Articles by: Carole Karabashian

Upcoming Year-End Events – Most Virtual, Some In-Person in July

The 2019-2020 school year is coming to a close and due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions most of the year-end events that we look forward to have been transformed into virtual online events. We are pleased that a relaxation in restrictions is allowing us to hold Commencement for our Class of 2020 outdoors on our school campus on July 8 and our 8th Grade Blessing Ceremony on July 10.

We congratulate all of our students for how hard they have worked from home over the past 11 weeks to complete their academic studies and to continue developing their God-given abilities in art, music, physical fitness, and more.

Following is a schedule of our upcoming year-end events in June and July and how you can be a part of them, virtually or in person.

  • Thursday, June 4: 12th Grade Celebration Video Message
    CLICK HERE to view video on our ACS YouTube Channel.
  • Thursday, June 4: Virtual Athletic Awards Program – 5 p.m.
    CLICK HERE for the Middle School Awards;
    CLICK HERE for the High School Awards;
    Both videos are posted on our ACS YouTube Channel.
  • Friday, June 5: Virtual Upper School Honors Chapel – 10 a.m.
    CLICK HERE to view video on our ACS YouTube Channel
  • Monday, June 8: Virtual Spring Concert (1st-12th grades) – 5 p.m.
    CLICK HERE to view video on our ACS YouTube Channel
  • Tuesday, June 9: Kindergarten Virtual Graduation – 9 a.m.
    CLICK HERE to view video on our ACS YouTube Channel
  • June 10-12: Virtual Elementary Awards Ceremonies – Awards will be given by grade level live at different times of the day, as listed below, and are being broadcast on Zoom:

    – 1st Grade – Wednesday, June 10, 10 a.m. – CLICK HERE to view;
    Meeting ID: 781 6133 1903 – Password: 3u3Khy
    – 2nd Grade – Wednesday, June 10, Noon – CLICK HERE to view;
    Meeting ID: 788 0531 9165 – Password: 4nWPqh
    – 3rd Grade – Thursday, June 11, 10 a.m. – CLICK HERE to view;
    Meeting ID: 744 9190 8961 – Password: 1mZ7Ue
    – 4th Grade – Thursday, June 11, Noon – CLICK HERE to view;
    Meeting ID: 710 4770 1544 – Password: 1Tdyii
    – 5th Grade – Friday, June 12, 10 a.m. – CLICK HERE to view;
    Meeting ID: 760 2072 5213 – Password: 9P3gE3
  • Wednesday, June 17: Virtual Early Ed Closing Program – 9 a.m.
    CLICK HERE to view video on our ACS YouTube Channel.
  • Wednesday, July 8: 12th Grade Commencement – 10 a.m.
    Limited ticket-only event to be held outdoors on the ACS campus. The rain date is Thursday, July 9. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the ACS YouTube channel. CLICK HERE to view the ceremony.
  • Friday, July 10: 8th Grade Blessing Ceremony – 10 a.m.
    Limited ticket-only event to be held outdoors on the ACS campus. The ceremony will be live-streamed on the ACS YouTube channel. CLICK HERE to view the ceremony.

ACS Summer Programs Are A Go!

Our popular Summer Programs will be offered again and registration is open online. A late May announcement by Governor Phil Murphy has relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and is allowing Early Education Centers to reopen and is permitting children to participate in summer camp programs.

Our award-winning Cougar Camp summer program will run from Monday, July 6 to Friday, August 21, 2020. Cougar Camp is open to boys and girls who are entering 1st grade through the completion of 6th grade. This summer,  campers will enjoy 7 weeks of organized activities with varying themes each week that combine faith, fun, fellowship, exercise, and education. Campers can choose to attend one or more weeks and must attend at least two days per week.

Our Early Education Summer Program, for boys and girls from PreK3 to entering kindergarten, will run from Monday, June 22 and will conclude on Friday, August 21, 2020. Enrollment is for the 9-week program and children must attend at least two days per week.

CLICK HERE to visit the ACS Summer Programs webpage to learn more and to register!

2020-2021 Enrollment Underway, School Campus Open for Tours

Enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year is underway and COVID-19 guidelines in New Jersey now allow for prospective families to make an appointment to take a tour of our highly-rated school and to meet with the Admissions Department. ACS recently earned a “2020 Best Schools” ranking from Niche, the largest website for researching public and private K-12 schools.

Admissions Director Jessica Martin said there are openings for students at every grade level, from Early Education to the 12th grade. Please call or email Mrs. Martin to schedule your appointment at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org. Only parents or guardians may attend the appointment and everyone is required to wear a mask while in the school building.

Martin also said the tuition rates for the 2020-2021 school year have been approved by the school’s Board of Directors and are posted on the school’s website under the Admissions tab.

This is the second consecutive year ACS has received a “Best Schools” ranking from Niche, which is used by millions of families to choose the right schools for their children. ACS has an overall grade of “A-” on Niche and is ranked #32 out of 47 “Best Private K-12 schools in NJ.” Other Niche rankings of ACS include: #3 in “Best Private High Schools in Atlantic County,” #12 out of 26 “Best Christian High Schools in New Jersey,” and #35 of 196 “Most Diverse Private High School in New Jersey.”

CLICK HERE for more information or to apply for admissions.

New Job Openings at ACS; Seeking to Fill 3 Positions

We’re hiring! ACS is now seeking qualified individuals to fill three full-time positions, two of which are available immediately in our award-winning, state-licensed Early Education Center, and one is a faculty position for the 2020-2021 school year.

The positions we are seeking to fill are:

– Elementary School Teacher (full-time, 10-month)
– Early Education Teacher (full-time, 12-month)
– Early Education Teacher’s Aide (full-time, 12-month)

ACS is a great fit for you if you are passionate about Christian education and want to be part of a loving, nurturing environment where students can discover and develop their God-given gifts and talents. 

CLICK HERE for more information and to apply.  Also, please SHARE our Facebook posts about these job openings with your contacts. Thank you.

Celebrating the Class of 2020 – With Yard Signs, Video, Press of AC Photo Gallery

ACS created colorful yard signs with a photo of each of the 20 seniors in the Class of 2020 to honor and celebrate their accomplishments. The yard signs were displayed at the school campus and then delivered to the students at their homes from May 5 to 15. ACS also created a video with poignant, personalized messages for each senior from the administration and high school faculty. Photos of the seniors are also on display in a virtual graduation photo gallery on the Press of Atlantic City online.

The yard signs were delivered by Upper School Principal Meg McHale and the ACS Cougar mascot, traveling to the students’ homes in Absecon, Egg Harbor Township, Northfield, Somers Point, Mays Landing, Ocean View, and even Cape May Courthouse. Teachers, students, and high school parents then participated in a drive-by parade on various days — waving and honking their car horns as the seniors and their parents gathered on their front lawns with their sign.

“We wanted to do something special for our seniors to make them feel loved and appreciated,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “The outbreak of the coronavirus cancelled so many of the events that were planned for our seniors and in mid-May it was uncertain whether we would even be able to hold commencement.”

Oblen added that the school administration, parents, and seniors are very pleased that a recent decision by the Governor’s Office in late May will allow commencements to be held outdoors with adherence to social distancing guidelines on or after July 6. ACS Commencement has now been scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 at at 10 a.m. The rain date is July 9.

CLICK HERE to see the ACS video honoring each senior in the Class of 2020.

CLICK HERE to see the Press of Atlantic City’s online gallery of the Class of 2020. Type in Atlantic Christian School or the graduate’s individual name in the search box.

Ashleigh Martin One of 25 Area Seniors to Receive 2020 Press of Atlantic City Young Leaders Award

Congratulations to ACS 12th grader Ashleigh Martin — one of 25 South Jersey seniors to receive the 2020 Press of Atlantic City Young Leaders Award.  The award recipients were selected from high schools in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and southern Ocean counties for their academic achievement, diverse extracurricular activities, and service to their communities.

The Press of Atlantic City published a special section online and had a pull-out section in its May 22 issue that devoted one biographical page to Ashleigh and each of the other recipients. Ashleigh is receiving a full scholarship to attend Anderson University this fall, where she will major in musical theater. Ashleigh is the second ACS senior to receive this prestigious award. Ayolola Oguntuase was selected to receive the 2019 Young Leaders Award. Lola is majoring in pre-med at Thomas Jefferson University.

CLICK HERE  to read about Ashleigh and the other 2020 Young Leaders.

ACS Elementary Students Raise Over $1,100 for American Heart Association

ACS elementary students recently participated in a month-long “Kids Heart Challenge” service project to raise funds to benefit the American Heart Association.   Thank you to our school families and friends who donated to the effort and helped our student’s raise $1,147 for the AHA.

The Kids Heart Challenge campaign was launched during an Elementary Chapel on February 28, where AHA representative James Presby explained the benefits of participating in the service project. He said all donations would help fund life-saving research and programs that help kids with special hearts. PE teacher Ben Chapman, who spearheaded the project for ACS, had planned to hold a fun PE event on March 26, but the event could not be held since the school campus was closed on March 17 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“I’m so pleased with the outstanding response from our school families and friends who donated to support the AHA even while the pandemic was underway,” Chapman said. He also added that by participating in and completing the Kids Heart Challenge, ACS now qualifies to apply for a grant of up to $3,500 from the AHA for PE equipment or other health and wellness equipment or projects.

Grammy-Award Winning Artist Mandisa Does Zoom Interview with 5th Graders on Being an Overcomer

The students in Mrs. Kiefer’s and Mr. Miller’s 5th grade classes had the special opportunity to do a Zoom interview with Grammy Award-winning Christian recording artist Mandisa on May 29. The 5th graders had been reading and studying the book “Number the Stars,” which focuses on the struggles of two children during the time of the Holocaust. The students have been learning about overcoming obstacles and being brave, which are themes in Mandisa’s music.

Mandisa was originally scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the ACS Legacy Gala on May 1, but the Gala was cancelled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.  One of Mandisa’s hit songs, “Overcomer,” had become familiar to ACS students from a video promoting the Gala that was broadcast in the school lobby in January and February.

From her living room in Tennessee, Mandisa responded during the live Zoom meeting to questions posed by the students and Mrs. Kiefer, who moderated the interview. Mandisa gave advice on how to overcome obstacles by expressing one’s feelings and seeking wisdom from God through prayer.  To one question Mandisa responded — “I have learned to put my worth and value in what God says about me and I know He loves me just the way that I am.”

Mandisa got her big break as a contestant on American Idol Season 5, finishing in 9th place. With more than 1 million records sold, she has proven to be one of American Idol’s most successful alums.  She was performing across the country with the Christian music group Newsboys as part of their 2020 Greatness of Our God Tour, but the tour was suspended this spring due to the coronavirus outbreak. In 2017, she performed with Toby Mac’s “HITS DEEP Tour.” She was awarded a Grammy in 2013 for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for her best-selling “Overcomer” album.

CLICK HERE to watch the entire interview with Mandisa.

ACS Families, Students, Staff Donate Meals to Bless Area Health Care Professionals

Nurses and staff at AtlantiCare Medical Center in Atlantic City, Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, and Absecon Manor Nursing Home were treated to delicious meals in April and May, made possible by donations from ACS school families, students, and staff to express our love and appreciation for the health care professionals serving on the front line dealing with the coronavirus outbreak in our community.

On April 28, ACS staff members Carrie Jorgenson and Kelly Schlundt, who have spearheaded the charitable community service project, delivered pizza from Carluccio’s in Northfield to bless the nurses at the AtlantiCare Medical Center ICU in Atlantic City.

On May 28, Jorgenson and Schlundt delivered lunch from Naomi’s Cafe in Northfield for the staff at Absecon Manor Nursing Home, which includes ACS parents Gessie Polynice and Jennifer Remlein.

On May 29, Italian specialty dinners from Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza in Somers Point were delivered to say thank-you to nurses and staff at Shore Medical Center who are working in units treating COVID-19 patients. 10th grader Elizabeth Alford, who works at LevelUp Nutrition in Egg Harbor Township, also made and delivered a batch of energy drinks for the staff, accompanied by her grandmother and ACS staff member Sandy O’Brien.

Additional meal donations are planned in the future as ACS families continue to donate to show their gratitude for our local health care providers who are helping keep our community safe and well. Any interested in making a donation to this project can contact Mrs. Jorgenson at cjorgenson@acseht.org.

We Love Our Teachers — Highlights of Teacher Appreciation Week

ACS parents, students, and administrators found creative and heart-warming ways to make our teachers feel extra special during Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8, even as the COVID-19 pandemic required social distancing measures to keep everyone safe.

Elementary students in each class worked together to create special photo collages for their teachers that were emailed to them by Elementary Principal Gail Alford. Each collage included a message that said how much the students missed them and appreciated them for being such an amazing teacher. A Teacher Appreciation Video was also created with warm, personal messages from our K-12 students thanking teachers for their efforts during this difficult COVID-19 period of remote teaching.

CLICK HERE to view the Teacher Appreciation Video, which runs almost 13 minutes and was posted on the ACS Facebook page and YouTube channel.

On Tuesday, the Parent-Teacher Fellowship treated teachers to a complimentary chicken Caesar salad lunch that they could drive by and pick up at the school and also gave teachers Wawa gift-cards.

On Thursday and Friday, the administrative staff did drive-by gift bag drop-offs at the homes of every teacher and full-time aide. The gift bags included a specially-designed ACS Quarantine 2020 shirt and mug, snacks, a Wawa gift card, tissues, hand sanitizer, and more.

“It was great to see their smiling faces in person,” said Upper School Principal Meg McHale. “We are so thankful for all their efforts to keep our students involved and engaged. We even had a few laughs as we interrupted some of their Zoom classroom teaching sessions when we dropped by.”

Elementary Students Create Artwork to Commemorate Memorial Day

ACS elementary students recently created Memorial Day-themed art projects as part of their remote art classes taught by faculty member Sherry Mirakian. Ms. Mirakian created a video highlighting those art projects to share with ACS families and friends.

The artwork was created by students in the 1st to 3rd grades. As part of their class assignment, they watched a video about the history of Memorial Day. Ms. Mirakian then asked the students to create a unique piece of art to celebrate the memory of those who have died in defense of our country’s freedom.

CLICK HERE to watch this video of our student’s Memorial Day themed artwork.

An Easter Reflection from Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen

Christ is Risen! These are the joyous words that we as Christians will proclaim this Easter Sunday. Through His death and resurrection, Christ paid the price for our sins and conquered the grave. Christ’s resurrection is what gives us the hope of eternal life. This message is why we can rejoice even as the world reels from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In I Thessalonians 5:16-18, the Apostle Paul wrote about the importance of having an attitude of gratitude, no matter what the situation — “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

The past several weeks have tested our students, staff, and school families like no other time in our school’s 49-year history. Our school campus is closed, living rooms have become classrooms, and economic uncertainty looms over every household. Yet, we can see God working in so many ways and we can give thanks. We are thankful for our teachers, who have met the challenge of teaching remotely and continued to share God’s Word daily with their students. We are grateful for our parents, who have come alongside our students to assist in the educational process and have been so encouraging to our teachers. We give thanks for the many individuals in our school family and in the community who are serving on the front line as first responders and health care providers. And we are blessed by the way our pastors and local churches have adapted to bring church into our homes and facilitated the weekly online chapel programs for our students.

On Thursday, April 9, our students and staff gathered remotely for our Easter Chapel, our final activity before the start of Easter break. Pastor Matt Stokes of Coastal Christian Church in Ocean City, and his son, Jesse, a former ACS student, gave the chapel message and challenged our students to reflect on the impact of Christ’s resurrection on their lives. An ACS staff ensemble also provided a time of praise and worship. I invite you to click on the links below to experience this year’s unique online Easter Chapel. I hope these presentations will be a blessing to you in this Easter season, Please keep our school family in your prayers and know that we are praying for you as well and for God to heal the sick and bring a speedy end to the coronavirus outbreak. Happy Easter!

CLICK HERE for the ACS Easter Chapel Devotional Message.

CLICK HERE for the ACS Easter Chapel Praise and Worship.

Remote Learning Enables Students, Teachers to Continue Schoolwork from Home

Working together, ACS students, teachers, and administrators have navigated through the uncharted waters of remote learning after the state-mandated closure of schools in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning got underway on March 17 and continued through April 9. ACS students and staff are off for Easter break from April 10 to 17 and will resume remote learning on April 20. Remote learning will continue until schools are re-opened by the Governor of New Jersey.  

“We’re so grateful for the support and encouragement that our school families have been sending to our teachers and administrators,” said Elementary Principal and Early Ed Director Gail Alford. “And we love seeing the photos of our students diligently working on their schoolwork at home.”   

After the first week of remote learning, using online platforms such as Google Classroom and Zoom, Alford and Upper School Principal Meg McHale asked parents and guardians to complete an online survey to gather feedback on the remote learning process.  “Our goal is to be flexible and make the necessary changes and adjustments so that this new method of instruction can be as effective and successful as possible,” Alford said.

During the third week of remote learning, Alford organized a Virtual Spirit Week to encourage and uplift students and staff. “It was an opportunity for us to have some fun, but to also to come together and show unity as a school,” Alford said. Each day of the week had a different theme — Bed Head Day, Superhero Day, Pajama Day, Pet Day, and School Spirit Day. Students were asked to participate by posing for a photo based on the day’s theme and then posting that photo to the ACS Facebook and/or Twitter sites. CLICK HERE to see a photo gallery of our Virtual Spirit Week.

Throughout the school year, ACS students assemble for chapel each Friday. During this COVID-19 period of remote learning, students and staff were able to gather as a body of believers online on Fridays via YouTube to hear chapel presentations from Coastal Christian Family Life Director Matt Glancey; ACS parent and Scoutmaster of ACS Troop 389 Mike Jorgenson; and Coastal Christian Lead Pastor Matt Stokes and his college-aged son, Jesse, who attended ACS from preschool to the 3rd grade.

Register Now for ACS Summer Programs

Registration is now open online for our popular summer Cougar Camp and our Early Education Summer Program, which are both scheduled to begin on Monday, June 22, unless delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The award-winning Cougar Camp, which has received multiple “Best of the Press” awards, is open to boys and girls entering the 1st to 7th grades.  The Early Education Summer Program is open to children from PreK3 to entering kindergarten. 

CLICK HERE to visit the ACS Summer Programs Website Page for more information. For questions, please contact Admissions Director Jessica Martin at jmartin@acseht.org.

CLICK HERE to register for Cougar Camp 2020.

CLICK HERE to register for the Early Education Summer Program 2020.

ACS Seniors Spotlighted in Special Facebook Series

During the month of April, ACS is highlighting each student in the Class of 2020 with a special “Senior Spotlight” series of posts on the ACS Facebook page. Admissions Director Jessica Martin gathered information from each senior, including what college they are attending and their major, their favorite teacher and why, and a fun or unique fact about themselves. Martin posted the first senior article on April 6, spotlighting Nell Daeleman, an international student from Belgium.

“This last year of high school for our seniors has been drastically different than their hopes and expectations,” Martin said. “We are proud of each of them and are encouraging them to finish strong.”

As of April 10, five of our twenty seniors had been profiled on the ACS Facebook page — Nell Daeleman, Paige Hoover, Ian Iaconelli, Xiao Jiajie (Fiona), and Mark Rosie.  “Like” the ACS Facebook page (Atlantic Christian School) to see the upcoming additional profiles of our Class of 2020 and please share the profiles of our amazing seniors with your Facebook friends. 

 
 

Support ACS During COVID-19 While Shopping Online or Ordering Take-Out

As the COVID-19 pandemic keeps us eating in the comfort of our homes and shopping online for our household needs, there are two ways you can help support ACS when you make your purchases — shop online with AmazonSmile and order take-out with the Xspero mobile app.

When you shop online at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Atlantic Christian School.  

If you’re ordering take-out from a local restaurant, consider using the Xspero app. You will help support a local restaurant during this difficult time AND 20% of your purchase will go to Atlantic Christian School. Download the Xspero app on your mobile phone and help raise funds through your normal spending. Text ACT to the number 47-47-47 or go to https://links.xspero.com/ACS.  

Some of the local restaurants in the Xspero network include: Atlantic City Sub Shops, Cordivari’s Restaurant, Ernest & Son Sub Shop, La Cucina Ristorante, Little Italy Northfield, Naomi’s Cafe, Sack O’ Subs-Ocean City, Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza, Stir It Up, Tacocat, and Vagabond.

CLICK HERE to shop at AmazonSmile. If you haven’t signed up for AmazonSmile, it’s easy to do. To enroll, follow these steps:

1. Go to smile.amazon.com
2. Log into your Amazon account.
3. Search and select Atlantic Christian School as your charity to support. Then start shopping! 

Thank you for supporting ACS.

Snapology of Atlantic County Offering On-Line STEAM Classes

Snapology of Atlantic County, a non-profit organization that provides after-school classes at ACS, is offering new online STEAM classes for students who must remain at home in response to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The first class will begin Monday, March 23.

“It’s a way for the students at home to see their friends and still learn some STEAM concepts,” said Scott Stone, a certified teacher who works with Snapology. The cost of the class that begins March 23, entitled “Science of Superpowers,” is $10 and is geared to children ages 5 to 12.

CLICK HERE to find out more information or to sign up.

ACS School Library Is Now Online, Linked to ACS Website

The ACS Library is now online! An online catalog of the books in our school library, created by ACS Library Media Specialist Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney,  was added to the ACS website in late March.

Hahn-Chaney said the catalog works just like a catalog at the public library — you can go online to search for books by author, title, subject, series, etc. The online library site will also show which books are checked in or checked out. To find the catalog, go to the “Student Life” tab on the website and choose the “Library” sub-tab in the drop down.

Throughout the school year, K-5 students visit the library weekly to check out books, learn library research skills, and to read books and enjoy reading circle time. The library is also a resource for research by middle and high school students.

“Using their bar codes, students will be able to login to their accounts, save books to a list, reserve a book, and see what they have checked out,  a great way for parents to keep track of this too,” Hahn-Chaney said.

Hahn-Chaney also created several videos featuring the library that she posted on March 20 on her virtual library classroom site for students in K-5 to watch. The videos included a special message from security guard Curtis Dull and Hahn-Chaney reading the poem “I’m Up Here” by Karla Kuskin.

CLICK HERE to go to the ACS Library online.

CLICK HERE to see the new videos featuring our school library.

ACS Cancels Legacy Gala, Other Events Due to COVID-19 Virus Containment Measures

In an effort to promote social distancing to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, ACS and schools across the country have been closed and gatherings of more than 50 people have been curtailed.  By necessity, the ACS Administration reviewed the upcoming events on the school calendar and made the difficult decision to cancel all school events in March and a number of other events in April and May, including the Legacy Gala – An Evening With Mandisa planned for May 1 and missions trips scheduled during the Easter break.

Upper School Principal Meg McHale said the High School Prom planned for May 15 will not be held on that date and discussions are underway for an alternate date. McHale said a meeting was held with the students in the senior class using the Zoom platform to obtain their input on the potential rescheduling of graduation and other activities such as the Senior Trip. “We want very much to make the best of what remains of this school year and to find ways to celebrate the accomplishments of our seniors,” McHale said.

McHale said all Advanced Placement (AP) tests will be held online during the first two weeks of May and that faculty members are working closely with our high school students to ensure they are fully prepared.

Missions Club Advisor Dave Genter said that all middle school and high school Missions Trips planned for spring break in April have been cancelled, but that funds raised will be saved and applied to next year’s trips.

Following is a list of the events on the ACS school calendar that have been cancelled since the closure of school on March 17:

  • Monday, March 23 – ACS Board Meeting
  • Monday, March 26 – Healthy Heart Challenge PE Event
  • Saturday, March 28 – Christian Skate Night at Young’s Skating Center
  • Saturday, April 4 – Game On! 1st annual Mother-Son Game Night
  • Saturday, April 25 – Sophomore Class Flapjack Fundraiser at Applebee’s
  • Friday, May 1 – Legacy Gala – An Evening with Mandisa
  • Friday, May 8 – K-5th Spring Concert
  • Friday, May 15 – High School Prom (new date TBD)
  • Thursday, May 21 – 6th-12th Spring Band/Chorale Concert

ACS Varsity Boys’ Basketball All-Stars Featured in Glory Days Magazine

Three members of our Varsity Boys’ Basketball team — Dan Roland, Ben Noble, and Landon Shivers (pictured from left) — were featured in an article the week of March 15 in Glory Days Magazine online.  The players were a vital part of the success of this year’s talented team and were each named to the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference (TSCAC) All-Star team this season.

The Boys’ Varsity team, under head coach Dan Carney, won the TSCAC championship on February 22 after posting an undefeated season in the conference. The Cougars then traveled to Ohio in early March and took first place in Division 4B at the National Christian School Athletic Association’s national tournament.

CLICK HERE to read the Glory Days article.

School Front Entrance Made More Secure With New Upgrades

Facilities and IT staff completed work in March on security upgrades to the main entrance to the school and the school office. The upgrades will be in full operation when school reopens after the COVID-19 mandated closure.

School family members and visitors will be re-directed to enter the school office through a new door to check in and request admittance. The double glass doors to the school foyer will now remain locked during the school day, enabled by the installation of new security magnets. Only individuals cleared by the school office will be permitted to enter the school.

“We have been working on completing these new security upgrades since January and are thankful for the security grant funding from the state that enabled us to carry this out,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Keeping our students and staff safe during the school day is a top priority and these changes to our main school entrance were recommended to us by law enforcement officials who conducted a security audit for our school.”

School family members and visitors to ACS during the week of March 16 were greeted by ACS receptionist Barb Harmon at a new counter installed in the school office. ACS limited access to the school starting on Tuesday, March 17 due to the COVID-19 virus and the new entrance to the office helped with enforcement of that policy.

ACS students and staff will receive more information about the new entrance and exit policies governing the school’s main entrance and foyer in upcoming weeks.

Early Ed Center Remains Open to Provide Critical Child Care

The ACS Early Education Center remained open this week to provide critical child care to ACS working families. The Center is state-licensed and falls under the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF), which did not close any child care centers in the state this week.

“We will stay open for as long as we can for our school families until we receive a directive from DCF that we need to close,” said Early Ed Director and Elementary Principal Gail Alford. “If anything changes, I will contact our families by email to let them know.”

Alford said the various classrooms are being cleaned daily by the Early Ed staff to ensure a safe environment for the young children in the center who  range in age from 6 months to 4 years old.  

Students, Teachers Navigate Through First Week of Remote Learning

Working together, ACS students and teachers navigated through the uncharted waters of remote learning this week, which will continue through March 31 and perhaps longer if the state-mandated school closure is extended. 

“We’re so grateful for the support and encouragement that our school families have been sending to our teachers and administrators,” said Elementary Principal and Early Ed Director Gail Alford. “And we love seeing the photos of our students diligently working on their schoolwork at home.”   

Alford and Upper School Principal Meg McHale sent parents and guardians an email today asking them to complete an online survey to gather feedback on the remote learning platform.  “We’re looking to make changes and adjustments as necessary to have this new method of instruction be as effective and successful as possible,” Alford said.

While teachers remained at home and conducted classes using platforms such as Google Classroom and Zoom, administration and facilities staff worked on various projects at the school campus. Each workday began with devotions and prayer for our school families, our local community and churches, and government leaders at the local, state, and federal level. 







 

Three Alumni Lady Cougars Basketball Players Made Their Mark on College Teams

Three alumni who played on ACS championship Lady Cougars basketball teams made significant contributions this season to their college teams — 2017 graduate Dakota Hitchner, 2015 graduate Ola Oguntuase, and 2016 graduate Candace Winkel (pictured above with ACS Athletic Director Pam Hitchner). 

Winkel, a shooting guard on Clarks Summit University’s Women’s Basketball team, sank her 1,000th point on February 20 in the final game of regular season play in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner and Winkel’s family were at the game to celebrate this rare accomplishment at the college level.  Winkel’s team finished 4th in the conference and went on to the playoffs, but lost in the first round. Winkel is graduating this May with a degree in counseling and plans to earn her Masters in counseling at Clarks Summit.  

Hitchner, in her second year as the point guard on Cairn University’s Women’s Basketball team, averaged 20 points a game and received Honorable Mention All-Conference in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. Hitchner, a junior, is majoring in physical education.

Oguntuase, a pre-med major at Jefferson University, has been a member of this strong Division 2 team since her freshman year. The team came in first place this year in the Central Athletic Collegiate Conference and was moving on to play in the NCAA Division 2 Championship tournament, but due to the Coronavirus pandemic the tournament games were recently cancelled. Oguntuase, who plays center, averaged five minutes of playing time this year and played strong in the final game of the regular season. 

 

ACS Cub Scout and 4th Grader Brandon Jorgenson Achieves Arrow of Light Award

ACS 4th grader Brandon Jorgenson was recently recognized for achieving  the Arrow of Light, the highest honor in Cub Scouts, at a cross-over ceremony on February 24 in the ACS Multi-Purpose Room. The cross-over ceremony is akin to a graduation, where Cub Scout Webelos transition to become Boy Scouts.

The ACS ceremony included walking over a wood bridge with planks named after the 12 principles of the Scout Law.  Brandon, pictured above second from left, participated in the ceremony,  along with three other Cub Scouts who attend other schools in the community. The Cub Scouts crossed over the bridge as members of ACS Cub Pack 389 and into the ACS Boy Scout Troop 389.

Brandon was warmly welcomed into the Troop by his older brother, Hunter, an ACS 9th grader. The Jorgenson family is actively involved in the scouting program at ACS. Mike Jorgenson is the Scoutmaster and Carrie Jorgenson is the Cubmaster.

The ACS Scouts — Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts — meet at Atlantic Christian School on Monday nights. The goal of scouting is to train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, personal fitness, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs. Cub Scouts is for boys from 1st -5th grades. Boy Scouts is for boys from 6th grade until 18 years old.