ACS Alumni and their families are invited to our winter alumni event — Alumni Women’s and Men’s Basketball Games — on Wednesday, December 21. A complimentary pizza meal will be provided for all alumni and all players will receive an event T-shirt.
Please RSVP by 12/16/22 to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner if you would like to play — send a text to: 609-412-7735.
The Alumni Women’s Game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the Alumni Men’s Game will start at 7:00 p.m.
Hope to see you there!
The ACS production of the Seussical, JR. musical drew over a thousand people to our school’s stage for three shows on November 18 and 19. A cast of 45 students from the 3rd-12th grades put on a spectacular performance — singing, dancing, and bringing to life the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, JoJo and the townspeople of Whoville, Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude McFuzz, and other wacky and whimsical Dr. Seuss characters.
Narrated by the Cat in the Hat, played by 12th grader Evan Power, the story in the musical centers on Horton the Elephant’s quest to save the people of Whoville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. Horton, played by 10th grader Joshua Kinch, lives with other interesting animals in the Jungle of Nool, including a plain bird named Gertrude McFuzz, played by 11th grade Ryleigh Martin, and Mayzie LaBird, a fancy, showy bird, played by 6th grader Sophia Gomez.
Horton places the speck of dust on a pink ball of clover, and as the story unfolds he builds a friendship with one of the youngest Whos, JoJo, who only he can hear speaking from tiny Whoville. No one believes that anyone is living on the speck of dust until JoJo, played by 5th grader Megan Connolly, gives out a great yell that everyone in the Jungle of Nool can hear. The iconic Dr. Seuss quote that becomes a recurring theme throughout the musical is — “A person is a person no matter how small.”
Director Genevieve Huff said the cast worked very hard and bonded over the 10 weeks of rehearsals — becoming like one big, happy family. A talented group of some 50 volunteers — including ACS teachers, staff, students, and parents — served behind the scenes doing set design, scenery, face painting, costumes, stage crew, and much more.
“I know the audience members felt like they were walking into a Dr. Seuss storybook and I’m very grateful for the countless hours that our volunteers spent to make the show visually spectacular,” Huff said.
ACS Art Teacher Sherry Mirakian led a team of volunteers who focused on the scenery — creating and painting the backdrop, the Pill-Berry Bush, glow-in-the-dark fish, and other props for the show. The student Set Design Club worked diligently on Thursdays during school and additional volunteers served after school and in the evenings for two weeks prior to the show.
ACS Computer Teacher Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney and Instructional Specialist Bethany Kiefer focused on costumes. Hahn-Chaney, who majored in fashion design in college and worked for several years at fashion houses in Manhattan, made the costumes for the six Bird Girls and the lead characters of Maizy LaBird and Gertrude McFuzz, and made the ears and tails for the six monkey-like creatures known as the Wickersham Brothers.
Thank you to Gail Crafton of AC Photo for donating her services to create these photo memories.
ACS students, faculty, and staff recently participated in Operation Christmas Child and filled 69 shoeboxes to bless children this Christmas. The project was organized by 12th grader Jake DeNick as his Senior Project and concluded on November 18. The shoeboxes will be distributed around the world during this Christmas season by the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.
Jake chose this initiative to be his Senior Project as part of a year-long Senior Project Class. “I’ve been participating in Operation Christmas Child for many years with my church and I’ve always enjoyed doing it,” Jake said. “I wanted to give the school community the chance to do it with me.”
During the week of October 24, Jake made presentations at several teacher meetings about his project and brought shoeboxes to hand out to teachers interested in doing the project with their students. By the end of the project, 13 classes from preschool to high school decided to participate, along with over a dozen of ACS faculty and staff members.
“This project is an opportunity for children in foreign countries to have a Christmas who don’t normally get to have a Christmas, while also getting to learn about the Bible,” Jake said. Each shoebox sponsor had the opportunity to choose if the box was for a boy or girl and to choose the age range, either 2-4 years old, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years old. The shoeboxes were filled with their choice of toys, school supplies, and personal care items. When Samaritan’s Purse distributes them to the children they also take the opportunity to share the Gospel.
Jake’s Senior Project class is facilitated by faculty member Daniel Vasquez. Other seniors are working a variety of Senior Projects, all with a community service focus and utilizing their individual gifts and talents. Part of each project also includes writing a letter of intent, writing a research or reflection paper, and doing an oral presentation to the class.
ACS high school students recently competed in the 8th annual Recycled Art Contest sponsored by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority and 12th grader Lauren Kent was awarded Honorable Mention for her entry. She received recognition at a ceremony on November 19 at the ACUA America Recycles Day event and her unique and creative artwork was also on display there.
Kent and seven other students created artwork for the contest during Mrs. Mirakian’s Art Workshop class, a semester-long class that meets four days a week. The art pieces were entered in the 14- to 18-year-old category in the contest and were completed on October 19. The artwork was then taken to the Atlantic County Library in Egg Harbor Township, where they were on display until October 31.
In addition to Lauren, the other students who competed in the contest from ACS were: Eddie Ireland, Alli Lushina, Evan Pearson, Alli Schlundt, Noelle Thompson, Eden Wilson, and Eve Wilson.
Lauren used a variety of recyclable materials to create her artwork, including wire, yarn, cork, cardboard, hot glue, and buttons. Artwork created by other students in the class used other recyclable materials such as aluminum cans, bottle caps, egg cartons, newspaper, plastic bottles, puzzle pieces, and straws.
Our festive “One Christmas Night” event is just two weeks away — on Friday, December 2, from 5:00-8:30 p.m. You don’t want to miss this special event for ACS students, their families, faculty, and staff as we come together to celebrate the joy and hope of Christmas. There will be performances by our bands and worship teams, a live nativity, and lots of fun indoor and outdoor activities, some of which will require tickets that can be pre-purchased in the school office or at the event.
New activities will include a magic show, a balloon twister, and a Christmas Bazaar with 23 vendors selling Christmas crafts and other holiday items. There will also be photo opportunities with Olaf and some of the other endearing characters from “Frozen” and a place to pose for a family portrait.
Tickets will be needed for eight different activities — the magic show, the balloon twister, inflatables, the hayride, the pony ride, the petting zoo, face painting, and Christmas arts and crafts. Tickets prices are $2 per ticket and $14 for a pack of 8 tickets. Flyers were sent home with students from PreK-6th grade that included a ticket order form for pre-orders.
Delicious food will be available for sale from several vendors, including the Stir It Up Restaurant in Egg Harbor Township and the Root Cellar Tavern in Dorothy. There will also be fire pits where you can enjoy making s’mores. The Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team plans to sell s’mores kits as a fundraiser and the Cheer Team will be selling baked goods and doing a candy buffet bar.
“We invite all of our parents, students, and staff to come out to celebrate the birth of our Savior and participate in the many fun activities we have planned,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Last year, about 1,000 people attended and we expect even more this year. It’s a great way to kick off the Christmas season.”
We’re in the Winner’s Circle! Atlantic Christian School was a big winner in the Press of Atlantic City’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards, placing in three categories — for Best Child Daycare Center, Best Summer Camp, and Best Place to Work. The award winners were announced on Sunday, November 6 and published in a special pull-out section in The Press of Atlantic City.
Our summer Cougar Camp and our Early Education Center both received 2nd place Silver Medals and ACS received a 3rd place Bronze Medal in the category of “Best Place to Work.”
Thank you to our ACS families and the many friends in our community who voted online in two rounds of the contest from July-September. Our desire is to honor God in everything we do as we serve our students, our school families, and our local community.
This past summer, children entering grades 1 to 7 enjoyed a 9-week Cougar Camp program that included field trips to the Cape May Zoo, King Pin Bowling, Estell Manor Park, and other fun and educational destinations, water foam fun, STEM activities, swimming at the lake at Sleepy Hollow Family Campground, working in the school garden, sports, Bible stories and worship, and much more. We’re very proud of our Cougar Camp staff, led by faculty member Eric Tardif, and our Early Education teachers and aides, led by Early Ed Director and Elementary Principal Gail Alford, for their dedication and love for each of the students who are in these programs.
CLICK HERE to read the online article on the awards in the Press of Atlantic City.
The ACS Varsity Soccer Teams fought hard in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Finals Tournament on Saturday, November 5, but victory slipped out of their grasp. The Varsity Boys lost a hard-fought match to King’s Christian School in the Boys’ Championship game and the Varsity Girls lost to Calvary Academy in the Girls’ Consolation Game. At the end of the tournament, which was held at Cairn University, 10 ACS Varsity players were named TSCAC All-Stars and played in the November 8 All-Star Game.
In the Varsity Boys’ Championship Final against King’s Christian School, the game ended in a tie of 2-2, with goals scored by Chase Leach and Malachi Vasquez. The game then went into double overtime, with both teams still tied. King’s Christian won in penalty kicks 4-2. In the regular season, King’s Christian and ACS had finished in first place and 2nd place consecutively.
In the Varsity Girls’ Consolation game, ACS lost to Calvary Academy 6-3. Paige Noble, Kennedy Vasquez, and Eden Wilson scored for the Lady Cougars. The Lady Cougars had finished in 3rd place in the regular season.
Congratulations to the players who were named TSCAC Soccer All-Stars. The Varsity Girls’ All-Stars were: Maddie DeNick, Paige Noble, Alicia O’Donnell, and Eden Wilson (1st team) and Reyna Lewis (2nd team). The Varsity Boys’ All-Stars were: Moges Johnson, David O’Donnell, and Malachi Vasquez (1st team) and Jake DeNick and Manny Johnson (2nd team).
Athletic Director Pam Hitchner said each of the players who were named All-Stars gave 100% on the field and were key players in leading both teams to this year’s TSCAC soccer finals. This was the second consecutive year that the Varsity Boys’ team had advanced to play in the TSCAC Championship game.
“We had a memorable season and we’re proud of the exemplary sportsmanship that our Cougars showed both on and off the field,” Hitchner said. “We’re also very grateful to our head coaches, Chris Lopez and Carly Witherow — for their hard work and dedication.”
An exciting winter sports season is ready to launch for our basketball and cheer teams, with the first Varsity basketball games scheduled for December 5 and 7 and the teams participating once again in the Del-Co Basketball Tournament in Pennsylvania on December 9 and 10. The ACS Cheer Team is looking forward to cheering at the first home games on December 13 against Cape May Tech.
Middle School basketball tryouts will be held on Monday, November 28, with the Middle School Boys’ team opening its season competing in the Dixie Howell Tournament in Ocean City on December 9. The game schedules for middle school and high school are accessible from the ACS app and on the ACS website under the “Athletics” tab and will be updated regularly as needed.
“There is a lot of enthusiasm for our winter sports and we are looking forward to a competitive season for all of our teams,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. “We are pleased to welcome back a strong Varsity coaching staff that has invested a number of years into building programs that emphasize the fundamentals and produce teams that are exciting to watch. We hope to see lots of school families, alumni, and friends filling our bleachers again this year.”
Varsity Basketball
The Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team will be under head coach Drew Carney, assisted by Dan Carney. Under this coaching duo, the team has won three consecutive Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championships. The 17 members of the 2022 team are: Robby Barberio, Charlie Costello, Judah Dawkins, Jake DeNick, Noah Gibbs, Sam Glancey, AJ Gomez-Rugoff, Caden Kim, Sam Kirchoff, Josh Merlino, Evan Pearson, Jayden Sanchez, Adam Schlundt, Noah Stokes, Jericho Thomas, Malachi Vasquez, and Caleb Vogel.
The Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team will be led by head coach and ACS alumnus Kaylee Breunig (’12), in her 6th year as head coach, and assistant coach Dara Kimmerley. The 14 members of the 2022 team are: Daniella Ajayi, Isabell Alford, Alexis Andujar, Sophia Costello, Maddie DeNick, Gianna Flynn, Becca Kelley, Evangelina Kim, Reyna Lewis, Ava Nixon, Paige Noble, Skylar Shivers, Taylor Sutton, and Kennedy Vasquez.
Both teams will play American Christian School away in the first games of the season on December 5, traveling to Succasunna, NJ. On December 7, the Varsity Girls’ team will travel to Burlington, NJ to play the Doane Academy on December 7. On December 9-10, both ACS teams will compete in the Del-Co Tournament, hosted by Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, PA. The first homes games will be on December 13, when ACS will face off in a non-conference game against Cape May Tech, with the Varsity Girls’ game starting at 4 p.m. and the Varsity Boys’ Game tipping off at 5:30 p.m.
Cheer
Twenty-two middle school and high school students are part of this year’s cheerleading squad, under head coach Morgan Gibson, assisted by Michelle Wheeler. Team tryouts were held in early September and the squad has been practicing weekly since that time. Practices will increase to four times a week in mid-December. The team will cheer at select home and away games and is preparing to compete in three upcoming ImpACT Cheer and Dance Competitions from January to March.
“We’re very excited about taking our Cheer Team to the next level and competing in a different division this year,” Gibson said. The Cheer Team achieved national recognition in the spring of 2022 after competing in several meets and being named the national grand champion in The ONE Finals School Cheer Division, Junior High Intermediate Level.
Gibson said the squad has been busy this fall leading several fundraisers to help cover the costs of competition entry fees, uniforms, cheer training equipment, and more. The squad has raised some $5,000 toward their $15,000 goal by selling wristbands in October to Playland’s Castaway Cove and selling Spiritwear, s’mores kits, and doing face painting at Homecoming and the Under the Lights home soccer game on October 21.
The members of the cheer squad are: Ashlee Alford, Ava Barberio (captain), Annalena DiMaio, Rebecca DiMaio (captain), April Eaves, Mackenzie Flynn (captain), Makenzie Fresh, Kylie Jackson, Raslyn Jacoby, Emily Johnson, Grace Johnson, Abigail Kelley, Ava Lombardi, Autumn Loo, Kiara Loo, Tara Mccorkle, Madeline Neill, Solia Pecou, Chelsie Richards, Haven Sanchez (captain), Makayla Tomlinson, and Taylor Vola.
Fifteen scouts in Boy Scout Troop 389, chartered by Atlantic Christian School, went on a two-day tour of Washington, DC in mid-October and had the special honor of presenting a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery.
The trip from October 22-23 was organized by Scoutmaster Mike Jorgenson and Assistant Scoutmaster Mike Capito, both ACS parents, who saw the tour as an opportunity for the scouts to fulfill many of the requirements to earn their Citizenship in the Nation badge. But the trip was about much more than earning a badge. “Everywhere we went, the scouts were seeing and learning about important events in our country’s history that they only knew about in an abstract way, and now it was becoming more real,” Capito said.
Jorgenson said the Troop is very grateful to the American Legion Post 469 in Longport for making a donation to help underwrite the cost of the trip and make it affordable for every scout.
Both Jorgenson and Capito said one highlight of the trip was participating in a wreath presentation ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. Four scouts — Blake Botbyl, Logan Campsmith, Hunter Jorgenson, and Cameron Riordan — participated in the ceremony in the afternoon of October 23, right after the hourly changing of the guard. The rest of the scouts also participated by standing in columns on the steps as the wreath was carried to the front of the Tomb. A ribbon on the wreath recognized Troop 389 and American Legion Post 469.
“All of us felt so honored to be part of this solemn and reverent ceremony,” Jorgenson said. “It’s hard to put into words the emotions we felt in that moment.” After the ceremony, the scouts visited the graves of two members of the military who were interred there who had a personal connection to scouts in the troop.
Another highlight of the trip was the scout’s tour of the National Archives, where they saw historic documents including the Bill of Rights, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the Magna Carta. “For many of us, this was the first time we were seeing these documents, which were so important to the founding of our country, in their original form and it was a really memorable experience,” Jorgenson said.
In addition to visiting Arlington Cemetery and the National Archives, the scouts’ itinerary included touring the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and a number of national monuments, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Monument, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Monument.
“Even though we did a lot of walking during the trip, everyone loved the experience and they all want to go back and do it again,” said Jorgenson, who had been planning since 2019 to take the Troop to DC, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic had to delay those plans.
Boy Scout Troop 389 and Cub Scout Pack 389 were established in 2004 and meet at ACS on Monday nights. Cub Scouts is for boys from the 1st -5th grades and Boy Scouts is for boys from 6th grade until their 18th birthday.
Olaf, Belle, Arthur, dinosaurs, and narwhals took on a new form as the 20 students in Ms. McCartney’s 1st grade class found ways to decorate pumpkins to look like these and other favorite characters for a recent book report project. The whimsical pumpkins have been on display in the hallway outside their classroom for several weeks in November.
The pumpkins came from the ACS pumpkin patch on Harvest Day, which students took home on October 28. For the book report project, McCartney asked each student to select a book to read at home, choose a favorite character from the book, and then decorate their pumpkin to look like that character.
“We’ve been learning about characters in stories and this project was a fun and creative way to reinforce the subject,” McCartney said. “They could paint or attach any decorations they wanted, but they were asked not to carve the pumpkin.” The students presented their book reports and pumpkins to their classmates on November 4.
“Everyone did a good job and put a lot of creative effort into their decorating,” McCartney said. Some of the books the students read included “The Three Little Pigs,” “Charlotte’s Web,” Berenstain Bear’s “Report Card Trouble,” “The Wonky Donkey,” “Froggy Picks a Pumpkin,” and “Olaf Waits for Spring.”
High school students in Mrs. Melody’s “Practical Health and Medicine” class recently learned about the different types of injections used in health care during a skills lab on October 24. The class is part of a high school concentration on Health and Medicine.
Melody invited ACS parent and nurse Justyna Montemurro to lead the skills lab. Montemurro is a maternity and delivery nurse at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland.
The ACS Book Fair got underway the week of November 14 with students visiting the school library to preview the books and novelty items and create their shopping wish lists.
In-person family shopping opens on Friday, November 18 — the opening night of the Seussical JR. musical — with opportunities to shop both before and after the show, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and from 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will also be open on Saturday, November 19 before and after the two Seussical JR. performances, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., 3:00-4:00 p.m., 6:00-7:00 p.m., and 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will be closed while the musical is being performed.
Family shopping will continue the following week, on November 21-22, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and on November 23, Grandparent Appreciation Day, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Thank you to the parents and grandparents who signed up to volunteer for the Book Fair. On opening day on November 14, ACS parent Noriko Dorsey assisted students in Mrs. Reilly’s kindergarten class as they looked at various books and helped them create their wish lists. Mrs. Reilly and her aide, Mrs. Fosbenner, also worked with the students on their wish lists. A copy of each student’s wish list is sent home so parents can approve selections and send money in with students from November 21-23.
Middle school and high school students are also shopping at the fair during their lunch break.
Librarian Patti Scardilli said ACS is very happy to be partnering with several Christian companies to promote a Biblical worldview through the books, posters, and other products that are on sale. The Truth That Rocks Bookstore, as well as Munce, Swanson, New Day, and other Christian vendors, are supplying books and products for the Book Fair.
“We have a great selection of Christian books, games, stationery items, toys, CDs, DVDs, and more,” Scardilli said. In keeping with the Seussical JR. theme, the school library and adjacent hallway are decorated with Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and other characters from Dr. Seuss’ famous books.
Tickets are selling fast for our exciting production of the musical, Seussical JR., to be presented in three shows on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19. Colorful and creative scenery and fantastical costumes of Dr. Seuss-themed characters will bring Whoville and its many charming creatures to life.
Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for general admission and can be purchased online at acseht.org/drama or at the door. Seating will be first-come, first-served. The November 18 show is at 7 p.m. and on November 19 there are two shows — at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“A talented group of volunteers — including ACS teachers, staff, students, and parents — have been working hard since the first week of October to create the colorful and dynamic scenery and costumes for this show,” said Director Genevieve Huff, who is also an ACS 3rd grade teacher. “The audience will feel like they’re walking into a Dr. Seuss storybook and we’re so grateful for the countless hours that our volunteers have spent to make this show visually spectacular.”
ACS Art Teacher Sherry Mirakian has headed up a team of some 25 volunteers who have focused on the scenery — creating and painting the backdrop, the Pill-Berry Bush, glow-in-the-dark fish, and other props for the show. The student Set Design Club has worked diligently on Thursdays during school and additional volunteers have served after school and in the evenings for the past two weeks.
ACS Computer Teacher Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney and Instructional Specialist Bethany Kiefer have been focusing on costumes. Hahn-Chaney, who majored in fashion design in college and worked for several years at fashion houses in Manhattan, made the costumes for the six Bird Girls and the lead characters of Maizy LaBird and Gertrude McFuzz, and made the ears and tails for the six monkey-like creatures known as the Wickersham Brothers.
“We have so many talented faculty and staff members who have given of their time and talents to make this show really memorable,” Huff said. “It’s been a blessing to work with them.”
Some of the individuals involved in set design and scenery include: Ava Aragon-Franks, Stephanie Ballester, Kendall Bouchard, Gabe Capito, Sophia Capito, Caelyn Domsic, Aine Dorsey, Noriko Dorsey, Gabrielle Franks, Keira Frontino, Gabriella Goodwin, Autumn Henson, Victoria Hines, Mark Huff, Gracie Leon, Malena Meyer, Raquel Mitchell, Bryce Mooney, Aryana Mossbrook, Rowlee Murphy, Iannair Ramirez, Sophia Rose, Isabella Saad, Patti Scardilli, Ben Smith, Gianna Ulerio, and Taylor Vola.
Individuals who volunteered as costume helpers include Stephanie Ballester, Caeli Barbour, Brittany Correa, Ashley Gonzalez, Malena Meyer, Jenny Riveros, and Rowynn Shevlin.
ACS honored and thanked some 40 area veterans for their service and sacrifice at a special breakfast and chapel on November 3. Student Council officers welcomed and joined the veterans for breakfast, spending time in conversation learning about their experiences serving in the military. Special hand-made thank-you cards made by students were also presented to the veterans during the breakfast.
After breakfast, several hundred students from the 1st-8th grades filled the gym for the Veterans Appreciation Chapel, which was also livestreamed to the kindergarten and high school classrooms. Upper School Principal Meg McHale opened the chapel with prayer. Members of the ACS Boy Scout Troop 389 then presented the colors and 12th grader and Eagle Scout Hunter Jorgenson led everyone in the salute to the American flag.
Students had the opportunity to demonstrate their patriotism by performing a variety of musical numbers. The Middle School Band, directed by faculty member Tim Rosie, performed “God Bless America,” the PreK4 students sang “The Lord’s Army,” and the 1st grade students sang “America the Beautiful,” directed by faculty member Julie Zimmer.
8th grader Rowynn Shevlin was invited to the podium to share her essay that thanked veterans for the important sacrifices that they make to defend our freedoms. Her essay was chosen out of more than a dozen that were written by 7th and 8th grade students as an extra credit class assignment. In her essay, Shevlin described veterans as “honorable people who too often have gone through mental and physical strain to make America what it is today.” Shevlin continued — “Your strength and courage are something to be celebrated at least one day a year, if not more.”
A favorite part of the program featured the playing of an “Armed Forces Medley” video. The students cheered and clapped as each service anthem was played and the veterans from each branch stood for their anthem.
Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen introduced the keynote speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Lewis, who has served for 22 years in the U.S. Air Force. She is also a school parent and her husband, Urick Lewis, is the high school Bible teacher. Lieutenant Colonel Lewis described some of the challenges she faced while serving at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. She noted that during times when the base was attacked she always felt “that God was by my side.” She noted that Proverbs 3:5-6 is her favorite Bible verse.
“We often don’t know what God’s plan is, but we have to trust that we all have a purpose,” Lewis said. She also encouraged everyone in the audience to never stop showing gratitude to those who have served and currently serve in the military.
“Our veterans deserve all our respect, and not necessarily for fighting in a war but for preventing them,” Lewis said. She then closed with the famous quote from World War II General Douglas MacArthur — “Remember that the soldier above all others prays for peace.”
The chapel program concluded with the Middle School Worship Team bringing everyone to their feet to join in singing the lively worship songs “My Jesus” and “My Father’s House.” Three 8th grade soloists were featured in the songs — Abigail Kelley, Isabella Santos, and Rowynn Shevlin.
After chapel, students from elementary to high school placed American flags outdoors along the sidewalk on Zion Road in honor of our veterans. The flags will remain in place through November 11, the national Veteran Day holiday.
We’re in the Championship Game! Our Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team is headed to the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Championship Match on Saturday, November 5 and will face King’s Christian School for the Championship Title. The TSCAC Finals are being held at Cairn University in Langhorne, PA. The start time for the Varsity Boys’ Final Match is 4 p.m. Come on out and cheer our Cougars to victory!
The ACS Varsity Boys’ team, seeded #2 at the end of the regular season, won 4-3 in an exciting, hard-fought semi-final playoff match at home against The Pilgrim Academy on Thursday to advance to the Championship Game. This is the second year in a row that the ACS Varsity Boys’ team has advanced to play in the Championship Game.
The #3-seeded Varsity Girls’ team lost their semi-final game to #2-seeded Gloucester County Christian School and will play in the consolation game against Calvary Academy at Cairn University starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
The Varsity Boys’ team, under head coach Chris Lopez, finished the regular season in second place with a 8-2 record in the conference, and overall record of 12-6. In Thursday’s semi-final playoff game against The Pilgrim Academy, three players scored for ACS — 10th grader James Papanikolaou, 2 goals; 11th grader Manny Johnson, 1 goal; and 9th grader David O’Donnell, 1 goal. 12th grade goalie Jake DeNick had six saves. 12th grader Tommy Ellison had two assists and 11th grader Manny Johnson and 10th grader Chase Leach each had one assist.
The Varsity Girls’ team, under head coach Carly Witherow, finished in third place in the regular season with a 7-3 record in the conference, and a 10-4 record overall. In Thursday’s semi-final playoff game, 12th grader Eden Wilson scored the one goal for ACS.
Admission to the games will be $2 per student, $3 per adult, and $10 max per family. Cairn University is located at 200 Manor Avenue in Langhorne, PA.
Opening night of our exciting production of the Seussical, JR. musical is just two weeks away — on Friday, November 18. The deadline to place an ad or booster in the show’s playbill has been extended to this coming Monday, November 7. Tickets are also on sale for all three performances. Don’t miss this opportunity to support a show that is sure to be a big hit and will put a smile on your face.
CLICK HERE to purchase ads, boosters, and tickets online. Ticket prices are $8 for students and $10 for general admission and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. There are three performances — on Friday, November 18 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, November 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Set construction is underway, led once again by ACS parent and former student Mark Huff, assisted by ACS parent Mike Capito. ACS parent Tony Boules and Travis Shafer, who are owners of Architectural Master Builders based in Parsippany, NJ, have also offered assistance.
Students and teachers have created bulletin boards to promote the musical. A bulletin board outside the library features Horton the Elephant, one of the characters in the musical, sharing an encouraging message — “A person’s a person no matter how small.” Another bulletin board features the photos of the 45 members of the cast, with their names and the parts they will play in the show.
ACS 12th grader Jake DeNick is leading a special school-wide initiative to encourage teachers and students to participate in “Operation Christmas Child” by filling shoeboxes with gifts for children that will be distributed around the world during the Christmas season by the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. Jake has chosen this initiative to be his Senior Project as part of a year-long Senior Project Class and the deadline is November 14 to have all the shoeboxes filled and ready to ship to Samaritan’s Purse.
“I’ve been participating in Operation Christmas Child for many years with my church and I’ve always enjoyed doing it,” Jake said. “I wanted to give the school community the chance to do it with me.”
During the week of October 24, Jake made presentations at several teacher meetings about his project and brought 50 shoeboxes to hand out to teachers interested in doing the project with their students. By the end of the week, Jake had given out all 50 shoeboxes and had to get more, something he did not anticipate.
Mrs. Myers’ 3rd grade class is one of a number of classes who participating and they have filled up not just one, but two shoeboxes, one for a girl and one for a boy. A number of faculty and staff members are also filling up their own shoeboxes. Participants are also donating $10 per shoebox to cover the cost of shipping each box to Samaritan’s Purse.
“It’s an opportunity for children in foreign countries to have a Christmas who don’t normally get to have a Christmas, while also getting to learn about the Bible,” Jake said. A shoebox sponsor has the opportunity to choose if the box is for a boy or girl and choose the age range, either 2-4 years old, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years old. The sponsor then fills the shoebox with their choice of toys, school supplies, and personal care items, and when Samaritan’s Purse distributes them to the children they also take the opportunity to share the Gospel.
Jake’s Senior Project class is facilitated by faculty member Daniel Vasquez. Other seniors are working a variety of Senior Projects, all with a community service focus and utilizing their individual gifts and talents. Part of each project also includes writing a letter of intent, writing a research or reflection paper, and doing an oral presentation to the class.
By Robby Barberio
As soccer season comes to an end, our middle school teams both posted winning records for the season. Congratulations to the Middle School Boys’ Team for finishing in first place in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League with an undefeated record of 8 wins, 0 losses, and 3 ties. The Middle School Girls’ Team finished its season with a record of 5 wins and 4 losses.
The Middle School Boys played a tie-breaker game at home on November 1 to determine first place in the League. The Cougars came out with a 2-0 victory over The Pilgrim Academy. 8th grader Micah D’Anna scored both goals. The Girls finished their season on October 26 with a game against Alder Avenue Middle School.
Both teams welcomed new coaches this year –Becky Pineo as the Middle School Girls’ Coach and Silas Nixon as the Middle School Boys’ Coach.
Pineo, originally from Lewiston, Idaho, has coached soccer, basketball, softball, and tennis. She coached at Cumberland Christian School, Pleasantville High School, and Buena Regional High School.
“One reason I decided to coach at ACS is the love I have for the sport of soccer!” Coach Pineo said. “But above all getting to glorify Jesus through coaching is my passion!”
Nixon coached his first-ever team this year. Born and raised in Northfield, New Jersey, he played soccer as a youth and always enjoyed watching soccer. He attended his first-ever ACS soccer game last fall and expressed an interest in coaching to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. A few days later, Mrs. Hitchner asked him to coach. After praying about it, Coach Nixon decided to take the position.
“Coach Nixon did a great job with the team and the boys worked hard under his leadership,” Hitchner said. “Last year, the team had a strong group of 8th graders who moved up to high school, but the players who moved up into active playing time this year really improved in their skills and teamwork. It was exciting to watch them play.”
ACS high school students are competing in the 8th annual Recycled Art Contest sponsored by the Atlantic County Utilities Authority with unique artwork they created in October out of recyclable materials. The artwork will be on display at the ACUA’s America Recycles Day Event on November 19 and contest winners will be announced at the event.
Eight students created the artwork in Mrs. Mirakian’s Art Workshop class, a semester-long class that meets four days a week. The art pieces, which were entered in the 14- to 18-year-old category in the contest, were completed on October 19 and then taken to the Atlantic County Library in Egg Harbor Township, where they were on display through October 31.
The students who are competing in the contest are: Eddie Ireland, Lauren Kent, Alli Lushina, Evan Pearson, Alli Schlundt, Noelle Thompson, Eden Wilson, and Eve Wilson.
Some of the recyclable materials the students chose to create their artwork included aluminum cans, bottle caps, buttons, cardboard, cork, egg cartons, newspaper, plastic bottles, puzzle pieces, straws, wire, and yarn.
The ACS Band Program has been blessed with donations of fifteen instruments this fall. A number of the newly-donated instruments were being played this week by 4th grade students in Elementary Band class as they were rehearsing for their upcoming performance at the “One Christmas Night” event on December 2.
“With continued growth in the school’s enrollment this year, more students are in band, creating a need for additional instruments,” said Tim Rosie, Director of Choral and Instrumental Music. “We’re very grateful for these donations that make it possible to put an instrument in the hands of every band student.” Rosie noted that all students in the 4th and 5th grades are in the Elementary Band, and that band class is also offered to students in middle school and high school.
Rosie said the donated instruments include — one drum set, two electronic keyboards, one snare kit, one tenor saxophone, three trumpets, two trombones, one viola, three violins, one xylophone, and six instrument cases.
“We are always in need of instruments, so please consider donating an instrument to ACS, whether it’s a gently used instrument or if you are considering buying a new instrument to donate,” Rosie said.
Ten of the instruments came from Musicopia, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia that receives donations of used instruments, refurbishes them, and then donates them to schools in the region. Thank you also to a number of individuals who donated instruments and instrument cases, including Evelyn Altier, Kelly Flynn, Jay Harris, Gretchen Murphy, and Chaz Wyckoff.
ACS honored 13 seniors on the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams and their family members in a special ceremony on October 25. Six senior players on the Varsity Girls’ team were honored — Maddie DeNick, Reyna Lewis, Alli Lushina, Paige Noble, Alli Schlundt, and Eden Wilson — and manager Daniella Ajayi. Six senior players on the Varsity Boys’ team were honored — Robby Barberio, Jake DeNick, Tommy Ellison, Sam Glancey, Moges Johnson, and Cruz Lewis.
Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the team members and read notes of special thanks to each senior. Each player escorted their parents or other family members across the Varsity Boys’ Soccer field, with their fellow players lined up on either side of their pathway, cheering and applauding as they walked by.
The ceremony was held prior to the start of home games against Cumberland Christian School. The Varsity Girls won 10-0 and the Varsity Boys won 5-0.
“We’re so proud of the commitment and leadership that our seniors have given during their high school careers and the important contributions they have made to the success of both teams this season,” Hitchner said. “We’re going to miss them a lot next year.” Hitchner also thanked the parents and other family members for their encouragement and support.
We love our grandparents! Join us on Wednesday, November 23 as our students show their love and appreciation to the special grandparents in their lives. Activities will include a student-led Appreciation Chapel and classroom visits. Invitations were mailed to grandparents on November 4. To enable our staff and teachers to plan for the event, we are asking that grandparents please RSVP by Monday, November 21 to let us know that they will be attending.
The schedule of the day’s activities can been found on the flyer below.
CLICK HERE to RSVP online or send an email to: cdelacruz@acseht.org
Our fall Book Fair with a Seussical theme is two weeks away and will run from November 14-23, concluding on Grandparent Appreciation Day. All students and their family members will have opportunities to visit the fair on select days and will be able to shop in person for books and gift items. New this year — ACS has partnered with several Christian companies to promote a Biblical worldview through the books, posters, and other products that will be on sale.
Truth That Rocks Bookstore, as well as Munce, Swanson, New Day, and other Christian vendors, will be supplying books and products for the Book Fair. The Northfield bookstore’s general manager, Bill Link, is working closely with ACS librarian Patti Scardilli to provide books and novelty items that are consistent with the school’s mission statement and values.
“We expect to offer a great selection of Christian books, games, stationery items, toys, CDs, DVDs, Christian apparel, and more,” Scardilli said. In keeping with the Seussical JR. theme, she said the school library and adjacent hallway will be decorated with Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and other characters from Dr. Seuss’ famous books.
Volunteers are needed from November 11 to 27 to help with the Book Fair. There are various two-, three-, and four-hour volunteer time slots available. Volunteers can be parents and grandparents, as well as middle school and high school students, who can earn service hours. Volunteer tasks include unloading and unpacking boxes of books and other items, decorating and setting up the Book Fair, assisting students with making their wish lists, assisting students and families as they shop the Book Fair, and breaking down and cleaning up after the close of the Book Fair.
CLICK HERE to sign up to volunteer at the Book Fair.
Students will be visiting the school library from November 14-18 to preview the Book Fair items and create their “wish lists.” A copy of each student’s wish list will be sent home so parents can approve selections and send money in with students during the shopping week, from November 21-23. Grandparents are welcome to visit the Book Fair during Grandparent Appreciation Day on Wednesday, November 23. Middle school and high school students can shop during lunch break during the fair.
In-person family shopping will begin on Friday, November 18 — the opening night of the Seussical JR. musical — with opportunities to shop both before and after the show, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and from 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will also be open on Saturday, November 19 before and after the two Seussical JR. performances, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., 3:00-4:00 p.m., 6:00-7:00 p.m., and 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will be closed while the musical is being performed.
Family shopping will continue the following week, on November 21-22, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and on November 23, Grandparent Appreciation Day, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
ACS athletes got fired up for Soccer Playoff Games this week as students and staff wore green-and-white and cheered for them at middle school and high school Pep Rallies on October 31. The Middle School Boys’ Soccer Team played and beat Pilgrim Academy on November 1 to become this year’s 1st place champions in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League. The Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team handily beat Cumberland Christian 11-0 at home on November 1 in a Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference quarter-final playoff game. The ACS Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team, which finished the regular season in 2nd place, will play Thursday at home at 2 p.m. against Pilgrim Academy in a semi-final TSCAC playoff game.
The Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team now advances to the TSCAC semi-finals and will play away on Thursday against Gloucester County Christian School, start time at 2:30 p.m. The Middle School Boys savored their victory on Tuesday, after going into the game tied for 1st place with Pilgrim Academy. Both teams had a record of 9 wins and 3 ties.
At Monday’s Pep Rallies, athletes competed in two skills contests to win Wawa Gift Cards and played several short scrimmages. Winners in the soccer ball juggling contest were: 11th graders Alicia O’Donnell and Manny Johnson and 8th graders Jason Kelley and Ashlee Alford. Three Varsity Boys’ Soccer players were also winners in the 50-yard kick to go over the goal line in the air — Noah Gibbs, Manny Johnson, and James Papanikolaou. Come on out to this week’s games and let’s cheer our Cougars on to victory!
Our popular “One Christmas Night” festival for ACS students, staff, and their families is one month away — on Friday, December 2 — from 5:00-8:30 p.m. Mark your calendar to attend this special event to celebrate the joy and hope of Christmas — with fun indoor and outdoor activities for children and adults, craft and food vendors, and musical performances by our students.
Tickets are not required to attend the event, but will be needed for eight different activities, including inflatables, the hayride, the pony ride, a petting zoo, face painting, and Christmas crafts. New activities this year include a balloon twister, a magic show, and a Christmas Bazaar with vendors selling Christmas crafts and other holiday items.
Tickets can be purchased in the school office or at the event. Tickets options are $2 per ticket and $14 for a pack of 8 tickets.
Anyone interested in being a vendor in the Christmas Bazaar must register online and reserve a space for $15. A maximum of 22 vendors can participate in the Bazaar and selection of vendors will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please CLICK HERE to register to be a vendor.
The Elementary Band, Upper School Band, and Middle School and High School Worship Teams will be performing Christmas music throughout the evening at various locations. Other free activities to enjoy at the event will include a live nativity, fire pits and s’mores, and Christmas movies. There will also be several food trucks.
“We invite all of our parents, students, and staff to come out to celebrate the birth of our Savior and participate in the many fun activities we have planned,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Last year, about 1,000 people attended and we expect even more this year. It’s a great way to kick off the Christmas season.”
