Check out the “Nurse’s Nook,” a blog site under the Parents’ tab on the ACS website, for information and instructions regarding the health and safety of your child in the 2016-2017 school year. School nurse Lara D’Anna updates the blog monthly with current news and tips on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Also please read the important email message sent out on Tuesday to parents from the nurse’s office. A reminder from School nurse Sandra Settles to all Early Education parents — please be sure your child gets the flu shot by December 31. We look forward to working alongside you to ensure the health and safety of your child during this school year.

The ACS 2016-2107 theme verse for spiritual development in Romans 12:10 can be summarized in four words — “Tell me somethin’ good.”  That’s how Upper School Principal Susan Smith described it at the first middle school/high school chapel of the year last Friday.  Students, as well as faculty and staff, are being challenged to show God’s love to each other at every opportunity — in the lunch room, in the classroom, in the school office, on the athletic field, and elsewhere.   “This verse is what we must aspire to be,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We want to be looking for the good in each other — whether we are a teacher, an administrator, or a student.”

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 new ACS staff T-shirts. A large bulletin board in a second floor school hallway has been designated as a place to post messages that say something good about a fellow student or teacher.  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.

An after-school drama class and JPS soccer are getting underway next Wednesday. The first day of intramural cheerleading began today and will continue for the next five Friday afternoons. Don’t miss out!   The registration form to sign up for classes is available on the school’s website and in the school office. Please send payment with the registration form to the school office or bring to the first class.  The full schedule of fall classes is also posted on the website. Classes are open to ACS students and non-ACS students.

The Intramural Cheerleading class, which began today, is open to students from kindergarten to the 5th grade. Led by ACS staff member and former ACS Varsity cheerleading captain Morgan Gibson, the class will meet weekly in the Multi-Purpose Room on Fridays until October 21. This six-session class includes cheering at the Senior Day home soccer game on  Tuesday, October 25. The class fee is $65.

The Dynamics of Drama class, for students in the 4th-12 grades, will begin on Wednesday, September 21 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Annex Building, Unit 1. This class, led by Amy Culleny, an ACS staff member and a Sojourn Productions Show Director, will be held weekly on Wednesdays for 10 weeks until November 30. The students will present a drama showcase for parents and friends on December 6 at 6:30 p.m. The class fee is $99.

GPS Juniors will teach the fundamentals of soccer to students from PreK4 to the 5th grade beginning on Wednesday, September 21 from 3:15-4:00 p.m. in an outdoor grassy area near the gazebo. The class will meet weekly for six weeks. The class fee is $60.

A new construction project got underway this week on the ACS campus with the digging up of the infield on our Middle School Boys’ Baseball Field. The project will result in significant improvements to the field, including a grass infield with irrigation, a new pitcher’s mound, and infield resurfacing. If all goes as planned, the work could be completed by the end of October. The upgrades will be a welcome benefit to our Middle School Boys’ Baseball team next spring, and will also benefit local community youth baseball leagues that use our fields for practices and games.

The middle school and high school boys’ and girls’ soccer teams opened their seasons this week with a mix of wins, ties, and losses in games on Tuesday and Thursday against Pilgrim Academy, Gloucester County Christian School, and Baptist Regional High School.

Next Week’s Games:  Come out and cheer on the Varsity Boys as they play at home against Holy Spirit in a non-league game on Monday, September 19 at 4:00 p.m.  Please note that previously scheduled varsity games on Thursday, September 22 against Cumberland Christian School have been cancelled due to the Middle School/High School Spiritual Emphasis Retreat.

Congratulations to the varsity girls’ team for winning both of its away games this week, beating Gloucester County Christian 3-0 on Tuesday and defeating Baptist Regional 6-0 on Thursday. In the Gloucester game, senior Dakota Hitchner scored two goals and sophomore Lola Oguntuase score one; senior goalie Shannon Murphy made 16 saves. In the game against Baptist, sophomore Becca Darragh scored twice, junior Abby Vogel scored one and had one assist, Hitchner posted one goal and one assist, and Oguntuase had one assist. Goalie Murphy had two saves.

Middle School Girls: The middle school girls’ team played at home against Pilgrim Academy on Tuesday and ended in a 4-4 tie. 8th grader Serena D’Anna was the top scorer with three goals and 8th grader Kayla DeNick added one. 8th grader Cristin Winkel had one assist and 8th grade goalie Shelby Einwechter made 8 saves.

Varsity Boys: The varsity boys’ team lost both of its games this week, falling 6-1 to Gloucester and 6-0 to Baptist Regional.  Junior Matt Castellane scored the lone goal in the Gloucester game.

Middle School Boys: The middle school boys’ team lost to Pilgrim Academy 2-0 at home on Tuesday.

Looking to expand your knowledge of the Chinese language and culture? The Atlantic Huaxia Chinese School offers classes on Saturdays at Atlantic Christian School in Chinese language and culture for children and adults.  Classes are held from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The cost is $270 per semester.  For more information, call 609-226-0888.

The 2016 Race for Education fundraiser is just around the corner!  An important packet of Race information for parents who have students in preschool to the 8th grade is being sent home today — Friday, September 9.  Our goal is to raise $25,000 that will go to support our educational programs this year. If every student from preschool to middle school participates, we will definitely reach or exceed our goal.

Parents — we need your help. Please review the packet carefully, which includes a blank sheet of 30 mailing labels. Your main task is to fill out the mailing label sheet with the names and addresses of 10-30 potential sponsors to whom we could send a letter asking them to sponsor your child or children in the Race.  Just return that label sheet to your child’s classroom teacher by the deadline date of Monday, September 19 and leave the rest of the work to us. It’s that simple. We also welcome parents and other family members to volunteer on the day of the Race — Friday, October 28 — or just come out and cheer on the students. Look for a Volunteer Reply Form in your Race packet.

This year we’ve added exciting new student prizes and class prizes that will directly benefit individual classrooms that have a high level of student participation.  Let’s make this year’s Race for Education the best ever!  For any questions, please contact Jessica Martin, our Events Coordinator, at 653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.

Students and parents arrived to ACS with smiling faces on the first day of school as they were greeted with refreshments provided by the Parent-Teacher Fellowship, our Cougar mascot who posed for pictures with parents and students, music, and lots of picture-taking! Our 2016-2017 school year is off to a great start, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!

After-school band and karate classes are getting underway next week. Don’t miss out! The full schedule of interesting, fun, and enriching fall after-school classes is being sent home with students today — Friday, September 9. To sign-up for a class or classes, use the Registration Form attached to the schedule and send it in with your student or drop it off in the school office. The schedule and registration form are also available on the school’s website and in the school office.

The Intermediate Band class, for students who will be playing with the Upper School Concert Band, will begin on Monday, September 12 from 3:15-4:00 p.m. in the 2nd floor Music Room. This class, led by ACS Band Director Shirlene Perini, will be held twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays, throughout the fall. The Beginning Band class, for students playing in the Elementary Band, will begin on Tuesday, September 13 from 3:15-4:00 p.m. This class will also be held twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Both classes are free.

Karate will begin on Tuesday, September 13 and is open to students from PreK4 to the 12th grade. Karate classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 13-October 11. They will be led by Brian Moragne of Freestyle Martial Arts, who also taught karate at ACS last year. The class fee is $90. Please send payment with the registration form to the school office or bring to the first class.

• New, brightly colored VCT tile on all the second floor hallways and stairwells
• New, durable carpet tile in two Middle School classrooms and the Upper School Music Room
• Construction of a new, larger Upper School computer lab with 24 student stations
• New office space for our Early Education and Elementary Lead Teachers and for our Facilities Director
• Painting of a new, 26-foot-wide mural of children playing in a park by PreK4 teacher Teresa Bird on a wall in her new classroom in the annex building next to the playground
• Painting of a number of classrooms and hallways throughout our two-story school building
• A new freezer in the school kitchen

We will continue to make improvements throughout the year both in our school building and with our outdoor facilities as God provides additional funds.

The ACS Junior Class is hosting the first ACS Family Skate Outing of the school year on Saturday, September 24 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Young’s Skating Center in Mays Landing. Tickets are $6.00 in advance and $7.00 at the door and may be purchased in the school office or by filling out and returning an order form that will be sent home with students next week. Bring your family and friends. All proceeds will benefit the junior class as they raise funds for their senior trip.

The High School and Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer Teams have been working hard preparing for their first games next week. The Middle School teams will play at home against Pilgrim Academy on Tuesday, September 13.  The High School Varsity teams will play away at Gloucester County Christian School on Tuesday, September 13 and will play away again on Thursday, September 15 at Baptist Regional School. All games will begin at 4:00 p.m.

The middle school and high school soccer season schedules are now available in a new, easy-to-ready Google calendar format on the school’s website — www.acseht.org — and will be regularly updated by Athletic Director Chris Eaton.  The high school teams’ calendar and the middle school teams’ calendar can be found under the “Athletics” category heading on the website. Information about game times and locations are included in the calendar postings.

We’re proud of all the student-athletes who came out for try-outs.  We look forward to a great season. Go Cougars!!  For any questions, please contact Athletic Director Eaton, phone: 609-653-1199, ext. 315; email: ceaton@acseht.org.

Congratulations to 10th grader Solomon Griffith and 12th grader Dakota Hitchner for their outstanding athletic accomplishments recognized over the summer break.

Solomon played on the Atlantic Shore 15-and-Under Babe Ruth baseball team that won the state championship and Middle Atlantic Regional Tournament in July and advanced to the Babe Ruth World Series in North Dakota in mid-August. Atlantic Shore made it to the final series game, losing 6-1 in a hard-fought game against a team from Torrance, California.  Solomon was a strong hitter throughout the series of games and earned a Babe Ruth World Series honor, being named to the Gold Glove All-Defensive Team.  We look forward to seeing Solomon play again this season for the ACS Cougars, who last May won the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference championship title, after finishing in first place during the regular season. Solomon also earned first team TSCAC All-Star honors.

Dakota, the starting pitcher for the ACS Cougars Varsity Softball Team, was named to the South Jersey high school Softball All-Stars Second Team by the Press of Atlantic City, a honor that was announced on June 23.  The Lady Cougars softball team won the TSCAC championship last June. Over the course of the season, Dakota posted 65 strikeouts and was a leading home run hitter, batting .677. We’re looking forward to a strong season with Dakota on the mound again next spring.  Go Cougars!