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Staff Spotlight – Meet Our New Elementary Teachers

Three new teachers are bringing great experience and enthusiasm to the ACS elementary school. Pictured left to right are Bethany Kiefer (5th), Eric Tardif (4th), and Grant Miller (5th).

Mrs. Kiefer comes to ACS with a BS in Elementary Education from the University of Valley Forge and teaching experience in the Swedesboro/Woolwich School District and Gloucester Township Public Schools. Kiefer, her husband Jason, and their daughters, Isabelle (1^st) and Hannah (PK4), attend Calvary Chapel Gateway where she serves on the worship team. “Pouring my heart and soul into teaching where the students are encouraged to pursue a relationship with Christ is one of the most rewarding teaching experience I’ve ever had,” Kiefer said.

Mr. Tardif has a BA in sociology from William Paterson University and a Masters in Educational Administration from Grand Canyon University. He has been a fourth grade teacher and reading tutor for the last twelve years in Pleasantville and Vineland. Tardif and his wife, Krystal, attend Greentree Church with their children, Kalee (4^th) and Dylan (1^st). “Teaching at ACS is a true gift,” he said. “Walking in the doors each day and being greeted by my students is a blessing. Serving the Lord alongside my students is a unique experience.”

Mr. Miller is an ACS alumnus (’07) with a BS in Physical Education and Health from Montclair State University. He previously taught 4^th-6^th grades at Gospel of Grace Christian School and 5^th grade at Crossroads Christian Academy in Panama City, Panama. He has also coached basketball here at ACS and in Panama. Miller and his wife, Minelva (who is from Panama), attend Praise Tabernacle where they coach Upward flag football. His motivation for educational ministry shines through when he said, “The Lord has given us the opportunity to shine for Him in this beautiful world. It’s now time to answer the call!”

PTF SpiritWear Sweatshirts On Sale Again

SpiritWear sweatshirts are again for sale by the ACS PTF. Adult hoodies ($30) and crewnecks ($26) are available in green and gray. Children’s crewnecks ($22) are available for Early Education students only in green and gray with the “Cougar Cubs” paw logo. Orders must be placed by Monday, November 19. The shirts will arrive the first week of December — just in time for Christmas!

CLICK HERE FOR ORDER FORM

Tickets for Elf the Musical, Jr. NOW ON SALE!

Tickets are now on sale for the ACS productions of “Elf the Musical Jr.” on Friday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased by school families in the school office or can be purchased online by clicking the button below. Adult tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Student tickets (age 3-12th grade) are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets

Grandparents Day Scheduled for Friday, November 16

We love our grandparents and ACS students will show that love next Friday, November 16 as part of Grandparents Day. This special annual celebration will begin with a coffee social for grandparents at 9:00 a.m. in the gym, followed by an all-school chapel at 10:00 a.m., where students from preschool through high school will participate in praising God through musical presentations and Bible readings. Grandparents will then have the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren in their classrooms from 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and visit the Scholastic Book Fair. We hope to see all of our grandparents at ACS on November 16.

Scholastic Book Fair at ACS November 12-16, Volunteers Needed

Our fall week-long Scholastic Book Fair will be held from Monday, November 12 to Friday, November 16. All students as well as their family members will have opportunities to visit the “Paws for Books” themed fair and shop for books throughout the week.

Students in PreK3 to the 5^th grade will visit the Fair in the school library on Monday and Tuesday to create their “wish lists.” Family members can join students and purchase books until 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 13, and until 3:00 p.m. (after the Grandparents Day chapel) on Friday, November 16. Middle school and high school students can visit the Fair and purchase books throughout the week during lunch periods and study halls. Book orders can also be placed by filling out the “wish list” that students will bring home and sending the money in with students by Wednesday, November 14. Book orders can also be placed online at scholastic.com/fair. For more information to order or to sign up to volunteer, visit our school’s homepage on the Scholastic website by clicking on the link below:

CLICK HERE TO ORDER BOOKS ONLINE

We need volunteers to help make this year’s Book Fair a success! If you would like to volunteer, please CLICK HERE to sign up easily online.

ACS to “Go Pink” for Breast Cancer Awareness – Monday, October 29

ACS is going pink on Monday, October 29 to support breast cancer research. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and ACS is doing its part to raise awareness of the disease. For a donation of $2, students and faculty/staff can wear a top or shirt that is predominantly pink with jeans (no jeans with holes) or with uniform bottoms (skirts, pants, shorts). Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women and current trends indicate that about 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. Proceeds from the ACS event will go to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Middle School Students Hone Leadership Skills at ACSI Philadelphia Conference

Eighteen students in grades 6-8 attended the ACSI Middle School Leadership Conference in Philadelphia on Wednesday, October 17. The conference, organized annually by the Association of Christian Schools International, focused on helping students see that their fallen state has led to brokenness, identifying their leadership style, and realizing how more more can be accomplished by working together to see redemption take place through action. Students from 11 other Christian schools in the Greater Philadelphia area, who along with ACS are members of ACSI, participated in the conference.

ACS students listened to speakers, interacted in discussion groups with students from the other schools, and then worked collaboratively to develop ideas and plans to make a difference at ACS. “It was a full day and we are excited to see the kind of impact these emerging leaders in our middle school will be making on our student body moving forward,” said Upper School Principal Meg McHale, who attended the conference along with middle school faculty member Sara Coates and parent chaperone Polly Ellison.

Elf the Musical, Jr. — Playbill Ads Deadline is Oct. 31 — Tickets Go On Sale Oct. 30

Playbill ads for the upcoming ACS production of “Elf the Musical Jr.” are still available for purchase. Purchase a spot in the playbill to advertise your business or to congratulate your favorite cast member.

Ads must be submitted online (click on button below), except for Pride Lines from an ACS student to a cast member, which can be purchased using a form obtained in the school office. ACS students get a 50% discounted price of $5 for a Pride Line. Ad prices begin at $25 for a quarter-page. All Pride Lines and other playbill ads must be submitted by no later than Tuesday, October 31.

Shows are Friday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Tuesday, October 30.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE PLAYBILL ADS

Surprise Baby Shower for Elementary Principal, Early Education Director Gail Alford — Details on Interim Leadership During Maternity Leave

The ACS faculty and staff threw a surprise after-school baby shower for Elementary Principal and Early Education Director Mrs. Gail Alford on October 18. There were lots of smiles and hugs as the ACS family offered best wishes and God’s blessings on the Alford family. A new baby girl is due to arrive in early November, joining the Alford’s four other children — Joshua, Ashlee, Isabell, and Elizabeth.

Mrs. Alford’s last day is this Friday, October 26. In her absence, Mrs. Unique Johnson will be serving as the interim Director of Early Education. Mrs. Johnson has been shadowing Mrs. Alford for the past month. She has extensive experience of over 10 years in Early Childhood Education. She ran a licensed center in her own home, was a teacher for a center in Lakeland, Florida, and served as the assistant director of a center on a military base in Japan. Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen will be the main point of contact overseeing administration of the elementary grades during Mrs. Alford’s absence.

Athletes and Family Members Honored at Soccer Senior Day

ACS honored its eleven senior players and managers on the Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ soccer teams and their parents in a special ceremony on Monday, October 22. The ceremony was held prior to the start of the home games against Baptist Regional School. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the team members and read notes of special thanks to each written by Varsity Boys’ Coach Ricardo Leon and Varsity Girls’ Coach Carly Witherow.

The Senior girls are (front row, from left): Lola Oguntuase, Rebekah Darragh, Caraline Winkel, Lindsey Ash, and Maya Wahl (manager). The Senior boys are (back row, from left): Mark Rosie, Jake O’Brien, Rudy Dalinger, Danny Lee, Luke Johnson, and Elijah Chapman.

CLICK HERE to see more Soccer Senior Day photos in our online gallery.

Race for Education and Harvest Festival – One Week Away!

In conjunction with the Race for Education, students in PreK3 to 5th grade will enjoy a variety of activities for our annual Harvest Festival and can order a special Hot Dog Lunch. There will be worship, games, songs, crafts, tractor rides, and much more. We are asking parents to help us make the day a success by contributing $1 per student and donating either a bag of snack crackers (if your student is in Early Ed) or candy (if your student is in elementary).

The Parent-Teacher Fellowship is offering its popular “Hot Diggity Dog Lunch” for $3. The meal includes a hot dog, chips, and a drink. Additional hot dogs can be purchased for $1.50 each. Info about the Harvest Festival, including the Hot Diggity Dog Lunch order form and Wagon Ride permission slip, was sent home earlier this week. You can also CLICK HERE to download the order form and permission slip.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the Race for Education or the Harvest Festival activities, please contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.

Middle School Soccer Teams Excelling — Boys’ Team Undefeated, Girls’ Team 6-1

The Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams are making their mark this season in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League, which includes local area public and parochial schools. The 16-member Boys’ team is undefeated, with a 7-0 record to date, and five games left in the season that concludes October 30. The 23-member Girls’ team, led by Coach Casey Hopwood, is 6-1 and for the first time in school history defeated Linwood 3-2 on Thursday.

The Middle School Boys’ coach and ACS parent Tom Ellison said his team members were determined at the beginning of the season to do something special and had set a goal to go undefeated, a feat that has not happened in over a decade. Coach Ellison said the team has scored an astonishing 30 times on its opponents and has only given up 3 goals in the past seven games. The team is comprised of predominately 8^th graders, most of whom have been playing together since fifth grade.

“The players genuinely care for one another on and off the field and play with a close-knit unity and a selfless attitude toward each another that can be clearly seen when you watch them play,” Ellison said. “These boys truly demonstrate what it means being all in for Jesus on the soccer field.” The middle school season ends on October 30. The boys’ and girls’ teams have home games next week — on October 23 and 25 starting around 3:45 pm. Come on out and cheer for our Cougars!

Soccer Senior Day Rescheduled to Monday, October 22

Soccer Senior Day was rescheduled from October 16 to this coming Monday, October 22, which will be our last Varsity home game of the season. ACS will honor the senior members of our Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Soccer Teams outdoors near the soccer fields, just prior to our home games against Baptist Regional. Parents or guardians of senior players are invited to attend and are asked to be part of the recognition ceremony. The games against Baptist will start at 4:00 p.m., immediately following the senior recognition ceremony.

Buffalo Wild Wings Spirit Day Has Great Turnout to Benefit ACS Athletics — ACS Green Basketball Jersey Now Hangs on Wall

Our ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing on October 12 was a huge success. Thank you to our school families, staff, alumni, alumni parents, and friends of ACS who came out to eat wings and help raise funds for ACS. Your participation generated over $2,500 in sales, the most of any group who has held a fundraiser there this year, according to management. The best part — over $500 is coming back to ACS to benefit our athletic programs. It was also great to see a framed green ACS basketball jersey hanging on the wall along with jerseys from area high schools and colleges. Go Cougars!

Homecoming 2018 – Great Turnout as Soccer Teams Beat King’s Christian, Students Enjoy Homecoming Dance

Over 100 ACS parents, students, alumni, staff, and friends turned out on Saturday, October 13 for Homecoming 2018. Our loyal fans enthusiastically cheered as our Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ soccer teams won both their games against King’s Christian School. The senior boys and girls selected for the Homecoming Court were presented between the two games. It was a cool, clear fall day that brought everyone to the concession stand to grab a hot chocolate or a blended coffee drink. In the afternoon, there were grilled hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch, with all proceeds going to benefit ACS athletics.

The Varsity Girls’ soccer team showed its strength and depth on the field, defeating King’s Christian 5-0. Sophomore Hannah Urbaczewski led the team with three goals and an assist and senior Lola Oguntuase and sophomore Chloe Vogel each scored one goal. Sophomore goalie Shelby Einwechter made 10 saves for the shutout. The Varsity Boys’ team won a hard fought game 1-0 over King’s Christian, with junior Ben Noble scoring the only goal early in the game. The defense held strong and senior goalie Mark Rosie made five saves for the shutout.

The Homecoming King and Queen were seniors Rebekah Darragh and Elijah Chapman, joined by their court — Solomon Griffith, Joshua Mizrahi, Lola Oguntuase, and Caraline Winkel. Later that evening, our students enjoyed a fun night out at the Homecoming Dance.

Thank you to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner for putting together a family friendly event, to PE teacher Ray Picking and parent volunteers who helped with concessions, and to the girls’ high school PE classes that decorated pumpkins with various graduation years and made bows and braids for spirit wear. Thanks for the memories! For more Homecoming photos, CLICK HERE for the photo gallery on the ACS website.

CLICK HERE FOR THE PHOTO GALLERY

Mark Your Calendar – Picture Days are October 22 & 23

Give us your best smile! Lifetouch will be at ACS to take school pictures next week — on Monday and Tuesday, October 22 and 23. Pictures of students in grades 6-12 will be taken on Monday and pictures of students in grades K-5 will be on Tuesday. Please do not wear gym clothes on your picture day. Hoodies and ACS sports jerseys or uniforms are also not to be worn. Photo ordering details will be emailed to parents soon.

Early Ed, Elementary Students Learn Fire Safety, Tour Fire Truck

Following up from National Fire Prevention Week (October 7-13), students from preschool to the 5th grade learned all about fire safety from firefighters who visited our campus on Thursday, October 18 with the Sculville Volunteer Fire Company. The students learned about the importance of smoke detectors, the need to have a meeting place outside their house 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.

Art teacher Sherry Mirakian also provided the students instruction on drawing fire trucks. They learned about geometric shapes and vertical versus horizontal while creating replica drawings (pictured above right). Next week the classes will learn about color and complete the drawings. The firemen were given photos of the artwork in progress to take back to the firehouse.

Kindergarten Classes Celebrate Stories and Characters on Mother Goose Day

Fairy tales and fables came to life around the ACS campus on Thursday, October 18 as the Kindergarten classes celebrated Mother Goose Day. Students and teachers alike dressed up as storybook characters and went on parade throughout the building. A crowd favorite was Kindergarten Aid George Getty who appeared as a beanstalk, complete with a castle in the clouds and Jack making the climb. Also spotted in the cast of characters were Jack &Jill, Humpty Dumpty, and the Big Bad Wolf. Nursery rhyme healthy snacks were served including Little Boy Blue’s blueberry muffins, Humpty Dumpty’s eggs, beans from Jack’s beanstalk, and water from Jack and Jill.

Harvest Festival and Race for Education – Two Fun Events in One Day

The Parent-Teacher Fellowship is offering its popular “Hot Diggity Dog Lunch” for $3. The meal includes a hot dog, chips, and a drink. Additional hot dogs can be purchased for $1.50 each. Information about the Harvest Festival and the order form for the Hot Diggity Dog Lunch will be sent home next week. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the Race for Education or the Harvest Festival activities, please contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.

Race for Ed Sponsor Label Contest Winners Announced

Students who submitted the most Race for Education sponsor mailing labels were presented with special prizes today during chapel. Top honors and a $25 Buffalo Wild Wings gift card went to 4th grader Mackenzie Flynn (pictured below left), who turned in 82 labels. Kindergartner Alana Rosie (pictured below right) came in second place with 63 address labels.

Fifth Graders Lead Worship in Weekly PreK-5th Chapels

Two 5th grade Worship Teams enthusiastically led worship this Friday in both the Early Ed-Kindergarten chapel and the 1st-5th grade chapels. The two teams began rehearsing in August to be ready to lead worship at the first chapel of the school year in September and each week thereafter.

“This is the second consecutive year that we have formed two worship teams,” said faculty member Teresa Bird, who is in her fifth year directing the effort. “The students are so excited to lead worship and they are doing a great job.” Over the course of the school year, the students will learn the lyrics and music of up to 30 worship songs, which they will then teach to their fellow students. They also learn lively choreography to present with each of the songs.

The 13 members of this year’s teams, who meet weekly after school to practice, are pictured below. Pictured below left, which is the team that leads elementary chapel, are (from left): Anyae Welch, Sophia Costello, Angela Awad, Gabriella Goodwin, Mrs. Bird, Lydia McCarthy, Victoria Dade, and Gianna Flynn. Pictured below right, which is the team that leads Early Ed-K chapel, are (from left): Mikayla Cubbage, Jade Thompson, Stephanie Valdes, Mrs. Bird, Hazel Burgan, Ava Barberio, and Amelia D’Anna.

Let the Recycling Begin — ACS to Compete in “Recycle Bowl” from October 15-November 15

Students in 6th to 12th grade are leading a school-wide effort to participate in the Recycle Bowl, a national contest that promotes recycling in schools. To inform and excite students about the importance of recycling, middle school students made presentations in elementary classrooms during the first week of October. The students created eye-catching posters that are now hanging in various classrooms to remind students and staff to recycle. On Friday, October 12, a video promoting recycling that was created by ACS high school students was shown during chapel to kick off the start of the Recycle Bowl contest on Monday. The contest will end on November 15 and ACS will be competing against other schools in the region and across the country for prizes.

Students will be collecting bags filled with recycled items from classrooms, offices, and the lunchroom each week, weighing them, and recording the results as part of the contest. Middle school science teacher Celine Melody and high school science teachers Dave Genter and Rebecca Stonelake are overseeing the effort. Let the recycling begin!

Soccer Senior Day – October 16

ACS will honor the senior members of our Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Soccer Teams on Tuesday, October 16 at 3:45 p.m. outdoors near the soccer fields, just prior to our home games against Gloucester County Christian School. Parents or guardians of senior players are invited to attend and are asked to be part of the recognition ceremony. The games against Gloucester will start at 4:00 p.m., immediately following the senior recognition ceremony.

Learning is Lots of Fun at Storybook Land

Our kindergarten classes enjoyed a fun-filled day at Storybook Land on Wednesday, October 10, a favorite annual fall field trip. They rode the nursery-rhyme themed rides, went on a hayride, and picked and decorated pumpkins. Students have been learning that stories are made up of characters, and so they spent the day identifying characters from favorite stories who were in the park. Thank you to kindergarten teachers Hayley Price and Julie Reilly, their aides, and our parent chaperones for helping make great memories with our students.

4th Graders Sample Healthy Quinoa Salad in Live AtlantiCare Cooking Demo

Our 4th grade students were treated to a live cooking demo on Friday, October 5 by Chef Marci Lutsky of The Happy Heart Corner, who prepared a healthy quinoa salad featuring the fall harvest fruits of apples and pears. Throughout the demo, Chef Marci interacted with the students, including having them use their math skills to help her measure the ingredients for the salad dressing. The demo was sponsored by the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program, of which ACS is a participating member school.

Mrs. Valerie Behrens of Impact Harvest also spoke to the students about “My Plate” and how fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are part of a healthy diet. The presentation was a good introduction for the students as they learned more about My Plate during science lessons in Mrs. Hoover’s and Mr. Tardif’s classes this week.

The students enjoyed sampling the salad and some even went back for seconds. They were also excited to receive a special gift bag filled with fresh red and green bell peppers from Impact Harvest’s greenhouse in Buena.

High School Students Receive Chromebooks; Portable K-8 Classroom Sets Available Soon

ACS high school students each received a new Chromebook this week as part of a new one-to-one Chromebook initiative to help students master the use of technology and be trained for success in college and the workplace. Portable classroom sets of Chromebooks will also be available for use by elementary and middle school classes by the end of the month.

“We are very excited about giving our students the tools and training in technology that they need to be prepared for college and their future careers,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. She said donations of over $40,000 enabled ACS to purchase 130 Chromebooks to launch this new initiative.

Prior to the start of this school year, teachers received training in how to integrate the use of the Chromebooks in the classroom and additional teacher and student training will continue this fall.

ACS has taken a series of steps over the past several years to increase technology training, including equipping two computer labs and adding technology-related classes. This year, web design and digital photography were added as new high school electives.

For the 2019-2020 school year, Oblen said ACS will be offering several specialized educational tracks for students when they enter high school, including tracks in computer science, education, business, and pre-med. Dual enrollment to obtain college credits will also be in place.

The enhanced technology offerings are building on a well-established program that begins with 3-year-olds in preschool and continues in elementary through high school. Oblen said one of the successful programs being used is called Education City, software tailored for children from PreK3 to the 8^th grade. Middle school students attend computer classes in a lab twice a week, where they learn internet research skills, graphic design, how to make presentations, and other technology-related skills.