An important meeting for parents to learn more about the 2018 Missions Trips for students in grades 6-12 will be held this coming Monday, October 2 at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. Three trips are planned for March and April 2018 — a middle school trip to Coatesville, Pennsylvania and two high school trips, to the Dominican Republic and to a city in the United States, possibly in a hurricane-damaged area. The advisors for both the Middle School and High School Missions Clubs will be making presentations at the meeting. Students are also welcome to attend. Anyone interested in being a chaperone on a missions trip should also attend the meeting.

Since 2008, over 200 students have gone on ACS missions trips and learned first-hand about the joy of serving God by serving others. For questions about the high school Dominican Republic trip, please contact Anne Dice at adice@acseht.org. Contact Dave Genter regarding the high school trip to a U.S. city at dgenter@acseht.org, and contact Karen Oblen regarding the middle school trip at koblen@acseht.org.

New fitness classes are getting underway after school on Monday, October 2 in the ACS Fitness Center, led by in-house trainer Cassandra Howie. Classes will run from 4:15-4:45 p.m. and are open to ACS faculty, staff, students who are in 9th grade or higher, and adults who have purchased a Fitness Center membership. Memberships are $15/month and can be purchased in the school office.

The daily class schedule will be:

Mondays: Bootcamp
Tuesdays: Abs
Wednesdays: Upper Body Resistance
Thursdays: Lower Body Maxed Out
Fridays: Dumbbells Kettlebell Style

Let’s get fit for fall!

With a class schedule in hand, some 70 parents navigated their way through our hallways to find various middle school and high school classrooms and build important connections with their child’s teachers as part of our second Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 26. From Spanish and chemistry to U.S. history and biology, parents learned more about the curriculum and projects that will be part of their child’s learning experience this year. Prior to visiting the classrooms, the parents were briefed about upcoming school events and programs during presentations in the gym from several staff members, including Upper School Principal Susan Smith, Event Coordinator Jessica Martin, and Missions Club advisor Dave Genter. Thank you to all the parents who came out and we look forward to working alongside you this year.

Sponsor a banner sign to hang in the school gym or on a baseball field fence and your sponsorship will help support our ACS Athletic Department. The 3′ x 5′ vinyl signs can be sponsored for one or two years. Businesses as well as individuals are welcome to sponsor a banner. The price to sponsor a banner sign in the gym or on a baseball field for one year is $300 and for two years is $500. Package prices are also available. All proceeds will benefit the school’s athletic programs, including providing funding for new PE and sports team equipment, uniforms, and bus transportation expenses. The sponsorship form was given to parents who attended the Back-to-School Nights, is posted on the ACS website, and is available in the school office. Please contact Athletic Director Pam Hitchner with any questions or to place an order at 609-653-1199, ext. 315 or phitchner@acseht.org.

Encouraging…respectful…says I’m sorry and thank you — these are just a few of the positive qualities that the students in Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade believe make someone a “great classmate.”  Posters promoting these qualities are now hanging in the hallway next to Mrs. McCarthy’s classroom. The students worked in groups on the first day of school to create the “Great Classmate” posters, helping them start off the school year focusing on developing God-honoring character traits.

Join us for a time of school-wide community prayer this coming Wednesday, September 27 from 7:45-8:15 a.m. We will gather at the school’s flagpole to participate in the annual national “See You At the Pole” event. Family and friends are welcome to attend as we pray for our school, our local community, and our nation. For the last 26 years, hundreds of schools across the nation have held “See You at the Pole” events for one main purpose — to give students an opportunity to unite themselves in prayer before God to intercede for their generation. Please join us around our flagpole!

Next Tuesday, September 26, is our Middle School and High School Back-to-School Night. We hope to see all of our parents who have students in grades 6-12 come out for this very informative inter-active event that will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the school‘s gymnasium.

The evening will begin with a general assembly where important information will be presented about upcoming school events, athletics, clubs, after-school enrichment classes, fundraising and volunteer opportunities, and more. Parents will then get to walk in their student’s shoes – following his/her class schedule, visiting different classrooms, meeting the teachers, and hearing a synopsis of the class goals.

Last Tuesday, close to 200 parents attended our Elementary Back-to-School Night  (pictured below) where they got better acquainted with our teachers and learned more about the specific educational goals at each grade level from kindergarten to the 5th grade. The evening began in the gym with an overview of school events and programs from Early Ed and Elementary Director Gail Alford and other school staff in the gym. Parents then made their way to the classrooms to meet the teachers. Parents enjoyed sitting at their child’s desk and discovering heart-warming notes or artwork that their child had created especially for them.

Permission slips are due on Monday, September 25 for students in grades 6-12 to participate in next week’s Spiritual Emphasis Retreat on September 28 and 29.  Internationally acclaimed Christian comedian and illusionist Tom Coverly of Holy Wow Ministries will be the guest speaker and will also perform as an illusionist.  According to his website, Tom’s  passion comes from giving ALL glory to Jesus for taking his past mistakes and MESS-ups and turning them into a MESSage.

Upper School Principal Susan Smith emailed parents on September 18 about the retreat and the student permission slip was an attachment. Please review the information in the email and send in the permission slip to your student’s homeroom teacher by no later than Monday.

“The retreat is a special time of bonding and spiritual renewal for our middle school and high school students and we don’t want any of them to miss out,” said Mrs. Smith. “Our goal is help our students start off the school year understanding the importance of focusing on their relationship with God and with others.”

A variety of retreat activities will be held on the school campus, the Ocean City Boardwalk, and Sleepy Hollow Family Campground. Some of the retreat activities planned include an Amazing Race team competition, cardboard canoe races, an Escape Room experience, a lip sync contest, a workshop on creating a ceramic piece with Glazed Over Studios, and running a mock American Ninja course with Jamie Rahn, aka Captain NBC, from the the hit TV show American Ninja Warrior.  Any questions? Please contact Mrs. Smith at ssmith@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199, ext. 309.

Over 650 parents, students, faculty, and staff came out for our 14th annual Back-to-School BBQ on September 15, our largest turnout ever. What a great way to start off the school year! A variety of fun activities engaged our students and their families, including a rock wall, ga-ga ball, volleyball, a tractor-pulled wagon ride, and the Big Kahuna inflatable slide.

Art teacher Sherry Mirakian, joined by Lindsey Ash, Naomi Glancey, Nora Vu, and Caroline Winkel from the high school Art Workshop class, shared their talents doing face painting. Members of the Board of Directors helped prepare hamburgers and hot dogs at the grill, and Paige’s Italian Water Ice served up dessert. The BBQ also gave various school organizations a chance to promote their activities, including the ACS Boy Scout Troop and Cub Pack 389, the Missions Club, and the Parent-Teacher Fellowship.

Thank you to all the ACS parents, Board members, teachers, and students who helped make the BBQ a success by volunteering or donating food. We would also like to thank several area businesses who donated — Big Time Vending, Elite Fleet Catering Services, Inc., Formica Brothers Bakery, Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, Herr’s, Sam’s Club, ShopRite Somers Point, Sleepy Hollow Family Campground, Stroehmann Bakeries, Sysco, Westside Meats, and Utz Snacks.

ACS teachers and staff enjoyed a tasty taco lunch on Thursday, September 21, donated and served up by ACS parents.  The complimentary lunch was organized by the Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF) and will be held monthly throughout the year on the third Thursday of every month. “We want to encourage parents to get involved in this special way to show the teachers and staff how much we appreciate what they are doing for our children,” said PTF President Terry Vogel. Serving up lunch alongside Mrs. Vogel on Thursday were ACS parents Polly Ellison and Cindy Barberio.

There are several ways to participate in the monthly lunch effort, including donating ingredients for a menu item, making a dessert or side dish, or volunteering to set up and help serve the lunch. To get involved, contact Mrs. Vogel by phone or text at 609-226-4383. Parents can also learn more about other ways to get involved in the PTF by attending its monthly meeting held after the Faculty/Staff Lunch from 1:00-2:00 p.m.

PreK4B teacher Teresa Bird encouraged students in preschool through kindergarten to “BEE Friendly” to each other, building on this year’s spiritual development theme of “Actions Speak Louder.” Mrs. Bird wore her bumble bee shirt and antenna as she led the Bible lesson. Teachers and aides took turns demonstrating how to act in various situations, such as during snack time and play dough time. The staff members  showed the right way to be friendly to another person in contrast with the wrong way. Throughout the school year, the Early Ed and Kindergarten classes will be taking turns presenting the Bible lesson in chapel each Friday.

Ms. Sherry Mirakian is excited about sharing her passion for art with every student who enters the Art Room each week, from the wide-eyed kindergartner to the budding 12th grade artist who wants to refine her drawing and painting skills. She comes to ACS as a highly qualified and experienced art teacher, after retiring last June from the William Davies Middle School in Mays Landing, where she taught art for 31 years.

Ms. Mirakian received a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, double-majoring in illustration and art education. She has also completed some graduate work in ceramics at Rowan University. Working with clay and painting flowers and garden scenes with water colors and acrylics are her favorite mediums as an artist and she plans to bring in samples of her work to share with her students.

Ms. Mirakian spent time in August preparing the Art Room for the upcoming year, including making the black art tables clean and shiny, thanks to help from her friend and fellow artist Laurann Cacciopo. “I feel so blessed to be here and I am enjoying getting to know the students and being able to start off each class with prayer,” said Ms. Mirakian. Her focus this year will be on teaching students at every level how to use the elements and principles of design and to appreciate art from different cultures. She is also looking forward to teaching an ACS After-School Art Workshop Class for students from 3rd to 8th grade, which will begin on Thursday, October 12.

Ms. Mirakian has two college-age sons, Martin and Jamison, and is a member of Coastal Christian in Ocean City, where she has been involved in the children’s and women’s ministries. She can frequently be found doing face painting at church events and most recently was a volunteer face-painter at the ACS Back-to-School BBQ.

Some two dozen students from PreK4 to the 5th grade were seen dribbling and kicking soccer balls this past Wednesday at the first after-school soccer class of the fall led by GPS Juniors, one of the premier soccer training programs in the region. It’s not too late to sign up for the weekly class that will run through October 25 from 3:15-4:00 p.m. Several other after-school classes also got underway this week — intramural cheerleading, karate, Little Mozarts Music, model railroading, and gymnastics. Registration forms were sent home in students’ folders last week. The schedule of all of our fall 2017 After-School Classes and class descriptions are posted on the ACS website under the “Student Life” tab. Any questions? Contact Jessica Martin at jmartin@acseht.org.

The ACS 2017-2108 theme verse for spiritual development in James 1:22 can be summarized in three words — “Actions Speak Louder.”  Faculty members Gregg Laskow and Lee Martin talked about the significance and practical application of the verse as the featured speakers at the first chapels of the year last Friday. Students, as well as faculty and staff, were challenged to focus on putting God’s Word into action. “Our actions rather than our words are the best indicators that we are followers of Christ,” Mr. Laskow said.

The words of the theme verse can be found all around campus — on posters and bulletin boards in the school hallways and even on the backs of this year’s ACS staff T-shirts. A large bulletin board in a second floor school hallway has been designated as a place where students and teachers can post message cards recognizing the exemplary actions of fellow students or teachers. To start off, teachers will be posting messages on the board during the month of September. In October, students will join the effort. New messages will be posted each month.

Atlantic Christian will hold a special time of group prayer around the school’s flagpole as we participate in the annual national “See You At the Pole” event on Wednesday, September 27. Family and friends are welcome to join our students, faculty, and staff from 7:45-8:15 a.m. as we pray for our school, our local community, and our nation. For the last 27 years, hundreds of schools across the nation have held “See You at the Pole” events for one main purpose — to give students an opportunity to unite themselves in prayer before God to intercede for their generation.

Two ACS parents are serving as the new school nurses this year — Mrs. Carrie Jorgenson, RN, as the K-12 school nurse, and Mrs. Lauren Gayeski, RN, MSN, as the Early Education nurse. Both served as substitute nurses last year.  The Nurse’s Office is now located in a large, sunny room in the school office, outfitted with three recovery couches, epi-pens, a wheelchair, an AED, and plenty of other medical treatment supplies. The walls are decorated with Bible verses and healthy wellness tips.

“We want the Nurse’s Office to be a welcoming, loving environment where students can receive excellent medical attention and where we can also pray with them and encourage them,” said Mrs. Jorgenson, who was a staff nurse for 15 years at Shore Medical Center and has been a visiting nurse specializing in pediatrics with the Wright Choice Nursing Agency for the past two years. She and her husband Michael have two sons at ACS, Brandon in 2nd grade and Hunter in 7th. Mrs. Gayeski served as an oncology nurse for five years in the bone marrow transplant unit at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. She and her husband David have three sons, Sawyer, Carter, and Jackson. Sawyer is in the 3rd grade and Jackson is in 6th at ACS.

A long-time ACS staff member and alumni parent, Ms. Anne Block, is the new Services Coordinator, replacing Nancy Peterson, who retired last spring. As Services Coordinator, Ms. Block oversees several school programs including lunches, bus transportation, used uniform sales, substitute scheduling, and the Extended Care program. She also ensures that the teachers have the textbooks and supplies they need for their classrooms.

Ms. Block has a new office in the Multi-Purpose Room, adjacent to another new room that houses used school uniforms, both of which were built over the summer. The ACS Uniform Closet benefits parents by providing gently used school uniforms at discounted prices. Parents can also donate school uniforms that their children have outgrown to the Uniform Closet. The Uniform Closet is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm and will be open on both Back-to-School Nights.

Ms. Block first came to ACS in 1999 to enroll her son Ryan in kindergarten. After moving to Louisiana for four years, she returned to ACS in 2005 and her daughter Brianna entered the 2nd grade. Ms. Block has been at ACS ever since, holding a variety of positions including substitute teacher, elementary aide, and After Care Director.  She has also served on the children’s ministry team at New Life Assembly of God Church for the past six years. “What I love the most about working at ACS is being able to show the love of Jesus to our students and families,” Ms. Block said. “Both of my children were blessed by the unique, family atmosphere at ACS and received a firm, Biblical foundation and I want the same for other children in our community.”

It was Christmas in July for several hundred U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq when they opened special care packages from Boy Scout Troop 389, sponsored by Atlantic Christian School. The care packages were filled with Boy Scout caramel popcorn and other comfort food and toiletry items obtained by the scouts over a four-month period through donations from area businesses, civic organizations, and churches.

The Troop recently received several thank-you messages via email from soldiers who received one of their 221 care packages. One soldier serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, who also sent a photo of his unit, said: “It is hard to be away from home and whenever we hear our names called for mail it definitely brings a smile to our faces. Even better still was opening up your box and finding all the treats and toiletries you sent. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart and all my buddies who I will share this care package with.”  This was the 7th year that Troop 389 had carried out its Christmas for the Troops service project, overall sending over 1,200 gift boxes overseas.

ACS sponsors both Boy Scout Troop 389, for boys from 6th grade to 18 years old, and Cub Pack 389, for boys from 1st-5th grades. The Troop and Pack meet at ACS on Monday nights at 7 p.m. in Annex Unit 1. For more information on joining the Scout Troop or Cub Pack, contact Scoutmaster Peter Karabashian at ppknj@comcast.net. Representatives of the Troop and Pack will also be at our Back-to-School Nights.

As the 2017-2018 school year gets underway, we thank God for providing the funding for a number of improvements to our school building this summer, including upgrades to three bathrooms.  New plumbing, sinks, and hand dryers were installed in the first floor boys’ and girls’ bathrooms at the school’s main entrance, as well as new paint and wall coverings.  In August, the senior class girls volunteered to brighten up the 2nd floor bathroom that is used by the Upper School girls. They painted Bible verses and other inspirational messages on the stalls and walls, and added shelving and other decorative items. “The idea was to create a more aesthetically pleasing space, while also encouraging our young women in their walk with the Lord,” said Upper School Principal Susan Smith, who oversaw the project.

We are excited to announce our fall 2017 After-School Classes! Individual class registration forms were  sent home this week. The class schedule and descriptions are also posted on the school website. Classes are open to ACS and non-ACS students. For the schedule, please click here.

Six new after-school classes will get underway next week — Intramural Cheerleading; Karate taught by  Freestyle Martial Arts; Little Mozarts Music, Session 1, taught by faculty member Stephanie Rosie; Model Railroading; Soccer led by GPS Juniors; and Gymnastics taught by Blake’s Gymnastics.  A minimum of five students is required for a class to be held.  Please send payment with the registration form to the school office or bring to the first class.

Students and parents were welcomed with smiles, hugs, and high fives on the first day of school on September 6 by faculty, staff, students, and Corgey, our Cougar mascot.  Students in kindergarten and in the senior class posed for special pictures to mark the day as a milestone in their lives. Thank you to our Student Ambassadors Reyna Lewis and Tiana Purdy-Phillips and to members of our Parent-Teacher Fellowship for volunteering to be part of the welcome team.  Our 2017-2018 school year is off to a great start, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

Major donations given to Atlantic Christian earlier this year made it possible to launch a new financial aid program that has provided $105,000 in tuition grants to students enrolled for the 2017-2018 school year. “We praise God for the significant donations that were given specifically to make it possible for families with financial need to have access to a quality Christian education for their children,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “As we begin our 47th year with 481 students — the highest enrollment in ACS history — we know that this new tuition grant program played an important role in helping grow our school family.”

Oblen said this year’s tuition grants were made possible through designated gifts from the John F. Fuoco Testamentary Trust and the John C. Allen Charitable Trust. The needs-based program provided tuition discounts to 70 students from 55 new and returning families. “We are committed to offering tuition grants again next year and we will continue to reach out to additional donors to expand this program,” Oblen said. “Our goal is to be able to provide even more young people in our community with an educational program based on God’s truth and a Biblical worldview.” Please join us in praying that God will bless our efforts and bring additional gifts designated for our Tuition Assistance Grant program.

As we begin our 47^th year in Christian education in September, I am pleased to share with you that God has continued to grow ACS for the fifth consecutive year, with close to 480 students now enrolled.  We have added a new PreK2 class and a 4^th grade class and hired several new faculty members who are joining our highly qualified team of educators.

We are very grateful to the Trust and its Trustees for making a donation that has enabled economically disadvantaged families to have access to a Christian education for their children. Together, we are pressing on to invest in the lives of young people here in southern New Jersey. Our prayer is that the Word of God will be active and visible in everything we say and do and that our efforts will produce students who choose to follow God’s plan for their lives.

Free after-school band classes — at the beginner and intermediate levels — will be getting underway next week and will continue throughout the school year. The classes are open to ACS and non-ACS students. Beginning Band Class, for 4th grade students, will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:15-4:00 p.m. Intermediate Band Class, for 5th-12th grade students, will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:00 p.m. Don’t miss out!  Contact Band Director Shirlene Perini with any questions at sperini@acseht.org. The full schedule of our fall After-School Classes will be sent home with students next week and will be available on the ACS website and in the school office.