ACS honored seniors and their family members for their contributions to the Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Soccer teams on Monday, October 16 in a ceremony prior to the home games against Life Center Academy.  The students were escorted to the field by parents, family members, friends, and coaches as Athletic Director Pam Hitchner read comments about each player written by girls’ coach Carly Witherow and boys’ coach Gregg Laskow.  Pictured above (in uniform, left to right), with their escorts, are Naomi Glancey, Kaitlyn Kelley, Abigail Vogel, Andrew Arsenis, Steve Chirinos, Jay Lee, and Matt Castellane. Also pictured is boys’ team manager Anthony Rodriguez (7th from right). We appreciate the dedication and leadership of our seniors and are grateful to their parents and family members for their commitment and support. We will miss you next year!

Ready….Set….Race!! The annual Race for Education and Harvest Festival is just one week away on Friday, October 27. We welcome parents and other family members to come out to volunteer and cheer everyone on!

On Race Day, the Parent-Teacher Fellowship will be selling hot dog meals for $3, which will include one hot dog, a bag of chips, and a beverage. Order forms for the hot dog meal were sent home with preschool and elementary students. Middle school and high school students may also purchase a hot dog meal that day. The meal must be purchased separately and is not part of the regular lunch menu offered through RenWeb.

Thank you to the many families who participated by sending in sponsor address labels. Congratulations to Miss Williams’ 2nd grade class for making school history as the first class to have 100% of its students ask at least 10 people to sponsor them in the Race. The class was awarded a $100 Staples gift card. Following close behind were four other elementary classes that had at least 75% of their students reach out to 10 or more prospective sponsors. Event Coordinator Jessica Martin presented a $50 Staples gift card to these classes during the October 13 Elementary chapel — 3A, Mrs. Fosbenner; 3B, Mrs. McCarthy; 4A, Mrs. Hoover; and 5th, Mrs. Ash. The teachers will be using the gift cards to purchase equipment and supplies for their classrooms.

As part of National Fire Prevention Week, students from preschool to the 5th grade learned the ABC’s of fire safety from firefighters who visited our campus on Thursday, October 12 with the Sculville Volunteer Fire Company. The students learned about the importance of smoke detectors, the need to have “two ways out” in case of a fire, and how to “stop, drop, cover, and roll.” Our students also got a close-up look at a fire engine with its tools, hoses, gauges, and rescue equipment. Thank you to the firefighters with Engine #1532 for your service to our community! Additional photos from Fire Safety Day are on the ACS Facebook page.

ACS is excited to welcome three new Upper School faculty members — Dan Carney (right), as the middle school and high school culinary arts teacher; Charlie Moore (left), as one of three high school Bible teachers; and Tori Novack (center), as one of two high school English teachers.

After studying at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Carney spent two years as a sous-chef at Chiaroscuro Restaurant in San Francisco. For the past seven years, he has been the sous-chef at Ristorante Luciano in Stone Harbor, New Jersey.

“I love the science behind cooking and want my students to learn that while they develop their culinary skills,” said Carney, a self-described “food nerd.” In addition to teaching students how to cook, Carney also coaches the varsity boys’ basketball team. He and his wife Lauren, a former ACS faculty member and alumnus (’04), are expecting their first child in March and worship at Union Chapel by the Sea in Ocean City.

Charlie Moore comes to ACS with a degree in Biblical and theological studies from Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky, where he is also completing a Master of Divinity degree online. After substitute teaching at ACS last year, Moore is excited to have a full-time role teaching God’s Word to high school students.  “I want my students to see Christ throughout the whole Bible and to be able to apply Scripture in a practical way to their lives,” he said. He and his wife, Molly, have two children, Rowan (2 years) and Mabel (5 months) and another child on the way.  They attend Ocean City Baptist Church where Moore serves as the Worship Leader.

Novack, a 2017 graduate of Stockton University, has a BA in literature with a concentration in secondary education and a minor in ancient Greek. Along with her broad educational background, Novack also brings ministry experience to the classroom, serving in a pastoral role at Minotola United Methodist Church. “I want my students to be more open-minded and to think critically, not just in literature, but in life,” Novack said. After student teaching in a public school, Novack is enjoying the atmosphere at ACS.  “It’s nice to be in a community where it’s OK to say, ‘I’m praying for you’,” Novack said.

God’s timing isn’t always what we expect, but it’s always right.  That’s a spiritual reality that new Pre-K4 teacher Jennifer Kelley (pictured center) is enjoying this year.  With five children enrolled at ACS – Kaitlyn (12^th), Emily (10^th), Rebekah (6^th), Jason (3^rd) and Benjamin (1^st) – Mrs. Kelley says, “I spent so many years dropping off my kids and knowing I wanted to be here.  Now I am… in God’s timing!”

After seven years of teaching elementary classes at Gospel of Grace Christian School in Linwood and five years teaching PreK4 and Kindergarten at Son Catchers Learning Center, Kelley brings a passion to impact her students both academically and spiritually. “I want to see them grow in every area, not just in the classroom, but in the lunchroom, on the playground and at home,” she said. The Kelleys are part of the church family at Gospel of Grace Ministries in Egg Harbor Township where Jennifer’s husband of 20 years, Jason, helps lead the Wednesday evening programs.

It has been said that good things come in pairs. Such is the case with our two new PreK2 teachers, Ciara Altieri and Joelle Howard (pictured above left and right), who are both May 2017 graduates of Clarks Summit University with degrees in Early Childhood and PreK-4 Education.Howard first learned of a job opportunity at ACS through family members in the Egg Harbor Township area. Further encouraged by a fellow CSU student and ACS alumnus Jamie Zalman (’13), the college roommates decided to apply and have now become teaching colleagues.

Along the way, Altieri served three years with Big Brothers & Big Sisters, and Howard participated in various children’s ministries at Faith Bible Church in Vineland. Adding to their education and experience is a shared enthusiasm for their new roles.  “My favorite part of the day,” says Altieiri, “is hearing the kids singing about Jesus. That’s how I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.” Howard adds, “I enjoy seeing the children reach milestones that seem small, like sitting still or learning their letters.  Those things are huge to a two-year-old!”

Hayley Price – Kindergarten Teacher

Joining our team as one of our two kindergarten teachers is Miss Hayley Price (pictured above left), a 2014 graduate of Grove City College, who holds dual degrees in special education and elementary education. After a year of public school teaching, Price attended the March 2017 ACS Legacy Gala where Governor Mike Huckabee’s address inspired her to become involved in Christian education. She left the Gala saying, “I need to work at ACS!” and just a few months later, God opened the door. Excited about her new role, Price says, “I’m so happy to be in a Christian environment where I can talk about Jesus and pray with my students!” Price is an active member of Beacon Evangelical Free Church in Galloway where she is joining the worship team as a musician and vocalist. She also brings a wealth of children’s ministry experience to ACS having served as the Summer Kids’ Programs Director at the Ocean City Tabernacle for the past seven years.

Laura McCarthy – 3^rd Grade Teacher

After earning her elementary education degree from Philadelphia Biblical University and teaching third grade for six years in Cherry Hill, Mrs. Laura McCarthy (pictured above center) took a break to start a family. God blessed her and her husband, Sean, with two daughters – Lydia and Layla. She now has another group of children she likes to call her own. “I love these kids,” she says, of the students in her third grade classroom. “They’re my family away from home.” Also active in children’s ministry at Greentree Church, McCarthy has a keen awareness of God’s call and direction for her life. Excited to be back in the classroom, she states, “The best thing about being here at ACS is knowing this is exactly where God wants me to be.”

Erin Gibbs – 4^th Grade Teacher

“For such a time as this.”  That’s the motto Mrs. Erin Gibbs (pictured above right) brings to her 4^th grade classroom as she seeks to help her students become, as she calls them, “a special generation doing awesome things for God.” Her own life reflects the same mindset as God has led her from earning an English degree at Liberty University to joining the faculty at ACS. Along the way, she added her K-12 teaching certificate, five years of experience in public and Christian schools, and a great testimony of discovering God’s direction. While considering a move back to her hometown in North Jersey, the Gibbs family visited Wellspring Church in Egg Harbor Township. The connection that developed kept them in the area and served as a significant part of God’s leading in Gibbs’ journey to ACS. God has blessed Gibbs and her husband, Jim, with three children who have joined her here at ACS – Noah (6^th), Jude (3^rd) and Eve (K). In her spare time, Gibbs is writing a novel, “The Fishing Trip Girl,” which she hopes will someday become a series of books in the style of Judy Bloom or Beverly Cleary.