Post Tagged with: "Atlantic Christian School"

New Teacher Spotlight: Welcome to Mrs. Gomez, Mr. Rosie, and Miss Whisman


ACS is pleased to welcome and spotlight several faculty members who are new to the ACS staff this fall or have moved into new positions — Mrs. Estefany Gomez, Mr. Tim Rosie, and Miss Megan Whisman. Please pray with us that God will bless and guide them as they teach, mentor, and serve as Christian role models for our students.
Estefany Gomez is a new face in our Upper School for the 2020-2021 school year. She is teaching Middle School and High School Spanish, as well as 4th and 5th grade Spanish. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Estefany enjoys teaching her native language to her students and also sharing with them how following God’s plan for her life led her to ACS. She was planning to be an engineer when she started college at the Dominico Americano University, but God had a different plan and she eventually changed direction and earned a BA in education.

After getting married and moving to the United States, Estefany and her husband Miguel made their home in Atlantic City. They have two children, Graciela and Miguel Andres, and they are active in the Ciudad De Luz church, where Estefany leads the Children’s Ministry. Estefany started out part-time at ACS in 2018 teaching elementary Spanish. “I love working at ACS — I feel very much at home,” Estefany said.
A pivotal Bible verse that first impacted Estefany when she heard the gospel preached at the age of 14 is Jeremiah 1:5, which says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Please give Estefany a warm ACS welcome as she follows her calling to be a light for Christ as she teaches Spanish to our 4th-12th grade students.
Tim Rosie is our new Director of K-12 Choral and Instrumental Music, which includes leading our Elementary and Middle School Bands and our Middle School and High School Choirs. Tim and his wife Stephanie live in Egg Harbor Township and met at Cedarville University, where they were both music majors. Tim is an accomplished trombone player, an instrument he first took up in the 5th grade.
Born and raised in Somers Point, he played in Mainland High School’s Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, and Marching Band, and is now also serving as the brass tech for the band. Tim has been sharing his love of music, and especially brass instruments, with budding young musicians for over 11 years as a private teacher in Texas and New Jersey.
You can also find Tim in church on Sundays leading praise and worship at Faith Bible Baptist Church in Egg Harbor Township. Please join us in welcoming Tim to ACS.
 
Megan Whisman is starting her first full school year at ACS, having joined the faculty last spring just a few weeks before the coronavirus outbreak closed the campus and moved classroom learning online. Megan is excited to be sharing her love of reading and American and British literature with her students in the 8th to 12th grades.
“The books we’re reading, even though they were written many years ago, are full of universal themes and truths that apply to everyone and are still relevant today,” Megan said. “We’re still wrestling with the same thoughts and ideas and some of these ideas have transformed the world.”  Some of her favorite books include The Hobbit, Pride and Prejudice, Crime and Punishment, and A Christmas Carol.  Megan earned her BA in humanities from Cincinnati Christian University and is now working on a Master’s degree in teaching with a concentration in English from Liberty University.
Born in North Carolina, Megan and her family relocated to New Jersey when she was seven. She is the second of four children and has been active in her father’s church, Milmay Christian Church. She enjoys working as a fellow teacher at ACS with her mother, Amy, who teaches high school history, and likes being able to wave an occasional hello in the hallway to her sister, Rachel, who is an ACS senior. In her spare time, Megan enjoys reading, writing, baking, and hiking.

We Love Our Volunteers — Great Way to Be Involved in the ACS Family

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 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 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 Race Coordinator PJ Santos at psantos@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199, ext. 302.
  • Servant’s Heart Club — Volunteers are needed to assist with the after-school Servant’s Heart Club. The Club meets the first Tuesday of every month from 3:15-4:00 p.m. and the first meeting will be on Tuesday, October 6. 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.

Parents in Prayer Group to Meet Every Tuesday Morning — Starts September 29

Impact your children’s lives and ACS through prayer. Be a part of the ACS Parents in Prayer Group that will meet throughout the school year on Tuesday mornings from 8:45-10:00 a.m. in the Extended Care trailer. The first prayer meeting is Tuesday, September 29 and all parents and guardians are welcome to attend.

The goal of the prayer group is to ask God to move at every level of the school, to work in the hearts of our students and their families and in the lives of everyone connected to ACS. We will be praying that our young people will grow in their faith and that their lives will be transformed by God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit. We will be praying that our entire school community would live their lives devoted to one another in love, through Jesus, to the glory of God.

Any questions? Please contact group leader and alumni parent Sharon Griffith at 609-214-2136.

Sign Up For Parent-Teacher Conferences — Wednesday, October 7

Parent-Teacher Conferences for parents with students in K to 12th grade will be on Wednesday, October 7 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. To schedule an in-person conference with a teacher, please use our on-line scheduling tool using the links listed below. Parents of any student on remote learning are welcome to sign up for a time and you will be sent a Zoom link for your meeting.

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.

For the health and safety of our school families and staff, we have several new rules regarding attending an in-person conference. There is a limit of one person per family that can attend the conference, your temperature will be taken upon entry into the school building, and you must wear a mask when in the building.

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.

Pretzel Days – Now Mondays & Wednesdays

Starting this week, PTF Philly Pretzels are available for students to purchase on Wednesdays too! The Parent-Teacher Fellowship will be selling Philly Pretzel Factory Pretzels for $1 every Monday and Wednesday during lunch.

Funds raised by the PTF go to support student scholarships and awards and teacher equipment and supplies. Thank you for supporting our school!

 

New After-School Classes Starting Next Week

There are new After-School Classes starting next week! Intramural Baseball, Art Studio and Art Workshop, and virtual Snapology classes are being offered.  Please see the list of programs being offered for the fall season below.  

CLICK HERE to see to download the registration forms.  Printed copies will also go home with elementary students this week.

 

 

 

Join Us for Back-to-School Nights — Via Zoom on September 17 and 24

Parents and guardians are encouraged to participate in our upcoming Back-to-School Nights to be held online via Zoom rather than in-person this month, in keeping with our desire to protect the health and safety of our school families and staff. The Elementary Back-to-School Night will be on Thursday, September 17 for families with students in Kindergarten to the 5th grade, and the Upper School Back-to-School Night will be on Thursday, September 24 for families with students in grades 6-12.

The Elementary Back-to-School Night on September 17 will have two, 30-minute live sessions, from 6:30-7:00 p.m. and from 7:15-7:45 p.m. Parents can choose to log on and participate in either session. Teachers will provide parents with their unique Zoom meeting links. More detailed information will be sent home with students and via email.

The Upper School Back-to-School Night on September 24 will have both recorded presentations from teachers and a live session to be able to ask questions of your child’s teachers. Further details will be sent in an upcoming email from Upper School Principal Meg McHale.

Get Involved in the Parent-Teacher Fellowship — First Meeting Thursday, Sept. 17

Are you interested in getting involved as a volunteer at ACS? Come out for the first monthly meeting of the Parent-Teacher Fellowship on Thursday, September 17 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. to find out  how and in what ways you can get involved. The PTF will continue to meet the third Thursday of each month throughout the school year.

The PTF is a great way for parents and guardians to get plugged into ACS and to use your gifts and talents to help advance our school’s mission.  This year’s activities and fundraising plans will be discussed at the September 17 meeting. The PTF organizes a monthly lunch to bless ACS faculty staff and heads up several fundraisers including the sale of ACS Family Spiritwear, Philly Pretzel Factory pretzels on Mondays during lunch, and ShopRite Gift Cards. Funds raised by the PTF support student scholarships and awards and help purchase teacher equipment and supplies.

To attend the meeting, please check into the school office when you arrive and you will be directed to the location of the meeting.  For any questions, please contact PTF President Terry Vogel at 609-226-4383. Other members of the PTF Board are: Polly Ellison (Vice President), Lori Pearson (Treasurer), and Amanda Costello (Corresponding Secretary).

ACS 2020-2021 School Spiritual Development Theme — Stand Firm

The ACS 2020-2021 Spiritual Development Theme is “Stand Firm,” based on 1 Corinthians 16:13, which says — “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” Chapel speakers during the first week of school focused on this theme and posters were displayed throughout the school building to encourage students to stand firm on God’s promises. Staff T-shirts worn on the first day of school also displayed the new theme.

On September 9, Pastor Matt Mouliert of Crossroads Fellowship in Pleasantville was the featured speaker at the Middle School and High School chapel and said standing firm means “that you stand out, stand up, and stand strong.” He referenced the actions of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel as examples of what it means to stand firm in your faith.  The three Hebrew men refused to bow down and worship a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar and were thrown into a fiery furnace to die, but an angel of the Lord protected them from any harm.

Elementary Principal and Early Education Director Gail Alford spoke about the theme verse during the Wednesday chapels for students from preschool to the 5th grade. Alford said that the Elementary and Early Education chapels throughout the year will be focusing on the armor of God.

“It’s so important that we teach even our youngest students how to suit up and protect ourselves from the attacks of the world,” Alford said.  Upper School Principal Meg McHale said the middle school and high school students will break into smaller COMPASS Bible study groups that will meet every other week during chapel time.  This year’s spiritual development theme is integrated into the high school COMPASS study series,  “Counter Culture” by David Platt, and into the middle school study series, “Follow Me,” also by David Platt.

 

Save The Date! Race for Education – October 30, 2020

 

Are you interested in helping Atlantic Christian School raise $30,000 in order to continue to provide a quality education and affordable tuition?

Would you be willing to give a minimal amount of time to help our school raise needed funds?

Here are some facts about this year’s Race:

  • Our Race for Education is a jog-a-thon, which will involve our PreK3-12th grade students walking and/or jogging around the school track for 30 minutes.
  • Our Race for Education will be held on Friday, October 30, 2020.
  • A “Kick-Off” packet of information about our Race for Education will be sent home with each PreK3-12th grade student on Monday, September 21.
  • “Remote learners” are encouraged to participate in our Race for Education as well. We will be sending parents suggestions on how to make this fundraiser a good wellness activity (e.g., walking and/or jogging in your neighborhood or at a local park).
  • The success of our Race for Education is based on sharing your child’s personal fundraising webpage address with potential sponsors by EMAIL, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or by sending individuals a sponsor mailer.
  • Potential sponsors may be family members, relatives, close friends, and neighbors. Don’t forget to include relatives and friends that live out of town and may not normally be able to contribute to other school fundraising efforts. Our Race for Education makes it easy for them to participate as well!
  • There are incentives and prizes to help promote the success of our Race for Education, which encourage student & classroom participation (e.g., Snack Passes, Dress Down Day Cards, “Five Below” Gift Cards, Class Outings, Lap Winner Certificates).
  • Our Race for Education is great fun for our students, no hassle to parents, and will fully benefit our school’s educational program!

 

 

See You At the Pole – September 23

Update: Due to the new safety drop-off procedures in the morning, the See You At The Pole event at 7:45am on September 23 has been cancelled.  ACS students will go to the pole at different times during the day to pray.

 

 

Mondays are Philly Pretzel Days – Starts Sept. 14

PTF Pretzel Mondays are back! The Parent-Teacher Fellowship will be selling Philly Pretzel Factory Pretzels for $1 every Monday during lunch, starting Monday, September 14.

Funds raised by the PTF go to support student scholarships and awards and teacher equipment and supplies. Thank you for supporting our school!

 

Support ACS PTF & Show Your School Spirit With Spiritwear Sweatshirts!

Place your order for an ACS Spiritwear Sweatshirt featuring the school name, logo, and Cougar paw!  The sweatshirts are available as an ACS hoodie or crewneck in green or gray. Prices range from $22-$30, depending on the item and size. The SpiritWear is for ACS families, with sizes available from preschool to adult. SpiritWear is also approved apparel that can be worn by students during the school day.

CLICK HERE to view and print out the SpiritWear order form.

 

Middle School Soccer Tryouts – Sept. 14-15 Final Two Days

Middle School Soccer tryouts for the boys’ and girls’ teams, which began today, will continue through next Tuesday, September 15.  Try-outs are held after school from 3:15-5:00  p.m. Please come prepared with cleats and shin guards.  The MS Boys’ coach is Brandon Stevens and the MS Girls’ coach is Casey Hopwood.

ACS in Final Voting Round for Best of Press 2020 Awards – Vote for ACS!

ACS has advanced to the final round of voting for the Best of the Press 2020 Awards — for Best Child Daycare Center, Best Summer Camp, and Best Place to Work.

Thank you to everyone who voted during the Nomination Round to get ACS into the Top 5.

Now we need your votes again in the Final Round of Voting – which goes from September 9 to September 23.

CLICK HERE to vote or go to: pressofac.com/contests   —  You can vote once daily.

Look for the “Services” section,  and ACS is in the running in 3 categories:

  • Best Child Daycare Center
  • Best Summer Camp
  • Best Place to Work

Thank you for voting and please encourage your family members and friends to vote too.

New High School Class to Focus on Missions and Ministries

ACS has added a new high school elective called “Missions and Ministries” and faculty member Dave Genter, who will be teaching the course, is looking for help from ACS families, friends, and local churches to build a networking list of missionaries that the students can study and support.

The new elective is part of the “Ministry” concentration, one of  five high school concentrations that allow high school students to be more immersed in a specialized field as they explore their God-given gifts and abilities. The other concentrations are Business, Education, Health and Medicine, and Technology.

“The students in this class will be researching missions and missionaries — where they are, the challenges they face, their needs, and how we can pray for them,” Genter said. “We will also do some correspondence with the missionaries in the field and will try to face time some of them.” Genter said time will be set aside each week to pray specifically for the missionaries they are studying.

Please contact Mr. Genter with the names and contact numbers of any missionaries that you may know or support to help the class building their missionary network. Please email Mr. Genter at: dgenter@acseht.org.

 

All ACS Families Invited to Attend Family Orientation Event on Wednesday, Sept. 2; New Video on Reopening Plans Released

Family Orientation will be held on Wednesday, September 2 to give all ACS families an opportunity to visit their children’s classrooms, meet their teachers, and become better acquainted with changes in student arrival and departure procedures and new health and safety protocols. A new video describing the many new health and safety measures will also be showing throughout the Orientation event, which will run from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Due to the need to practice safe social distancing, families have been put into smaller groups to arrive at the Family Orientation during a specific time-frame based on the first letter of their last name.

“This has been a challenging summer to put all of the new health and safety protocols in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, but we are anxious to share the days with our ACS family again,” said Upper School Principal Meg McHale in an August 26 email sent to parents with students in the 6th to 12th grades announcing the new Family Orientation event.

Elementary Principal Gail Alford sent a similar email on August 26 to parents of students in kindergarten to 5th grade. “In years past, we always had a New Family Orientation, but this year we felt that all families should be informed about the changes in drop off/pick up, expectations for your children in the classroom and during lunch, as well as other safety measures we are taking,” Alford said.

Remote Learning Students will be able to pick up their Chromebooks and textbooks during their scheduled time slot.

We encourage parents and students to view the video (posted below) to become more familiar with our new safety procedures for the upcoming school year. Featured in the video are Admissions Director Jessica Martin and several students — 9th grader Noah Gibbs, 6th grader Kiara Loo, 2nd grader Eric Macpherson, and 11th grader Haley Whedbee.

Following are the scheduled times for families to attend the Family Orientation, based on the first letter of their last name:

First letter of last name              Time of Orientation

A – B                                                 3:00pm – 3:40pm

C – E                                                 3:40pm – 4:20pm

F – H                                                4:20pm – 5:00pm

I – L                                                  5:00pm – 5:40pm

M – O                                               5:40pm – 6:20pm

P – S                                                 6:20pm – 7:00pm

T – Z                                                 7:00pm – 7:40pm

We will be following up the Family Orientation with information for the families who cannot attend the event as well as detailed pick-up and drop-off information, Extended Care changes, and information and general first day of school updates.  Please note that Extended Care will NOT be available until Thursday September 10th, please make arrangements to have your child picked up at dismissal at 12:30 p.m. Before care will be available beginning the first day of school on September 8th at 7 a.m.

Please continue to keep ACS faculty and staff in prayer as we move into the new school year teaching the students spiritually and academically so they are equipped and prepared to know, love and serve the Lord fully!  It is our joy to be able to spend this year ahead with you and your family.

Varsity Soccer Teams Play Strong in First Scrimmage Games vs Lancaster County Christian

Coaches and fans got an exciting first look at our Varsity Soccer Teams on August 28 in pre-season scrimmage home games against Lancaster County Christian School, and they liked what they saw.

The Varsity Girls’ team, who were undefeated and the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference champions last year, won its game 7-0, led by head coach Carly Witherow in her 7th Varsity season.

The Varsity Boys’ team, under new head coach Andres Tortola, lost a hard-fought match 6-5. Athletic Director Pam Hitchner said the Varsity Boys’ showed a lot of grit and determination after being down 4-1 going into the second half. “They fought hard and tied up the game at 5-5 and then with just six minutes left in the end of the game, Lancaster Christian scored a goal,” Hitchner said. “We loved how our fans were rooting and cheering on our boys.”

Upcoming games include the Varsity Boys playing away at Life Center on September 4 and the Varsity Boys and Girls playing away against King’s Christian School on September 11. The first home games of the season for both teams will be on September 25 against Calvary Christian. Both games will begin at 4 p.m. We’re looking forward to a great season ahead!

ACS Opens New Outdoor Basketball Court With August 3 Ribbon-Cutting


ACS officially opened a new outdoor basketball court with a Ribbon-Cutting on August 3, kicking off our Summer Basketball Camp. Participating in the ribbon-cutting were ACS staff and major donors who contributed gifts and professional services to help build and equip the court, valued at more than $35,000.
Cutting the ribbon were ACS parents Paul and Terry Vogel, who first envisioned the project and made a donation in memory of Robert and Ruth Vogel, whose 10 grandchildren have attended ACS. The Vogels are flanked on the left by ACS Athletic Director Pam Hitchner and donor Ralph Clayton, and on the right by ACS alumni parent and donor David Scheidegg, a partner with SNS Engineering. Basketball Camp Head Coach Grant Miller, a 2007 ACS alumnus, also attended the ribbon-cutting, joined by several campers. Thank you also to several other volunteers who helped with the project – Doug Pearson, Landon Shivers, and Scott Shivers.
The new outdoor court was put to good use during the week of August 3 by the 6th-8th grade boys and girls in camp. Thank you to Coach Miller and Assistant Coaches Dan Cotton, Evangelina Kim, Shannon Kim, Doug Miller, and Minelva Miller, for doing a great job helping our campers improve their game and have fun doing it.
Athletic Director Hitchner said the addition of this large outdoor court, which includes space for bleachers on both sides of the court, provides new options for outdoor activities during the summer and upcoming school year. In addition to being a place to play basketball, she said the court will also be used for PE units on pickle ball and for free play during recess.
Anyone interested in making a donation toward the purchase of bleachers — a total of six are needed that each seat 56 people — should contact Hitchner (phitchner@acseht.org) or Carole Karabashian, Director of Development and Communication (ckarabashian@acseht.org).

2019-2020 Annual Report Newly Released by Mail, Online

Our 2019-2020 Annual Report is hot off the presses and was mailed in late August to ACS families, employees, and community supporters. The Annual Report uses narrative, with pictures and data, to provide a snapshot of school life for our students from preschool to the 12th grade and highlights the year’s academic and financial progress.

“This 2019-2020 Annual Report celebrates the many accomplishments of our students and the extraordinary efforts of our teachers and support staff who in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic gave 110% to ensure that our students stayed on track academically, socially, and spiritually,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen, who wrote the welcome message in the report. The report also thanks and acknowledges individuals, businesses, churches, and nonprofits who donated $150 or more during the school year to the school’s Annual Fund.

A summary of the school’s 2019-2020 Annual Report was presented as a PowerPoint to the parents, faculty, and staff who attended the virtual online Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Christian School Association on June  1.

CLICK HERE to read the full, 8-page Annual Report online, which is posted on the ACS Website.

ACS Hosts Successful Red Cross Blood Drive

Thank you to everyone who donated blood at our American Cross Blood Drive on August 10 and helped make the event a success.

Student Council Advisor Dave Genter, who oversees the blood drives at ACS, said he was very pleased with the participation from the community and that every appointment slot was filled.

One unit/pint of blood can help save 3 lives. Our August blood drive collected 28 units of blood — which will touch the lives of patients in 78 area hospitals. We plan to hold another blood drive in February 2021.  Look for more details that will be posted in the “Cougar Chronicle,” on our school website, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ACS Welcomes Parents, Preschoolers to Early Education Center Open House

Excitement was in the air as ACS welcomed parents and preschoolers to our Early Education Center Open House on April 28. The Open House gave parents and their young children the opportunity to get better acquainted and acclimated to our teachers and aides and to explore our classrooms before the Center opened on Monday, August 31 for the fall.

The Early Education Center operates year-round and serves children from 6 months through PreK4.  Early Ed Center Director Gail Alford said the Center was open during the summer and provided a safe, fun, and nurturing environment for every child, with staff following the health and safety protocols recommended by the CDC and the Atlantic County Health Department to protect against the coronavirus. The summer session ended on August 21 and staff spent the following week cleaning and preparing for the fall session.

Admissions Director Jessica Martin said there are some openings available in the Early Education Center and anyone interested in enrolling their child should contact her by phone or email at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org. Children in PK1  and PK2 have the option to attend two, three, four, or five full days. Children in PreK3 and PreK4 can be enrolled for two full days, 3 full days or five half days, four full days, or 5 full days.

Cougar Camp Wraps Up Safe, Fun-Filled Summer

The ACS campus was buzzing with activity for seven weeks this summer as boys and girls from the 1st through 7th grades attended our popular, award-winning summer Cougar Camp program, which concluded on August 21. Cougar Camp Director and ACS faculty member Eric Tardif put together a fun-filled schedule of activities, including daily Bible lessons and worship time.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no field trips were permitted this summer, but there were plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to enjoy including STEM projects, playing ga-ga ball in the air-conditioned gymnasium, drawing and painting, hands-on learning in the school garden, and sliding down the Big Kahuna on Wednesday Water Days.  Thank you to Mr. Tardif and our Camp Counselors  — Katherine Kong, Ola Oguntuase, Lola Oguntuase, Joanna Sheldon, and Amy Williams — and to ACS staff member PJ Santos, who led the STEM projects, for making this a memorable summer for all our campers. See you next summer!

 

 

 

ACS Receives Donations to Protect Health, Safety of Students, Staff

ACS recently received several donations of items focused on protecting the health and safety of our students and staff as we look forward to opening with in-person instruction on September 8. ACS received a donation of 50 colorful cotton masks for use by ACS students and generous supplies of Melaleuca cleaning and personal hygiene products for use in the school building and in the School Nurse’s office.

The masks were donated by Melanie Jain, an Advanced Practice Nurse in Linwood,  who hand-made the masks and sanitized them with blue light before placing each of them in individualized plastic bags.  ACS is asking students to bring 2 masks to school to use during the school day, but in the event that a student loses, soils, or misplaces a mask, School Nurses Carrie Jorgenson and Angela Lushina are pleased to have  masks ranging in sizes from small to extra-large to provide to any student who is in need.

Thank you to ACS parents Charlie and Amanda Costello for donating Melaleuca cleaning and hygiene products including disinfectant, hand sanitizer, and foaming hand soap. Thank you also to ACS parent Kathy Costello for donating Melaleuca hand sanitizer, moisturizing lotion, and various essential oils.

Elementary Principal and Early Ed Director Gail Alford said the Melaleuca products are EPA-approved and are non-toxic and safe for the environment.