Articles by: Lee Martin

He Is Risen!

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).

As ACS begins the Easter Break, we want to thank God for His many blessings which include our wonderful families, faculty, staff, and Board members.  Most of all, we thank Him for salvation through His Son, Jesus! We pray you have a blessed break and experience the joy of celebrating our Risen Lord!

The beautiful hallway art featured above was designed and created by our talented PreK-1 teacher, Madeline “Cookie” Chambers (left) and her aide, Ashley Gonzalez. He is risen, indeed!

Student Council Collecting Bottle Caps for Elementary Playground “Buddy Bench”

The ACS Student Council is initiating a project and contest to place a “buddy bench” in the elementary playground. Beginning Monday, April 29, students will attempt to collect 400 pounds of plastic bottle caps in containers located outside homeroom classrooms. The winning upper school class in this unique contest will be the homeroom with the LEAST amount of caps in their own container… accomplished by placing caps in the containers of OTHER homerooms! The winning elementary class will be the one with the MOST bottle caps by weight. The contest ends May 31, and each winning class gets a pizza party! CLICK HERE for an official list of caps and lids which can be donated.

Pre-K Students Learning Robotics with Snapology Kinderbots After-School Program

Students in PreK-4 through 1st grade are exploring the world of robotics in our “Snapology: Kinderbots” after-school class on Monday afternoons. The little engineers are learning about sensors, gears, and pulleys while building drills, magic wands, helicopters, and more. Using Snapology-provided Chromebooks, certified facilitator Jill Incalcaterra (above left) is also teaching students simple coding to control their robotic creations. To learn more about the exciting programs offered by our Snapology partners, click the logo below!

New ACS Basketball Camp Coming this Summer

New this summer, Cougars Basketball Camp will be led by ACS coaches Dan and Drew Carney. Two co-ed sessions will be offered. A camp for students who have completed grades 4 and 5 will be held from June 17-21. A second camp for students who have completed grades 6-8 will be held from July 22-26. Both camps will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with lunch included. Each day will be filled with skills and drills and game-style scrimmages. The camp fee is $150 per athlete and includes a camp t-shirt.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Faculty, Staff, Students Celebrate our Lord’s Resurrection in All-School Easter Chapel

The entire school body gathered today to worship and celebrate in the annual Easter Chapel. Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen opened the chapel with prayer before introducing three missions teams which will serve over Spring break (see more details below). Two student groups then presented special musical selections including “1-2-3, Jesus Is Alive” from the combined Pre-K4 classes and an ASL interpretation of  Lauren Daigle’s “How Can It Be” by the middle school “Intro to Sign Language” class.  The 5th Grade Worship Team led two upbeat worship songs, including “Jesus, You’re My Superhero” which introduced a skit featuring several costumed faculty members sharing superhero monologues.

High school English teacher Tori Novack directed the presentation, adapting the script from a Bible study by Matt Rawle entitled “What Makes a Hero? The Death-Defying Ministry of Jesus.” In the fun yet meaningful sketch, a mix of popular DC and Marvel characters spoke on topics such as right and wrong, good and evil, and life and death, explaining how they were imperfect examples of what only Christ — the greatest hero of all time — could accomplish. Each superhero, upon completing their message, turned and knelt before the cross as “at the name of Jesus every should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the father” (Philippians 2:10-11).

Following a powerful spoken word video entitled “Jesus Is” by poet, performer, and evangelist Clayton Jennings, the program concluded with another time of musical worship led by faculty and staff members Jaron Beadle, Kelly Flynn, Zach Monroe, and Bill Smallwood.

Spring Break Missions Teams Commissioned

Nearly 50 students, faculty members, and parents will be traveling over Spring break as part of three ACS Missions Teams serving in the U.S. and abroad. The teams were introduced in today’s all-school Easter chapel and commissioned with a prayer of dedication by Missions Program Coordinator Dave Genter.

The high school international team (above left) will be in the Bahamas from April 22 to April 30, serving the Haitian population in Nassau. They will be primarily in local schools and after-school programs, working with children in sports ministry and other kid-friendly settings. The high school domestic team (above right) will travel to New York City on April 22 and serve with various homeless shelters and soup kitchens around the city through April 26. The middle school team (below) will spend four days (April 23-26) in Philadelphia working alongside teams from several rescue missions and ministries serving the disadvantaged.

Please keep each of our teams in prayer for safety and effective ministry as they seek to share God’s love and the good news of Jesus on these exciting ventures.

Early Education, Elementary Students Enjoy Outdoor Easter Egg Hunt

Our younger students from preschool to5th grade enjoyed the beautiful weather with a campus-wide, outdoor easter egg hunt on Thursday, April 18. The eggs, mostly hidden in plain sight, were candy-free but contained other treats such as slime, small toys, and dollar bills. Several classes searched for “Resurrection Eggs,” filling cartons with twelve colored eggs containing various items to tell the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. The laughter and smiles all across campus were pleasant reminders of the joy we share in this Easter season!

Elementary Classes Prepare for Earth Day in Greenhouse, Garden

With Earth Day falling during spring break this year (April 22), ACS teachers and Garden Club advisors Bethany Kiefer and Eric Tardif got an early start celebrating God’s creation and making a positive impact on the environment. Elementary classes were invited to visit the new ACS Greenhouse and plant seeds that will later be transplanted into the raised garden beds for the summer. Students from kindergarten through 5th grade planted beans, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and sunflowers and will take turns watering them in the greenhouse and garden. A plant sale is anticipated in the coming weeks as the produce begins to grow.

Republic Bank Representatives Speak in Personal Finance Class

John Davidson, Vice President and Store Manager for the new Republic Bank in Somers Point, along with Store Supervisor Tara McGinnis, visited the high school “Personal Finance” class on Monday, April 15. Davidson and McGinnis presented information about easy ways to save money, such as avoiding ATM fees, scheduling automatic transfers to a savings account, and sticking to a budget. They also introduced the students to money market and retirement accounts along with CDs, savings bonds, and stock investments as ways to save money for short- and long-term goals.

ACS Receives 2019 Best Schools Ranking on Niche

Review ACS on Niche, Be Entered in Monthly $1,000 Drawing!

ACS has received a “2019 Best Schools” ranking from Niche, the leading national online review site for schools. The Niche 2019 Best Schools logo is now displayed on the ACS website’s home page and is linked to the ACS page on Niche. ACS has an overall grade of “A-” on Niche and is ranked #29 out of 45 “Best Private K-12 schools in NJ.” Other Niche rankings of ACS include: #3 in “Best Private High Schools in Atlantic County,” #11 out of 26 “Best Christian high schools in New Jersey,” and “#43 of 199 “Most Diverse Private High School in New Jersey.”

A portion of the Niche rankings is based on reviews and there are currently 31 reviews on the ACS Niche page. We are asking ACS parents and guardians to please go to the Niche site and write a review about your child’s experience at ACS. You will not only help other parents make an informed decision about choosing ACS for their own children, but you will be entered in a $1,000 drawing sponsored by Niche. CLICK HERE to do a Niche review and be entered in the monthly drawing.

We are also asking parents to write a review of ACS on GreatSchools.org — another internet site used by parents to find a school in their neighborhood and that also provides information on schools to the leading real estate sales websites, such as realtor, zillow, and redfin.  Since GreatSchools.org does not rank private schools, parents rely more heavily on the reviews posted about a school. Please click on the links below to visit the Niche.com and GreatSchools.org sites. The spring is a prime time for parents to do research for a school for their child, so please help us spread the word about the positive impact ACS is having on the hearts and minds of our students.

Students Warm Up for Standardized Testing with Morning Exercise Routine

It was K to 11th grade standardized testing week at ACS and students arrived each day anticipating long class periods and lots of brain work. To get their blood pumping, students in K to 5th grade gathered in the gym each morning for some aerobic exercise before picking up their pencils. Event Coordinator Jessica Martin, a certified Personal Trainer and Zumba Instructor, led line dances like the Cupid Shuffle and musical exercise routines to student favorites like Toby Mac’s “Backseat Driver” and Parry Gripp’s “It’s Raining Tacos.” With a lot of laughs and a few sore muscles, students and teachers alike headed off to testing each day in good spirits, ready to exercise their minds.

ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings – May 2

Eat wings and raise funds for ACS Athletics!

CLICK HERE to get your “ticket” to eat-in or take-out from Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2. You’ll help raise funds for ACS Athletics as 10% of your order will be donated to ACS!

ACS Hosting 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament – May 4

ACS is hosting a 3-on-3 basketball tournament Saturday, May 4 beginning at 2:00 p.m. There will be two divisions — Student (8th-12th grades) and Adult. Each division will play a double-elimination bracket format. Registration is $30 per team and is due by May 1. CLICK HERE to register a team online.

SpiritWear Sweatshirts for Sale

The PTF is once again selling ACS SpiritWear Sweatshirts. Order forms were sent home with students in PreK through 5th grade and are also available in the school office or at THIS LINK. Orders are due by Wednesday, April 17, and the shirts are expected to arrive the first week of May. Show your Cougar pride and order yours today!

Elementary Spring Concert – Friday, May 3

School-Wide Art Show to Run May 3-23

Students in kindergarten through 5th grade will present their annual Elementary Spring Concert in the school gymnasium on Friday, May 3 at 6:30 p.m. The program, entitled “All Creatures of Our God and King,” will feature music and drama under the direction of Jaron Beadle and Shirlene Perini.

Before and after the concert, guests are invited to walk around the school hallways to view student art on display as part of our Spring Art Show. The exhibits will be on display through the Upper School Concert on Thursday, May 23.

ACS Students to Compete in ACUA Recycled Art Contest

ACS students with artwork entered in the ACUA Recycled Art Contest, from left: 10th grader Katherine Kong, 11th grader Lin Xiao, and 7th grader Ryleigh Martin.

Recycled artwork created by three ACS Upper School students has been entered this week in the 5th annual Recycled Art Contest sponsored by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority. The students worked on their art projects in the Art Studio after-school class this winter taught by ACS art teacher Sherry Mirakian.

Pictured, from left, are: 10th grader Katherine Kong, with her candy dish made from aluminum cans; 11th grader Lin Xiao, with her “Jellyfish Memory Mobile” made from tissue paper, wrapping paper, wire, beads, and buttons; and 7th grader Ryleigh Martin, holding her 3-D sculpture entitled “Date Night,” a make-up palette made from cork, contact lens cases, and other recycled materials.

The ACS student artwork will be on display until April 22 at the Swift Avenue Public Library in Egg Harbor Township. Select artwork will then be transported to the ACUA to be entered into judging and showcased at ACUA’s Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 28. Prizes will be announced and awarded at a ceremony on Sunday, May 5 in the Hamilton Mall.

ACS Students in South Jersey Elementary Honor Band

Three ACS 5th grade students, who are members of the ACS Elementary Band, have been selected to play in the South Jersey Elementary Honor Band that represents the best band students in southern New Jersey. Pictured, from left, are: ACS Director of Choral and Instrumental Music Jaron Beadle, Gabriella Goodwin (trumpet), Alexis Andujar (baritone), and Victoria Hines (clarinet).

The students will be performing this Saturday, April 13 at Shawnee High School in Medford. The concert will begin at 2 pm and is open to the public. The students were nominated in January to be considered for the honor band by Mr. Beadle. Since being selected, Mr. Beadle has been working with the students during after-school band to learn the five songs that they will be performing on Saturday.


Middle School Baseball, Softball Seasons Underway

ACS 2019 Middle School Baseball Team

The Middle School softball and baseball teams got off to a solid start this week, playing three non-league games, winning two and tying one. The Middle School Girls’ softball team, under head coach Mike Bohs and assisted by faculty member George Dickson, beat Gloucester Christian twice, with a score of 12-0 on April 9 and 15-10 on April 11. The Middle School Boys’ baseball team, under head coach and ACS parent Rob Barberio, played at home on April 11 against Pilgrim Academy, ending in a 7-7 tie. Come on out and support our Middle School teams as their regular season in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League gets underway next week. Both teams will play away at Pilgrim Academy on Tuesday, April 16.

The 15 players on the Middle School softball team are: Daniella Ajayi, Isabell Alford, Maddie DeNick, Reyna Lewis, Alli Lushina,  Kendall Murphy, Paige Noble, Tiana Purdy-Phillips, Annia Pierre, Michaela Schlemo, Alli Schlundt, Taylor Sutton, Annabelle VanAcker, Lillian VanAcker, and Yariah Wilkins.

The 13 players on the Middle School baseball team are: Robert Barberio, Charlie Costello, Jacob DeNick, Tommy Ellison, Kevin Frontino, Jackson Gayeski, Cruz Lewis, Evan Pearson, Seth Phillips, Dylan Reilly, Jayden Sanchez, Adam Schlundt, and Caleb Vogel.

Job Opening for Middle School Boys’ Soccer Head Coach in Fall

ACS is seeking to fill the position of Middle School Boys’ Soccer head coach for the fall of 2019. A prospective candidate should have experience in coaching soccer at a minimum of the middle school level, with working knowledge of soccer skills and game strategy. Must be a minimum of 21 years of age with a high school degree. ACS requires its employees to be Christians, living their lives as Christian role models. Spiritual standards must be met and a background check is required. The head coach position will start the first day of school in September 2019 and conclude at the end of October. Please contact Athletic Director Pam Hitcher for more information at phitchner@acseht.org.

8th Grade Students Participate in Mock Trial, 3rd & 4th Graders Serve on Jury

During the months of February and March, the 8th grade civics class studied the U.S. judicial system. Students learned about the federal court system, the Supreme Court, and the process of appointing judges. Students also had the opportunity to visit the Atlantic County criminal courts and witness an actual court session. The unit concluded with mock trials of three court cases in the which students role-played lawyers, bailiffs, judges, jurors, and court reporters. The juries were comprised of 3rd and 4th grade students who enjoyed watching their older schoolmates present evidence and make legal arguments. After studying the court system, visiting an active court room, and participating in the mock trials, many students were very surprised and excited to learn of the different criminal justice career opportunities.

Standardized Testing – April 8-10

Standardized testing for all students in kindergarten through 11th grade will be held next week from Monday to Wednesday. Elementary students (K-5th) will begin each day in the gymnasium for a fun time of Zumba-style warmup to get their bodies and brains going for the day. Make-up testing, if necessary, will be on Thursday and Friday.

Please make sure your child receives plenty of rest each night, eats a healthy breakfast, and comes to school with two #2 pencils and a calculator each day. It is very important for your child to arrive on time and remain for the duration of the testing. Thank you for your cooperation!


ACS Spring Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings – May 2

Support ACS Athletics by eating in or taking-out from Buffalo Wild Wings (4311 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing). Buffalo Wild Wings will donate 10% of your total bill between 11 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. You must present our special yellow fundraiser ticket. CLICK HERE to get yours!

2019 High School Prom – May 17

This year’s High School Prom is on Friday, May 17, 2019 at the Flanders Hotel in Ocean City. Pictures can be taken from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the event will end at 10:00 p.m.  All students must arrive by 6:00 p.m.  The cost is $60 per person. Tickets will be on sale for one week only, from April 29 to May 3 from Mrs. Spiker.  No tickets will be sold after that May 3.  All dresses must be approved by Mrs. Spiker or Mrs. McHale.  Any questions, please contact Mrs. Spiker at mspiker@acseht.org .