Post Tagged with: "Atlantic County"

Giving Tree Christmas Service Project Raises Over $4,500 for Charitable Organizations Serving Locally, Abroad

Miss Williams’ 2nd grade class raised the most funds overall and among other elementary classes for their charity — the Atlantic City Rescue Mission.

Our “Giving Tree” Christmas service project and contest concluded on December 21 and generous gifts from family members and friends helped raise over $4,500 to be distributed to charities serving in our local community and around the world.

Twenty-four classes from kindergarten to the 12th grade participated in the project, each decorating a Christmas tree in their classroom with a theme reflecting the charity that the students chose to support and seeking donations to support their charity.

Congratulations to the students in Miss Williams’ 2nd grade class for raising the most overall for their charity, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, and also winning the Elementary Division, raising $617.50. The students in Mrs. Coates’ 6th grade class won the Middle School/High School division, raising $422.50 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Mrs. Coates’ 6th grade class raised the most funds among Middle School/High School classes and supported the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Two other classes won first place for the best creativity in decorating their tree to reflect their chosen charity. Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class won in the Elementary Division, with a tree decorated for their charity — the Scullville Volunteer Fire Department, and Mrs. Flath’s 11th grade class won first place in the Middle School/High School division, with a tree decorated for their charity — the Humane Society of Atlantic County. Each of the winning classes will receive either a free pizza party or an ice cream party in January.

“We are thrilled with the way our students and our school families responded to this new service project and got involved in helping raise funds to give back to many worthy organizations who are serving in our community and abroad,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen.

The charities who were supported in the Giving Tree Project were: the Alex’s Lemonade Stand; the American Red Cross; the Atlantic City Rescue Mission; the Cape May Zoo; Camp Haluwasa; the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Southern Branch; Compassion International; the Fellowship of Christian Athletes; the Funny Farm; the Hope Pregnancy Center; the Humane Society of Atlantic County; If Not for Grace Ministries; the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; the Northfield Dyslexia Center; Rio Missions; the Ronald McDonald House; Samaritan’s Purse; the Scullville Volunteer Fire Department; St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital; Toys for Tots; Wounded Warriors; and 4Ocean. All donations received are being given to the designated charities.

Christmas Chapels Feature Songs, Skits Presented by Middle School, High School Worship Teams

“A Campfire Christmas” was the theme of this year’s Christmas chapels on December 16 and 23, with students in the Middle School and High School Worship teams singing and dancing to favorite Christmas songs and presenting mini-skits while gathered on stage around a simulated campfire. Middle school faculty member Mrs. Celine Melody presented a skit about the true meaning of Christmas that featured 8th grader Joshua Kinch playing the role of the father.

The student-led chapels featured Christmas songs selected by the students in the worship teams because they had special significance in their lives, according to Mrs. Kelly Flynn, who directs the worship teams.  The chapel program opened with “Joy to the World,” followed by several upbeat songs including “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and “Jingle Bell Rock,” and the students and staff in the audience were encouraged to sing and clap along.

Several students were featured in solos at the December 16 elementary and middle school chapels, including 7th grader Ava Barberio singing “O Holy Night” and 6th grader Autumn Henson and 8th graders Autumn Loo and Jadelyn Maurer in “Mary Did You Know.”

“It was wonderful to see the students having fun singing and dancing to some of their favorite Christmas songs and then taking the time to dig deep and focus on the true meaning of Christmas and to share that salvation story with their fellow students,” Mrs. Flynn said. In the December 16 chapels, Mrs. Flynn closed the program with a moving solo performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

At the December 23 chapel, the High School Worship Team performed a stirring rendition of “Mary Did You Know”  and closed the chapel with “A Christmas Hallelujah.” Featured soloists in the two soulful songs were Elizabeth Alford (11th), Destiny Brewer (11th), Tommy Ellision (10th), Evangelina Kim (9th), and Rebekah Kimmerley (12th).

 

A Christmas Reflection from Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen

Over two thousand years ago, the birth of a baby boy named Jesus in the small town of Bethlehem forever changed the course of human history.  That baby was the Son of God, the promised Messiah, who was sent to rescue mankind from the chaos and condemnation of sin. Christmas is a time to reflect on God’s perfect plan of salvation and to put our hope and trust in the creator of the universe.

The year 2020 has been like no other, with the world reeling from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.  On many occasions, I have been burdened with concern for the difficulties facing so many in our school family.  I am thankful that God reminded me through His Word of His faithfulness, which can be summed up in two simple words — “But God.”

  • The world was covered with water and Noah and his family were in the ark — But God remembered his love for Noah, receded the waters from the earth, and put a rainbow of promise in the sky.
  • Joseph was taken and sold into slavery and his brothers meant it for evil — But God meant it for good.
  • Saul sought to kill David and take his life — But God protected him.
  • Jonah was swallowed by a whale and while in the belly he cried because all was lost — But God delivered him and put him on dry ground.
  • Jesus was beaten and crucified — But God raised him from the dead to give us eternal life.

In this life, there will be no shortage of obstacles, uncertainties, and problems, but God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is our refuge and strength and sovereign over all.  In times of difficulty, He wants us to draw closer to Him and to stand firm in our faith. As the Apostle Paul wrote to encourage believers in Romans 15:13 —  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.”

Merry Christmas and I wish you all a rich time of rest and celebration during this Christmas season.

In His Service,

Karen M. Oblen, M.Ed.
Chief School Administrator

2020 Race for Education Winners Announced

Thank you to all our donors, student and teacher participants, and volunteers for making our 2020 Race for Education a success! This year’s Race raised over $40,000 for our Annual Fund and the students and classes who excelled in their fundraising efforts were announced and recognized during our December 16 chapels.

2nd grader Erik Macpherson, pictured at left, is this year’s Student Grand Prize Winner, raising $1,010 through gifts from his sponsors. Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class, pictured below, was recognized as the Early Ed/Elementary Class Grand Prize Winner for raising $2,605. Mrs. Coates’ 6th Grade Class raised $3,405 winning the Middle School Class Grand Prize and raising the most in class donations overall. Ms. Stonelake’s 10th grade class raised $515 and received the High School Class Grand Prize.

Student Grand Prize Winner Macpherson received a special certificate redeemable for a Season Pass to Ocean City Water Park while the Class Grand Prize Winners received certificates for a class outing to either the Get Air Trampoline Park or the Playland Castaway Cove.

Additional prizes were also awarded for student participation:

Dress Down Day or Snack Pass Prize
Awarded to 98 students who received 3 or more donations.

Five Below $10 Gift Card Prize
Awarded to the one student in each class that received the most sponsors.
• PK3A – Hunter Thomas Van Hettinga
• PK3B – Minna Ali
• PK4A – Bennett Smith
• PK4B – Ryan Kulp
• KA – Brooklynn Smith
• KB – Lacey Hughes
• 1A – Damon Cooper
• 1B – Dallas Oglesby
• 2A – Jayden Bird
• 2B – Erik Macpherson
• 3A – Jeremiah Settles
• 3B – Raquel Crespo
• 4A – Peyton Hiller
• 4B – Gabriel Hudec
• 5A – Adrian Hinchman
• 5B – Liam Aspenberg
• 6A – Isabella Santos
• 6B – Mackenzie Flynn
• 7A – Joseph McCrae
• 7B – Gianna Flynn
• 8A – Taylor Sutton
• 8B – Richard Jackson
• 9 – Ryleigh Martin
• 10A – Allison Schlundt
• 10B – Summer Scott
• 11A – Asher Dawkins
• 11B – Haley Whedbee
• 12 – Eoin Mack

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO GALLERY

Early Education Students Present Joyous Christmas Program

The jingle-jangle sound of silver sleigh bells rang out to open the Early Education Christmas program on December 8, getting family members and friends into the Christmas spirit.  The program featured ACS preschool-aged students dressed in their favorite Christmas pajamas singing songs that celebrated the birth of Jesus, interspersed with an interactive reading of the Christmas story by Early Education Director Gail Alford.

The concert began with the infants and toddlers performing “Ring Christmas Bells,” followed by six preschool classes from PreK2 to PreK4 singing and doing choreography to a variety of Christmas songs, including “Jesus, Savior of the World,” “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “Jump for Joy,” and “Happy Birthday Jesus.”

Between each class performance, Mrs. Alford gathered for a special story time in front of a large Christmas tree to read the Christmas story out loud as several students from Mrs. Bird’s PreK4 class listened and asked questions. The students who were part of the story time were Robert O’Donoghue, Brielle Sabulao, Jackson Sawatzke, Julian Walder, and Johannah Wilson.

ACS school parent Lee Martin presented a Christmas message for the families and friends gathered in the audience, before the PreK4 students closed the concert with an energetic rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” The concert was performed in three separate ticketed events to limit the audience size and ensure safe social distancing. The concert was also live-streamed and recorded. CLICK HERE to view the concert on the ACS YouTube channel.

 

12th Grader Katherine Kong Wins Christmas Card Art Design Contest

Congratulations to 12th grader Katherine Kong for winning first place for the second year in a row in the ACS Christmas Card Art Design Contest. Her original art design is being featured on the cover of our school’s annual Christmas card that several thousand families and friends will receive in the mail by Christmas.

In addition to Katherine, four other students were recognized for their outstanding designs: 2nd place – Noelle Thompson (9th grade); 3rd place – Aine Dorsey (8th grade); 4th place – Summer Scott (10th grade); and 5th place – Shelby Einwechter (12th grade).

Thirty-seven students in Ms. Mirakian’s 8B Art Class and high school students in Art Appreciation and Art Workshop submitted cover art designs for the contest. A faculty-staff panel of judges selected the winners, who were recognized and presented with award ribbons during Upper School chapel on December 9.

 

Christmas Card Design Contest Winners Announced — From left: Art teacher Sherry Mirakian; 8th grader Aine Dorsey (3rd place); 12th grader Shelby Einwechter (5th place); 10th grader Summer Scott (4th place); 9th grader Noelle Thompson (2nd place); 12th grader Katherine Kong (1st place).

Katherine’s card design, done with markers, colored pencils, and metallic pen on card stock, captures a quiet night scene of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus lying in the manger and incorporates the message spoken by the angel to Joseph in Matthew 1:21 — “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

“This is the fourth year we have held this Christmas card art contest and the designs just keep getting better and better,” Ms. Mirakian said. “This contest gives our students an opportunity to discover and develop their God-given artistic abilities and to understand how art can be a powerful medium to share the gospel message.” All of the Christmas card designs will be on display in December and January on a large school bulletin board in the main school hallway adjacent  next to the Multi-Purpose Room.

 

Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher Children’s Book Featured During Library Story Time Inspires Students to Give to the Needy

Story time for elementary students in the school library in December featured the “Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher,” a whimsical tale about a fanciful flying creature named Snitcher who steals the colorful candy sprinkles used to decorate Christmas cookies, but in the end learns an important lesson — that Christmas is not about being greedy; Christmas is spreading sprinks to the needy.

The story was also brought to life on a festive bulletin board display in the hallway outside the library, which was decorated with paper Christmas  cookies made by the students and drawings of the Snitcher and other characters in the story, hand drawn and colored by 8th grader Aine Dorsey.

Library media specialist Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney said she chose to feature the engaging children’s story during story time because its message tied in well with the “The Giving Tree” all-school charity fundraiser being held during December. For the Giving Tree fundraiser, classrooms from kindergarten to 12th grade have chosen to raise funds to support a particular charity and decorated a Christmas tree in their classroom around the theme of their charity.

Elementary students visit the library weekly throughout the school year to check out and return books, learn library research skills, and to listen together as Mrs. Hahn-Chaney reads from an engaging children’s storybook.

 

Teacher Creates Christmas Prayer Tree on Classroom Wall as Reminder to Pray for Students

As students enter Mrs. Gina Wilson’s high school classroom, they can’t help but see the display of colorful cards arranged like a Christmas tree on the wall. But the display will not go down after Christmas because the tree is actually a Prayer Tree — and hanging on the tree are cards with the names of the students in Mrs. Wilson’s classes.

Mrs. Wilson started her first prayer tree in August 2019, soon after she was hired to teach high school math, including Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Honors Algebra 2, Geometry, and Honors Geometry.

“God put it on my heart last year to make a prayer wall with all of my students’ names so I would be reminded to pray for them constantly,” Mrs. Wilson said. “As I arranged the cards on the wall, it became clear that it was taking the shape of a Christmas tree.” She created a new prayer tree for this school year in early December, and there are 71 names on the tree.

“I realized that there was a greater purpose for me here than just teaching math,” Wilson said. “Part of my job is to pray for my students and to let them know that they are special and that I love and care about them.”

After putting up this year’s prayer tree display, Mrs. Wilson took time during her classes to briefly explain the purpose of the tree.  “There has been a lot of positive feedback from my students about the tree and they really appreciate knowing that we as teachers are taking time out to pray for each of them,” Mrs. Wilson said.

Each week, Mrs. Wilson pulls five or six cards off the tree and takes them home. She and her husband, Pastor John Wilson of North Harbor Church in Northfield, enjoy spending time together in prayer and will pray specifically for the students named on her cards.  Mrs. Wilson said sometimes students have removed their card from the tree and asked her to specifically pray for them.

“Sometimes I will pull a card because I know a student is going through a difficult time, but others are pulled randomly,” Mrs. Wilson said. “It’s been interesting to see how many times the students who needed the most prayer were the ones whose cards had been pulled for specific and fervent prayer.”

 

 

How ACS Informs Families About Winter Weather Closures

As the winter season gets underway, we want to be sure that parents and guardians are aware of our communication guidelines in the event that school is cancelled due to inclement weather. ACS parents and guardians will be notified by 6:00 a.m. and the decision to close will be communicated to parents and guardians in a variety of ways.

Closing notification will be disseminated in the following ways:

  • An automated text message will be sent to the cell phone number of all parents’/guardian’s who are listed as the primary contact in Renweb;
  • Posting on the ACS Website home page;
  • Posting on the ACS Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds;
  • Media notifications — ACS will notify local radio stations – WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM/1450 AM; WOND 1400 AM; 6-ABC TV and NBC-10 TV stations.

ACS Wins Cross Country Meet Vs. Kings Christian School

Ten middle school and high school athletes competed in a cross country meet with King’s Christian School on November 13 and the ACS team won the meet, with 10th grader Tommy Ellison coming in first place overall, finishing the 3.1 mile course in 19:42 minutes.

Ellison also came in 1st place in the category of High School Boys and 9th grader Alicia O’Donnell came in first place in the High School Girls category, with a time of 24:45 minutes (both pictured below left).  8th grader Jayden Sanchez came in 3rd place overall and second place in the category of Middle School Boys, with a time of 21:39 minutes, and 8th grader Taylor Murphy took second place in the category of Middle School Girls, and finished in 10th place with a time of 25:52 minutes (both picture below right).

“This was the first time we had the opportunity to compete against King’s Christian in cross country and our athletes did a great job,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner, who traveled with the team to the meet, which was held at Pennypacker Park in Haddonfield, NJ. “We have some strong long-distance runners and will be looking for more races to enter in the future to help our athletes improve their skills.” Hitchner said King’s Christian entered seven runners in the meet.

The six other ACS athletes who competed in the meet were:

8th grader Charlie Costello (4th overall, 3rd in MS Boys)
7th grader Calvin Costello  (5th overall, 4th in MS Boys)
8th grader Taylor Murphy (10th overall, 2nd in MS Girls)
8th grader Isabell Alford (11th overall, 3rd in MS Girls)
12th grader Gabriel Catusse-Martinella (13th overall, 3th in HS Boys)
7th grader Marley Odell (14th overall, 4th place in MS Girls)
7th grader Stephanie Valdes (16th overall)

 

 

 

 

12th Grader Sydney Pearson Receives Widener University Leadership Award

Congratulations to 12th grader Sydney Pearson for recently being selected to receive Widener University’s High School Leadership Award. Upper School Principal Meg McHale nominated Sydney for the award, recognizing her for making a difference by leading her peers on the ACS varsity athletic teams and being an active member of the school community.

In its ninth year, the highly-competitive awards program recognized 160 students from high schools in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania for their abilities to stand up for what is right, address a wrong, and make a difference in their communities or schools. Honorees gathered for a virtual awards event on November 6.  “Sydney is a strong,  natural leader who boldly stands up for her convictions,” Mrs. McHale said. “I am very pleased that she was chosen by Widener as one of the outstanding high school leaders in our region.”

Award recipients will receive a scholarship of $20,000 over four years and be named an Apogee Scholar should they choose to enroll at Widener University as a freshman for undergraduate studies. The award recipients also receive a leadership certificate and are invited to participate in a leadership development experience at Widener’s campus in Chester, Pennsylvania. Sydney is planning to pursue a career  in nursing and has not yet selected where she plans to attend college.

The leadership awards program was launched in 2011 by Widener University and WCAU-TV NBC 10 to recognize high school students in the region who embody the university’s commitment to develop and inspire leaders to affect positive change.

Xspero Digital Gift Cards – BOGO Deal For Christmas; Xspero Gives 20% Back to ACS

Gift cards to local restaurants make great Christmas gifts. During this season of giving, Xspero, a digital shopping app for your phone, is offering a pecial BOGO deal. When you buy one Xspero Digital Gift Card, you are not only giving 20% to ACS as your favorite charity – but you can also receive another digital gift card – FREE.

Buy one, get one FREE at selected Xspero merchants from now until December 31. Your free digital gift card will arrive by email within 48 hours. Give gift cards to your family, friends, favorite teachers, or even yourself!

A number of Atlantic County restaurants and other businesses are part of the Xspero network, including Atlantic City Sub Shops; La Cucina Ristorante; Little Italy; Naomi’s Cafe; Pets Plus; Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza; Sack ‘O Subs, Ocean City; Stir It Up; Tacocat; Vagabond Kitchen and Tap House (Atlantic City); and Your Chiropractor. New merchants are being added regularly so check back often to see if there are any more restaurants or shops in your area.

If you want to purchase gift cards through Xspero and you aren’t part of the Xspero network, it’s easy to join. Just download the Xspero app on your mobile phone and help raise funds through your normal spending. Text ACT to the number 47-47-47 or from your phone go to https://links.xspero.com/ACS.

 

 

Giving Tree Contest

“The Giving Tree” contest, a new service project to encourage our students from kindergarten to 12th grade to give back during this holiday season to charities in our community, starts this week!  Classes decorated their Giving Trees and are competing for two prizes:  raising the most money for their charity and for the best creativity in decorating design. All donations received will be given to the designated charities.  The contest ends Monday, December 21 and winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 23.

Click here to support your class and donate to the different charities

 

50th Anniversary Throwback Thursday Photo Contest Underway — October and November Contest Winners Announced

Our 50th Anniversary “Throwback Thursday Photo Contest” has announced its first two winners — faculty member Sara Coates for October and Early Education teacher’s aide and alumnus Abigail Vogel (’18) for November.

The prizes were gift cards to Buffalo Wild Wings and Chick-fil-A. A new winner will be selected each month through April 2021.

How do you enter the contest? Just email to CONTEST@ACSEHT.ORG your best guesses about any of the photos we post on the ACS Facebook and Instagram pages.

Earn points by identifying: 1) the year the photo was taken; 2) where the photo was taken; 3) the occasion of the photo; and 4) the names of the people in the photo.

A new photo is posted each Thursday on the ACS Facebook page, the ACS Stronger Together Facebook group page, and Instagram. The photo is also posted on a bulletin board in the Multi-Purpose Room, displayed in the school foyer video, and on the ACS website.

We welcome all ACS family members, students, staff, alumni, alumni parents, and friends in the community to participate in our Throwback Thursday Photo Contest. Let’s celebrate the great memories made by the thousands of students, families, and staff who have been a part of ACS over the past 50 years.

Below is the first Throwback Thursday photo for the month of December:

 

 

ACS Employees Honor Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen with Surprise 25th Anniversary Party

ACS faculty and staff threw a surprise party for Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen on December 2 to celebrate her 25th anniversary at Atlantic Christian School. In impromptu remarks, various teachers and administrators thanked Mrs. Oblen for her inspiring example as a woman of faith, an encourager and good listener, and a humble leader who has prayerfully sought God’s direction for the school.

Mrs. Oblen shared that she began her career in education at Atlantic Christian School in 1995. She left her job as a manager at Tilton Fitness Club to fill an opening for a part-time PE teacher. “I originally came to enroll my daughter, Kelly, in kindergarten, but I definitely felt God directing me to come to work at ACS and I have never looked back,” Mrs. Oblen said. “God has always provided and He has been so faithful to ACS. I am thankful to have been a part of this school for 25 years and I am thankful for all of you.” As special mementos, faculty and staff gave Mrs. Oblen hand-written cards sharing a favorite memory or an expression of appreciation for her friendship and leadership.

On behalf of the faculty and staff, Business Administrator Kelly Flynn presented Mrs. Oblen with a 25th anniversary commemorative plaque and a number of employees were given 25th anniversary T-shirts to wear that had a photo of Mrs. Oblen from her early years at ACS as a sixth grade teacher.  A celebration cake was inscribed with the message — “25 Years and Still Going Strong.”

Mrs. Oblen taught middle school and high school science from 2005 to 2009. After earning her Masters in 2008, Mrs. Oblen was appointed Curriculum Coordinator at ACS and chaired the school’s first Accreditation Steering Committee. From 2010-2012, she served as Upper School Principal and then K-12 Principal. She has served as the Chief School Administrator since 2012.

Thank you, Mrs. Oblen, for your faithful service to the Lord, Atlantic Christian School, and its students and staff.

Students Show Their Love, Appreciation for Grandparents at Virtual Chapels on November 25

Students from kindergarten to high school sent heart-felt messages of love and appreciation to their grandparents at special chapels on November 25 as grandparents watched online, unable to attend this popular annual school event in person due to required health and safety protocols related to the coronavirus.

Elementary Principal Gail Alford and Upper School Principal Meg McHale opened the two chapel programs with prayer and thanked the grandparents for their love and for being involved in the lives of their grandchildren.  Mrs. McHale noted that the Bible speaks of the important relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, quoting from Proverbs 17:6, which says: “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”

A musical program followed, with performances by the kindergarten classes and the Middle School Worship Team. Students in the Middle School sign language class signed to the fitting Josh Groban song “You Raise Me Up” as a collage of photos of ACS grandparents appeared behind them on a video screen.

The featured speaker was Carlo Lenzi, grandfather to 7th grader Gianna Flynn and 6th grader Mackenzie Flynn, and father of ACS Business Administrator Kelly Flynn. Mr. Lenzi traveled from his home state of New York to give an uplifting message to the students about how special they are in God’s eyes and in the eyes of their grandparents.  Mr. Lenzi’s career has been in restaurant and event management and he is the senior sales director at American Golf in Brooklyn.

“What’s important in life is not the amount of likes you have on Facebook,” Mr. Lenzi said. “It’s important to know who you are — that you are a child of God and you have special gifts and a calling on your life.” Lenzi also encouraged the students to appreciate their grandparents and the sacrifices that many of them made to create a better life for their children and grandchildren.   “Right now, life is difficult with wearing masks and being sequestered and many of you are separated from your grandparents and loved ones, but we’ll get through this and we’ll be back together again soon.”

Mr. Lenzi also had fun with the students showing off a variety of popular toys, games, and candy that he and other grandparents enjoyed when they were children back in the 1970s, like slinkies, silly putty, and the hula hoop. He even tried taking a short ride on a skateboard. High school senior Sydney Pearson closed the chapels in prayer.

CLICK HERE to watch the YouTube video of the Grandparents Day program.

CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery of the Grandparents Day chapel.

Students Preparing to Celebrate Birth of Christ in a Variety of Concert Formats

ACS students from preschool to high school will be celebrating the birth of Christ in various concert formats during December to accommodate the health and safety protocols in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first celebration of the season will be presented by the Early Education classes in three separate concerts on Tuesday, December 8, scheduled for 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m. Parents were contacted by Early Education Director Gail Alford by email about making reservations and obtaining tickets for these concerts, which have limited, socially-distant seating. Without a ticket, families will be unable to attend. All seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and seating will be ushered.

Elementary students in kindergarten to the 3rd grade will be performing Christmas selections during music classes the week of December 7 and their performances will be recorded and then aired as a virtual concert online later in December. Music Director Tim Rosie emailed parents and guardians on December 2 with details about this and will soon provide a link to parents once the virtual performances are ready for viewing.

“While we would love to have all the students perform live for you, this is not feasible at this time,” Mr. Rosie said. “We are looking forward to the spring when we can hopefully present an in-person concert for our families.”

On December 21 and 22, students in the Upper School Choir will be serenading students with Christmas carols as they arrive at school in the morning and the Middle School Band will perform several selections.  “Our students have been working hard to prepare songs for this Christmas holiday and these mini, live outdoor performances will give them an opportunity to display their musical talents,” Mr. Rosie said. Both performances will held at the main entrance to the school building.

The Elementary Band, which is comprised of ACS fourth and fifth grade students, will perform its Christmas concert selections at the end of January. “In the event that the COVID-19 restrictions are not lifted by that time, we will look into a recorded concert event,” Mr. Rosie said in a December 2 email to parents and guardians.

Our students are looking forward to celebrating the Christmas season with you!

New Giving Tree Contest Focuses Students on Supporting Charities as Christmas Service Project

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our hallways and classrooms, as Christmas tree decorating got underway on December 3 — part of “The Giving Tree” contest, a new service project that is encouraging students from kindergarten to 12th grade to give back during this holiday season to charities in our community and around the world.

“This Christmas, many worthy organizations that serve in our community and abroad are struggling due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Our new Giving Tree service project is a way that our students and our entire school family can reach out and support the work of these beneficial organizations.”

Oblen said twenty-four, six-foot lighted trees are being decorated with a theme reflecting the charity that the students chose to support. Some of the charities selected include: Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the Cape May Zoo, Camp Haluwasa, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Funny Farm, the Humane Society of Atlantic County, Rio Missions, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Toys for Tots, and the Scullville Volunteer Fire Department.

Students were busy this week making a variety of decorations for their trees, such as dog chew toys out of T-shirts for the Humane Society tree, white paper snowflakes, and mini wooden bridges for the Rio Missions tree. The decorating will be completed by Monday, December 7 and then the students will begin reaching out to family members and friends to raise money for their class’s chosen charity. Photos of trees will be posted on the ACS Facebook page and other social media. An online donation form will be provided.

The contest will end on Monday, December 21 and then judging will be held. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 23 during the Elementary and High School Christmas Chapels. Classes are competing for prizes for raising the most money for their charity and for the best creativity in decorating design.  All donations received will be given to the designated charities.

Ocean City Veterans Surprise Preschool Class with Thank-You Gift of Johnson’s Popcorn

The preschoolers in Mrs. Kelley’s PreK4 class got surprise thank-you gifts this week from the veterans with VFW Post 6650 in Ocean City — tubs of caramel corn from Johnson’s Popcorn in Ocean City.

Each student and the teachers received a tub of caramel corn as a thank-you from the veterans.  The students in November had created special posters of appreciation for the veterans that were mailed to them ahead of Veterans Day.

Elementary Principal and Early Education Director Gail Alford said that due to the coronavirus pandemic, ACS could not hold its traditional Veterans Appreciation Chapel and invite area veterans to be honored at the chapel. “Instead of thanking them for their service in person, our preschool and elementary students wrote letters, created posters, and other craft projects that were sent to VFW and American Legion posts in the area,” Mrs. Alford said.

In a hand-written note, Post Commander Michael Morrisey wrote to the class: “Thank you for all of your support.”

Mrs. Kelley said she talked to her students about how showing kindness to others can often be returned back to you, like the saying — one good turn deserves another.  “This was such a wonderful surprise and we are all excited to open our tubs and start enjoying some delicious caramel corn,” Mrs. Kelley said.

New 4th Grade Worship Team Formed, Joins Other Teams Leading Weekly Chapel Worship

A new 4th Grade Worship Team has formed this week, joining three other talented student teams who are leading the singing in different weekly chapels. Seventeen enthusiastic 4th grade students turned out for the first after-school practice on December 1 and are being divided into two groups that will alternate leading worship in the Early Education/Kindergarten chapels on Fridays.

“We added additional chapels this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic so we would have smaller groups of students gathering together and that created new opportunities for additional worship teams to get involved,” said faculty member Teresa Bird, who is leading the new team. “We are thrilled to give our 4th grade students the opportunity to serve the Lord through the gift of music.”

The members of the new 4th grade team are: Amelia Crawford, Natalie Dickson, Eva Dimashi, Isabelle Edwards, Mia Gaffney, Hadassah Gonzalez, Chase Hagel, Peyton Hiller, Emily Johnson, Emily Kinch,  Jennyfer Loaiza-Riveros, Novella Malave, John Mazahreh, Layla McCarthy, Alayna O’Donoghue, Kaila Smalls, and Dominic Zielinski.

Mrs. Bird is also excited to be in her eighth year directing the 5th Grade Worship Team, which leads worship that incorporates lively choreography at the two elementary chapels on Wednesday mornings. The team has also led worship at special events this year, including the Veterans Appreciation Chapel and the 50th Anniversary Celebration Chapel. The eight members of the 5th grade team are: Zoey Holmstrom, Reagan Lindsay, Raquel Mitchell, Isabella Patiag, Nina Purdy, Vanessa Rallo, Chelsie Richards, and Lexi Wyckoff. Both the 4th and 5th grade teams meet after school to practice each week.

Twenty-eight students in middle school and high school are also part of Worship Teams that meet in elective classes twice a week, under the direction of staff members Kelly Flynn and Bill Smallwood. Mrs. Flynn and Mr. Smallwood are in their second year leading the two teams and are experienced musicians who lead worship on Sundays at New Life Assembly Church in Egg Harbor Township. “We truly enjoy sharing our love of worshipping God through music and the spoken word with our students and seeing them be inspired to get involved in their own church worship teams,” Mrs. Flynn said.

The middle school and high school teams alternate leading worship each week in the Upper School Chapel on Wednesday mornings. The Middle School team recently led worship for the Grandparents’ Day chapel and Flynn said they are now excited to be preparing special music for the upcoming December 16 Middle School Christmas Chapel.  The High School Worship team and the 5th Grade Worship Team are providing special music at the December 23 Elementary and High School Christmas Chapels.

The Middle School Worship team members are: Ashlee Alford, Isabel Alford, Ava Barberio, Leah Boyer, Annalena DiMaio, Rebecca DiMaio, Jayden Dixon, Gianna Flynn, Mackenzie Flynn, Autumn Henson, Caden Kim, Joshua Kinch, Autumn Loo, Kiara Loo, Jadelyn Maurer, Lydia McCarthy, Isabella Santos, Taylor Santos, Shelby Tomlinson, and Anyae Welch.

The High School Worship team members are:  Elizabeth Alford, Destiny Brewer, Asher Dawkins, Tommy Ellison, Evangelina Kim, Rebekah Kimmerley, Haven Sanchez, and Quinn Schrag.

 

Christmas Shop on AmazonSmile and Support ACS

When you do your Christmas shopping online, shop at AmazonSmile and you can support ACS at the same time. AmazonSmile is a simple and easy way to support ACS when you shop for Christmas gifts, at no cost to you.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to Atlantic Christian School.

If you haven’t signed up for AmazonSmile, it’s easy to do. To enroll, follow these steps:

1. Go to smile.amazon.com
2. Log into your Amazon account.
3. Search and select Atlantic Christian School as your charity to support. Then start shopping! Thank you for supporting ACS.

CLICK HERE to start shopping on AmazonSmile.

Thanks for supporting ACS!

Enter Our 50th Anniversary Throwback Thursday Photo Contest

Join our 50th Anniversary “Throwback Thursday Photo Contest.” The person with the most points each month from October 2020 to April 2021 will receive a prize. How do you enter the contest? Just email your best guesses about any of the photos we post to CONTEST@ACSEHT.ORG.

Earn points by identifying: 1) the year the photo was taken; 2) where the photo was taken; 3) the occasion of the photo; and 4) the names of the people in the photo.

Photos are posted each Thursday on the ACS Facebook page, the ACS Stronger Together Facebook group page, and Instagram.  It will also be posted on a bulletin board in the Multi-Purpose Room, in the school foyer video,  and on the ACS website.

We welcome all ACS family members, students, staff, alumni, alumni parents, and friends in the community to participate in our Throwback Thursday Photo Contest. Let’s celebrate the great memories made by the thousands of students, families, and staff who have been a part of ACS over the past 50 years.

Below are the Throwback Thursday photos for the month of November/December:

ACS Marks its 50th Anniversary at November 18 Chapel; Alumni Speakers Thank Teachers, Staff Who Impacted their Lives

Atlantic Christian School students dressed up in 1970s attire, sang “O Happy Day” and other worship songs made popular in the 1970s, and heard alumni speakers express their gratitude for the teachers and staff who impacted their lives at two chapels held on November 18 to mark the school’s 50th anniversary.

“In this season of gratitude, we are celebrating our 50th year anniversary and we are so thankful for God’s faithfulness to our school over the years and the dedicated Christian teachers and staff who have made a difference in the lives of more than 11,000 students who have attended ACS,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen.

Oblen noted that ACS was founded in 1971 as a K-6th grade school with just 18 students and four teachers in temporary classrooms in St. John’s by the Sea Reformed Episcopal Church in Ventnor. Over the years, ACS held classes in eight churches and two public school buildings before moving to its permanent, 37-acre campus in 2004 on Zion Road in Egg Harbor Township, where now over 540 students from 6 months to the 12th grade are enrolled.

Two alumni who attended Atlantic Christian when it operated out of rented classrooms in Ocean City Baptist Church spoke at the two 50th anniversary chapels. David (DJ) Schrag, a 1998 alumnus, talked about the life-long relationships that were formed in high school with both teachers and students in his remarks at the 6th-12th grade chapel. He is pictured below at left, with Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen.

“I came to Atlantic Christian in my junior year and that first day I remember meeting Mr. George Quinn, who taught Bible and chemistry,” Schrag said. “That was the beginning of a relationship that I cherish to this day, with Mr. Quinn becoming the best man at my wedding and my wife and I deciding to name our son Quinn, after his last name.” Schrag is a licensed clinical social worker who is the Director of AtlantiCare’s Adult Outpatient Services. His son, Quinn, is in the 11th grade at ACS.

Mrs. Kim Clark Eaves, a 1987 alumnus, spoke at the Elementary Chapel. She is pictured above right, on left in photo, with Elementary Principal Gail Alford.  Eaves is a stay-at-home mom and health and wellness entrepreneur, who has five children, four of whom attend Atlantic Christian. She credited her teachers at Atlantic Christian for showing her God’s love and instilling in her a love of family.

“I went from not knowing God to loving Him and wanting to be used by Him and I started praying for a big family of my own,” Eaves said. Eaves especially thanked her high school gym teacher, Mrs. Pam Hitchner, who is now the ACS Athletic Director, for encouraging her, praying with her, and believing in her. “I’m so thankful for this school and how God used it in my life and now in my children’s lives too,” Eaves said.

During the chapel, students also watched a special 8-minute 50th anniversary video that featured interviews with alumni who now teach at the school and who thanked various teachers and staff who impacted their lives when they were students. Alumni featured in the video included: Kaylee Breunig (’12), Ben Chapman (’13), Karissa Evans Costello (’07), Grant Miller (’07), Amy Vogel Nelson (’09), and Carly Harper Witherow (’08). The video was live-streamed on Atlantic Christian School’s YouTube channel and is available for viewing there.

As part of a fun, 1970s dress-up contest, three students were selected as the “Best Dressed” and received Scholastic Book Fair gift coupons – 2nd grader Logan Dozier, 6th grader Keira Frontino, and 1st grader Callie Gibson.

In addition to the chapels, ACS is marking its 50th anniversary in a variety of ways throughout this school year. A weekly Throwback Thursday Photo Contest is being held through the month of May 2021, with a historic school photo being posted on the school’s Facebook page and monthly prizes given to top point getters. Planning is also underway for a celebration event for ACS families and alumni in spring 2021.

ACS former students and alumni are welcome to share their memories of ACS by sending photos and memorabilia via email or mail to the school office. Please send items to: Atlantic Christian School, 391 Zion Road, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234, ATTN: 50th Anniversary Committee. The email address is: office @acseht.org. Please label items if you would like them returned once they have been scanned or copied, or items may be donated to the school’s archives.

5th Graders Write Special Thank-You Messages to Faculty, Staff at ACS

As part of a Thanksgiving-themed project, fifth-grade students were given the opportunity to write a personal letter thanking an individual teacher or staff member for their efforts and those letters were then displayed for several weeks in November on a hallway bulletin board outside their classrooms.

“It’s all about helping our students develop a grateful heart and to understand the importance of taking the time to say thank-you to the people in our lives who care about us and want the best for us,” said 5th grade teacher Bethany Kiefer, who initiated the “I am Thankful For…” project several years ago. The students completed the project as a language arts assignment, but it also included an artistic component with students creatively coloring fall leaves at the top of each letter.

Some of the teachers and staff who are highlighted in the letters include band director Tim Rosie, school nurse Carrie Jorgenson,  custodial staff member Doug Pearson, teacher’s aide Dara Kimmerley, Elementary Principal Gail Alford, and Steve Thomas, owner of Town & Country Cafe, who caters the school’s daily hot lunches.  Kiefer said each person highlighted in a letter also received an email telling them about their letter and encouraging them to come and view it on the bulletin board.

 

 

 

 

 

Student Letters, Gifts Sent to Grandparents Ahead of Virtual Grandparents’ Day Chapels

We love our grandparents! ACS students from preschool to high school worked on a special project in November creating gifts or writing personal letters to their grandparents to show how much they are loved and appreciated.

“Each November, our students eagerly look forward to Grandparents’ Day when we welcome grandparents to attend a special chapel here at school and spend time with their grandchildren in our classrooms,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “However, due to the coronavirus pandemic and health and safety protocols, this year we were unable to invite outside guests into our school building, so we decided to do something different to honor our grandparents.”

Oblen said the school mailed hundreds of craft-style gifts and letters created by the students to their grandparents during the week of November 16, and invited grandparents to watch the school’s virtual Grandparents’ Appreciation Chapels on Wednesday, November 25. Pictured below with their gifts are two ACS grandparents, from left: Mrs. Lee Ann Kyle, grandmother of Peter Shockey; and Mrs. Elaine Goldberg, grandmother of Isabella, Gabriella, and Theodora Santos and Haley Whedbee.

The two virtual Grandparents’ Appreciation Chapels — a Middle School/High School Chapel and an Elementary Chapel — were live-streamed on Atlantic Christian School’s YouTube channel and were also recorded so they can be watched at a later time. ACS grandparent Carlo Lenzi was the featured speaker at both chapels.

“We are disappointed that our grandparents could not join us in person at our chapels this year, but we hope they can join us virtually online,” Oblen said. “Our students worked hard on their special presentations to show how much they love and value the important role that grandparents play in their lives.”

Below are the YouTube links for our Grandparents Appreciation Chapels:

Middle School/High School Chapel: http://bit.ly/ACSGrandparentsDay
Elementary Chapel: http://bit.ly/ACSGrandparentsDay2020