Congratulations to 10th grader Joshua Mizrahi for recently being selected to play bass clarinet in the South Jersey High School Honor Wind Ensemble.  Joshua auditioned for the ensemble in mid-December and will perform with the select group as first chair bass clarinet at their January 15 concert at 3:00 p.m. at Rowan University. Joshua has been playing in the ACS band for the past five years. ACS Band Director Shirlene Perini said Joshua received additional good news this week in recognition of his outstanding musical talents. He has been invited to play with the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble at its April 24 concert at Stockton University. This ensemble of adult professional musicians annually invites promising high school students to play with them at their spring concert.

The elementary students celebrated the wondrous message of Christmas at their December 16 concert that featured performances by the 4th and 5th Grade Elementary Band, individual band members, and various classes singing, playing hand bells, and reciting scripture. Music teacher Stephanie Rosie directed the kindergarten through third grade classes and Band Director Shirlene Perini led the instrumental portion of the concert. Congratulations to the 5th grade band students who showcased their talents as soloists — Allison Amadio on clarinet performing “Deck the Halls;” Hannah Campbell on oboe performing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing;” Alex and Alyssa Mazak on violin performing “What Child is This;” and Noelle Thompson on saxophone performing “Jingle Bell Rock.” Thank you also to the parents who donated delicious Christmas cookies for the reception after the concert and to the high school students who helped serve.

Students, faculty, and staff gathered in the ACS gym for a joyous celebration of Christ’s birth at chapel on December 22, the last day of school before the Christmas break. The student-led chapel featured students from preschool through high school worshiping and praising God as they sang Christmas carols and recited Bible passages about the birth of Jesus. Fresh Start pastor and former ACS faculty member Jason Marshall presented the devotional and junior class president Tommy Taylor closed the chapel with prayer.

Some lighter moments during chapel included an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest and the announcement of the two winning classroom doors in the Christmas Door Decorating Contest that ran for two days on Facebook. Mrs. Coates’ 8th grade classroom door, with the theme name “O Snap,” took first place with 198 Facebook likes in the Upper School category and Miss Williams’ 2nd grade classroom door, themed “Tree-Mendous,” took first place with 268 votes in the Preschool/Elementary category. Both classes will receive ice cream parties in January. The winners of the Ugly Christmas Sweater contest were 12th grader Dakota Hitchner (for 6th-12th grade) and 5th grader Jackson Gayeski (for preschool-5th grade).

Congratulations to 7th grader James (JP) Harris for being the grand prize winner in our 2016 Race for Education, raising $877 through gifts and pledges from his sponsors. JP was recognized for his accomplishment during the all-school Christmas Chapel on December 22 and will receive an Apple watch as the grand prize. Overall, donations to the Race for Education topped $20,000 for our Annual Fund, meeting our goal for that important fundraising event.

One student in each class who had the most sponsors respond by making a donation also received a Five Below $10 gift card during the chapel. Those students were Sophia Gevers (PreK3A), Jeremy Harris (PreK3B), Paisley Davenport (PreK4A), Drew Remlein (PreK4B), Rosalie Campbell (KA), Joelle Massey (KB), Liam Larkin (1st); Isabelle Santos (2A), Tommy Potenski (2B), Anyae Welch (3A), Hannah D’Aulerio (3B), Bailey Boggs (4th), Ryleigh Martin (5th), Eva Elgersma (6A), Paige Noble (6B), James (JP) Harris (7th), and Jeremiah Engle (8th). Five teachers who participated in the Race and reached out to sponsors received Amazon gift cards to purchase items for their classrooms for the exact amount that they raised — Dawn Bird (PreK4A-$130); Mindy Capito (1st-$240); Karan Erlandson (PreK3A-$280); Sherree Hoover (4th-$175); and Amy Williams (2A-$125).

We’re so proud and grateful for every student and teacher that participated in the Race. Forty-seven students completed 16 or more laps – that’s four miles — 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 the Christmas Chapel. They were: PreK3: Nathan Raebig (6) and Karsyn Armstrong (6); PreK4: Jayden Bird (12) and Paisley Davenport (12); Kindergarten: Gabriel Hudec (13) and Kylie Jo Lambert (14); 1st grade: Jason Remlein  (17) and Nina Purdy (13); 2nd grade: Sawyer Gayeski (24) and Shelby Tomlinson (20); 3rd grade: Joseph McCrae (23) and Marley Odell (20); 4th grade: Charlie Costello (22) and Isabell Alford (18); 5th grade: Jackson Gayeski and Noah Gibbs (tied at 27) and Michaela Schlemo (23); 6th grade: Dylan Reilly (21) and Paige Noble (18); 7th grade: Markus Lewis (21) and Alyssa Mazak (17); 8th grade: Jeremiah Engle (11) and Faith Carroll, Serena D’Anna, Chloe Vogel, and Cristen Winkel (4-way tie at 10).

ACS spread some Christmas cheer delivering gifts to the Family Service Association of South Jersey on December 19 to bless a local family of six on Christmas day. The gifts, which included a winter coat for each family member, Bibles, toys, and jewelry, were purchased with the proceeds from the Lil’ Christmas Shopper Days event. “We’re very grateful to our students from preschool to the 8th grade who purchased gifts for their family members in our Christmas shop and enabled us to support the important charitable work of the FSA,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. Pictured at the FSA headquarters in Egg Harbor Township, from left, are: ACS Event Coordinator Jessica Martin, FSA Chief Development Officer Torrina Bennett-Michael, and ACS Director of Development and Communication Carole Karabashian.

What do monkeys, polar bears, and clown fish have in common? They all live in a God-designed habitat — a place that provides them with the food, water, and oxygen they need to live and grow. The students in Miss Williams’ 2nd grade class have been studying animals and their habitats for the past month as part of life science. For a class project, each student chose an animal and created a 3D shoe-box-size diorama depicting that animal in its habitat. The students also gave oral presentations that Miss Williams said led to lively discussion as the students compared and contrasted the coral reef, savannah, rain forest, polar region, and other habitats and ways to protect them. The dioramas have been on display in the hallway outside their classroom.

Congratulations to 8th grader Sydney Pearson for being recognized as an All Star at the ACIT middle school basketball tournament on December 10. The ACS middle school girls’ team won its first tournament game against Mullica Township, but lost its second game to Assumption Middle School. Pictured at the tournament after receiving her All Star trophy, from left, are ACS middle school girls’ head coach Laura Einwechter, Sydney, and assistant coach Lori Pearson. The middle school basketball season will get underway the second week in January. The MS boys’ team will face off against St. Vincent at home on Monday, January 9 at 3:45 p.m. The boys’ and girls’ teams will play Pilgrim Academy at home on Tuesday, January 10, with the girls’ game starting at 4:00 p.m. and the boys’ game at 5:00 p.m. Come on out and cheer on our Cougars in the new year!

Veteran college basketball coach and ACS alumnus Billy Robinson (’87) and his Milligan College mens’ basketball team led a fast-paced basketball skills clinic in the ACS gym after school on December 15 for members of the ACS boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams. Girls’ Varsity Coach Pam Hitchner reached out to Robinson to return to his alma mater to run the clinic and also share his testimony about how God has used him to reach others for Christ through the game of basketball. Robinson and his team were on a week-long East Coast road trip and traveled to south Jersey after playing (and beating) King’s College in Manhattan the day before.

During his devotional message with the ACS players and his 16 Milligan players, Robinson encouraged the athletes to live their lives as Christians in a way that will stand out and make others want to know more about their faith. “Dare to be different,” Robinson said. He also encouraged the student-athletes to trust in God and the plan that He has for their lives. “My plans for my life were vastly different from God’s plan, and I had to learn along the way to have faith and trust that God knew what was best for me and He did,” Robinson said.

Coach Hitchner taught Robinson in PE class when he attended ACS from the 6th-12th grades. He was a stand-out player on the ACS varsity boys’ basketball team, earning national acclaim (and an interview on ESPN) during his 1985-86 junior year as the highest scoring high school player in the country. By the end of high school, Robinson had scored 2,695 career points. He went on to play basketball at King’s College,  followed by an internship with the Dallas Maverick’s basketball team. He began his coaching career at Montreat College, becoming the youngest-ever college coach at the age of 25. Robinson is now in his 23rd year as a college head coach, spending the last eight years at Milligan College in Johnson City, Tennessee.

ACS students experienced the joy of selecting special Christmas gifts for family members as part of Lil’ Christmas Shopper Days on December 8, 9, and 12. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped our students from PreK4 to the 5th grade shop and find the perfect gift for grandma, dad, and other loved ones on their Christmas list. The nearly $1,700 in proceeds from the Christmas shop are benefiting ACS educational programs. In addition, Event Coordinator Jessica Martin said a portion of the proceeds have been used to purchase toys, coats, books, Bibles, and other gifts to bless a local area family at Christmas through our partnership with the Family Service Association.

Tune in to Lite Rock 96.9 FM, South Jersey’s official holiday music station, from Monday, December 19 through Christmas Day and you will hear a Christmas greeting from Atlantic Christian School. The radio ad focuses on the true meaning of Christmas and gives thanks for God’s gift of His Son, our hope and salvation. The ad, that will reach hundreds of thousands of listeners in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Burlington Counties, also encourages listeners to find out more about the Christ-centered education at ACS.

Nineteen students in Mrs. Bailey’s 8th grade language arts class saw the classic Charles Dickens’ holiday story of “A Christmas Carol” come to life on stage on their field trip December 14 to the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Mrs. Bailey said the class has been reading the novel for the past two weeks and learning about the figurative language and literary devices Dickens used, including allusions, metaphors, and similes. “The students really enjoyed the musical adaptation of Dickens’ novel and for some of them it was their first time experiencing live theater, which made it even more memorable,” Mrs. Bailey said.

ACS students in grades 6-12 shared the joy of the good news of Christ’s birth through vocal, instrumental, and drama presentations at the Upper School Christmas Concert on Tuesday, December 6. The middle school and high school combined bands performed six songs,  including “Away in a Manger” by the high school wind ensemble and a lively rendition of “Feliz Navidad” that closed the first half of the concert. The Drama Club, under the direction of Amy Culleny, presented a skit entitled “Build a Doll.” The Middle School and High School combined chorales performed songs from a worshipful new musical — “Light: Out of the Darkness.”

The drama skit was set in a mall store. The store manager, played by 9th grader Ashleigh Martin, sold life-like dolls. Most of the dolls, like “Material Maggie” played by 4th grader Autumn Loo, were flashy, yet materialistic and selfish, and left customers, including 9th grader Kathryn Winder, dissatisfied with their purchases. However, one of the more simple dolls, “Simple Sally” played by 4th grader Elana Epps, had a caring spirit and made a positive difference in the customer’s life. The skit exemplified how Jesus humbled Himself and came to this earth to lay down His life for mankind, the true gift of Christmas.

The uplifting songs in the Christmas cantata performed by the combined chorales focused on how the baby born in Bethlehem was to become the light of the world and featured ACS 10th grader Eniel Hernandez and 12th grader Dakota Hitchner as narrators. A number of students also had featured solos — 11th grader Naomi Glancey, 9th grader Ashleigh Martin, 8th grader Sydney Pearson, and 6th grader Jason Herrera, who received warm applause from the audience as he closed the concert with a joyous rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”

The Early Education students merrily sang, danced, and recited scripture as they celebrated the birth of Jesus at their Christmas concert Friday morning. The PreK1 students set the joyous mood as they opened the concert shaking sleigh bell bracelets and singing “Come on Ring Those Bells.” Miss Dawn’s PreK4 class recited in unison Luke 2:11, followed with their rendition of “Born is the King.” The concert closed with all the Early Ed classes singing together “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Thank you to Dawn Bird, Teresa Bird, Karissa Costello, Karan Erlandson, Robin Genter, and Stephanie Rosie for their hard work and dedication in presenting this concert.

ACS has been blessed with the gift of a 54-passenger school bus that will enable the school to meet a variety of transportation needs. The ACS Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams boarded the bus Friday morning for a two-day basketball tournament in Pennsylvania hosted by Delaware County Christian School.  The purchase of the 2011 used bus was made possible through gifting this year that totaled $45,000. “We are thankful for the gifting that allowed us to purchase a second, newer bus to use to transport our students on field trips, after school activities, and athletic team practices and games,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. Oblen said ACS will continue to use its older, 1998-model school bus, which will provide flexibility in transporting different groups of students to after-school activities, especially during the basketball season.

Congratulations to ACS senior Dakota (DJ) Hitchner, a standout basketball player on the Lady Cougars Varsity team, who is receiving a full scholarship to King University in Bristol, Tennessee. DJ signed a National Letter of Intent to further her education and continue her basketball career at King University at a ceremony on Friday, December 2 in the ACS gymnasium. DJ is the daughter of ACS Varsity Girls’ Basketball Head Coach Pam Hitchner and her husband Eric pictured above with DJ’s sister and 2008 ACS alumnus Carly Witherow (at left) and sister Casey Hopwood (at right), an ACS middle school teacher.

DJ plans to major in physical education at King University, which is a Division II Christian university in the Conference Carolina. During her ACS high school career, DJ has played point guard, excelling as a team captain and top scorer (1,825 points to date). She led the Lady Cougars to consecutive championship titles for the past two years in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference (TSCAC) and was named conference MVP both years. DJ also excelled as a player on two different AAU teams over the past four years – the DM Panthers in Atlantic City and the Atlantic-Cape Wildcats, under Coach Jeff Laster.

During the signing ceremony, DJ thanked God, her coaches, and her teammates for her success. “I thank the Lord for blessing me with athletic abilities and I am thankful for my mom and all the coaches who pushed me and helped me get stronger,” DJ said. “I also was blessed to play on teams that have been successful,” DJ said, noting that she was especially inspired and motivated by ACS 2012 alumnus Shereesha Richards who went on to play for the University of Albany. Richards, a native of Jamaica, lived with DJ and her family while attending ACS and is like a big sister.

Lady Cougars Head Coach Hitchner, in her remarks at the ceremony, described DJ as a “relentless athlete with a great work ethic.” She pointed out that only two percent of high school athletes receive any scholarship money for college. “DJ was persistent,  always giving 100 percent, and her hard work has paid off,” Coach Hitchner said.

An article in the December 9 Current newspaper also shared the good news about DJ’s college scholarship.

Dear ACS Families:

As the Christmas season quickly approaches, it is easy for us to get caught up in our lists of “to do’s” that we all have. Sometimes in the busyness of life, it can be easy to forget those who have greatly impacted the lives of our families and children the most. Those to whom I am referring are the wonderful teachers and staff here at Atlantic Christian School.

This month, we will all have the opportunity to show them how much they mean to us and to our children through the Christmas Love Offering that we will take at each of the upcoming Christmas concerts and shows. The dates for the shows are December 6 (Middle School/High School at 6:30 p.m.), December 9 (Early Education at 9:30 a.m.), and December 16 (Elementary at 6:30 p.m.).

Through these Love Offerings, we have the chance to bless our teachers and staff and show them our deep appreciation for all they do to educate our children and train them up in the Lord. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 8 about the people of Macedonia who, by the grace of God, and through their abundance of joy, overflowed in the generosity of their giving. I would ask that you prayerfully consider how you might bless them this season.  Whatever amount you are able to give, I guarantee that it will not only be a blessing to them, but to you as well. If you cannot attend the concerts and would like to make a gift, your love offering can also be given directly to the school office. Gifts can be made by check or credit card.

Thank you all for your continued faithfulness to our Lord and to ACS.

Blessings,
Doug Pearson
Chair, ACS Board of Directors

Congratulations to Mrs. Williams’ second grade class for taking first place in our fall Box Tops for Education contest. The students celebrated on Wednesday with balloons and a free pizza lunch courtesy of the Parent-Teacher Fellowship. Mrs. Williams’ class turned in close to 1,000 Box Tops, more than any other PreK-12th grade class. Each box top is worth 10 cents. The total Box Tops collected this fall have brought in over $470, according to PTF Box Tops Coordinator Lori Pearson. Thank you to all our school families who participated. Please keep cutting out those Box Tops and help the PTF reach its goal to raise $1,200 to help purchase school equipment. The next Box Tops collection date will be in March, with a final collection before the school year ends in June.

Our second annual “Lil’ Christmas Shopper Days” are almost here. Next Thursday and Friday, students in PreK4 to the 5th grade will have the opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts for family and friends in the ACS Cougar Closet Thrift Shop. An information packet was sent home this week with all the details. The packet includes a budget form for families to complete and return to your child’s teacher. The form will help us assist your child as they shop by identifying how much should be spent on a gift for the individuals on their Christmas gift list.

Proceeds from the Shopper Days will benefit ACS and a local charity, with 20% being used to purchase Christmas gifts for local families that will be distributed by the Family Service Association of South Jersey. Anyone interested in volunteering on either day should complete the “Helper Form” included in the information packet or contact Jessica Martin at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.

ACS gave a warm welcome to a group of students and teachers from South Korea who visited on Friday as part of a two-week East Coast tour. The U.S. visit for the 32 students, ranging from 5th to 9th graders, was organized by Transnational Law and Business University of Seoul, South Korea to explore student-exchange opportunities. The students spent several hours in the morning visiting individual classrooms, talking with ACS students and teachers, and learning more about the ACS international student program. Six of the Korean students also gave a Tae Kwan Do demonstration in the Multi-Purpose Room during Upper School lunch.  ACS first established an international student program in 2006 and has enrolled students from a variety of countries including Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and South Korea. This year, the ACS student body includes 29 international high school-age students from China, Sweden, South Korea, and Vietnam.

A friendly reminder — Students should not bring any valuables to school and the locker rooms should not be used for storage of belongings during the school day. Students are only permitted in the locker rooms during their scheduled physical education classes or during an athletic team’s practice or home game. ACS is not responsible for any lost or stolen items and any items left in the locker rooms after the end of each school day will be removed and placed in Lost-and-Found. Thank you for your assistance in helping us enforce these important rules.

Looking for a unique Christmas gift idea? Come out to the ACS Canvas Painting Party on Friday, December 9 and create the beautiful, winter-themed painting (pictured at left) to give to family or friends. Students (5th grade and older), family members, and friends are welcome to attend. The cost for the two-hour class is $20 per person and you must reserve your spot with payment by Monday, December 5. Proceeds will underwrite the cost of the senior class trip.

The class will be led by ACS art teacher Pat Taylor and her husband and graphic artist Glenn. Please arrive on December 9 at 6:45 p.m. for check-in; the painting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Please contact faculty member Rebecca Stonelake with any questions at 609-653-1199, ext. 206 or rstonelake@acseht.org.

The ACS Intramural Basketball program is being offered again this winter in the ACS gym for boys and girls in grades 2 to 8. Sign-up forms are now available in the school office and have been sent home with students. ACS Varsity Girls’ Basketball coach Pam Hitchner will once again lead this popular program that helps students learn the game of basketball and the skills required to play it in a fun and encouraging environment. The fee is $50 and will run for five consecutive Saturdays, starting January 7. The program will conclude with a game showcase for parents and family to attend. Sign-up forms and the registration fee must be returned to ACS by Wednesday, December 21.

Over 300 grandparents visited the ACS campus on Friday, November 4 for our annual Grandparent Appreciation Day. Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen and two members of the Board of Directors, Christian Loeb and Rudy Dalinger, welcomed the grandparents to the all-school chapel program and thanked them for loving and supporting their grandchildren.

Mr. Dalinger, whose has a granddaughter who is an ACS alumnus and a grandson  in 9th grade, encouraged the grandparents to support ACS “because it is making a difference in their lives.” Mrs. Linda Hinchman, the keynote speaker who has two grandchildren at ACS, echoed that sentiment in her remarks. She described how the Christian education her grandsons Adrian and Joseph are receiving is a blessing to her and her family. “It’s a blessing that my grandchildren are taught God’s Word on a daily basis by a faculty and staff that have hearts to serve and are committed and sincerely passionate about every child that they teach,” Mrs. Hinchman said.

During the chapel program, ACS students from kindergarten through high school praised God through musical presentations and Bible readings. Mrs. Sherree Hoover’s 4th grade class recited from memory Psalm 119:9-16. The High School Praise Band led worship with two songs, followed by the kindergarten and first grade classes who performed with choreography “God of Wonders,”directed by Mrs. Stephanie Rosie.

While introducing Band Director Mrs. Shirlene Perini, Mrs. Oblen thanked the grandparents for their vital role in helping launch the school’s elementary band program three years ago through their financial gifts and gifts of instruments. The band entertained the audience with a special number that featured four grandmothers using kitchen implements, such as a frying pan and a mixer, to create percussion sounds in the song. The Middle School and High School Chorales performed two songs that gave the audience a sneak preview into their upcoming Christmas concert and featured sophomore Eriel Hernandez and senior Dakota Hitchner as narrators.

After the chapel program, the grandparents visited various classrooms. Elementary grade students worked on a craft project with their grandparents, creating a special gift of a flower pot with a handmade paper flower and flower seeds (donated by Lowe’s) that reflected the day’s theme of “Growing Together in Love.” The grandparents also had the opportunity to visit the Cougar Closet Thrift Shop and the Shoreline Model Railroad Club’s model train display, both housed in annex buildings on the school campus.

Thank you to the many parents and other family members who supported the Scholastic Book Fair held this week in the school library by buying books and other educational materials for our students. As of Wednesday, sales had exceeded $4,400, according to Mrs. Gail Alford, the elementary lead teacher who oversaw the Fair.  Mrs. Alford said Book Fair sales benefit individual students as well as the school. For every purchase, ACS earns points that can be used to purchase library books, projectors, Ipads, and other technology in our classrooms, subscriptions to Scholastic News for our K-5 classrooms, classroom area rugs, and much more.

Even though the Book Fair will be closed after Friday, shopping online is open until Tuesday, November 22. Family and friends across the country can participate in the Fair and the proceeds will benefit ACS.  The online link to the Book Fair is:  http://onlinebookfairs.scholastic.com/default.aspx?f=3594952