Articles by: Carole Karabashian

Additional Changes to Inclement Weather Delayed School Opening Policy

ACS has recently expanded its inclement weather school opening/closing policy to include a “Delayed School Opening” option when it appears school can be opened safely at a later time rather than being closed for an entire day. For clarification purposes, new wording was added this week to the policy as it relates to Early Education students and Before Care. The new wording is as follows: The Early Education Center will open at the same time as the rest of the K-12 school on a delayed opening day. In addition, no “Before Care” will be provided on a delayed opening day.

The entire inclement weather policy can be found on the school website on a page called “Inclement Weather Information” under the Parents’ tab and has also been added to the various school handbooks. CLICK HERE to read the policy.

Please note that two days on the ACS 2018-2019 school calendar have been designated as “Snow Make-Up Days” — Friday, February 15 and Friday, March 15. School is currently scheduled to be closed on those days, but if they are needed as “Snow Make-Up Days,” then school will be open.

High School Woodworking Students Build Adirondack-Style Armless Chairs

High school students in Mr. Carney’s Woodworking elective class this week put the finishing touches on their semester-long project — building Adirondack-style armless chairs. The students began the project in September, first learning to use various saws and other equipment to cut and assemble the pine boards into a handsome chair. The last phase was staining the chairs a color of their choice — brown, red, or natural — and then applying shellac for long-lasting protection. The students pictured with their chairs are: Aaron Glancey, Ian Iaconelli, Constantine Jiang, Joshua Jacoby, and Dalton Sage. Not pictured are Luke Johnson and Jacob O’Brien. Mr. Carney said the twice-weekly class will be offered again in the spring semester and is a great way for students to acquire hands-on woodworking skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

AtlantiCare Awards Grant to Benefit New ACS Greenhouse

ACS has been awarded an $800 grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program to furnish and equip our new school greenhouse, which was erected in the fall of 2018. Student horticulture projects are envisioned to get underway in the greenhouse this spring, including growing seedlings of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers to plant in the school garden. The grant check was presented to ACS faculty members at an AtlantiCare workshop on Tuesday, January 8. Pictured at the workshop, from left, are high school science teacher Dave Genter, 4th grade teacher Eric Tardif, and 5th grade teacher Bethany Kiefer.

“We are very grateful for the support from AtlantiCare that will help us launch new educational programs in our greenhouse to get our students involved and excited about horticulture,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Teachers at every grade level are being encouraged to incorporate science projects that will bring their students into the greenhouse for inter-active, hands-on learning.” Oblen said a new horticulture elective class is being offered to high school students this spring and an after-school Garden Club, led by faculty members Tardif and Kiefer, will also be offered for K-8th grade students. Faculty member Genter said they would like to have a composter for the greenhouse and if anyone would like to donate one to please contact the school office.

The new ACS greenhouse is a 20-foot x 20-foot farmer’s hoop-house design that was erected by the scouts in Boy Scout Troop 389 and will provide ample space for multiple classes to conduct science projects. It is also envisioned that some of the produce grown in the greenhouse and garden, such as lettuce and spinach, will be harvested and used by the school’s middle school and high school cooking classes and perhaps for a salad tasting during school lunch.

Buy a Ticket or Be a Sponsor for Feb. 2 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit

ACS parents, families, and friends are invited to the 6th ACS Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit on Saturday, February 2, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the school gym. More than 20 restaurants and chefs are expected to serve up their signature soups, including the Brick House Pub & Grill, Eat Clean Organization, Sadia’s Tea & Coffee, and the new Whisk Bakery & Cafe in Mays Landing. Last year’s “Souper Soup” Chef’s Choice Winner Gregory’s Restaurant in Somers Point is also participating again. Come out for an enjoyable evening of good food and fellowship, all to benefit Atlantic Christian, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch.

Several businesses are already on board as Sponsors — American Church Group of NJ; B.F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce; Clayton’s Self Storage; Edward Jones Investments, Jason Kiefer Financial Advisor; HS Restoration & Cleaning Service; and Sadia’s Tea & Coffee. Additional sponsors are welcome for a donation of $400 and sponsors will receive 4 complimentary adult tickets to the Bowls of Hope. Formica Brothers Bakery will again be donating tasty rolls, and delicious home-made desserts will also be provided. Everyone attending the Bowls of Hope is also being asked to bring in a can of soup or other non-perishable to donate to the Community FoodBank of NJ. It’s all about giving back to our community!

ACS students will entertain the crowd with live music and a Silent Auction featuring beautiful gift baskets donated by our PreK4-8th grade classes will also be held. The prices of the Bowls of Hope tickets, which are considered a charitable, tax-deductible gift, are: Adults-$20; Students-$10; Children (6-10)-$5; Children under 5-Free. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased in the ACS school office, from any ACS high school student, or online. Tickets will also be sold at the door that night.

PURCHASE TICKETS AND SPONSORSHIPS

Bowls of Hope Canned Food Drive Kicks Off Next Week

Student Council members are kicking off the Bowls of Hope “Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive next week to collect canned soup and other canned food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. Collection boxes will be located in the school foyer and next to the second floor office of the Upper School Principal starting Wednesday, January 16. The canned food drive will continue to the night of the February 2 Bowls of Hope event.

Last year, ACS donated some 280 cans of soup and other non-perishables to the Community Food Bank from the Bowls of Hope Canned Food Drive and this year the goal is to collect at least 350 cans. Working together, we can do our part to help provide food to needy families in our community.

Bowls of Hope Silent Auction to Feature Themed Classroom Gift Baskets

The Bowls of Hope Soup-Tasting Benefit on February 2 will include a Silent Auction and each classroom from PreK4 to the 8th grade is being asked to collect items for a gift basket that has a specific theme. Flyers were sent home this week asking families to donate an item fitting the theme for their class basket, such as “Super Bowl Party,” “Baker’s Delight,” “Family Game Night,” and more.

The collection deadline for all Silent Auction baskets is Friday, January 25. Parents who are interested in donating a basket or item from their home consulting businesses (such as Avon, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, etc.) should contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org. We are happy to take those donations along with some of your business literature to have available at the Silent Auction.

New Delayed School Opening Option Added to ACS Inclement Weather Policy

ACS has recently expanded its inclement weather school opening/closing policy to include a “Delayed School Opening” option when it appears school can be opened safely at a later time rather than being closed for an entire day. As a general rule, if the Egg Harbor Township public schools are closed or have a delayed opening due to inclement winter weather, ACS will follow that same action. The opening of school can be delayed by up to two hours rather than opening at 8:30 a.m. Class schedules will be adjusted so that the school day ends at the normal time.

Bus transportation will be provided on a delayed opening day both to and from school to students who regularly travel on the bus. A delayed opening will delay the morning bus pick-up time for a student. For example, if a student is normally picked up at 8:01 a.m., on a delayed opening day with a two-hour delay, that student would be picked up at 10:01 a.m.

ACS winter weather cancellations or delayed openings will be communicated to parents and guardians by 6:00 a.m. via numerous channels:

An automated phone message will be sent to all parents’/guardian’s home phone numbers or to the cell number listed as the primary contact in Renweb;
Posting on the ACS Website home page;
Posting on the ACS Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds;
Media notifications — ACS notifies 6-ABC TV and NBC-10 TV stations, who will include ACS in their closure/delayed opening announcements.

Sign Up Online for Parent-Teacher Conferences – Jan. 22-24

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday-Thursday, January 22-24. Twenty-minute time slots are available from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Conferences are mandatory for families of students in kindergarten to 5th grade and optional for families of students in grades 6-12.

Click the appropriate grade-level link below to sign up online:

ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings – Friday, Feb. 8

ACS families, faculty, staff, and friends are invited to our second ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing on Friday, February 8. Eat wings and help raise funds for ACS Athletics. The Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, located at 4311 Black Horse Pike, will donate 10% of the total bill of any customer who presents our special yellow fundraising ticket between 11 am and 11:30 pm on February 8. Take-out orders are also eligible. Please spread the word about this exciting fundraiser to benefit ACS athletics. Tickets will soon be available.

High School Students Draw Church Building Sketches, Encouraging ACS to Draw Near to God

High school students in Mrs. Scardilli’s Drawing I class used charcoal and graphite in a recent class assignment to draw their interpretation of noted American artist Ben Stahl’s charcoal drawing of a church. The drawings have been on display on a second floor bulletin board since early December, highlighted by the verse in James 4:8 that says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Artist Stahl is also well known for his paintings of the 14 stations of the cross.

Mrs. Scardilli said the students created their drawings after watching a vintage video of artist Jon Gnagy, who gave step-by-step instructions on how to draw the famous church image by Stahl. “The students in this class are not only developing their drawing skills using different mediums, but they are learning the history behind notable works of art and the artists who created them,” Scardilli said.

Girls’ Bathroom Stall Doors Newly Decorated with Inspirational Artwork Painted by ACS Alumnus

Inspiring Bible verses with bold, colorful illustrations are now decorating the bathroom stall doors in the second floor girls’ bathroom. ACS alumnus Dara Brown Heston (’11) painted the verses and artwork on the doors over the Christmas break. “It was great to come back to ACS and do something that would encourage the students,” Dara said. “The verses were specifically chosen to encourage a woman to be strong and confident in the Lord.” 12th grader Rachel Colasuonno said she and other students were pleasantly surprised by the decorated doors. “Everyone was talking about them when we got back to school on Tuesday because they are so beautiful. I took pictures of them and sent them to my mom,” Colasuonno said.

Dara said she had a lot of fun doing the project, which took about 25 hours to complete over a seven-day period. “I had praise and worship music blasting while I was painting, it was like one long worship session,” Dara said. She and Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen first started collaborating on the project in the fall of 2018. Two of the doors had been decorated with Bible verses in the summer of 2017 by alumnus Candace Winkel (’16). Dara expanded on the project, adding artwork to the two doors and painting additional verses and art on the four other doors. “I feel God is going to use these verses to speak to hearts of our young women and I’m thrilled Dara was willing to donate her God-given artistic talents to bless our students and staff in this way,” Oblen said. She said a similar project is planned in the near future for the second floor boys’ bathroom.

Art is an avocation for Dara, who is a self-taught artist and works as the assistant facilities director, kitchen manager, and chef at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission. She has completed several mural projects for the Mission and is excited about an upcoming trip to Ireland in February, where she has been invited to paint murals for the Dublin Christian Mission. Photos of each door can be seen on the ACS Facebook page.

Scout Troop, Cub Pack 389 Receive Year-End Awards

Congratulations to several ACS students who received awards on December 17 for their accomplishments as Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. ACS is the charter organization that sponsors both Cub Pack 389 and Boy Scout Troop 389, which meet Monday nights at ACS. Cubmaster and ACS parent Carrie Jorgenson recognized 3rd graders Gabriel Capito and Billy Winkel for completing their requirements to advance to the rank of Bear. Each boy also received a kit to build a Pinewood Derby racing car in preparation for an upcoming race in February.

Boy Scout leader and ACS parent Randy Guevara recognized three ACS students for completing various skills to advance in their Boy Scout ranking. 10th grader Matthew Dietrich has achieved the rank of 1st Class, 9th grader Joshua Guevara has advanced to Life Scout, one step away from Eagle Scout, and 6th grader Jayden Sanchez has advanced to the rank of Scout. Scoutmaster and ACS parent Mike Jorgenson said the troop is looking forward to participating in the Klondike Derby in January, an outdoor winter skills competition, and in the Scout Show and Pinewood Derby in February and March.

4th Grade Classes Making Christmas Brighter for O’Brien Family, Hope Pregnancy Center

Christmas will be a bit brighter for the O’Brien family and the Hope Pregnancy Center thanks to the efforts of students in Mrs. Hoover’s and Mr. Tardif’s 4th grade classes. The students have filled two baby bottles with dollars and coins they have bringing to school since Thanksgiving that will be donated in time for Christmas to the Hope Pregnancy Center in Cape May County.

The students and their parents have also been collecting money to bless the O’Brien family. This week, the students also each made encouragement cards to send with the gift to the O’Briens. “We wanted them to know that we are thinking about and praying for them every day,” said Mrs. Hoover.

Mrs. O’Brien is the 4th grade teachers’ aide and for the past three years, her husband, Paul, has undergone more than five surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy for treatment of a cancerous tumor that is now considered terminal. The O‘Brien family also includes Jacob, a junior at ACS, an 8-year-old son David, and Gail Alford, the ACS Director of Early and Elementary Education, who is Sandy’s daughter.

Race for Education Winners Announced – 2nd grader Adam Alobiedy Wins Student Grand Prize, Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd Grade Class Wins Class Grand Prize

Congratulations to 2nd grader Adam Alobeidy for being the Student Grand Prize Winner of our 2018 Race for Education, raising $1,550 through gifts and pledges from his sponsors. Adam, pictured with Event Coordinator Jessica Martin, was recognized for his accomplishment during chapel on Friday, December 14 and received an Apple watch Series 3 as the grand prize. A new Class Grand Prize was added this year for the class that raised the most in donations overall and the winner was Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class that raised $2,687 from sponsors. The class is receiving an outing to the Get Air Trampoline Park in Mays Landing as their prize. Overall, donations to the Race for Education totaled $25,000 for our Annual Fund, the same amount raised in last year’s Race. Thank you to all our donors, student and teacher participants, and volunteers for making our 2018 Race a success.

A number of prizes were awarded for class, student, and teacher/staff participation. Kindergarten teacher Miss Price and her aide Mrs. Garner led all teachers and staff in raising money from sponsors, a combined $556, which is directly benefiting their classroom. Six other teachers/aides also raised money from sponsors to benefit their classrooms — Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Correa, Mrs. Gonzalez, Mrs. Hoover, Mrs. Kiefer, and Miss Williams. For the first time in Race history, two classes had 100% of their students send sponsor letters to at least 10 people — Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class and Mr. Tardif’s 4th grade class — and each teacher received a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase equipment and supplies for their classroom. Five other classes had at least 75% of their students reach out to 10 or more prospective sponsors and their teachers are receiving a $50 Amazon gift card — KA, Miss Price; 2A, Miss Williams; 5A, Mr. Miller; and 5B Mrs. Keifer.

The student in each class from PreK3 to the 8th grade who had the most sponsors received a Five Below $10 gift card during the chapel. Those students were: Olivia Moren-Owens (PK3A), Abigail Hornbaker (PK3B), Selena Phillips (PK4A), Alexia Repice (PK4B), Alana Rosie (KA), Jeremy Harris (KB), Jonathan Ireland (1A), Tyler Shull (1B), Adam Alobeidy (2A), Leila Alobeidy, Adrian Hinchman, Samuel Johnson (3A), Liam Larkin (3B), Thomas Potenski (4A), Keira Frontino (4B), Joseph McCrae (5A), Gabriella Goodwin (5B), Bailey Boggs (6th), Ryleigh Martin (7th), Eva Elgersma (8A), Paige Noble (8B).

We’re so proud and grateful for every student and teacher that participated in the Race. Hats off to 4th grader Sawyer Gayeski, with 28 laps, and 7th grader Michaela Schlemo with 28 laps, who were the boy and girl who completed the most laps in the one-hour time frame. The top girl and boy in each grade level who turned in at least 10 address labels and completed the most laps also received recognition certificates during chapel. They were: PreK3A: Jayce Bird, Charlotte Bradshaw, Brooklyn Smith, Juliette Valdes; PreK3B: Daniel Awad, Dean Kraft, Jeremy Seckinger, Lilly Schulingkamp; PreK4A: Josiah Correa; Callie Gibson, Sarah Johnson, Juliana Loaiza, Selena Phillips, Olivia Smith; PreK4B: Alex Hewitt and Alba Reed; KA: Nolan Bohs, Declan Bridgeman, Devyn Piccinino; KB: Jayden Bird, Isabella Gaffney; 1A: James Boyle, Mathias Dye, Cheyenne Nixon; 1B: Kayden O’Brien, Anthem Correa; Gabrielle DiSciascio; 2A: Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney, Benjamin Kelley, Mia Gaffney, Lauren Bohs; 3A: Jason Remlein, Vanessa Rallo: 3B: Liam Larkin, Zoey Holmstrom: 4A: Ethan Costello, Kalee Tardif; 4B: Sawyer Gayeski, Ashlee Alford; 5A: Calvin Costello, Skyler Shivers; 5B: Cole Hagerty, Marley Odell; 6th: Taylor Murphy, Samuel Lilley; 7th: Michaela Schlemo, Manny Johnson; 8th: Eva Elgersma, Dylan Reilly.

Great Turn-Out for Alumni Winter Event to Play Basketball, Volleyball

Close to 50 ACS alumni turned out to play basketball, volleyball, and enjoy food and fellowship together on Thursday, December 20 in the ACS gym. Sixteen former ACS boys’ basketball team members, dating back to 2007, formed two teams that played against each other in a fast-paced and competitive game. Fifteen former ACS girls’ basketball players also formed two teams that played each other and displayed a lot of energy and talent, including alumni DJ Hitchner (’17) and Candace Winkel (’16), who are playing on their college basketball teams. Additional alumni came out to play open volleyball following the two basketball games. Thank you to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner for organizing the fun event and to Mrs. Terry Vogel for running the Cougar Den throughout the evening.

Elementary Students Celebrate Joyous Message of Christmas at Dec. 14 Concert

Students in the 1st-3rd grades got a standing ovation on Friday, December 14 as they brought the story of the birth of Jesus to life performing the children’s musical, “Star of Wonder,” at our Elementary Christmas Concert. Dressed in colorful costumes, the students sang, danced, and marched in pageantry, as they depicted a constellation of stars, shepherds, wise men and their royal guards, and Mary and Joseph. A cast of six third graders did an excellent job in their leading roles as North Star, Shooting Star, Rock Star, and other cleverly named constellation stars who were shining over the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born — Lelia Alobeidy, Gabriel Capito, Zoey Holmstrom, Elliot Norris, Elijah Polynice, and Vanessa Rallo.

The “Star of Wonder” musical was presented during the second half of the Christmas concert. The first half of the program featured performances by the 4th and 5th grade Elementary Band and by kindergarten students, who sang and played “The First Noel” on the hand bells. Congratulations to Music Director Jaron Beadle and Elementary Music Teacher Shirlene Perini for putting together an outstanding concert.

Christmas Door Decorating Contest Winners Announced

Winners of the annual Christmas Door Decorating Contest were announced during the all-school Christmas Chapel on Friday, December 21. Thirty-three doors, including a few bulletin boards and hallway walls, were creatively decorated by students from preschool to the 12th grade, with some assistance from their teachers. Photos of the doors were then posted on the ACS Facebook page and over 2,400 votes were cast from December 10-17 by family and friends, who voted by posting a “like or love” on the photos of their choosing. The winners were selected based on the number of Facebook votes received and points earned from a faculty/staff panel that judged the doors based on the amount of student participation, best spiritual message, and the most original and creative design. The three winning classes were awarded first place blue ribbons to display on their winning doors and will each receive an ice cream party in January.

The first place winner in the Upper School (6th-12th grade) division was Mrs. Melody’s 8A class with a beautiful night scene of the stable in Bethlehem and the shepherds and wise men making their journey to find the Christ child in Bethlehem. The artwork spanned the 8th grade science room door and the adjacent hallway wall. The first place winner in the Elementary division was Miss Price’s kindergarten class (pictured above right), featuring sheep decorated with cotton balls, one for each student in the class. The first place winner in the Early Education division was Mrs. Kelley’s PK4A class (pictured above left), who chose to decorate a bulletin board instead of a door and created an inviting scene with the message “Jesus Warms Our Hearts.” The decorated board has presents under a large Christmas tree next to a fireplace. Mrs. Kelley said the students painted and decorated paper plates to create the 3-D limbs of the Christmas tree and also created personalized paper mittens to hang on the fireplace mantle.

Four Honorable Mention awards were also given to various classes. Mrs. Capito’s 1A class received the “People’s Choice” Award for receiving the most votes on Facebook (489). Mrs. Hoover’s 4A class received the “All In” Award for the most student participation. Mr. Dickson’s 7th grade class received the “Reason for the Season” Award for presenting the best spiritual message on their door. The 11th grade class, with input from faculty members Miss Novack and Miss Callahan, used two doors and an adjacent hallway wall to create a scene entitled “Where’s the Line to See Jesus” that received the “Creative Genius Award.”

A slideshow of the winning first place and honorable mention doors can also be seen on the ACS Facebook page.

A Christmas Reflection By Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen

Yesterday I was listening to Christmas music and the song “So This Is Christmas” by John Lennon came on. As I listened to the beautiful yet simple lyrics, I reflected on how much I love the spirit of this blessed season. I love seeing the happiness on our students’ faces as they work on class projects about the Christmas story and prepare gifts for family members, members of our school family in need, and community helpers. I enjoy watching our students as they act, sing, dance, and play instruments to praise and worship God at our Christmas concerts and December chapels. I love the laughter and giggles, the festive hallways, and the decorated doors. I can’t help but smile as I reflect on God’s goodness to us all in sending His Son to this earth for us.

The story of Mary and Joseph, their journey to Bethlehem, the star, the stable, the choir of angels in the sky, and the arrival of the shepherds who followed the star to worship the King who was born — this story of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, the promised Emmanuel, is one that we joyously proclaim and teach to our students. Everything in the whole world changed in that instant. It is this simple story that brings us the Hope of the world — Jesus Christ our Savior is born, our Lord has come. I pray each of you have a very Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year.

Students, Faculty, Staff Celebrate Christ’s Birth at All School Christmas Chapel

Our annual all-school Christmas Chapel on Friday, December 21 brought students from preschool to 12th grade and all faculty and staff together for a joyous celebration of Christ’s birth. The chapel opened with the kindergarten students reciting from memory Luke 2:8-11, followed by prayer offered by Event Coordinator Jessica Martin. Worship time continued with the 3rd graders singing and signing to Lauren Daigle’s Christmas song entitled “Noel.” The combined 5th grade, Middle School, and High School worship teams got everyone on their feet to sing and move to “O What a Glorious Night.” The 5th graders then presented a video of unique artwork they had created for a Bible class project that illustrated the many names of Jesus found in the Bible, such as Savior, Messiah, King of Kings, and Lamb of God. High school faculty member Dave Genter presented the chapel devotional, tracing the timeline of Jesus — from the beginning when He created the world, to his birth, death, and resurrection. “Today Jesus is reining in heaven with a crown on his head as the king of the universe and the best Christmas present ever is that one day we will be reining with Jesus forever and ever,” Genter said.

Some lighter moments in chapel included the popular and much anticipated Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, with the assembly voting by acclamation for their favorites from among teachers and students representing each class. After several rounds of voting, 5th grader Elijah Weiler was declared the winner. The winners of the Christmas Door Decorating Contest were also announced. The 1st grade students concluded the program with a humorous skit on the good and bad things about Christmas, after which a surprise flash mob of faculty and staff danced and sang to the students, who were seated all around the gym, to Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

Middle School Girls Win ACIT Basketball Tournament

Our Middle School Girls’ Basketball team is off to a great start — winning the championship trophy at the ACIT Middle School Tournament held from December 4-10. Congratulations to 8th grade point guard Paige Noble, at right in photo, for being named the tournament MVP, and to 7th grade guard Kendall Murphy, at left, for being selected along with Noble to be a Tournament All-Star.

The 14-member ACS Girls’ team, under head coach and ACS alumnus Grant Miller (’07), beat Absecon’s Emma Attales Middle School team 32 to 22 in the championship game on December 10. The ACS and Absecon teams gathered in a huddle and prayed together at the conclusion of the game. ACS advanced to the championship game after beating Brigantine North Middle School and Assumption Regional Catholic School.

We’re proud of our Middle School Girls’ team and are looking forward to a great season. The ACS Girls will play their first regular season game in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League on January 9, an away game at St. Joseph’s Regional School in Somers Point. Go Cougars!

ACS Announces Christmas Card Cover Art Design Winners – 8th Grader Makayla Bailey Eason Wins First Place

Congratulations to 8th grader Makayla Bailey Eason for winning the first place ribbon for her Christmas card art design, which will be featured on the cover of our school’s annual Christmas card being sent to several thousand families and friends this week. Twenty-nine students in Ms. Mirakian’s 8B Art Class and high school students in Art I and Art Workshop submitted cover art designs. Makayla’s card design, done with acrylic paint on card stock, features a winter night scene incorporating the prophetic Bible verse in Isaiah 9:6 — “For unto us a child is born, a son is given.” In addition to Makayla, four other students were recognized for their outstanding designs. A second place red ribbon was awarded to 12th grader Rebekah Darragh; 10th grader Katherine Kong received the 3rd place white ribbon; and 8th graders Bailey DeLuca and Ryena Lewis received green Honorable Mention ribbons. “This is the second year we have held this Christmas card art contest and we were very impressed with the outstanding designs created by our students,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We see this contest as a way to encourage our students to discover and develop their God-given artistic abilities.”

Kindergarteners Make Christmas Thank-You Gifts for Mail Carriers

The students in Miss Price’s kindergarten class wanted to give back to their community helpers, and who better to appreciate during this time of year than mail carriers? The students wrote “thank you” letters this week and created hot chocolate gifts for their mail carriers to enjoy after a long day of work. Inside the gift bags are hand written notes, cups, hot cocoa packets, marshmallows, and candy canes. The students will leave these gifts inside their mailboxes at home. When their mail carriers deliver their mail, they will see sweet, cozy treats inside the mailboxes to thank them for their hard work.

5th Graders Create Christmas Art Display Illustrating the Many Names of Jesus

Colorful cards illustrating the different names ascribed to Jesus, created by our 5th grade students, are now on display on a first floor bulletin for the Christmas season. The students began the project in late November as part of Bible class, under the direction of 5th grade teacher Bethany Kiefer. Each student was given a name of Jesus, such as “The Good Shepherd,” “Lamb of God,” and “Light of the World,” and Bible verses to read to help them understand the meaning of the name. The students spent several days creating their artistic interpretation, using crayons, colored pencils, and colored markers. The bulletin board was completed December 7 and will remain up until January. Mrs. Kiefer said each name of Jesus card has been photographed and will be used in a video presentation for the all-school Christmas chapel on Friday, December 21. “We are very proud of all the work our students put in to make this a great project,” said Mrs. Kiefer. “Keeping Christ at the center of the Christmas season is what CHRISTmas is all about!”

8th Graders Experience Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at Walnut Street Theatre

ACS eighth grade students capped off their recent class assignment of reading Charles Dickens’ classic novel, “A Christmas Carol,” by seeing the story performed on stage at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Middle School Language Arts teacher Caitie Lee organized the field trip on December 11. After the play and lunch, the students went to Macy’s (the old Wanamaker’s building) to see the Dickens’ Village and light show. Faculty member Patty Scardelli and two international students also went on the trip. “The students enjoyed seeing the special Christmas sights in the city and experiencing the novel come to life in the play production,” Lee said.

ACS Students Joyously Celebrate Christ’s Birth at December 13 Christmas Concerts

ACS students joyously celebrated Christ’s birth at two Christmas concerts on Thursday, December 13. The Early Education students, from infants and toddlers to PreK4, presented their concert the morning of December 13, singing classic favorites like “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” as well as songs sharing the message that the birth of Jesus is the reason we celebrate the season. Students in middle school and high school presented their Christmas concert Thursday night, with performances by the Middle School and High School Choirs and members of the Middle School Band.

One highlight of the Middle School/High School concert featured the combined choirs singing “African Noel” a cappella, accompanied by the lively beat of bongo drum. Other highlights included students performing solos or duets. 8th grader Jada Logan played “Jingle Bell Rock” on the saxophone. A trumpet trio of 6th grader Alex Holmstrom, 7th grader Ryleigh Martin, and 8th grader Dylan Reilly performed “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” 6th grader Isabell Alford did a stirring solo during the Middle School Choir’s performance of Michael W. Smith’s “All is Well” and 12th graders Ayolola Oguntuase and Imohimi Unuigbe performed a duet during the high school choir’s performance of “Noel.” The high school “Take Note Ensemble” performed Lauren Daigle’s “Light of the World.” Music Director Jaron Beadle announced the exciting news that the ensemble will be performing with Daigle in Carnegie Hall in January as part of a 200-voice choir. Congratulations to Music Director Beadle and to the Early Education teachers for working so diligently to help our students prepare for their outstanding and uplifting concerts.

ACS students in grades K-5 will be presenting their Christmas concert on Friday, December 14.