How do arctic animals stay warm? What crops did people living in the Thirteen Colonies grow on their farms?  Who are some of the famous people born in New Jersey? What is a negative integer? ACS students are finding answers to these and other questions in their history, science, and math classes by using various types of technology that are being integrated into classroom learning.

Volunteer Greg Louderback, a retired teacher and educational technology trainer, is providing valuable in-classroom support to ACS teachers and students to help them find new ways to use technology and various educational websites to supplement and enhance learning.

“Education in the 21st century must include using technology to enhance a student’s learning experience,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen.  “We are very pleased to be able to provide training for our teachers and students so they can make the best use of their Chromebooks and the many online resources that are available for interactive and hands-on learning.”

In December, Mrs. Jackson’s 4th grade class accessed the Nearpod program on their Chromebooks to study thermal energy. The first lesson consisted of learning the three types of energy transfer. The next lesson was a lab in which students applied the scientific method as they explored the use of insulators by making blubber mittens. Their final project was to design a house that would withstand the subzero weather of the arctic.

In Mrs. Murphy’s 5th grade class, students worked in pairs in February to research the thirteen colonies and report their findings to their classmates. The students researched such topics as colonial clothing, the Jamestown settlement, the Plymouth colony, colonial jobs and trades, cooking, life on a colonial farm, and life in a colonial town. The students were given quality digital resources from which they gathered their information. Each team created a report using Google slides and gave a oral presentation in class.

Both sixth grade math classes are using Desmos, Quizizz, and Nearpod websites for learning. According to Mr. Louderback, Mrs. Coates and Mrs. Lee were excited to find hands-on ways for their students to learn and review various abstract math concepts, such as the coordinate grid, transformations and negative integers.  Upper school math teachers George Dickson and Gina Wilson are also using Desmos, ExploreLearning Gizmos, Schoolyourself, Edpuzzle, and Nearpod video for their Algebra 1 and Geometry classes.

The exclusive time period for current ACS parents to re-enroll their children in ACS and secure their spot for next year ends in just a few days — on Sunday, February 28. The following day, March 1, enrollment will open up to new families and there are many who are seeking to enroll their children and space is limited, according to Admissions Director Jessica Martin.

Martin sent emails this week to every current family advising them if their re-enrollment application is COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE.  If  an application is incomplete, Martin said it is likely missing one of the following items required for re-enrollment:

1) Completed B6T form for ALL K-12 students. This is required whether you are using bus transportation or not.

2) The enrollment fee, which is $75/child with a family cap of $150.

“We want to make sure that our current families secure their student’s spot before we open up enrollment to new families on March 1,” Martin said. ” Current families who have not completed all the necessary paperwork may lose their spot for next year to a new family that enrolls.” Martin said space is particularly limited in kindergarten through the 5th grade and in 7th grade.

Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said ACS worked hard last summer to put health and safety protocols in place to be able to open ACS with full, in-person instruction last September. “We are very grateful for the encouraging messages from so many parents during this school year who have thanked our teachers and staff for their efforts,” Oblen said. “We are praying that all of our current families will choose to return to ACS next year.”

Oblen also shared some of the positive comments and feedback that been received from current parents:

• From ACS parent Jennifer Kinch, who children Joey, Emily, and Josh are in 3rd, 4th, and 8th grades:  “This school has done EVERYTHING possible for the kids. The teachers are AMAZING. They treat them like their own kids. ACS is the absolute best decision we could have ever made for our children and their future. I know financially it is overwhelming, but think about all that your money is buying. And what other things you are so quick to spend $$ on. This is worth it. I promise you. I don’t care if I have to work 3 jobs. We love you Atlantic Christian School.”

• From ACS parent Connie Macpherson, whose son, Erik, is in 2nd grade:  “We’ve officially made it to the 100th day of school at ACS. This is always a fun and exciting day, but this year I’m extra grateful to be celebrating this point in the year. We’ve been in school, in person, 5 days a week for 100 days and I thank ACS for all the hard work they are doing and extra protocols they put in every day to allow our kids to come to school and have as much of a normal school year as possible.”

• From ACS parent Jennifer Hoffman, whose son, Brayden, is in kindergarten: “Thank you to ACS for getting us to this point, safely!!!! 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL!!  So grateful for all of the AMAZING, rock star teachers, staff, and administration for their love, dedication, hard work, and patience to keep our children in school during this crazy year!