Articles by: Lee Martin

Students Sample Healthy Fruit & Veggie Smoothies on “Green Mustache Day”

Students in K to 5th grade showed off their green mustaches during lunch on Wednesday, March 6 after sampling healthy delicious smoothies made green with spinach. March is National Nutrition Month and “Green Mustache Day” is a fun annual activity that ACS sponsors as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools program.

The smoothies were blended up by Mr. Dan Carney, who teaches our middle school and high school cooking classes. ACS will be submitting several photos of groups of students with the best green mustaches to AtlantiCare to be entered in a drawing and one elementary class could win a $50 VISA gift card.

Here’s Mr. Carney’s special recipe, using a blender, that makes 16 ounces of a healthy green smoothie: 1 frozen banana; 1 cup diced pineapple; 1 cup fresh spinach; 1/2 cup coconut water; 1/4 cup coconut milk. Enjoy!

School In Session Next Friday, March 15

REMINDER… Due to previous weather-related school closures, Friday, March 15 will be a regular school day for EE-12th grade. ACS will operate a full schedule including Before- and After-Care, and buses will run as usual. Please make note of this important change to our school calendar and plan accordingly.

ACS Students Enter “Doodle for Google” Art Contest

Art Teacher Sherry Mirakian has entered 18 creative designs by students from the 7th to the 12th grade in this year’s “Doodle for Google” contest. The winners in this national student art contest will be announced in June.

This year’s contest theme asked students to draw upon their dreams and create a design that reflected their hopes for the future. Each design had to be created using the Google logo. 10th grader Isaac Hart’s design is about searching the solar system. Isaac said he hoped that in the future “the world will explore more planets and moons in our solar system, making space travel more accessible to all.” 7th grader Ryleigh Martin’s design focused on protecting the earth. Her hope is that in the future “the environment would be a much safer place to live.”

Mirakian said the students worked on their designs over a three-week period in the Art Workshop and Art II classes and in the after-school Art Studio Club. Pictured here are eight of the students with their entries: 1st row, from left: 7th grader Ryleigh Martin; 12th grader Maya Wahl; and 12th grader Rachel Colasuonno; 2nd row, from left: 10th grader Isaac Hart; 10th grader Matthew Dietrich; and 12th grader Solomon Griffith; 3rd row, from left: 10th grader Katherine Haoshen Kong; and 10th grader Jeremiah Engle.

According to the contest rules, there will be 53 state/territory winners whose designs will be displayed on an online gallery on the Doodle for Google website. The public will have five days to vote for their favorite doodle among these designs. Five finalists will be flown to Google’s Mountain View headquarters, and one winning student from among the five will receive a $30,000 college scholarship; a $50,000 Google for Education technology package for their school; and their artwork will be placed on the Google homepage for a day. The remaining four finalists will win a $5,000 college scholarship.

Class Projects, Special Chapel Speaker Celebrate Black History Month

Throughout February, ACS students participated in a variety of special activities for Black History Month. Hallway bulletin boards were decorated in honor of influential African Americans like Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Classroom lessons and projects highlighted historical contributions of African Americans as well as the social accomplishments of those who led the civil rights movement. Students in Mrs. Coates sixth grade history class discussed turn-of-the-century discrimination and the development of Jim Crow laws in the South while her eighth graders studied landmark Supreme Court cases, like Brown vs. Board of Education, which led to the end of school segregation.

Elementary and upper school students welcomed special guest speaker Vena R. Noel-Jackson who spoke in each chapel on Friday. Her lively presentations covered the origins of Black History Month, significant contributions of African Americans throughout history, and encouragement about God’s plan for creating unity from diversity. Using examples from her own accomplishments as a runner, Mrs. Jackson reminded the ACS family that despite our differences – age, race, ability, etc. – we can all run for the same prize in following Jesus. “My Prayer is that we celebrate our uniqueness by the power of the love of Jesus,” she said. “Whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God.”

 

 

 

Varsity Basketball Teams Competing in National Tournament

Our Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams traveled to Ohio this week to compete in a 3-day national tournament that concludes March 2. The tournament is organized by the National Christian School Athletic Association and features teams from across the U.S. who are the best in their regions. We’re praying for safe travels and that our athletes will play to the best of their God-given abilities.

Our Boys’ and Girls’ teams lost to King’s Christian School in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championship Games on Saturday, but we are proud of every player and for an outstanding season overall for both teams. The Varsity Boys’ team received a trophy at the TSCAC Championship tournament for being ranked first in the conference, finishing the regular season with an undefeated 12-0 record. The Varsity Girls’ finished the season ranked second in the conference.

In the Championship Game, senior Cole Johnson led the team with 17 points, senior Dan Roland had 11, and 6′ 7″ sophomore Landon Shivers had 10 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Junior point guard Ben Noble played strong throughout, scoring 9 points and 5 assists. “It was a tough game and we missed some key lay-ups later in the second half,” said head coach Dan Carney.  “Of course, we were disappointed with the way the game ended, but I’m very proud of this team and how hard they worked all season to bond and play for each other,” Carney said. “We went a month and a half and only lost one game, so overall it was a great season. It just didn’t end the way we had planned, but I shared with the team that rarely do our plans match up with God’s plans.”

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Dan Carney Named TSCAC Coach of the Year, Seven ACS Players Named to All-Star Teams

The Varsity Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Dan Carney, in his 3rd year leading the Boys’ team, has been named the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference “Coach of the Year.” Coach Carney was recognized for the award at the conclusion of the TSCAC championship games on Saturday, February 23. “I’m really grateful for receiving this honor, but it truly is an award for both me and my assistant coach, Paul Jones,” said Coach Carney. “No one can do this job alone, and without Paul’s commitment and the energy he poured into our guys, we would not have seen the success that we did this year.”

Seven ACS Varsity basketball players have also been recognized and honored as TSCAC All-Stars. The ACS Boys’ team players named TSCAC All-Stars were: senior Cole Johnson (1st team), junior Ben Noble (2nd team), junior Dan Roland (honorable mention), and sophomore Landon Shivers (honorable mention). The ACS Girls’ team players named TSCAC All-Stars were: sophomore Sydney Pearson (1st team), senior Caraline Winkel (2nd team), and sophomore Cristen Winkel.

Johnson led the ACS Boys’ team in scoring, averaging 16 points a game. As point guard, Noble average 11 points a game and led the team in steals and assists. Roland and Shivers both averaged a double-double with at least 10 points and 10 rebounds a game. The 6’7″ Shivers also averaged 23 rebounds a game and led the team in blocked shots, averaging 3 a game.  Pearson led the ACS Girls’ team in scoring and rebounding. The Winkel sisters were also led the team in scoring and steals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Across America Week: Wacky Wednesday, Guest Student Readers, Cat in the Hat Day

ACS students and staff celebrated the joy of reading this week as part of the annual national “Read Across America” campaign. Elementary students dressed up for Wacky Wednesday on February 27, wearing colorful, mismatched clothes, wigs, socks, and shoes. Fifteen teachers and aides wore matching clothes as Dr. Seuss’s popular “Thing 1 and Thing 2” characters. On Thursday, there was a lot of laughter and smiles as 12th graders visited different elementary classrooms to read Dr. Seuss books to the students. Seniors Solomon Griffith and Rudy Dalinger read their favorite, “Fine Feathered Friends,” and seniors Rose Shaw and Lindsey Ash shared their favorite children’s stories. On Friday, students had fun doing creative, wacky classwork.  The students in Mrs. Reilly’s kindergarten class had green eggs and ham for snack and graphed the results of their taste test. Later, Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade students visited their class to read to them. It was all about making learning fun. To see additional photos, visit the ACS Facebook page.

Green Mustache Day – Wednesday, March 6

On Wednesday, March 6, students in grades K-5 will participate in “Green Mustache Day,” a fun annual activity just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. During lunch, students will have the opportunity to sample healthy green smoothies made by faculty the ACS middle school and high school cooking classes. Students who try the green smoothies will have their pictures taken and be entered into a drawing to win a prize! March is National Nutrition Month. Atlantic Christian is participating in Green Mustache Day as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

 

 

Second Successful Buffalo Wild Wings Spirit Day Supports ACS Athletics

We had a great turn-out again for our second ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing on February 8. There was lots to celebrate with the excellent season of our ACS Varsity and Middle School basketball teams. Thank you to our school families, staff, alumni, alumni parents, and friends of ACS who came out to eat wings and help raise funds for ACS Athletics. Your participation generated over $2,200 in sales, with 10% coming back to ACS.  Athletic Director Pam Hitchner said plans are underway to do one more Spirit Day during the spring softball/baseball season. Go Cougars!

Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Teams Headed to TSCAC Championship Games Saturday

It’s off to the Championship games for our Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams as they both won their semifinal playoff games on Thursday, February 21. With green and white decorations everywhere and enthusiastic fans packing the bleachers and the stage, the Lady Cougars beat Calvary Christian 52-23 and the Varsity Boys defeated Baptist Regional 65-40. Leading scorers for the girls were Caroline WInkel (12), followed by Sydney Pearson and Shelby Einwechter (10 each). Cole Johnson led the boys’ team with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Francis Johnson had 11 points and Ben Noble scored 8. Both teams will play against King’s Christian School this Saturday, February 23 for the Championship title of the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference. The Girls’ game is at 5 pm and the Boys’ game is at 7 pm. Games will be played at Gloucester County Christian School. Go Cougars!

Get Your Legacy Gala Tickets Today!

With just five weeks to go before the 2019 ACS Legacy Gala, ticket sales are underway. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to hear popular TV & film actor & producer Kirk Cameron in person! Individual tickets, full tables, and VIP Experience packages are all available as well as sponsorship and advertising opportunities.

In preparation for the event, there is still much to do, and volunteers are welcome to assist the Legacy Gala Committee in obtaining sponsors, advertisers, and silent auction donations, as well as promoting the event to the community. The Committee meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday, February 20 has been rescheduled for Monday, February 25. If you are interested helping with this exciting and important fundraiser in any way, please contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at (609) 653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.

PURCHASE GALA TICKETS, SPONSORSHIPS, ADS

 

 

School In Session March 15 for Snow Make-up Day

Due to recent weather-related school closures, Friday, March 15 will be a regular school day for EE-12th grade. ACS will operate a full schedule including before- and aftercare, and buses will run as usual. Please make note of this important change to our school calendar and plan accordingly.

“Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive Collects 310 Pounds of Food for Community Food Bank of NJ

ACS families and friends showed their heart-felt support for helping the homeless and needy in our community with an outpouring of canned food donations over the past month as part of our annual “Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive spearheaded by the high school Student Council members. The food drive ended on February 19, extended one week after the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. Upper School Principal Meg McHale and Development and Communications Director Carole Karabashian delivered 310 pounds of assorted cans of soup, vegetables, beans, tuna fish, and other non-perishable food items to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch on Thursday. Colette Kraus, Food Sourcing Coordinator, for the FoodBank, met with Mrs. McHale and Mrs. Karabashian and thanked ACS for its efforts.

ACS to Host Showing of “Priceless” Movie — Students Seek to Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking

On Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m., ACS will be showing the movie “Priceless” starring Joel Smallbone and directed by Ben Smallbone, both members of the Christian band For King and Country. The film, rated PG-13, tells the story of James Stevens, a widower who has lost custody of his little girl. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash — no questions asked. But when he discovers what he is delivering is actually two young women, he is compelled to save two beautiful and frightened sisters who are unaware of the danger that awaits them.

ACS students Lola Oguntuase (12th) and Ashleigh Martin (11th) decided to organize the movie night in an effort to raise awareness about human trafficking after attending the ACSI Leadership Conference in November. Tickets for the movie showing are $5 at the door, and a love offering will be taken. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the International Justice Mission.

 

 

 

Thank You to Our Red Cross Blood Drive Donors

Thank you to everyone who donated blood at our February 13 blood drive, helping give the gift of life to someone in need in our community. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries.  Just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people’s lives. The ACS February blood drive was a very successful event that collected 27 pints of blood, according to Student Council Advisor Dave Genter, who oversaw the blood drive.   The total amount of blood collected at this drive and one held at ACS last summer reached a level that has qualified one ACS high school senior to receive a $250 scholarship for his or her efforts in assisting with the drives. The recipient of the senior scholarship will be announced and awarded at Baccalaureate.

Elementary Students Trade Valentine’s Card, Celebrate with Parties

Students, teachers, and staff members were all smiles on Wednesday, February 14 as members of the freshman class visited classrooms to deliver Valentine Grams and a sweet treat. At lunch time, elementary students gathered in the Multi-Purpose Room for class Valentine‘s Day parties. Thank you to all the parents who contributed in various ways to make our students and staff feel special and loved on Valentine‘s Day.

 

Varsity Basketball Teams Gearing Up for TSCAC Playoffs

The Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams are heading next week to the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference tournament. The Boys’ team, with an overall record of 16-8, enters the playoffs in first place after an undefeated (10-0) regular season in the conference. The girls, 11-10 overall, secured the #2 seed in the tournament with an 8-2 league record. Both teams have a bye in the quarter-final round (Tuesday, February 19) before hosting the semi-final games here at ACS on Thursday, February 21. The Girls’ team will play at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Boys’ team at 6:30 p.m. There is a small conference gate fee for these games – $1 per student, $2 per adult, or $5 per family. Go Cougars!

The playoffs will conclude on Saturday, February 23 at Gloucester County Christian School with the consolation games (Girls’ game at 1:00 p.m. and Boys’ game at 3:00 p.m.) followed by the Girls’ championship game at 5:00 p.m. and the Boys’ final at 7:00 p.m. The gate fees for Championship Saturday will be $2 per student, $3 per adult, or $10 per family.

New green “Protect the Den” T-shirts are available for $10 each in the Athletic Office. ACS fans are encouraged to purchase the shirts and wear them for our home games next Thursday.

Middle School Basketball Teams Wrap Up Winning Seasons

 

The Middle School Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams wrapped up excellent seasons with wins over conference rival The Pilgrim Academy on Tuesday, February 12. The Middle School Girls’ team, under head coach Grant Miller, started the season with a tournament win at ACIT and also finished as runner-up in the Pilgrim Invitational Tournament. They posted a final record of 15-5, placing second in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League and going undefeated in the 10-minute league “JV” games. “We thank God for these achievements,” said Miller. “But we are even more grateful that He helped us draw closer to His kingdom this season.”

The boys’ team, under head coach Lee Martin, started the season 1-3 before winning 9 of their last 10 games for a final record of 10-4 and placing second in the conference. “Winning games is obviously one of our goals, and reaching that goal has been fun.” said Martin. “But the most significant thing we accomplished this season was growing together in skill, teamwork, and character. God used the ups and the downs to help us all get better in a lot of ways.”

Butterfly Ball for K-8 Girls Is Saturday, March 2

Girls in Kindergarten through 8th Grade are invited to bring their “special prince” (father, grandfather, uncle, brother) for an evening of dinner, dancing, and fun at the annual Butterfly Ball on Saturday, March 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the ACS gymnasium. The cost is $35 per couple and just $10 per additional daughter. Please RSVP by Monday, February 25 to Miss Stonelake – rstonelake@acseht.org.

ACS Celebrates 100th Day of School on Feb. 12

We’re 100 days smarter! Our elementary students and their teachers celebrated the 100th day of school on Tuesday, February 12, dressing up to look like a 100-year-old person and participating in lots of creative math, writing, and physical activities involving the number 100. Students in Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class had fun seeing how high they could count in 100 seconds and how many times they could write their name in 100 seconds. Miss Vogel’s 1st graders did a math speed drill to solve 100 subtraction problems. They also were asked to answer the question — “If I had $100, I would…” One student wrote: “I would buy a mansion and a limo.”  Another wrote: “I would give it to the poor because I like to help people.” Miss Williams’ 2nd graders created posters or decorated shirts that had 100 objects in them. In Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class, students took 100 steps outside their classroom to see how far they would go, and almost made it to the school office. In kindergarten, there was lots of activities that incorporated counting to 100 — including counting their tasty snack items like cheerios and raisins.  It was all about making learning fun.

 

 

 

 

New HVAC Units Installed This Week, New LED Lighting for Classrooms, Outdoors Coming Soon

Eight new HVAC units were installed on the school roof on Monday, February 11, in spite of the steady snowfall, and will be fully operational by the end of this week, ensuring heat throughout the winter season and air conditioning for the spring and summer months. Installation of new LED lighting in every classroom and in outdoor entrance-ways and perimeter fixtures will also get underway this week and continue for several weeks. The new LED lighting and HVAC units have been obtained through a combination of grant and loan programs totaling nearly $255,000, offered through the State of New Jersey Office of Clean Energy and financed by South Jersey Gas.

“We are very thankful to have been approved for a second time to receive clean energy funding through this state program, which has enabled us to complete the replacement of all of our original HVAC units that had reached the end of their lifespan,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “The new HVAC units and LED lighting for our classrooms and outdoor areas will make our school more energy efficient and will result in some $21,000 in annual energy savings to benefit the school for years to come.”

ACS received its first energy upgrade funding through a state grant program in the fall of 2015, which was used to obtain six new HVAC units and new LED lighting in the gymnasium and in common areas, including hallways, foyers, bathrooms, locker rooms, and the school office. That first grant paid for 70% of the cost. An interest-free loan through South Jersey Gas enabled ACS to pay its 30% share over a three year-period. Oblen said that ACS will be paying off its share of that first grant this month. She said electricity savings realized from the new, more energy-efficient HVAC units and LED lighting fixtures will be used to pay for the school’s portion of these new grant and interest-free loan programs.

Oblen also expressed her appreciation to Hutchinson Mechanical of Cherry Hill, who is the designated state contractor, for directing and coordinating the acquisition of the grant and loan programs and for its professional expertise in the installation of the new equipment.

We Love Our Pastors

Over 30 pastors and ministry leaders from 22 area churches were the honored guests at Pastor Appreciation Day on Wednesday, February 13. The special day began with a complimentary breakfast for the pastors, followed by an all-school chapel program that featured students from preschool to the 12th grade. The students sang and danced to songs of praise and worship and read Bible passages. 12th grader Joshua Mizrahi shared about how serving God on ACS missions trips to Nashville and Houston had helped him grow in his faith. 12th grader Lola Oguntuase talked about a new student-led project underway to increase awareness about the tragic issue of human trafficking and invited the pastors and ministry leaders to a March 14 showing at ACS of the movie “Priceless” that will focus on the issue. At different points in the program, Event Coordinator and program emcee Jessica Martin shared with the pastors heart-felt messages written by various students about why they love their church and pastors. The chapel program concluded with 12th grader Francis Johnson talking about the important, transformative role that pastors, ministry leaders, and missionaries play in the lives of each person with whom they come in contact, and then closed with prayer. After chapel, the students had fun taking pictures and talking with their pastors.

During breakfast, the pastors received a presentation on the impact of technology and social media on the family. They watched video clips from Kirk Cameron’s “Connect” movie and Pastor Sean Griffith of Sojourn Community Church shared his insights on the topic. Each pastor/ministry leader also received a special gift of a cotton-ball decorated paper sheep made by ACS PreK3 students. CLICK HERE to see additional photos from Pastor Appreciation Day posted on the ACS website.

ACS Students Achieve SAT Scores Topping National, State, and County Public School Averages

 

ACS students achieved SAT scores in 2018 that topped the national, state, and Atlantic County public high school averages, according to statistics recently released by the College Board. The SAT is a national standardized exam that colleges use to admit students and to award scholarships.

“These strong SAT scores are a reflection of the commitment we have made over the past six years to build a more rigorous academic program,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We have raised the bar in every area, including updating our curriculum, developing a stronger focus on students’ writing skills, and adding Chromebooks and other technology training.”  Oblen also said that the efforts of our highly-qualified and dedicated faculty members have contributed to our students’ academic success. A significant number of ACS faculty have advanced degrees and teachers regularly participate in professional training and development.

The average scores of college-bound students from ACS who took the SAT in 2018 were 569 in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section and 564 in the Math section. These ACS scores were higher than the national and New Jersey state averages and the average scores of eight Atlantic County high schools, including Absegami, Atlantic City, Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Cedar Creek, Chartertech, Egg Harbor Township, Mainland, and Pleasantville (see chart).

“These SAT scores encourage all of us to keep working hard and striving for excellence in everything we do,” Oblen said. “Our goal is to continue to provide our students with a high-quality education, rooted in a Biblical world-view, that will prepare our students for success in college and the workplace.” A review of school records over the past 48 years shows that 95% of ACS seniors go to college, many receiving academic scholarships, and then go on to pursue careers in a wide range of fields including business, education, engineering, law enforcement, medicine, ministry, technology, and the military.

Today Is ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings

Today is the day! From 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing (4311 Black Horse Pike) will donate 10% of your total bill — eat-in or take-out — to ACS Athletics! Click the image below and download a sheet of our special yellow tickets to present at the restaurant. Keep one for yourself and give two away. Be sure to post your photos from Buffalo Wild Wings to social media using #acseht and #acscougars.

 

“Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive Extended to February 19

The Student Council “Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive has been extended to Tuesday, February 19. ACS students and families are encouraged to drop off non-perishable canned food items in the marked bins in the school foyer and outside the upstairs school office. All items donated will be given to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Southern Branch to help families in need throughout southern New Jersey. Help us reach our goal of 100 more pounds of blessings!