a variety of ways for parents to support our school community, from classroom assistance to special events and ongoing needs. Current opportunities include serving as Class Reps, volunteering in art classes, helping with lunch distribution on Fridays, maintaining our school gardens, providing staff meeting snacks by grade level, and supporting teacher appreciation efforts by stocking the Teacher's Lounge. All volunteer opportunities are available through SignUpGenius links on the portal, where you can easily sign up for activities that fit your schedule and interests. Additionally, there's an area to log your hours for individual classroom volunteering, with those opportunities organized on a more individual basis by teachers and class reps.
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: ABS Class Reps 2026-2027
Learn more about what being a class rep involves here: ABS Classroom Representative 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!
Aftercare Registration 2026-2027
Aftercare Registration is now open for both 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. We'll do this by nurturing strong relationships and offering your children choices that reflect their individual needs, interests and abilities. This year we are hopeful to offer more structured activities that the students and staff will both love! The program runs from 2pm-6pm each day and we offer a 2 days (NEW!), 3 days, and 5 days a week program. You can also register for the drop in service. Check out updated pricing and dates in the Aftercare Parent Handbook. Please email Ashley Tate at [email protected] with any questions.
2026-2027 Aftercare Registration
2026-2027 Aftercare Parent Handbook
School Calendar and Important Dates
The approved 2026-27 school calendar is available 2026-27 Student Calendar, on our website Calendar
Important dates coming up (details below):
- July 22: ABS North Campus Playdate
- July 23: ABS South Campus Playdate
- July 27: New Parent Orientation
- August 10: First Day of School (Staggered Entry dates for Kindergarten)
Kindergarteners Staggered Start
ABS kindergarten students begin the school year with a staggered start. Students in kindergarten will be assigned their first day of school when they receive their class placement. We schedule a third of each class to attend to help students acclimate to their school day and routine. Kindergarteners will only attend one of the first days, either Monday (8/10), Tuesday (8/11), or Wednesday (8/12). Then all kindergarteners will attend together starting Thursday, August 13. The staggered entry schedule does not affect a student’s attendance record.
Kindergarten Required Forms
Parents of kindergarten students are required to provide the school with a copy of the child’s birth certificate, immunization record, and NC Kindergarten Health Assessment form.
New Student Playdates
We're continuing 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. Hathaway Park is ready for us to use!
- July 22 10am-11:30
- North Campus Kindergarten Play Date- Hathaway Park, 301 Anita Dr
- July 23 10am-11:30
- South Campus Kindergarten Play Date-Happy Hill Park 1230 Alder St
New Parent Orientation
Save the Date- Monday, July 27 at 10am for the New K-4 Parent Orientation at ABS. 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 attend the session at the campus at which your child is enrolled. Please mark your calendars and join us!
Middle School Orientation
Save the Date-Monday, July 27 at 2pm for Middle School Orientation. For new parents (grade 5-8) and also for parents new to middle school. This program is designed to answer questions about how our middle school program works (grades 5-8) and what to expect. Please attend the session at the campus at which your child is enrolled.
Who’s My Teacher?
Classroom teachers met with their grade-level teams before the end of the school year to thoughtfully create class rosters for next year. They considered each child's academic, social, emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs to determine the classroom that would be the best fit.
Class placement lists were originally planned to be shared in mid-July. However, they are being delayed slightly while we finalize the hiring of our remaining classroom teachers. We appreciate your patience and will share class placements as soon as they are ready.
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 4 and 5, 2026. Your child’s teacher will be contacting you to schedule a 15-20 minute appointment.
ABS Family Portal Access
Access to our ABS Family Portal will be switching over to new credentials for the 2026-27 school year. Currently enrolled families will receive login information via email next week when class lists are finalized. 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.
Around town…
Come out to see students in The Little Theatre's production of Once Upon a Mattress: Youth Edition, a Princess and the Pea telling. The show opens on Friday the 24th at 7PM, with a Saturday Matinee at 2PM and an evening performance at 6PM. Final performances on Sunday the 26th at 2PM and 6PM.
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