Post Tagged with: "Atlantic Christian School"

Students Show off Their Sponsor Sneakers as Donations Exceed $30,000 with 9 Days Until Race for Education; Order Your Hot Diggity Dog Lunch for Race Day by Oct. 27

The Race for Education is just nine days away and sponsor donations and pledges now surpass $30,000 with just nine days to go until our Race for Education on Friday, October 29. We’re getting closer to our goal of $40,000, so please keep emailing and calling family, friends, and local businesses to ask them to be a Race Sponsor.

Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz traveled around the school campus on Friday, October 22 to present 189 green-and-white Race for Ed Sponsor Sneakers to every student who had raised $50 or more from a sponsor. The sneakers were also put on display on a bulletin board in the Multi-Purpose Room hallway. There is still room for more sneakers — so let’s keep reaching out to prospective sponsors. All proceeds will go into the ACS Annual Fund to support our educational programs in this school year.

The PTF is also sponsoring a Hot Diggity Dog Lunch for students on Race Day. Ordering must be done through RenWeb by Wednesday, October 27. A hot dog meal includes a hot dog, chips, and a drink for $4. Additional hot dogs can be purchased for $2 each.

Giving to the Race for Education is easy — just visit our Race website — www.race4ed.com/aceht.

Sponsors can give any amount, but if they donate $50 or more, the student they are sponsoring will receive a special Race sneaker sign with the sponsor’s name and the name of the student they are sponsoring. Donors can also be a “Classroom Sponsor” (for a gift of $200) or an “Event Sponsor” (for a gift of $400). Individual yard signs with the names/logos of Classroom and Event sponsors will be placed around the edge of the track on Race Day to encourage all of our runners. In addition, the names/logos of our “Event Sponsors” will go on a banner hung at the school for the week prior to and on Race Day.

CLICK ON the flyer at the bottom of this page to go to the Race donation website.

Welcoming Alumni, School Families to Homecoming 2021 this Saturday; 5K Cross-Country Run Added to Day’s Activities

ACS school families, alumni, and friends are invited to attend Homecoming 2021 this Saturday, October 23 to enjoy a variety of activities, including a 5K cross-country run on the ACS campus that was recently added to the day’s events.

The Homecoming festivities will get underway with Open Basketball and Open Volleyball outdoors from 10 a.m. to noon. The new Homecoming 5K run is open to middle school and high school students and alumni. Participants must check in by 10:45 a.m. and the run will start at 11 a.m., with medals to be awarded to the top finishers.

The ACS Varsity Girls vs Alumni Girls game will begin at noon and the Varsity Boys vs Alumni Boys game will kick off at 2:00 p.m. The Homecoming Court Presentation will be held between the games, from 1:30-2:00 p.m. There will be lots of great food to enjoy throughout the day, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza, with the proceeds benefiting our athletic programs.

Come on out for a fun family day. In the evening, our annual Homecoming Dance will be held in the ACS gym for ACS high school students and their guests from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Tickets, Ads Now on Sale for Peter Pan Jr. Musical; Ad Deadline is November 1

Tickets and ads for the upcoming ACS production of “Peter Pan Jr.” are now available for purchase. The deadline to purchase a booster pride line, electronic ad, or playbill ad to advertise your business or to congratulate your favorite cast member is Monday, November 1. Tickets are now on sale for two performances of the show — on Friday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Ads must be submitted online at acseht.org/drama and assistance is available to help you design your ad. A 100-character or less Booster Pride Line message to encourage a cast member is $10 and an electronic ad that will be displayed on a screen to the audience before the show and during intermission is $30. Playbill ad prices range from $25 for a quarter-page to $200 for the back cover. All proceeds from the ad sales will go to support the ACS drama program.

Tickets to the show are now for sale online through Thursday, November 18 — $8 for students and $10 for general admission. Tickets will also be on sale at the door on November 19 and 20 for slightly higher prices — $10 for students and $12 for general admission. Seating will be first-come, first- served.

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets or ads.

High School Students Challenged to Put Complete Trust in God at Spiritual Emphasis Retreat

ACS high school students were challenged to put their complete trust in God and to move from just surviving to thriving in their daily lives at the two-day Spiritual Emphasis Retreat from September 30 to October 1 at America’s Keswick.

During three retreat chapels, keynote speaker Jonathan Gonzalez shared his personal testimony, encouraged students with Bible passages about trusting God and His promises, and focused on how to become “deeply rooted” in Christ, expanding on this year’s spiritual theme verse from Jeremiah 17:7-8. Gonzalez is the Director of Youth Ministries and Facilities at the Ocean City Tabernacle and is a pastor at Praise Tabernacle. His wife, Ashley, is an ACS preschool aide and their two children attend ACS.

The retreat included time for singing and worship, which was led by Gabe Conley, the Student Ministries Leader at Coastal Christian Church. Students also broke into smaller COMPASS groups, where the high school teachers facilitated deeper discussion on the speaker’s messages. Students also enjoyed competing in teams for a scavenger hunt and gathering for a bonfire by the lake. In free time, the students found plenty of ways to bond through a variety of recreational activities, including canoeing, volleyball, basketball, tennis, ping-pong, and swimming.

“The goal of our annual Spiritual Emphasis Retreat is to see our students grow spiritually and develop stronger relationships with each other and their teachers,” said Upper School Vice Principal Andrew Carney, who was the retreat coordinator for the group of nearly 100 students and high school teachers who attended. “I could really feel the Holy Spirit moving at the retreat as the students listened to the powerful messages from our keynote speaker and as they spent time together in worship,” Carney said. “I had many students tell me on the last day of the retreat that they didn’t want it to be over.”

Gonzalez shared that his experience at the retreat was different from another speaking engagement he has been a part of. “The level of engagement, response, and hunger for God from the students was truly inspiring,” Gonzalez said. “God truly touched the lives of many students during the sessions.”

Evangelina Kim said a special memory from the retreat was getting up early one morning and going with eight other 10th grade girls to watch the sunrise over the lake. “I really felt that we bonded a lot through the various activities and the many conversations we had in small groups,” Kim said.

12th grader Elizabeth Alford said she enjoyed helping lead worship at the bonfire, which she said happened spontaneously, as she, Destiny Brewer, Tommy Ellison, and Evan Power decided to join Gabe Conely as he played the guitar. “It was great to see our high school community come together and worship,” Alford said.

11th grader Cruz Lewis was impacted by the personal testimony of the keynote speaker, who shared the impactful story of how he committed his life to Christ after a near-death experience as the victim of a car accident at the age of 17. “Jonathan’s testimony was incredible,” Lewis said. “God really woke him up and it made me think — God wants me to get my stuff together.”

Neary 140 students in middle school will be participating in the Middle School Spiritual Emphasis Retreat which will be held next week on Monday, October 25. The keynote speaker will be Pastor Urick Lewis, who teaches High School Bible at ACS and serves in the youth ministry at Fresh Start Church.

ACS Students Compete in Northern NJ Christian School Spelling Contest; Madelyn Petrinec Places 2nd in 4th Grade Level

Thirteen ACS students from the 2nd to the 8th grades competed in a Northern New Jersey Christian School Spelling Contest on October 14 and Madelyn Petrinec received a red ribbon for taking second place among 4th graders in the contest. The spelling contest was held at the Abundant Life Worship Center in Nutley, New Jersey and ACS was among eight schools who competed in the event.

“Maddie is a super star speller and we are proud of her,” said Spelling Club Advisor Jessica Martin. “This was the first time our school competed in this contest and it had a different format from our school’s annual spelling bee.” Unlike the format of the ACS bee held each winter, the students did not know what words would be included in the contest and were not able to study ahead for them. “Our students did very well considering this different format, and we had several students who narrowly missed joining Maddie in the finals.” The bee format had students only competing at their specific grade levels and the top three spellers advanced to the finals for their grade.

The students selected to represent ACS in the contest were winners or runners-up in last year’s class-level spelling bees. The students who competed were: Oritseyemi Pessu and Barrett Woods (2nd grade); Caitlyn Doucett and Charlotte Newman (3rd grade); Madelyn Petrinec and Luke Sabulao (4th grade); Mia Gaffney and Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney (5th grade); Nino Miranda and Matthew Coates (6th grade); Tommy Potenski and Nathanael Thompson (7th grade); and Gabriella Goodwin (8th grade).

The seven other schools who sent students to compete in the bee were: Abundant Life Academy, American Christian School, Eastern Christian School, Hawthorne Christian Academy, Sussex Christian School, The Arrow Academy, and Timothy Christian School.

Middle School Soccer — Winning Seasons for Boys’ and Girls’ Teams; Former MLS Pro Player Gives Boys’ Team Pointers at Recent Practice

Our Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ soccer teams have worked hard and achieved winning seasons as they head into their final week of competition next week in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League. The Middle School Boys’ team also got special training at a recent practice from a guest coach — former Major League Soccer (MLS) player, Rich Balchan.

The 23-member Middle School Boys’ team, under head coach David O’Connell, has an overall record of 7 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie, and in league play has 5 wins, 1 loss and 1 tie. The 22-member Middle School Girls’ team, under head coach Casey Hopwood, is 3-3-1 in the league, with an overall record of 3 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie. Check out the Athletic Calendar on the ACS website or ACS Family App for next week’s game information. Come on out and cheer on our Cougars to victory!

Coach O’Donnell invited Balchan to work with the Middle School Boys’ team and felt his input had a positive impact on his young players. Balchan played professional soccer from 2011-2017, including stints with two MLS teams — the Columbus Crew in Ohio and the Real Salt Lake in Utah. Balchan now lives in Atlantic County and is the Director of Coaching at Hamilton Elite FC, a youth soccer club in Mays Landing.

“Our boys really got some good insight into the kind of skills and discipline that are needed to become a professional athlete,” O’Donnell said. At their September 30 practice, Balchan led the players in passing and receiving skills and guided them on game play movement, positioning, and strategy. He also posed with the players for a team photo during the practice.

Athletes, Family Members Honored at Varsity Soccer Senior Day on Oct. 21

ACS honored six seniors on the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams and their family members in a special ceremony on Thursday, October 21. The seniors honored were: Destiny Brewer, Angela Eggie, Aaron Glancey, Danny Kim, Cole Lewis, and Devin Tridente.

Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the team members and read notes of special thanks to each written by Varsity Boys’ Coach Andres Tortola and Varsity Girls’ Coach Carly Witherow. Each player escorted their parents, host 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 the home games against Calvary Academy. Both teams went on to win their games. The Varsity Girls won 8-1, with Paige Noble (11th) and Alicia O’Donnell (10th) each scoring twice, and Maddie DeNick (11th), Sophia Johnson (9th), Becca Kelley (10th), and Eden Wilson (11th) each scoring once. Goalie Taylor Sutton made eight saves. The Varsity Boys won 7-3. Senior Aaron Glancey had 3 goals, senior Devin Tridente had two goals, and Manny Johnson (10th) and Chase Leach (9th) each scored 1 goal.

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. Both the Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ teams are currently in second place with one more week of games before playoffs during the week of November 1. The Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference quarter-final games are scheduled for Tuesday, November 2 and the semi-final playoff games are scheduled for Thursday, November 4, with locations and teams to be determined. The TSCAC Championship Games will be played on Saturday, November 6 and the location is yet to be determined. More details will be provided soon.

Move it Mondays Gets Elementary Students Ready to Learn; November Session Rescheduled to Nov. 8

Move it Mondays are back! It’s more than just a fitness workout, it’s a way to wake up the brain and help our students get ready to exercise their minds. On the first Monday of each month, students in kindergarten to the 5th grade meet in the gym to start off the day with about 20 minutes of aerobic exercise.

On October 4, the students started their first round of academic assessment tests, called MAPS. Elementary Principal Gail Alford was glad the students could spend some time exercising that morning to help get their blood pumping before picking up their pencils. “Studies have shown that engaging in exercise before taking a test helps improve brain function and raises test scores,” Alford said.

In November, Move it Monday will be held on November 8 instead of November 1 and students will be able to wear their “Deeply Rooted” class t-shirts, PE shorts or sweatpants, and sneakers.

The exercise routines are led by Admissions Director Jessica Martin, a certified Personal Trainer and Zumba Instructor, who first began leading Move it Mondays in the fall of 2019. She leads line dances like the Cupid Shuffle and musical exercise routines to student favorites like Toby Mac’s “Backseat Driver” and Parry Gripp’s “It’s Raining Tacos.” With a lot of laughs and a few sore muscles, students and teachers alike head off to class in good spirits and ready to learn.

Students Learn about Fire Prevention During Visit from Scullville Volunteer Fire Company

To mark National Fire Prevention Week, students from preschool to the 5th grade learned all about fire prevention and safety during a visit from the Scullville Volunteer Fire Company on Tuesday, October 19. Fire Official Don Stauffer brought a ladder truck to the ACS campus and the students were able to get a close-up look at the tools, hoses, gauges, and safety and rescue equipment.

During his presentation, Fireman Stauffer talked about how smoke detectors work and explained what to do in the event of a fire. Each class also had the opportunity to pose in front of the fire truck with Mr. Stauffer, including Mrs. Kelley’s PreK4 class.

Students also did classroom projects around the theme of fire prevention and safety. In Mrs. Kelley’s preschool class, students also drew pictures of a house on fire with the important message of — “Don’t hide, go outside, get help, call 911.”

We’re Hiring – Immediate Openings for Custodian, After-Care Worker, High School Language Arts Teacher, Substitutes

We’re Hiring! Applications are now being accepted for immediate openings for a full-time Custodian, a part-time After-Care Worker, a high school language arts teacher, and substitute teachers.

The work schedule of the custodian position will be Mondays-Fridays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Applicants must have a minimum of one year of custodial/cleaning experience. The hours of the After-Care Worker, who would be supervising students from Kindergarten to the 8th grade, will be Mondays-Fridays from 3:00-5:30 p.m. The position of high school language arts teacher is to serve as a full-time, long-term substitute teacher to fill an opening due to a current faculty member going on maternity leave.

The language arts teacher must hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited post-secondary institution, and a language arts degree is preferred. A high school diploma is required for the custodian and after-care worker positions. For the position of substitute teacher, certified teachers with a degree are preferred, with a minimum of 60 college credits required. All ACS employees must be Christians, living their lives as Christian role models. Spiritual standards must be met and a background check is required.

CLICK HERE for more information and to apply.

Race for Education Just Three Weeks Away — Let’s Keep Reaching Out to Family, Friends to be a Race Sponsor

The Race for Education is just three weeks away and we need every student and teacher from PreK3 to the 12th grade to reach out to family members and friends to ask them to be a Race sponsor. Over $35,000 could be raised if every student and teacher received just $50 from their sponsors and if everyone raised $100 from sponsors that would total over $70,000! Please find time over this holiday weekend to send some emails or share the ACS Race flyer on Facebook and help us reach and exceed our $40,000 goal.

To date, ACS has received over $12,000 in donations and pledges from sponsors. Thank you to everyone who has already donated or reached out to prospective sponsors. Let’s keep pressing on over the next three weeks and encouraging others to come on board as sponsors.

Giving to the Race for Education is easy — just go to our Race website — www.race4ed.com/aceht.

An email was sent to every parent and staff member on Monday, October 4 encouraging everyone to participate in the Race fundraiser. The email included an email template that can be easily forwarded to family and friends. Just click the email’s “Forward” button, remove the message in the email and add your own, add your email addresses in the TO: field and hit send.

Sponsors can give any amount, but if they donate $50 or more, a special Race sneaker sign with the sponsor’s name and the name of the student they are sponsoring will be posted on a school hallway wall or in a classroom as a sign of support. Donors can also be a “Classroom Sponsor” (for a gift of $200) or an “Event Sponsor” (for a gift of $400). Individual yard signs with the names/logos of Classroom and Event sponsors will be placed around the edge of the track on Race Day to encourage all of our runners. In addition, the names/logos of our “Event Sponsors” will go on a banner hung at the school for the week prior to and on Race Day.

CLICK ON the flyer below to go to the Race donation website.

Peter Pan Jr. Musical Cast Announced; Tickets and Ads Go on Sale October 17

Congratulations to the 46 students from elementary to high school who were selected for the cast of our November 19-20 production of the musical “Peter Pan Jr.” Show Director Genevieve Huff got rehearsals underway in mid-September and she is very excited to see the students working hard at their weekly Wednesday rehearsals on perfecting their singing and choreography. Two performances of Peter Pan, Jr. will be held on Friday, November 19 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 20 at 2 p.m. Show tickets and ads will go on sale on Sunday, October 17 on the ACS website.

“I was very happy to find a part for every student who auditioned and I love seeing the energy and enthusiasm that they are bringing to every rehearsal,” Huff said. “This is going to be a very entertaining show and a great opportunity to highlight the artistic gifts and abilities of our students.”

The role of Peter Pan will be played 10th grader Kaia Barbour, with 10th grader Ryleigh Martin as the understudy. Captain Hook has been double cast, to be played by 11th grader Evan Power and 10th grader Vera Huff.

In the Darling family, the role of Mr. Darling will be played by 12th grader Asher Dawkins. Mrs. Darling was double cast, to be played by 12th grader Caeli Barbour and 11th grader Jada Logan. The role of Wendy was also double cast, to be played by 7th grader Rowynn Shevlin and 8th grader Chloe Weyman. 4th grader Anthem Correa will play the role of John, one of Wendy’s brothers, with 5th grader Chase Hagel as the understudy. 5th grader Brantley Haltom will play the role of Michael, Wendy’s youngest brother, with 5th grader Lillian Porreca as the understudy. Liza, the maid in the Darling household, will be played by 5th grader Emily Kinch.

Fifteen students will be part of the motley crew of pirates led by Captain Hook, with 12th grader Destiny Brewer playing the role of pirate Smee, and Jada Logan as her understudy. Another ensemble of 14 students will be part of the group of lost boys who live in Never Land. Another 11 students will be featured as the Brave Girls, companions to Tiger Lily, who will be played by 4th grader Megan Connolly, with 5th grader Eva Dimashi as her understudy.

Pictured below are the members of the Peter Pan Jr. cast after a recent rehearsal.

We Have Spirit, Yes We Do! Green-and-White Day, Pep Rallies Next Friday, Oct. 15

ACS students and staff will have the opportunity to show their school spirit on Green-and-White Day next Friday, October 15. Students from the 6th-12th grades will also gather for Pep Rallies to get our Varsity and Middle School Soccer teams fired up for their home games later in the day. The Middle School Boys’ Soccer team will play Margate at 3:45 p.m. and the Varsity teams will face off against Pilgrim Academy in the evening. Students and staff may wear green and white clothing with jeans to school on October 15. No holey jeans or leggings are permissible.

The Middle School Pep Rally will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. and the High School Pep Rally will be from 1:30-2:45 p.m. Both pep rallies will be held outdoors on the Varsity Boys’ soccer field.

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer Game will begin at 5 p.m. and the Varsity Boys’ Soccer Game will kick off at 7 p.m. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner has arranged for lighting on the fields for these two special evening games playing our crosstown rival, Pilgrim Academy. Come on out and cheer our ACS Cougars to victory!

Sign Up for Parent-Teacher Conferences – Wednesday, Oct. 13

The first Parent-Teacher Conferences of this school year for parents with students in Kindergarten to the 12th grade will be on Wednesday, October 13 from 1:00-6:00 p.m. A Parent-Teacher conference is not mandatory, but is recommended if your child is not performing well academically (a grade of 70 or below in any subject) or is having trouble acclimating to the new school year. Scheduling an in-person conference with a teacher is done using an on-line scheduling tool called Sign Up Genius and time slots are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

An email containing more detailed information about scheduling a conference with a specific teacher was sent to K-5 parents from Elementary Principal Gail Alford on October 4. Upper School Principal Meg McHale also sent an email this week to parents about the conferences.

For the health and safety of our school families and staff, all parents and guests are required to wear a mask while in the school building. If you are not feeling well, please reschedule or request a meeting by Zoom. Also, it is important that children are not present during the conference, unless the teacher has requested it.

Links to the scheduling sites are listed below:

If your student is in grades K-5 — CLICK HERE to schedule a conference.

If your student is in grades 6-12 — CLICK HERE to schedule a conference.

Boscov’s Shopping Day — Wednesday, Oct. 20; Buy Your 25% Discount Pass for $5 from ACS

The Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” charitable shopping event is just 12 days away — on Wednesday, October 20. Did you buy your special shopping pass yet that will entitle you to a 25% discount for all in-store purchases that day? If not, you can get your discount pass from the ACS office for just $5 and ACS keeps 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the passes.

Order forms were sent home to elementary students last week and will be sold next week at the afternoon car pick-up line. There is no limit on the number of passes you can purchase. Buy one for yourself and purchase others to give as gifts to family members and friends. You can also purchase a shopping pass by visiting the school office or calling 609-653-1199, ext. 323.

The participating Boscov’s store in Egg Harbor Township will be open for shopping on October 20 from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. As an added incentive, Boscov’s is locating special Ballot Boxes in every store. Customers can fill out the bottom portion of their Shopping Pass, tear it off, and drop it in the Ballot Box. One customer from each store will receive a $100 Boscov’s Gift Card.

Thank you for supporting ACS with this shopping opportunity and please encourage your family members and friends to participate as well.

October 22 Blood Drive Rescheduled to December 1

The American Red Cross Blood Drive scheduled for Friday, October 22 at the ACS campus has been rescheduled to Wednesday, December 1 from 3:30-8:30 p.m. Make your appointment to donate blood on the Red Cross website — redcrossblood.org OR call 1-800-REDCROSS.

If you made an appointment for the October 22 blood drive, the Red Cross plans to contact you to ask if you can reschedule to the later date.

ACS has hosted American Red Cross blood drives at its campus since 2008, organized under the auspices of the Student Council. Please mark your calendar for the December 1 blood drive and help meet the urgent needs of patients at hospitals in our community. Our goal for the December 1 blood drive will be to collect 40 or more donations.

New “Deeply Rooted” T-Shirt Available for ACS Parents, Supporters

Want to spread the inspiring Biblical message of our 2021 Spiritual Development Theme in our community? ACS is now offering a new T-shirt featuring our “Deeply Rooted: Fearless and Blessed” logo image for purchase for a limited time by parents and supporters of ACS. All proceeds will benefit the Parent-Teacher Fellowship.

The T-shirt is black, with the logo image based on Jeremiah 17:7-8 displayed in white on the front of the shirt. The order form is available online. The deadline to place an order is Friday, October 22 and the shirts will be delivered to the school on Thursday, October 28.

The price of the T-shirts is $15 each for sizes Small to X-Large and $18 each for 2XL-4XL.

Please note that the T-shirts are not for ACS students and are not approved school attire.

CLICK HERE to place your order.

We Love Our Volunteers — Great Way to Get Involved in Our School

Volunteers are an important part of school life at ACS and we are blessed each year to see the servant hearts of our parents, guardians, grandparents, and friends in the community who are willing to give of their time and talents to make the school day experience at ACS the best it can be. As this school year gets underway, we are in need of volunteers to help in a variety of areas, which are described below. Please consider how you can be involved in the ACS Family by serving as a volunteer.

Lunchroom Volunteers — Volunteers are needed to serve lunch and help with light clean-up. Volunteers can choose to serve daily, once a week, or once a month. The serving time is from 10 am to 1 pm. We can accommodate anyone’s schedule. To sign up, please contact Services Coordinator Anne Block at ablock@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199, ext. 381.
Race for Education Volunteers — We need volunteers to help with the Race for Education on Race Day on Friday, October 29, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. outdoors at the ACS track. The volunteer duties include being a Race lap counter, serving at the water and popcorn stations, and being a Race photographer. To sign up, please contact Carole Karabashian, ACS Director of Development and Communication, at ckarabashian@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199, ext. 323.
Servant’s Heart Club — Volunteers are needed to assist with the after-school Servant’s Heart Club. The Club meets the first Friday of every month from October to May 3:15-4:00 p.m., with the first meeting on Friday, October 1. The club is for students in grades 2-5 and is focused on doing creative, hands-on service projects aimed at blessing people in our school and local community. Past service activities that the club has conducted include: making snack bags and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, wrapping Christmas boxes for Operation Christmas Child, planting trees on the ACS campus and promoting recycling on Earth Day, and making salvation friendship bracelets to be gifted to children in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Club Advisor Mrs. Jennifer DiMaio at 609-432-2030.

Varsity, Middle School Soccer Seasons Off to a Great Start; Former MLS Pro Player Gives MS Boys’ Team Pointers at Recent Practice

Our Varsity and Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ soccer seasons are off to a great start this fall. The Varsity Boys are 7-1 and the Varsity Girls are 6-1, playing strong in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference and also against a number of area public school teams. The Middle School Boys are 3-0 in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League and the Middle School Girls are 1-2. Check out the Athletic Calendar on the ACS website for upcoming game information. Come on out and cheer on our Cougars to victory!

One exciting upcoming game will be on Friday, October 15, when ACS faces off against Pilgrim Academy at home under the lights — for two special evening games. The Varsity Girls’ game will begin at 5 p.m. and the Varsity Boys’ game will kick off at 7 p.m. All games will be played on the Varsity Boys’ turf field. Welcome back to Varsity Girls’ coach Carly Witherow and Varsity Boys’ coach Andres Tortola.

The Middle School Boys’ team got special training at a recent practice from a guest coach — former Major League Soccer (MLS) player, Rich Balchan. Balchan played professional soccer from 2011-2017, including stints with two MLS teams — the Columbus Crew in Ohio and the Real Salt Lake in Utah. Balchan now lives in Atlantic County and is the Director of Coaching at Hamilton Elite FC, a youth soccer club in Mays Landing.

Middle School Boys’ head coach David O’Donnell invited Balchan to work with his team and felt it had a positive impact on his young players. “Our boys really got some good insight into the kind of skills and discipline that are needed to become a professional athlete,” O’Donnell said. Balchan led the players in passing and receiving skills and guided them on game play movement, positioning, and strategy. He also posed with the players for a team photo during the practice. Balchan said he also plans to offer his coaching skills at an upcoming Varsity Boys’ soccer team practice.

ACS Spirit Day at Texas Roadhouse — Friday, Oct. 22

Join us! ACS Spirit Day at Texas Roadhouse in Egg Harbor Township will be on Friday, October 22 from 4 p.m. to closing. Enjoy hand-cut steaks, fall-off-the-bone ribs, made-from-scratch sides, and fresh-baked bread and help raise funds for ACS Athletics. Please mention “Atlantic Christian School” when you order. The restaurant is located at 6801 E. Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. Hope to see you there!

Join Us for Homecoming 2021 – Saturday, Oct. 23

The ACS school family, alumni, family members, and friends are invited to Homecoming 2021 on Saturday, October 23, with our Varsity Soccer Teams facing off against ACS Alumni Boys’ and Girls’ Teams. Our Varsity Girls vs Alumni Girls game will begin at noon and the Varsity Boys vs Alumni Boys game will kick off at 2:00 p.m. The Homecoming Court Presentation will be held between the games, from 1:30-2:00 p.m. Any alumnus who wants to play in the Homecoming Games, please contact Athletic Director Pam Hitchner by October 16, by text at 609-412-7735 or by email at phitchner@acseht.org.

The Homecoming festivities will get underway with Open Basketball and Open Volleyball outdoors for our alumni, families, and friends from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be lots of great food to enjoy throughout the day, including hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza, with the proceeds benefiting our athletic programs. Come on out for a fun family day to cheer for our current and alumni athletes as they participate in some friendly competition.

In the evening, our annual Homecoming Dance will be held in the ACS gym for ACS high school students and their guests from 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Race for Education Fundraiser Kicks Off — Help Us Reach Our $40,000 Goal

Our 19th annual Race for Education fall fundraiser, to be held on Friday, October 29, kicked off the week of September 20 and donations are already coming in. Please make a gift online today and help us reach and exceed our goal of $40,000 to support our educational programs and activities this year.

Race fundraising packets were sent home with PreK3-8th grade students and were mailed to parents of 9th-12th grade students. Let’s work together and reach out to our family members, friends, and local businesses to make this fundraiser our most successful ever.

Throughout Race Day on Friday, October 29, students in various grade-level groups will walk, run, or jog around our track for a 30-minute period, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To add to the fun, the Middle School and High School races will incorporate an obstacle course.

We are once again using a Race website where everyone can give online. Parents, students, and teachers can participate by sending an email to people you know asking them to be a Race sponsor and giving them the link to our fundraising website — www.race4ed.com/aceht.

Below are some photo highlights from our 2020 Race.

CLICK HERE to make a Race Donation.

Back-to-School BBQ a Great Time of Fellowship, Building Friendships

Our annual Back-to-School BBQ on September 17 was a great night of fellowship and a time to grow closer together as a school family. It was our biggest BBQ ever as we welcomed over 850 new and returning parents, students, staff, grandparents, and alumni for an enjoyable evening of good food and lots of games and activities for students of every age.

The favorite activities included the Rock Wall, Ga Ga Ball, 9-Square in the Air, several inflatables, and going to the face-painting table. The BBQ-goers also enjoyed several new food offerings — Kona Water Ice, Funnel Cake, and Chef Steve’s Kettle Corn Popcorn. Children and families also enjoyed a tractor-pulled wagon ride around the ACS campus, provided by the Pricskett family, whose son, Noah, drove the tractor. The Pricsketts, who are alumni parents and own Sleepy Hollow Family Campground, also provided dozens of picnic tables for seating at the BBQ.

Thank you to the many volunteers, including members of the Board of Directors, faculty, and staff, who were busy at the BBQ grill, serving at the food buffet line, doing face-painting, monitoring the student activities, and helping with set-up and clean-up.

We are also grateful to several businesses, a church, school families, and vendors who donated food, beverages, and equipment to help keep the cost of the BBQ affordable for our families. These donors included: Atlantic City Bread Company, Beacon Evangelical Free Church, Big Time Vending, Bimbo Bakeries, Ralph Clayton, Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar and Joe and Amanda Gregory, Herr Foods, Kris Jacoby, Liberty Coca-Cola, Doug and Lori Pearson, Steve and Alisun Richards, Sysco, and Paul and Terry Vogel. A special thank-you also to ACS high school students on the Yearbook Staff who took the photos at the BBQ — Vera Huff, Mia Liggins, Amber Ramos, and Summer Scott.

ACS Students, Staff, Families Come Together to Prayer at See You at the Pole

Several dozen students, faculty, staff, and family members gathered for a time of prayer around the ACS flagpoles as part of the annual national “See You At the Pole” event on Wednesday, September 22. The morning gathering before the start of school began with singing led by staff member Kelly Flynn. Students and adults then took turns leading out in prayer as the the group lifted up our school, community, and nation.

Teachers from preschool to high school were also encouraged to bring their classes out to the flagpole area throughout the day during Bible class for a time of prayer.

Four flags can be seen flying daily in the flagpole area on the school campus — the American flag, the Christian flag, the New Jersey state flag, and the POW-MIA flag.

Since 1991, See You at the Pole has grown into a international annual event focused on prayer on school campuses from elementary schools to colleges. Now each year, an estimated 1 million students from all the world participate in See You at the Pole. Students in more than 64 countries have participated.

Variety of After-School Classes Starting Over Next Two Weeks – Sign Up Today

A number of interesting and enriching after-school classes are starting over the next two weeks. Soccer led by Prestige Soccer will begin on September 29 and Gymnastics, Art Studio, Art Workshop, and Intro to Sign Language will begin the week of October 4. A packet with the Fall Class Schedule and Registration Forms was sent home this week with PreK2-8th grade students. The schedule and registration forms are also posted on the ACS website and on the ACS Family App under “Calendars.”