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Elementary Students to Participate in Kids Heart Challenge to Benefit American Heart Association

ACS elementary students will be participating in a month-long “Kids Heart Challenge” service project launched this Friday to benefit the American Heart Association (AHA) and to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of your heart. During Friday’s Elementary Chapel, a representative from the AHA encouraged students to participate in the service project by helping raise funds for the AHA. Kids Heart Challenge fundraising packets are being sent home with students.

PE teacher Ben Chapman, who is overseeing the service project, said students are being asked to take a challenge for their health by choosing to Move More, Be Kind, and Be Ready. He is also planning a fun and exciting PE event on March 26, the final day of the Kids Heart Challenge campaign. Elementary classes will participate throughout the day in various, cardio-pumping activities in the gym.

Chapman said all donations given to the American Heart Association will go to fund life-saving research and programs that help kids with special hearts. Students can earn thank-you gifts from the AHA for collecting donations from as little as $5 and up to $1,000. The gifts are described in the fundraising packet.

By holding this Kids Heart Challenge, ACS will qualify to apply for grants from the AHA for PE equipment. Donation checks should be made payable to the American Heart Association, not to Atlantic Christian School. Students can use the AHA Donation Form packet to collect donations and should return their packet by March 26. Students can also have a fundraising page on the AHA website to receive online donations.

CLICK HERE to register and set up you child’s fundraising page.

New Employee Spotlight: Computer Teacher & Library Media Specialist Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney

ACS welcomes new Computer Teacher and Library Media Specialist Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney

Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney is the new face in the ACS first floor computer lab, where she teaches students from kindergarten to high school to master the technology skills necessary to be successful in the classroom, in college, and the workplace. She also welcomes K-5 students to the school library each week, where they are developing a love of reading and are learning library research skills.

Mrs. Hahn-Chaney became the new computer teacher and library media specialist in January after Mrs. Diane Ash relocated with her family to Massachusetts. However, she is no stranger to ACS as she has been a proud and involved parent since 2015. Her son Caedyn is now in 5^th grade and her son Gaebriel is in 3^rd grade. But her real first day at ACS was in 1993 as a student in Mrs. Cassell’s kindergarten class. She attended ACS for most of her elementary years.

Hahn-Chaney holds a BS from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and is certified in Inbound Marketing and Digital Skills. Prior to coming to ACS, she was a content writer and manager for DotCom Global Media in Somers Point.

Hahn-Chaney, her husband, Marques, and their two sons live in Mays Landing and are active members of Fresh Start Church in Egg Harbor Township. She is currently working on redesigning the church’s website and recently enjoyed serving at Tim Tebow’s “A Night to Shine” event hosted at the church.

Hahn-Chaney takes her role as a teacher very seriously, describing herself as “an entrusted alternate” for the parents and grandparents who work hard so that their children and grandchildren can attend ACS. “I teach new skills, address bad days, give encouragement, inspire a thought process, share the love of Jesus, show a good example, and administer correction, all to the purpose of being an excellent stand-in for my students’ primary caregivers,.” Hahn-Chaney said.

Her favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. “In our world today, there is great emphasis on being really smart and getting more educated, but God is not impressed by academia,” Hahn-Chaney said. “He cares about our hearts. If I trust Him with all of my heart instead of trying to figure it all out, He will teach me what I need to know and show me what I need to do.”

Come to the Middle School Science Fair – Friday, March 6

Is the five-second rule true? What is the effect of microwaves on plant growth? What are the different densities of water? The answers to these and other STEM-focused questions will be explored in middle school science projects at the ACS Science Fair on Friday, March 6 in the gym from 4:00-6:00 p.m. ACS families are invited to attend and tour the 50 science projects that will be on display.

The students began developing their science fair projects in November, which is part of their science grade. The 6th and 7th graders have been working in pairs and 8th graders have created their individual projects.

Middle School science teacher Celine Melody said a panel of judges will examine each of the projects during the Science Fair and select the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from each class.

Seven ACS Varsity Basketball Players Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

TSCAC Varsity Girls’ Basketball MVP – junior forward Sydney Pearson

Seven ACS Varsity Basketball players made outstanding contributions to their teams over the past season and were recently recognized for their achievements. Junior forward Sydney Pearson received the highest individual honor given by the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference — the Varsity Girls’ MVP award — and six other players were named TSCAC All-Stars.

The ACS players were recognized and honored during an awards ceremony after the conclusion of the Championship Games on February 22. The ACS basketball players who were named TSCAC All-Stars were — Girls’ team: Olivia Chapman, Shelby Einwechter, Sydney Pearson, and Cristen Winkel; and Boys’ team: Ben Noble, Dan Roland, and Landon Shivers. ACS hosted the TSCAC All-Star Games this past Tuesday and fans had the opportunity to cheer on their favorite players for one last time this season.

ACS players named TSCAC All-Stars — Sydney Pearson, Shelby Einwechter, Olivia Chapman, and Cristen Winkel (from left, at left); and Ben Noble, Landon Shivers, and Dan Roland (from left, at right)

Senior Dan Roland was also honored just days before the championship tournament for pulling down 500 rebounds during his high school career. Roland became the 13th ACS Varsity Basketball player in school history to reach this significant milestone. He was recognized and given a special game ball at the Feb. 20 semi-final playoff game.

Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team Brings Home TSCAC Championship Trophy; Varsity Girls’ Lose Close Championship Match

The undefeated Varsity Boys’ Basketball team received the TSCAC Championship Trophy at the conclusion of the February 22 Tournament in the ACS gym.

Congratulations to our Varsity Boys’ basketball team for winning the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference championship on February 22, beating the #2-seeded King’s Christian School 47-32. The ACS Boys, under head coach Dan Carney, finished the regular season undefeated in the conference and brought home the championship trophy for the 10th time in school history.

Our Varsity Girls’ basketball team was seeded in first place entering the championship tournament with a 12-0 regular season record. The team lost a hard-fought match in the championship game 45-41 to King’s Christian School. During the Tournament awards ceremony, the Varsity Girls’ team, under head coach Kaylee Breunig, was recognized for its outstanding regular season and received a TSCAC trophy.

The Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team received the TSCAC regular season 1st place trophy.

“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to host the Championship Tournament in the ACS gym and we are proud of every player on our Boys’ and Girls’ teams who always gave 110% whenever they stepped onto the court,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. At the conclusion of the tournament, each member of the winning Varsity Boys’ team and their coaches climbed up a ladder to cut off a piece of the basketball net as a special keepsake, a tournament tradition.

The Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ teams will travel to Ohio next week to compete in a 3-day national tournament that concludes March 7. The tournament is organized by the National Christian School Athletic Association and features teams from across the U.S. who are the best in their regions.

“We’re very grateful to our school families and friends who filled our stands at home games and during the Championship Tournament, encouraging our athletes to do their best,” Hitchner said. “We also appreciate the parents and other volunteers, led by long-time ACS parent Terry Vogel, who worked in our Cougar Den concession stand throughout the season, helping raise funds for our athletic program.”

Hitchner also thanked and recognized the assistant coaches and team managers for their important contributions to a memorable season — Varsity Girls’ assistant coach Dara Kimmerley; Varsity Boys’ assistant coaches Drew Carney, Ben Chapman, and Paul Jones; and team managers Ashleigh Martin and Alex Wang.

CLICK HERE to read more about the championship games as reported in a February 24 Press of Atlantic City online article.

ACS All-Star Spellers Compete in Feb. 21 Bee, 4th Grader Leila Alobeidy Wins Top Spot

Spelling Bee Winner 4th Grader Leila Alobeidy will represent ACS at the March 21 South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee in Vineland.

Thirteen All-Star spellers in grades 1-8 competed in the ACS Spelling Bee on February 21 and 4th grader Leila Alobeidy was the last speller left standing and will move on to represent ACS at the South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee on March 21 in Vineland.

Leila won first place in the ACS Bee for the third consecutive year. 8th grader Ryleigh Martin of Mays Landing placed second, Leila’s 3rd grade brother, Adam, placed third, and 7th grader Ruth Oke of Williamstown placed a close fourth.

The All-Star spellers advanced to the school-wide Bee by winning classroom spelling bees over the past month. As fellow students, teachers, and proud parents watched from the audience, the Bee went 60 rounds, the longest of any prior ACS spelling bees.

Spelling Bee winner Leila Alobeidy, right, and runner-up Ryleigh Martin shake hands at the end of the Bee.

Leila and Ryleigh went head to head for the last 23 rounds before Ryleigh misspelled “logistics” and Leila clinched the victory by correctly spelling the 287th word in the bee — “reductive.”

“We’re very proud of every student who competed and we know Leila will do a great job representing our school at the regional bee,” said Mrs. Jessica Martin, the ACS Spelling Club Advisor who oversaw the Bee.

At the conclusion of the Bee, Leila’s 4th grade teachers and classmates cheered and gathered round to give her a hug and congratulate her. The classroom finalists, by grade, were: Khaleesi Nyanankpe and Caitlyn Doucett (1st); Tamara Kulov and Luke Sabulao (2nd); Adam Alobeidy (3rd); Leila Alobeidy and Matthew Coates (4th); Sophia Capito and Thomas Potenski (5th); Joshua Oke (6th); Samuel Lilley and Ruth Oke (7th); and Ryleigh Martin (8th).

All- Star spellers — 1st graders Khalessi Nyanankpe (left) and Caitlyn Doucett (right)

All-Star spellers — 2nd graders Tamara Kulov (left) and Luke Sabulao (right)

All-Star spellers — 3rd grader Adam Alobeidy (left) and 4th grader Matthew Coates (right)

All-Star spellers — 5th grader Thomas Potenski (left) and 6th grader Joshua Oke (right)

All-Star spellers — 7th graders Samuel Lilley (left) and Ruth Oke (right)

All-Star spellers — 8th grader Ryleigh Martin (left) and 5th grader Sophia Capito (right)

Legacy Gala Committee Meeting: February 24

Our second Legacy Gala Committee Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 24 at 3:15 p.m. in the school library. We need your help with contacting area businesses to be Gala sponsors, advertisers, and Silent Auction donors. We also need volunteers to spread the news about the Gala to our local churches by distributing Gala flyers and posters. And we need volunteers to help the day of the Gala with auction set-up, greeting, and much more. The bigger our Gala team, the more people we can reach about supporting this exciting event for our region.

If you can attend the Gala Committee Meeting, or would like to be involved but cannot attend the meeting, please email PJ Santos, Assistant Director of Development and Communication, at psantos@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199 ext. 302. This is a great opportunity to tell people about the positive impact that Atlantic Christian is having in the lives of our children and to ask them to support our school.

ACS Students: We Love Our Pastors

Over 50 pastors and ministry leaders from 30 area churches were the honored guests at Pastor Appreciation Day on Wednesday, February 12. The special day began with a complimentary breakfast for the pastors followed by an all-school chapel program that featured students from preschool to the 12th grade.

Senior Ashleigh Martin shares her faith journey at the Pastor Appreciation Day Chapel.

The students sang and danced to songs of praise and worship and recited Bible verses that incorporated the steps to salvation. 12th grader Ashleigh Martin shared how serving God on ACS missions trips to Houston and the Bahamas helped her grow in her faith.

The program also included a video that featured dozens of students talking about why they love their pastors and church and thanking them for the important role they play in their lives. ACS also presented the pastors with a special ACS mug and handmade valentines created by the students in the Servant’s Heart Club.

During breakfast, Pastor Mike Bult of Mainland Baptist Church, spoke on the challenges facing the church in reaching Generation Z with the gospel. He emphasized the importance of building relationships and using the tools of social media to connect with young people. He also talked about the power of prayer and for pastors to encourage parents to pray regularly with their children.

After chapel, the students had fun taking pictures and talking with their pastors. This week was Spirit Week at ACS and many students were wearing cowboy hats, boots, bandannas, and other Western wear attire to fit the day’s theme.

CLICK HERE to see a photo gallery of Pastor Appreciation Day including group photos taken of our students with their pastors.

March 5: Family Policy Alliance of NJ to Speak on Religious & Parental Rights

ACS is hosting a special presentation by the Family Policy Alliance of New Jersey on Thursday, March 5 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. to share information about public policies in the state and their impact on religious and parental rights. Mark your calendar to attend this important meeting and feel free to invite friends in the community.

The featured speaker will be Shawn Hyland, Director of Advocacy for the Alliance. He will present information regarding their organization, the LGBT curriculum in public schools, and parental rights legislation. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

The March 5 presentation is free and is open to parents, staff, and older students. The Alliance represents 1,500 churches and pastors across New Jersey. The Alliance’s vision is to see a New Jersey where God is honored, religious liberty flourishes, life is cherished, and families thrive.

CLICK HERE for more information about the Alliance.

ACS 11th Grader Jeremiah Engle Makes His Mark on the Ice

ACS 11th grader Jeremiah Engle, plays on the 1st place Atlantic City Sharks.

The Atlantic City Sharks 18U ice hockey team is headed to states in first place and ACS 11th grader Jeremiah Engle, who plays right wing, is proud to be a part of the team and excited for what lies ahead.

The state-level competition will be held in Wayne, NJ from February 21-23. Jeremiah has been making his mark on the ice playing hockey for 11 years and has been with the Sharks for 10 years. The Sharks must win three games next weekend to advance to districts.

Congratulations, Jeremiah. We’re proud of you and your accomplishments both on and off the ice.

Undefeated Varsity Basketball Teams Gearing Up for TSCAC Playoffs Next Week

Our undefeated Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams are heading next week into the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference playoffs. The Boys’ team, with an overall record of 17-9, enters the playoffs in first place after an undefeated (12-0) regular season in the conference. The Varsity Girls, 20-6 overall, also enter the playoffs in first place with a 12-0 record in the TSCAC. Both teams have a bye in the quarter-final round before hosting the semi-final games here at ACS on Thursday, February 20. Come out and cheer for our Cougars!

The Girls’ playoff game on Feb. 20 will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Boys’ game at 6:30 p.m. ACS will be playing the winners of the quarter-final playoff games on Tuesday, February 18. There is a small conference gate fee for the Feb. 20 games – $1 per student, $2 per adult, or $5 per family.

The playoffs will conclude on Saturday, February 22 and ACS is hosting the consolation and championship games. The Girls’ consolation game will be at 1:00 p.m. and the Boys’ consolation game at 3:00 p.m. The Girls’ Championship Game will be at 5:00 p.m. and the Boys’ Championship Game at 7:00 p.m. The gate fees for the final games on Saturday will be $2 per student, $3 per adult, or $10 per family.

Athletes and Family Members Honored at Senior Basketball Night

ACS recognized and honored four senior players on the Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams, two team managers, and their parents in a special ceremony on Tuesday, February 11. The ceremony was held between the Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity home games against Gloucester County Christian School.

Athletic Director Pam Hitchner introduced the team members and read notes of special thanks to each player written by Varsity Boys’ Coach Dan Carney and Varsity Girls’ Coach Kaylee Breunig. The following seniors players and managers were honored: Emily Kelley, Ashleigh Martin (Varsity Girls’ team manager), Ben Noble, Dan Roland, Mark Rosie, and Ping-yu (Alex) Wang (Varsity Boys’ team manager).

Senior Mark Rosie
Senior Dan Roland

Senior Emily Kelley
Senior Ben Noble
Senior Ashleigh Martin

MS Basketball Teams Finish 1st & 2nd in Atlantic Cape Jr. High League

The ACS Middle School Girls’ Basketball team, holding the first place trophy at the Jan. 25 Pilgrim Academy middle school basketball tournament.

The Middle School Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams wrapped up excellent seasons, with the girls finishing in first and the boys in second place in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League. Both teams also took first place in a middle school tournament on January 25 hosted by Pilgrim Academy.

The ACS Middle School Boys’ Basketball team won first place at the Jan. 25 Pilgrim Academy tournament, that featured six area boys’ middle school teams.

The MS Girls’ team, in its second year under head coach and 2007 ACS alumnus Grant Miller, finished 10-3 overall. The MS Boys’ team, under head coach Lee Martin who is also in his 2nd year, also finished 10-3. The final games of the season were played at home against Assumption Regional Catholic School, with the boys winning their game and the girls losing, their only league loss of the season.

“We’re very proud of the way our players worked together and supported each other,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. “The skills of the players steadily improved and they showed exemplary character and sportsmanship throughout the season.”

The 15 members of the MS Girls’ team were: Riley Cook, Sophia Costello, Gianna Flynn, Sophia Johnson, Rebecca Kelley, Evangelina Kim, Ryleigh Martin, Kendall Murphy, Taylor Murphy, Alicia O’Donnell, Ruth Oke, Skyler Shivers, Kayaha Smalls, Taylor Sutton, and Anyae Welch.

The 14 members of the MS Boys’ team were: John Cook, Calvin Costello, Charlie Costello, Judah Dawkins, Jayden Dixon, Jackson Gayeski, Noah Gibbs, Ethan Haynes, Emmanuel Johnson, Caden Kim, Chase Leach, Joseph McCrae, Jayden Sanchez, and Adam Schlundt.

Legacy Gala Committee Meeting: February 24

ACS Students Celebrate Black History Month

Throughout February, ACS students are participating in a variety of special activities for Black History Month. A new, daily quiz contest was launched this Monday, February 10 during morning announcements with students being told a fact about an influential African American and being able to win a prize by being the first to find their principal and correctly identify that person.

The quiz contest is continuing to the end of February and a total of 13 African Americans will have been highlighted. Six students in elementary through high school were this week’s contest winners: 5th grader Julian Calloway, 9th grader Jake DeNick, 9th grader Hunter Jorgenson, 3rd grader Nora Sawaid, 7th grader Ruth Oke, and 9th grader Caleb Vogel. The winners are receiving a dress down pass as the prize. This week’s questions and answers were:

Question: Who was the first African American woman to travel into space? Answer: Mae Carol Jemison;
Question: Now an NFL quarterback, this African American initially played college football and college baseball at Texas Tech University. Answer: Patrick Lavon Mahomes II;
Question: This African American inventor is best known for being awarded a patent for automatically opening and closing elevator doors. Answer: Alexander Miles;
Question: This African American woman was the 66th U.S. Secretary of State, under the administration of President George W. Bush. Answer: Condoleezza Rice.

A short biography and a photo of the 13 African Americans featured in the contest are being hung in the school hallway near the Multi-Purpose Room. Hallway bulletin boards in other hallways are also decorated in honor of historically significant African Americans like Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Classroom lessons and projects are also highlighting the historical contributions of African Americans as well as the social accomplishments of those who led the civil rights movement.

A hallway bulletin board in our Early Education/Elementary first floor hallway decorated for Black History Month with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Butterfly Ball for K-8 Girls Is Saturday, February 29

Girls in Kindergarten through 8th Grade are invited to bring their “special prince” (father, grandfather, uncle, brother) for an evening of dinner, dancing, and fun at the annual Butterfly Ball on Saturday, February 29 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the ACS gymnasium. Invitations went home with the students this week.

The cost is $35 per couple and just $10 per additional daughter. Please RSVP by Monday, February 24 . Please return your RSVP card along with your payment to the main office. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Drew Carney – dcarney@acseht.org

Save the Date! A mother-son event is also being planned on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Details coming soon!

Join Us Tonight! ACS Family Night of Worship and Fellowship

Join us on Thursday, February 13 for an ACS Family Night of Worship and Fellowship from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. Sponsored by the ACS Parent Teacher Fellowship, this coffeehouse-type event will feature worship music led by ACS parents Ted Dawkins, Kelly Flynn, Shannon Kim, Lee Martin, and David Santos. Music Director Jaron Beadle and Director of Facilities Bill Smallwood will also be joining the worship team.

Coffee and desserts will be provided by the PTF. This is a free event designed to give ACS parents and grandparents an opportunity to worship and fellowship together. Child care will not be provided. To RSVP, please email PJ Santos at psantos@acseht.org.

Spirit Week Kicks Off Feb. 7, Fun Activities Planned for Next Week

A pep rally on Friday, February 7, with ACS students and staff dressed in our green-and-white school colors, kicked off a series of fun activities planned for Spirit Week next week. Our high school basketball teams will be playing their last regular season games next week before the playoffs, and our Athletic Department has planned a number of fun activities for our students and staff, with a different theme each day.

Here’s the lineup of activities planned for Spirit Week:

Marvel Monday – Students may come to school dressed as their favorite Marvel superhero or wearing their favorite Marvel gear.

Team Attire Tuesday – Students may wear their favorite Pro sports team attire. May include jerseys, sweatshirts and T-shirts etc.

Western Wednesday – Come dressed in your favorite western wear.

Tropical Thursday – Wear your Hawaiian shirts, leis and beautiful flowers in your hair for this fun spirit day. No bathing suits, shorts, or flip flops.

No ripped jeans or leggings as pants are allowed on any day. If you have elementary PE class on any of the days, you need to wear sneakers so you can participate in gym class. Any students choosing not to participate should come to school in their regular school uniform.

Gregory’s Restaurant Wins Golden Spoon Award at 2020 Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit

Over 450 people came out on Saturday, February 1 to sample a variety of delicious soups and choose their favorite at our 7th annual Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. Congratulations to Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar in Somers Point for taking first place in the People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award for the second year in a row, serving up a shrimp and crab roasted corn chowder. The Gregory’s family is also part of the ACS family and everyone gathered on stage to receive their award.

Sal’s Coal-Fired Pizza in Somers Point took 2nd place for the second year in a row, serving a tortellini soup. The Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen finished in 3rd place with its broccoli and cheddar soup, the first time the Rescue Mission has placed in the contest. Congratulations to 2011 ACS alumnus Dara Heston, who headed up the Mission’s culinary team.

Thank you to everyone who bought a ticket, donated to be an Event Sponsor, or brought cans of soup and other non-perishable items for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. The Bowls of Hope showcased some of the best restaurants in and around Atlantic County serving up their specialty soups. Our high school students had the great experience of helping serve some of the soups and working behind the scenes with set-up, clean-up, selling tickets, and more.

Thirty-five elementary and middle school students presented 16 entertaining acts throughout the evening, showcasing their God-given talents and abilities. Students sang, danced, played the violin, and even performed while riding hover boards. Faculty member Amy Parker and senior Ashleigh Martin served as the Talent Show emcees.

We would like to thank and recognize the 20 chefs and restaurants who donated soup and helped make our event a success. Please join us in thanking them by patronizing these establishments. Our 20 participating restaurants and chefs were: Academy of Culinary Arts; Atlantic City Rescue Mission Kitchen; Bahay Kubo; Barrels; Bonterra Market; Carluccio’s; Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant; Eat Clean Organization; Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar; La Cucina Ristorante; Maurizio’s Pizzeria; Romanelli’s On the Greene; Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza; Sofia Restaurant; Steve and Cookies Restaurant; Tacocat; Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall; The Cheese Board; The Local’s Spot; and Whisk Bakery and Cafe.

We would also like to thank and recognize our generous Bowls of Hope Sponsors: American Church Group of NJ; B.F. Mazzeo Fruits and Produce; Clayton’s Self Storage; Edward Jones Investments, Jason Kiefer, Financial Advisor; Formica Brothers Bakery; H.S. Restoration and Cleaning Service; Klingert Family Chiropractic; Olympic Physical Therapy; and SERVPRO of Egg Harbor/Ventnor City.

CLICK HERE to read more exciting details and see photos of our Bowls of Hope as reported in the Press of Atlantic City’s February 1 article. Hope to see everyone back again next year!

Varsity Basketball Player Ben Noble Honored for Scoring 1,000th Career Point

ACS recognized and honored senior guard Ben Noble, a member of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball team, for achieving the significant milestone of scoring 1,000 points during his high school career with a special presentation during a home game on Friday, January 31 in the ACS gym. Noble scored his 1,000th point before a record-breaking crowd by sinking a foul shot in the 4th quarter of the conference game against King’s Christian School.

After Ben sank his foul shot, the enthusiastic crowd, which had been informed that he was close to reaching the record, threw streamers and rushed the court to congratulate him. Ben is now just the 8th ACS Varsity Boys’ basketball player in school history to reach this significant milestone.

Athletic Director Pam Hitchner presented Ben with a special commemorative game ball. Ben’s parents, 9th grade sister, Paige, and other family members were invited to join Ben court-side to be recognized for their contributions to Ben’s success.

ACS went on to win that game 72-44, with Ben scoring 16 points in the game. This year, Ben has averaged 16 points a game, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Led by head coach Dan Carney, the ACS Boys’ Basketball team, who is undefeated in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference, will play again at home on Monday, Feb. 10 against Open Door. Ben and other senior players and their parents will be recognized and honored on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at our home games against Gloucester County Christian School. Go Cougars!

February 12: Red Cross Blood Drive at ACS

Donate blood and help save a life. Make an appointment today to donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive at Atlantic Christian School on Wednesday, February 12 from 3:00-8:00 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room. Since 2008, ACS has hosted American Red Cross blood drives to help meet the urgent needs of patients at hospitals in Atlantic County and our surrounding community. To donate, please make an appointment on the Red Cross website. Any questions? Contact high school faculty member and Student Council Advisor Dave Genter at dgenter@acseht.org.

To make an appointment, go to: www.redcrossblood.org
Use Sponsor Code: atlanticchristiansch

Bowls of Hope Food Drive Collects 1,021 Pounds of Food For Community FoodBank

Our Bowls of Hope Food Drive was a huge success! Thanks to the generosity of our school families and friends, ACS collected a whopping 1,021 pounds worth of canned soups, vegetables, beans, tuna fish, and other non-perishable food items to donate to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. ACS middle school and high school Student Council members helped pack up the donated items and loaded them onto a Food Bank truck on Thursday, February 6.

Colette Kraus, Food Sourcing Manager for the Community FoodBank, thanked ACS for the donation which she said “will help many in our community who need our assistance.”

The donations came in throughout the month of January, with the school-wide Food Drive concluding the night of the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on February 1. Many people who attended the Bowls of Hope brought canned goods and other non-perishables to donate to the Food Drive, which this year collected three times more than last year’s drive.

Varsity Cheer Squad Fires Up ACS Basketball Fans

A talented, high-energy 15-member cheerleading squad has been getting ACS fans fired up at home basketball games since early January. The squad will be cheering at three more games before the basketball season concludes — at this Friday’s JV and Varsity Girls’ games against Winslow; at the senior game on February 11; and at the semi-final playoff game on February 20. Come on out and cheer our Cougars on to victory!

The middle school and high school students on the squad, co-coached by staff members Kelly Flynn and Morgan Gibson, started practicing in November to learn nearly 50 chants, cheers, and half-time routines and to develop their tumbling, stunts, and pyramids.

“I love the way this squad really works together,” said Mrs. Flynn. “They help and support each other and not just when they’re cheering, but they’re building great relationships for life.” In addition to practicing or cheering at a game three to four days a week, the squad has also enjoyed their time together at team dinners and Bible studies.

The squad is led by two captains — 9th grader Lauren Kent and 8th grader Haven Sanchez. The other members of the squad are: Angelina Alexis, Isabell Alford, Ava Barberio, Leah Boyer, Victoria Dade, Rebecca DiMaio, Adrienna Foo, Grace Johnson, Paityn Kates, Autumn Loo, Savannah Schwenker, Makayla Tomlinson, and Stephanie Valdes.

Intramural Cheer Squad Makes Its Debut

Our largest-ever intramural cheerleading squad made its debut at our “White Out” home basketball game on January 31 before a capacity crowd in the ACS gym in Egg Harbor Township. The squad will lead cheers and do a half-time routine at two more upcoming home games — the senior game on Tuesday, Feb. 11 and the semi-final playoff game on Thursday, Feb. 20.

The 26-member squad of elementary girls from kindergarten to 5th grade, led for the fifth year by Coach Morgan Gibson, has been practicing weekly since late November, learning the chants and practicing tumbling and stunting.

“We’re so excited to see the growth in this intramural program since it began five years ago,” said coach Gibson. “This is the largest and most experienced squad we’ve ever had. Our 5th graders are the leaders and they have learned so much. We know they’re ready to move on next year to the Varsity squad.”