Say CHEESE! Picture days for students in PreK1 to PreK4 are just a few days away — on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, November 4-6. Each student will be given a specific photo time slot on one of the three days. Flyers with all the information from Lifetouch and time slots will be sent home next week.

Parents and guardians please note that if your child’s photo time slot is not on the regular day that your child is at ACS, you must bring them in for their time slot or their photo will not be taken. Any questions? Please contact Mrs. Gail Alford, Elementary Principal and Director of Education, at 609-653-1199, ext. 305, or galford@acseht.org.

Two 5th grade Worship Teams enthusiastically lead worship each Friday in both the Early Ed-Kindergarten chapel and the 1st-5th grade chapels. The two teams began rehearsing in August to be ready to lead worship at the first chapel of the school year in September and each week thereafter.

The 15 members serving in this year’s two teams, who meet Mondays and Wednesdays after school to practice, are pictured above: Ashlee Alford, Lily Boyle, Sophia Capito, Gabe Correa, Ethan Costello, Annalena DiMaio, Cylas Finx, Mackenzie Flynn, Keira Frontino, Sawyer Gayeski, Autumn Henson, Kiara Loo, Nadia Pearson, Isabella Santos, and Kalee Tardif.

“This is the third consecutive year that we have formed two worship teams,” said faculty member Teresa Bird, who is in her sixth year directing the effort. “The students are so excited to lead worship and they are doing a great job.” Over the course of the school year, the students will learn the lyrics and music of up to 30 worship songs, such as “God’s Love Don’t Stop,” “This Little Light,” “My God is So Big,” “One Way Jesus,” and “Every Move I Make.” They will teach the songs to their fellow students, along with the lively choreography they present with each of the songs.

Ready, set, go — Our 17th annual Race for Education is just one day away and our PreK3 to 8th grade students are excited to be participating in this fun and healthy event that helps raise funds for our school’s educational programs. Students in PreK3 to 5th grade will also participate in our annual Harvest Festival, including a tractor-pulled wagon hay ride. Parents must sign a permission slip for their student to take the hay ride. CLICK HERE to sign and submit the permission slip.

We are also very grateful for the enthusiastic response from hundreds of donors. We have twenty-five Classroom Sponsors this year and, for the first time, five Event Sponsors. We are well on our way to reaching or exceeding our fundraising goal of $27,000. Our five Event Sponsors are: Chick-fil-A, Fire Road, Egg Harbor Township; Bill and Cris Clark; the Macbrair and Vanaman Families; the Miller Family; and J. Wilhelm Roofing Company.

We welcome our ACS families to come out and support our students as they Race around our 1/4-mile track, with different grade levels racing at different times. Thank you to the dozens of parents who have volunteered to help with the Race and the Harvest Festival activities.

Following is the Race schedule:

PreK3-PreK4 Classes – 9:00-10:00 a.m.
K-2nd Grade Classes – 10:10-11:10 a.m.
3rd-5th Grade Classes – 11:20 a.m.-12:10 p.m
6th-8th Grade Classes – 1:50-2:50 p.m.

ACS 2003 alumnus Tim Richvalsky was recently honored by the Atlantic City Police Foundation at its 4th annual Hero Luncheon on October 19 at The Palm restaurant in Atlantic City. The event salutes heroes who have given back to the public safety of the community.

Tim has served as an Atlantic City Police Officer since January 2013 and is a member of the NJ National Guard. He was recognized by the Atlantic City Police Foundation for his role in responding to a hit-and-run that resulted in his being stabbed.

When the 3:00 p.m. bell sounds for the end of the school day, that’s when Steffanie Boyer’s work begins as our new After Care Director. Since starting her position in September, Mrs. Boyer has been busy planning activities and building relationships with some 50 students from kindergarten to 6th grade who stay after school each day in After Care.

The students call her “Mrs. B” and she loves the family environment at ACS. “I look forward to seeing the students every day and doing life with them,” Mrs. Boyer said. “I enjoy talking with them and hearing about their plans and dreams and what’s important to them.” She oversees several assistants who work with the students as they spend time at the playground, in the computer lab, and in the after-care building.

In addition to serving as the After Care Director, Mrs. Boyer wears a second hat as assistant to Mrs. Gail Alford, the Elementary Principal and Director of Early Education. She helps with recordkeeping, ordering snacks and supplies, scheduling of aides and teachers, and as a Early Ed flex aide.

Prior to coming to ACS, Mrs. Boyer worked as a teacher in the after-school Son Club program at the Ocean City Tabernacle, which prepared her well for the position at ACS. She has also worked caring for young children on Sunday mornings in the summer at the Tabernacle.

Mrs. Boyer grew up in Michigan, where she earned a BA in communications from Spring Arbor University. She and her husband, Daryl, a rising Christian songwriter and musician, relocated to Ocean City in 2007 with their three daughters, Carolyn, Grace, and Leah, who is in 7th grade at ACS. They worship at Fusion Church in the Somers Point campus.

Mrs. Boyer’s life verse is Romans 8:28 — “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” She said she has been blessed to see the way God has worked in her life, “using sad and broken things and making them beautiful.”

There are plenty of advertising opportunities available for the upcoming ACS production of  “Annie, Jr.” in the playbill and on an electronic screen during the shows. A variety of ads are available for purchase until Friday, November 1.

Purchase a spot in the playbill to advertise your business or to congratulate your favorite cast member. Booster pride lines to encourage a rising star in the cast are $10 each with a 100-character message. Electronic ads, which will be displayed on a large screen to the audience before the show and during intermission, are $30. Advertisements in the playbill range from $25 to $100, depending on size, and the inside cover is $150.

If you need help designing your ad, please don’t hesitate to ask for help. We can design an ad if you provide the specific wording and provide any photos, if desired.

The show dates are Friday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 23 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale on the ACS website on Saturday, November 2.

CLICK HERE to purchase playbill and electronic screen ads and booster messages for Annie Jr.

Egg Harbor Township Mayor Paul Hodson was the featured speaker on October 21 at the weekly Monday night meeting of the ACS Boy Scout Troop 389 and Cub Scout Pack 389. The mayor shared some of his personal life story and what motivated him to seek the office of mayor.

The 21 scouts and their leaders had the opportunity to engage the mayor in a wide-ranging and lively question-and-answer session. Some of the questions included — what is your favorite part of being mayor, what do the Township taxes pay for, were you ever a Boy Scout, and why does not Egg Harbor Township have a post office.

Cubmaster Carrie Jorgenson said meeting with the mayor helped some of the scouts earn one of their merit badge and achievement requirements — learning about what it means to be a good citizen and leader in your community.

For more information about Scout Troop 389 and Cub Pack 389, which meet Mondays at 7 p.m. in the After-Care annex building, contact Cubmaster Carrie Jorgenson at 609-289-1489. Atlantic Christian School is the charter organization that established the Pack and Troop in 2005.

Photos by Michelle Stella

Our kindergarten classes enjoyed a fun-filled day at Storybook Land on Thursday, October 17 and the following Monday celebrated Mother Goose Day — two favorite fall activities that helped our students learn all about the role of characters in nursery rhyme, fairy tale, or other story.

At Storybook Land, the students spent the day identifying characters from favorite stories, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and Humpty Dumpty. They rode the nursery-rhyme themed rides, went on a hayride, and picked and decorated pumpkins. Thank you to kindergarten teachers Hayley Price and Julie Reilly, kindergarten aides George Getty and Ashley Vaccaro, and our parent chaperones for helping make great memories with our students.

On Mother Goose Day, the students dressed up like Little Miss Muffet, Little Bo Peep, Jack in the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, and other favorite nursery rhyme or fairy-tale characters and paraded through the school hallways and visited elementary classrooms.

The parade concluded in the Multi-Purpose Room, where they enjoyed a festive party. The party menu featured healthy versions of food pulled right from the nursery rhymes, including Humpty Dumpty hard boiled eggs, Jack and the Beanstalk green beans, Peter Rabbit carrots, and Jack and Jill water to drink. Thank you to all the parents who helped provide the creative and nutritious treats.

The car wash fundraiser to benefit the high school students going on the Bahamas Missions Trip next spring is two days away — this Saturday, October 26 — from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the English Creek Avenue Car Care Center.

The suggested donation is $10. The car wash is located at the corner of Ocean Heights and English Creek Avenues in Egg Harbor Township.

Come out and support the 16 students and four chaperones who are planning to serve the people of the island of New Providence in the Bahamas during Easter break 2020. While there, the team will be involved in evangelistic, children’s, and sports ministries and also plan to assist with relief work from the effects of hurricane Dorian. This will be the second year for an ACS missions team to serve in the Bahamas. Each Bahamas team member must raise $1,800 to go on the trip. Hope to see you there.

Alumni, students, and families gathered at the ACS campus on Saturday, October 19 for Homecoming 2019, which featured two exciting Varsity Soccer games, the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen and presentation of their court, and the high school Homecoming Dance. The campus grounds were creatively decorated for fall, including pumpkins painted by the girls’ high school PE classes with various graduation years in the school’s 49-year history.

In the first Homecoming game of the day, the Lady Cougars shut out King’s Christian School 4-0 to remain undefeated and in first place in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference (TSCAC). The Varsity Boys’ team lost 5-2 to King’s Christian, and are currently in 3rd place in the Conference. Both teams will be playing next week in the TSCAC playoffs.

Between the two games, seniors Ben Noble and Emily Kelley were crowned Homecoming King and Queen and waved to the crowd as they took the traditional ride around the track in a convertible sports car, on loan from Mr. Yard. The six other senior boys and girls selected for the Homecoming Court were Princesses Lauren Harmon, Emily Elgersma, and Ashleigh Martin, and Princes Ian Einwechter, Dan Roland, and Mark Rosie. Prior to each game, senior Ashleigh Martin had the special honor of singing the National Anthem.

Later that evening, our students enjoyed a fun night out at the Homecoming Dance. Thank you to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner for putting together a family friendly event, assisted by PE teachers Ben Chapman and Kaylee Breunig. We are also grateful to the dedicated volunteers who helped with food, concessions, set-up, and clean-up, including George and Georgie Harmon, Doug Pearson, Scott Shivers, and Terry Vogel.

The high school vocal ensemble, Take Note, had the special opportunity to perform two worship songs on Sunday, October 13 at the historic Head of the River Church in Estell Manor. The ensemble was invited to sing as part of the church’s annual service held the second Sunday in October to commemorate the construction of the church in 1792. This October marked the church building’s 227th anniversary. It is the oldest house of worship in Atlantic County and the oldest Methodist church in New Jersey.

The ensemble, under the direction of Choral and Instrumental Music Director Jaron Beadle, performed two songs a cappella — “Way Maker” by Leeland and “Reckless Love” by Cory Asbury — to a packed church sanctuary of nearly 200 people from across the community. The Rev. Dave Bailey, who presided over the church service, thanked the ensemble members for their performance and invited them to return for the church’s annual Christmas service. The church also gave a donation to support the ACS music program.

The high school students who performed Sunday were, from left: Tommy Ellison, Ashleigh Martin, Reyna Lewis, Sydney Pearson, Jada Logan, Sophia Lee, Cheyenne Schwenker, Nell Daeleman, and Elizabeth Alford. The ensemble, which has 15 members in all, meets Friday mornings before school and has a number of performances scheduled for this school year, including caroling at the Atlantic City International Airport in December and performing in other churches and local nursing homes.

There is a purpose behind everything that happens in our lives and forgiving others the way Christ forgave us is a big part of God’s plan — that was the core message shared by Mr. Miller’s 5th grade students in Elementary Chapel on Friday, October 18.

The class opened chapel with the story of Joseph, presented by student Josiah Christmon, and the choices he made to love and forgive rather than to be bitter and hold grudges. The class then recited from memory the verse from Genesis 50: 20-21 that says: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children. And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

Mr. Miller’s class then performed an interpretative dance to the song “Losing” by Tenth Avenue North, where the chorus declares: “Oh, Father won’t You forgive them?  They don’t know what they’ve been doin’.  Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them.  Cause I feel like the one losin’.”

Student Sawyer Gayeski ended the chapel presentation by introducing a video of Brandt Jean and his choice to also forgive and love. The video showed Brandt Jean in a Texas courtroom in early October expressing forgiveness to Amber Guyger, a former Dallas cop who shot his older brother dead in his own apartment. The 18-year-old Jean said: “I personally want the best for you. I wasn’t going to say this in front of my family, I don’t even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want for you. Give your life to Christ. I think giving your life to Christ is the best thing Botham would want for you.” Brandt Jean then gave Amber Guyger a hug.