There was frothy, green punch, tasty green desserts, and a wall covered with colorful shamrocks brightening up the teacher break room on Friday, March 16, bringing smiles to the faces of ACS faculty and staff. Written on each shamrock was a message that a teacher or staff member had written about a fellow co-worker, and the message started with the phrase “I’m Lucky to Work With…” The St. Patrick’s Day-themed celebration was all about “spreading sunshine and appreciation for the ones we work with,” said 1st grade teacher Mindy Capito, who organized the effort. “We have a great school because God has called all of us here and what everyone is doing here matters,” Capito said.

Congratulations to the 185 students in grades 1-12 who were recently named to the Honor Roll for the first semester of the 2017-2018 school year. Students in grades 1-5 who earned all “A’s” received Highest Honors and students with all “A’s and B’s” received the Honors designation. Students in grades 6-12 with a GPA of 3.8 or higher received Highest Honors and students with a GPA of 3.5-3.79 received the Honors designation. CLICK HERE to see a complete list of our Honor Roll, which was published online and in the March 1 issue of the Current of Egg Harbor Township.

Our elementary students showed off their green mustaches on Tuesday, March 6 after sampling healthy, delicious green smoothies during lunch. It was all part of “Green Mustache Day,” a fun annual activity that ACS sponsors as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program. The smoothies were blended up by ACS middle/high school cooking class teacher, Mr. Dan Carney. ACS will be submitting photos of groups of ACS students with their green mustaches into an AtlantiCare drawing and one of our elementary classes 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

It was Wacky Wednesday on March 7 at ACS — part of a week-long Read Across America campaign to celebrate the joy of reading. Elementary students, faculty, and staff dressed up in colorful, mismatched clothes, wigs, socks, and shoes, and some even walked around with stuffed animals on their heads. Several teachers came disguised as students, wearing ACS school uniforms. Dr. Seuss’ “Wacky Wednesday,” “The Lorax,” “Fox in Socks,” and “Green Eggs and Ham” were some of the favorite books our students explored. The students also had fun doing creative, wacky classwork. In Miss Price’s kindergarten class, the students decorated brand new pairs of white socks to wear and made Lorax mustaches.

The Baseball/Softball Season is getting underway. Following  is information from Athletic Director Pam Hitchner on the tryout schedule for our high school and middle school teams. Go Cougars!

High School Info: Both our Varsity Boys’ Baseball Team and the Varsity Girls’ Softball Team are the defending Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference champions. We are looking forward to fielding two strong varsity teams again this year. The Varsity Boys’ Baseball team, under coach Ray Picking and assistant coach Charlie Rhodes, had its first practice on March 12. The Varsity Girls’ Softball team, coached by Dara Kimmerley, had its first practice on March 15. It’s not too late to sign up. If a student is interested in joining a team, he/she must attend practice on Monday, March 26 from 3:15-5:00 p.m.

Middle School Info:  The Middle School Boys’ Baseball Team, with Coach Robert Barberio returning for his second year, will hold tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 13 and 14 from 3:15-5:00 p.m. Tryouts for the Middle School Girls’ Softball team will be on Monday and Tuesday, March 19 and 20 from 3:15-5:00 p.m.

City planner, amateur artist, and ACS alumni parent Peter Karabashian gave a presentation on “The Power of the Line”  to the students in Ms. Mirakian’s 7th grade art class as a guest instructor on Tuesday, February 20. Mirakian said the class has been studying some of the elements of design, including line, color, space, texture, and value. Karabashian demonstrated on a white board how to use different types of lines to create a landscape scene, incorporating mountains, trees, the sky, and a body of water. The students followed along, step-by-step, on their own drawing paper, each creating their own unique drawing of an outdoor scene. The students’ drawings will be on display for several weeks on the bulletin board in the hallway outside the Art Room.

Upper School students focused on the significant contributions of African Americans to American history and culture throughout February as part of Black History Month. This past week, Mrs. Hopwood’s 6th and 7th grade students in Language Arts class presented Powerpoint and oral presentations based on their study and research of distinguished African Americans including Louis Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President Barack Obama, and Jackie Robinson.

10th grade students in Miss Novack’s American Literature I class students worked on a Civil War-era unit, looking through a variety of lenses as they read works such as “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Novack said the students were encouraged to broaden their horizons and think critically about the thoughts and view of others who experience life differently than they do.  Students in Mr. Laskow’s 10th grade American History 1 class did oral presentations accompanied by posters and scrapbooks (pictured above) that profiled three individuals who have contributed to the advancement of civil rights. Some of the individuals studied included Josephine Baker, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and the character Randall Pearson from the TV show, “This Is Us.”

The ACS Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Teams are the new Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Champions, both winning their title matches on Saturday, February 24. Atlantic Christian’s junior point guard and team co-captain, Mikai Browne, who averaged 23.5 points per game, was named the TSCAC MVP. Students, parents, family members, friends, and the ACS cheerleading squad filled the gym at the TSCAC tournament held at the ACS campus.

The Varsity Girls, under head coach Kaylee Breunig, clinched the title and remained undefeated in the TSCAC with a 12-0 record, beating Pilgrim Academy 45-39. This was the 7^th TSCAC title for the ACS Girls in school history. The Varsity Boys, under head coach Dan Carney, beat Baptist Regional 58-37 to win the TSCAC title, the first time since 2014 and the 10^th time in school history. The Varsity Boys were seeded first in the TSCAC at the end of the regular season and finished with an 11-1 record. Lady Cougars Head Coach Breunig also received special recognition from the conference as she was named the TSCAC Varsity Girls’ Basketball 2017-2018 Coach of the Year.

League MVP Browne and two other members of the ACS boys’ team were named to the TSCAC All-Star team – sophomore guard Ben Noble, who led the team in 3-point shots and averaged 2.8 steals per game (2^nd team); and senior forward and team co-captain Hunter Smith, who averaged 7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game (Honorable Mention).

Four players on the ACS girls’ team were named TSCAC All-Stars – senior forward and team co-captain Samantha Rhodes, who led the team in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game (1^st team); senior point guard and co-captain Abigail Vogel, a strong defender who averaged 4 steals a game (1^st  team); freshman Sydney Pearson, who was the team’s second-highest scorer and led the team in rebounds, pulling down 188 over the season (2^nd team); and junior Caraline Winkel, who was also strong on the boards, averaging 6 rebounds a game (Honorable Mention). ACS hosted the TSCAC All-Star Games on Tuesday, February 27.

“Both of these teams had young players with a lot of heart and they were focused on getting better with every game,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. “Their hard work and commitment paid off and we are very proud of what our players and their coaches accomplished this year.”  On Wednesday, February 28, both teams departed for Ohio to compete in the National Christian Athletic Association’s 3-day basketball championship tournament, which includes 72 teams from across the U.S.

Lady Cougars Head Coach Breunig is a 2012 ACS alumnus who was a strong varsity player and team leader during her four years on the Lady Cougars. She is in her first-year as head coach. Athletic Director Hitchner, who retired as head coach of the Lady Cougars last year, received the Coach of the Year award last year after serving 11 consecutive seasons as head coach and marking some 250 wins.

CLICK HERE to see additional game photos from our ACS website photo gallery.

Congratulations to the ACS Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams for both winning their semi-final playoff games Thursday night and advancing to play for the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championship titles on Saturday, February 24.  Atlantic Christian is the host site for the TSCAC consolation and championship games. The ACS Varsity Girls’ team will play Pilgrim Academy in the championship game starting at 5 p.m. and the ACS Varsity Boys’ team will face off against Baptist Regional at 7 p.m. for their championship game. Admission fees that support the TSCAC will be charged at Saturday’s Championship tournament — Students-$2; Adults-$3; $ Maximum per family-$10. Come on out and cheer our Cougars to victory!

In Thursday’s semi-final playoff game, the Lady Cougars continued their undefeated streak, beating Baptist Regional 51 to 26. Senior forward Samantha Rhodes led the team with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and five steals, and freshman forward Sydney Pearson had 14 points and 7 rebounds. The Varsity Boys’ team won a nail-biter against Calvary Academy with a score of 37 to 34. Junior guard Mikai Browne and sophomore guard Ben Noble scored crucial free throws and shots from the field in the final minutes to secure the win. An enthusiastic crowd of ACS students, parents, and friends filled the bleachers and ACS stage, clapping and cheering encouragement to the ACS players throughout both exciting games. Congratulations to head coaches Kaylee Breunig and Dan Carney for guiding and leading our teams to winning seasons and a chance to play for the TSCAC championship title.

ACS students and staff presented the Atlantic City Rescue Mission with a check for $1,900 on Wednesday, February 21 to support the mission’s important work serving the homeless and needy in the region. The donation came from the proceeds of the February 3 Bowls of Hope Soup-Tasting Benefit. Rescue Mission President and CEO Dan Brown welcomed the students and staff and thanked Atlantic Christian for having a heart for the poor.

The six students who presented the check were members of the ACS chapter of the National Honor Society that sold tickets, collected canned goods for the Community Food Bank, and volunteered at the Bowls of Hope. Pictured from left are Dara Brown Heston, a 2011 ACS alumnus who is the Mission’s Kitchen Director; Rescue Mission staff member Holly Jennings; Kaitlyn Kelley; Hunter Jorgenson; Lauren Harmon; Rescue Mission President and CEO Dan Brown; Ashleigh Martin; Kayla DeNick; Kami DeNick; and ACS Event Coordinator Jessica Martin.

After meeting with Mr. Brown, the ACS group was given a very informative tour of the mission by Development Director Howard Hirsch and Pastor Bill Warner, Vice President of the Mission. The group visited the women’s floor and family center, the cafeteria where 400-500 meals are served daily, the thrift shop, Hopeful Grounds Coffee Shop, and kitchen. Last year, ACS donated the proceeds from the Bowls of Hope Benefit to the Mission’s kitchen renovation project, which went toward the purchase of new equipment the students saw during their tour. ACS is proud to support the life-changing work of the Rescue Mission and will continue to look for ways to be a voice for them in the community.

At the Upper School Chapel on Friday, February 23, ACS also recognized two students for their efforts to help make the Bowls of Hope Benefit a success. 10th grader Lauren Harmon was the top student ticket seller and received a $100 Amazon gift card and 7th grader Cruz Lewis shared news about Bowls of Hope with family and friends on Instagram and received a $10 VISA gift card for his marketing assistance.

A high school Missions Team will be leaving to serve in the Dominican Republic for 8 days on Saturday, March 3. Please keep our 15 students and 5 adult chaperons in prayer as they seek to share the gospel and be the hands and feet of Jesus in Los Cocos de Jacagua. According to team leader and faculty member Anne Dice, the students and chaperones will be building two homes for needy families, conducting environmental education and children’s ministry, and delivering supplies to the local clinic.   The students collected donations of toothbrushes and toothpaste in January that they will be distributing while promoting dental hygiene.

The missions team will be presenting the gospel message at several house blessings, for a Sunday school class, at a youth outreach in the community, and for their host families. They are prepared with 500 Beanie Baby Bears to give to children after they present the salvation message in Spanish through a skit about Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.  Goldilocks’ needs for shelter, food, friendship, and rest will be addressed within the context of the gospel and the Dominican culture.

With the addition of Twitter, ACS is now on three social media platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter — with the goal of reaching our school families as well as people in our community with news about school programs, events, and fundraisers. School closing announcements will also be posted on all three social media sites.

To see our Instagram posts, follow ACS at — @atlanticchristian — and if you have a photo from an ACS event that you would like to share on Instagram, please include #acseht in your post.  On Facebook, please like our page — Atlantic Christian School — where you will find news and photos from academic and athletic events, upcoming fundraisers, student accomplishments, and much more.

Mrs. Hoover’s 4th grade class recently concluded a month-long study of matter with a science project that required building a 3-D atomic model and creating an accompanying poster. All the class projects and posters are now on display in the hallway outside their classroom.  The students also gave presentations about their element in class, including five fun facts, a brief history of the discovery of the element, and at least two ways the element is used today. Mrs. Hoover’s said one of the more creative presentations was done by Noah Engle on the element aluminum, who had a classmate stand on a soda can to demonstrate its strength, then showed that a light tap of a hammer upon it would dent it.

Close to 40 pastors and ministry leaders from nearly 30 area churches were the honored guests at Pastor Appreciation Day on Wednesday, February 14. 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 led worship songs, read Bible passages, and gave each honored guest a Valentine’s Day Gram and carnation. Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class gave a powerful presentation on the various names of Jesus used throughout the Bible, illustrated with large, colorful banners. 11th grader Caroline Winkel shared about how serving God on ACS missions trips to the Dominican Republic has helped her grow in her faith. During breakfast, which included egg casseroles made by the middle and high school cooking classes, Pastor Chris Einwechter of Coastal Christian spoke about the power of prayer and the importance of relying on God through the big and small challenges in life. After chapel, the students had fun taking pictures and talking with their pastors.  CLICK HERE to see additional photos from Pastor Appreciation Day that are posted on the ACS website.

Mrs. Hopwood’s 6^th grade class helped decorate and fill 40 Valentine’s Day Gift Bags with hand-made Valentine’s Day cards, snacks, games, and mini craft projects that were given on Tuesday, February 13 to children who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden while they receive treatment at Philadelphia area hospitals. The 6^th graders were joined in the Valentine’s Day Gift Bag Service Project by over 200 elementary and middle school students, who over the past several weeks made over a dozen items to put in the gift bags including beaded bracelets, M&M-filled bags in the shape of butterflies, applesauce snack cups decorated with googly eyes and hearts, and green Teen-Age Mutant Turtle valentine’s cards with encouraging messages for the children. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the gift bags were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House by several ACS students, ACS parent Jennifer DiMaio, and ACS Resource Room Teacher Mrs. Kelly Schlundt, who organized the service project.

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 carnations. Every student in Miss Karissa’s PreK3B was surprised with a Valentine Gram, a loving gesture from one of the student’s parents. Valentine Grams were also presented to each of the pastors and ministry leaders during the Pastor Appreciation Day chapel later that morning. At lunch time, elementary students gathered in the Multi-Purpose Room for class Valentine’s Day parties that included grapes, watermelon, popcorn, and other healthy food items. 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.

Mrs. Hopwood’s 7th grade literature class recently finished reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio and were inspired by the novel’s empowering message to “choose kind.” They decorated a bulletin board in a second floor hallway to remind their fellow students to “choose kind,” filling it with original precepts (a challenge, goal, or rule to live by). The students also wrote positive words of encouragement to their peers on the bulletin board.

The story of Wonder, recently turned into a motion picture, follows Auggie Pullman, a 10-year-old boy born with craniofacial deformities that required many surgeries, causing him to be homeschooled. Upon entering the 5th grade, his parents decide it was time for Auggie to go to school at Beecher Prep, where a whole new set of challenges awaited him. The story helps readers realize that everyone faces their own hardships and that treating others with kindness can make all the difference in the world.

We’re proud of our ACS Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams that are both top-seeded in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference going into next week’s playoffs. The girls’ team is  undefeated in the TSCAC, with a 9-0 record, and the boys’ team is 8-1 in the TSCAC. Both teams will have a bye for Tuesday’s playoff games and will play at home on Thursday in the semi-final playoff games against the winners of Tuesday’s games. Come out and cheer on our Cougars to victory!

ACS is also hosting the TSCAC Championship games to be held next Saturday, February 24. The game schedule is: 1 p.m.-Girls’ Consolation Game; 3 p.m.- Boys’ Consolation Game; 5 p.m.-Girls’ Championship Game; 7 p.m.-Boys’ Championship Game. Admission fees that support the TSCAC will be charged at both the Thursday playoff game and Saturday’s Championship tournament — Students-$2; Adults-$3; $ Maximum per family-$10.

Last Friday’s Varsity Basketball games were a special night for the senior members of the teams. ACS honored and thanked the seniors and their parents before the start of the boys’ and girls’ games against Oakcrest and ACIT, introducing each one and presenting them with flowers. The five seniors honored were: forward Matthew Castellane, a first-year player; guard Naomi Glancey, a 3-year varsity player, who served this year as team manager; forward Sam Rhodes, team captain and 4-year varsity player; forward Hunter Smith, team captain and 4-year varsity player; and point guard Abigail Vogel, team captain and 4-year varsity player.

Congratulations to the ACS Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams for taking first place in a Pilgrim Academy tournament on Saturday, February 10. Daniella Ajayi, Aaron Glancey, Markus Lewis, and Kendall Murphy were named all-tournament players and Elijah Smalls and Paige Noble were the tournament MVPs. Teams from six Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference schools competed in the tournament, with each team playing four preliminary games. The ACS MS boys’ team, coached by Matt Glancey and assisted by Ray Picking, was undefeated and beat Calvary Academy in the championship game 40 to 16. The MS Girls’ team, coached by ACS alumnus Carly Witherow (’08), also was undefeated in the tournament and beat Pilgrim Academy in the championship game 22 to 11. Our Middle School Boys’ teams played their final two games this week, winning their Tuesday game against Solid Rock 51-21, and facing off Friday night against Gloucester County Christian School. Thanks for great season!

Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class worked in teams on Wednesday on a Valentine’s Day-themed STEM challenge — to create a small paper basket, bucket, or other vessel that could carry a Valentine’s Day gift down a zip line. Each team was given the same basic materials to create their “carrier vessel” — card stock, straws, tape, string, paper clips, Popsicle sticks, and binder clips. Combining elements of science, technology, engineering, and math, each team had to plan, build, test, and, if necessary, modify their carrier. Mrs. McCarthy said all the carriers showed great ingenuity and every team was able to successfully complete the challenge.

It’s no secret that students and teachers alike count down the school days each year. On Monday, February 12, ACS elementary classes celebrated the 100th day of the school year by dressing up in “100-year-old” costumes complete with wigs, glasses, canes, walkers, and even a wheelchair!  From math lessons about the number 100 to sculptures and other creations using 100 items each, classes turned the fun into learning opportunities as well. We thank the Lord for our “young at heart” teachers who go all out for their students every day!

Radio show host Eddie Davis of the top-rated Eddie Davis Lite Rock 96.9 Morning Show visited ACS the afternoon of Thursday, February 8 to present 1st grade teacher Mrs. Mindy Capito with the Lite Rock January 2018 “Teacher of the Month Award.” Mr. Davis and his staff also treated the class to a pizza party, courtesy of Capri Pizza in Northfield. There were lots of smiles, laughter, and even some dancing, as the students showed Mr. Davis what they do during a class “dance study break.” The following morning, during his Morning Show Mr.  Davis talked about his visit and aired some of the comments the students made about how much they appreciate having Mrs. Capito as their teacher. CLICK HERE to see a video of Mr. Davis’ visit to Mrs. Capito’s class, which is posted on the Lite Rock 96.9 website. Mrs. Capito was nominated for the Teacher of the Month Award by one of her students, Julia Williams, who has been entered in a drawing for a $2,000 scholarship from Lite Rock. Mrs.Capito wins a year membership to Island Gym, a fresh fruit flower arrangement from  B.F. Mazzeo in Northfield, and a $50 gift card to Hamilton Mall.

Enrollment is now underway for the 2018-2019 school year. Every current student is automatically re-enrolled as part our Continuous Enrollment program. This ensures that every current student’s seat is secured for next year ahead of new students who will be enrolling.

The Board of Directors recently approved the 2018-2019 school budget and tuition rates for grades K-12 will remain the same as the 2016-2017 school year, with a modest increase in the Materials Fee of $25 per student. The Board also approved increasing Early Education tuition rates by $20 per month, a necessary increase to maintain our program under new standards set by the State of New Jersey.

Tuition Assistance will again be available to families with children enrolled in grades K-12. Applications will be open online starting March 1 and must be completed and verified by no later than May 1. Additional information will be provided in coming weeks. Families must be current on their account to be eligible for financial aid for 2018-2019.

The Admissions Office sent an email to all current parents and guardians on Thursday, February 1 providing detailed enrollment information. To finish your re–enrollment, medical and transportation forms must be submitted to the school office by March 15. These forms were attached to the February 1 email. If you are not planning to return, please notify the Admissions Office by March 1 to avoid incurring any tuition obligation.

 CLICK HERE to see all the 2018-2019 rates and fees, which are posted by grade level on the ACS website.