Published for the Arts Based School Community
October 8, 2026
No School Monday, October 12: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Friday, Oct 30- Early Dismissal-Conferences
- K-4 Dismiss at 11:45
- 5-8 Dismiss at 12 noon
Monday, Nov 2- No School-Conferences
ABS Annual Giving By the Numbers!
Our Annual Giving campaign is underway, and we thought we'd share a few numbers that tell the story of The Arts Based School—who we serve, what makes our school special, and why your support matters!
In a typical year, state, local, and federal funding covers approximately 90% of ABS expenses. The remaining 10% must come from fundraising, grants, and other revenue sources. Annual Giving is an important part of closing that gap and sustaining the exceptional educational experiences our students enjoy.
- ABS serves 755 students from 21 zip codes across Winston-Salem and surrounding communities. Your support helps us provide outstanding teachers, safe and welcoming classrooms, and an intentional, arts-based curriculum grounded in state standards.
- For the 2026–27 school year, 43% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Annual Giving helps us meet the needs of our diverse school community and ensure that every child has access to the full ABS experience.
- Over the years, ABS has welcomed more than 150 unique visiting and resident artists into our classrooms. Each year, our students also participate in 9 full-scale grade-level productions. These experiences bring learning to life in ways that textbooks alone simply cannot.
- 100% of ABS students participate in the arts—music, dance, drama, and visual art. The arts aren't an extra at ABS. They're woven into how we teach, learn, and grow!
- In a typical year, our families contribute approximately $65,000 through Annual Giving. That's about $86 per student—a meaningful investment in the creative, engaging education we provide every day.
- While the dollars raised are important, our greatest goal is 100% family participation. Every gift, regardless of size, makes a difference.
One School. Two Campuses. One Community.
Whether your child attends North or South Campus, Annual Giving benefits every student in every classroom. We believe what we've built together at ABS is something truly special—and worth sustaining.
Thank you for being part of the ABS story and for helping us write the next chapter!
HOW CAN I MAKE MY GIFT?
There are two simple ways to give:
Make your check payable to “The Arts Based School,” You can send it by mail, or drop it off in the front office. We also accept cash in the school front office.
You can make a secure gift online at our website
Art at the Fair!
Congratulations to our talented young ABS artists whose artwork was selected for exhibition at the Carolina Classic Fair! We are proud to celebrate their creativity and artistic accomplishments!
Student Artists Featured at the Fair
1st Grade: Mairead Strand, Josiah Hurie, Baker Perry
2nd Grade: Levi Joyner, Julian Ward
3rd Grade: Felicity James, Olivia Ellison, Zyohnnah Clapp, Nathaniel Mercado, Alfred Girard, Maeve Woods, Emerson Dresslar, Holden Lail, Harmony Harvey, Sandu Gitard
4th Grade: Emma Brock
5th Grade: Roland Drake, Emma Marshall, Ellie Sullivan, Alder Williams, Jackson Smith
7th Grade: June Crotts, Molly McBride-Gambill
8th Grade: Nyla Hart, Ella Nochajski, Bo Powell
Congratulations to Our Award Winners!
Elementary Division
- 1st Place: Emma Marshall
- 2nd Place: Baker Perry
Middle School Division
- 1st Place: Bo Powell
- 2nd Place: Molly McBride-Gambill
- 3rd Place: Nyla Hart
We are so proud of all our student artists for sharing their creativity and representing The Arts Based School at the Carolina Classic Fair!
ABS Teacher Heads to Mars!
What do you get when you combine science, adventure, and a little bit of Mars? An extraordinary professional development opportunity for 6th-grade teacher Betty Jo Moore!
From October 13–16, Ms. Moore will serve as an analog astronaut at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah. The station is a research facility designed to simulate what life and scientific work might be like for a crew living on Mars. While Betty Jo won't actually be traveling to Mars (yet!), she will experience many of the challenges that future astronauts could face—including conducting research, working as part of a crew, managing limited resources, and exploring a landscape that resembles the Martian environment.
This experience connects beautifully to 6th-grade science standards, giving Ms. Moore an opportunity to experience these concepts in a remarkably hands-on way.
And she's bringing a little piece of the experience back to ABS! Betty Jo will be bringing rock samples back with her for students to examine and plans to create video journals throughout her time at the station, giving students a firsthand look at what it's like to participate in a Mars simulation. She will also share photographs, stories, and lessons learned with students and staff and develop classroom activities inspired by her experience.
We can't wait to follow Ms. Moore's mission and hear what it's like to live, work, and learn as an analog astronaut! Who knows? We may have a few future Mars explorers among our ABS students!
BookFair Thank you!
We had another fantastic Scholastic Book Fair! Thank you to all of our volunteers at both campuses who excitedly welcomed students, helping them find new books and meet their interests. We truly cannot have a successful fair without our volunteers! Our preliminary numbers show this was our best fair yet! Thank you for your support! Great news: if your student still has remaining funds on their eWallet account, those funds will now remain with your student instead of converting to a Scholastic eCard! Any questions or comments can be sent to [email protected].
Shout out to Kristen Faulkner and Molly Markey for their incredible efforts as book fair coordinators!
Assistant Principal for the Day!
Congratulations to Charles Moxley at North Campus and Patrick Santana at South Campus, our September Assistant Principals for the Day!
Each month at Friday Sing, one K–4 student from each campus is selected to spend a morning alongside Principal Leab or Principal Sherell. All students are automatically entered into the drawing!
Our student leaders enjoy their own desk, name tag, and a list of important duties, including greeting students, helping with school tours, and experiencing what it takes to run a school.
Participation is always voluntary, and parents are notified when their child is selected.
Congratulations, Charles and Patrick! We love giving our students this fun opportunity to experience leadership!
Kids STEAM Night Out
Join Mrs. Hoffman and Mrs. Gledhill for an evening of science, technology, and art fun on Friday, October 16th, 5:30-8:30pm! All proceeds will benefit the ABS STEAM Club. Dinner will be served. The cost is $30 per child, $25 for additional siblings. Spots are limited. Registration will close when full or on Thursday, October 15th. Open to any ABS Student K-8.
Sign Up- https://bit.ly/OctSTEAMnight
Crosby Scholars Meeting – October 22
Join us for our next Crosby Scholars meeting on Thursday, October 22! Students will create festive “Boo-Grams” to brighten the day for residents at a local nursing home.
Meeting Details
- Date: Thursday, October 22
- Time: 3:00–3:45 p.m.
- Location: ABS Middle School, Room 2006 (Spanish/Guidance Room)
Please sign up with Dr. Gwyn if you plan to attend.
Upcoming Meeting Dates: October 22, November 19, December 10, January 14 & 28, February 11 & 25, March 11, April 22, and May 13 (End-of-Year Celebration).
All meetings are held on Thursdays from 3:00–3:45 p.m. in Room 2006.
Unity Day! Wear Orange on October 21!
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and ABS is joining schools across the country in promoting kindness, inclusion, and respect.
On Wednesday, October 21, we invite all students and staff to wear orange in celebration of Unity Day—a nationwide show of support for creating safe, welcoming schools where everyone feels valued.
Throughout the month, our school counselors will lead activities that encourage students to stand up for others and spread kindness, including classroom discussions, creating Kindness Chains, and signing a pledge against bullying.
Let's turn ABS orange and show that kindness and unity make our school community stronger!
Picture Day-Oct 16
Smile! October 16 is Picture Day! All students will be photographed to be included in the school’s yearbook. This year everyone will receive a photo proof in order to buy pictures.
To order pictures online, please visit www.strawbridge.net, click the red “Order Pictures and Yearbooks” button, and enter code PX504571. More information will be coming home soon.
Fall Fest Results!
Many thanks to all our wonderful volunteers for their time and efforts in making Fall Fest such a success! Hats off to Sarah Avery, Naquita Yellock & Jessica Crews, who coordinated and re-energized this annual tradition! It was a beautiful day to enjoy a variety of fun games, good friends and yummy food! Fall Fest raised more than $2,200 for our school – THANK YOU!!
If you’d like to share feedback on FallFest please use this feedback form.
Did you snap some fun photos at Fall Fest on Saturday?? We'd love to see them!
Share your photos with us so we can capture all the fun, smiles, and fall festivities in the yearbook!
Upload your Fall Fest photos here:
[South] https://plicbooks.com/go/Z4U93C
[North] https://plicbooks.com/go/7XL5UN
Upload your Back to School photos here:
[South] https://plicbooks.com/go/16CMER
[North] https://plicbooks.com/go/FPEMFN
Calling All Cowboy Boots!
As our 5th graders prepare for Romeo and Juliet on the Border, we’re building our collection of cowboy boots for the many characters who will need them as part of their costumes. We’d love your help!
If you have an old pair of cowboy boots tucked away in a closet, we’d be happy to give them a new life on stage. You might also keep an eye out when you’re shopping at Goodwill or another thrift store—we’re looking for boots in natural colors or black, and we need a range of sizes. (Some of our fifth graders have adult-sized feet!) Boots can be dropped off at the front desk at either campus.
LAZR Dojo Game Design Enrichment Club – North Campus
Does your child(ren) love gaming, art, storytelling, and creating? Arts Based School & LAZR Dojo are exploring a fall afterschool Game Design Enrichment Club for students in grades 5–8!
Students will explore the creative world of game design, including developing game ideas, creating characters and worlds, and learning how games are designed and built. No prior game design or coding experience is required!
Mondays: 2:45–3:45 p.m. at North Campus, Grades 5–8
We are currently gauging interest to determine whether there is enough interest to offer the club. If your student would be interested, please complete the short interest form below:
Prospective Parent Tours
School tours for prospective parents begin in October. They are scheduled weekly on Tuesdays at 9:15 am at South Campus and Thursdays at 9:30 am at North Campus. Each tour is limited to 10 adults in an effort to limit the disruption to our students and teachers in the classrooms. Parents interested in learning more about ABS and how to enroll their child, should contact the front office to sign up for a tour. 748-4116 ext 1023. Applications will be accepted beginning January 1. The lottery will be held the second Tuesday of February.
ABS Regular Board Meeting
The ABS Board of Directors will meet in person on Tuesday, Oct 13 at 5:45pm at ABS North Middle School building. Board meetings are open to the public.
Halloween is Coming!
We know Halloween brings lots of fun and excitement for many! However, we ask that students not wear costumes or bring costume accessories to school, as these can be distracting during the school day. Please also save Halloween candy for eating at home. While we all enjoy a sweet treat, candy should not take the place of a healthy snack during the school day. Thanks for helping us keep the focus on learning while enjoying the excitement of the season!
Notes from Parent Council:
October Parent Council Meeting
The next Parent Council meeting will be Friday, October 16 from 8:30-9:30am in the North Campus cafe, and on Zoom. We look forward to seeing you there! Have questions or topics you'd like discussed at our upcoming Parent Council meeting? We want to hear from you! Use this form to submit questions, concerns, or suggestions you'd like addressed: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAY7V8HAS9Zv1oUzuMQekZtN410F1zGrGY4q1UXwORhpL5Mg/viewform.
4th Grade, help us stock October staff meetings!
Calling all 4th grade families! We need your help stocking the snack table for the October staff meetings on Mondays. Ready to help? Grab a spot on the sign-up in the Volunteer Hub! Every contribution, big or small, helps us show our staff how much we appreciate them.
Looking for ways to get involved?
Get involved and make an impact this year—no matter your schedule! Whether you can spare an hour a week or a single afternoon, we have plenty of ways to help. Volunteer roles include car rider line duty, Friday pizza lunch delivery, art room support, and keeping the teacher breakroom stocked with snacks. Don’t forget to log your hours as you go! Check out the Volunteer Hub here.
Around Town…
By popular request, Kids’ Game Night is coming to LAZR Dojo x Ctrl V Arcade & Enrichment Studio on the second Saturday of each month! See the flyer for details.
Ways to get involved and learn more about ABS:
- ABS Parent Student Handbook
- 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