Post Tagged with: "AtlantiCare Healthy Schools"

ACS Adds Gaga Ball Pit with Grant Support

Atlantic Christian School is grateful to have received a Physical Enhancement Grant from AtlantiCare’s Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program. With this grant, ACS was able to purchase and install a commercial-grade Gaga Ball pit in a permanent location at the back of our elementary playground on turf grass.

While our school has used portable Gaga Ball pits in the past, this new pit provides a dedicated, long-term space for students to enjoy active play. Since its installation, it has become a favorite spot during recess, PE classes, and after-school time. The game is easy to learn, gets students moving, and gives everyone a chance to join in—no matter their skill level. It’s also helping students practice teamwork, build friendships, and enjoy healthy competition.

Our PE teachers introduced the game in class, and it quickly caught on with students. It’s now part of their regular physical activity, giving them one more way to stay active during the school day.

This new addition has strengthened our efforts to promote student wellness, and we’re excited to keep building on that foundation. We’re thankful to AtlantiCare for helping us add to the active spaces for our children to be healthy.

AtlantiCare Heart Institute Donates Automated External Defibrillator to ACS

ACS recently received an Automated External Defibrillator from the AtlantiCare Heart Institute, which was presented to school nurse Carrie Jorgenson on March 28. The donation was made possible through a grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

Presenting the AED to Jorgenson were L.J. Wehner, Director of AtlantiCare’s Heart and Lung Institute, and Jessica Whittle, a school health specialist with AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children. The donated AED is a Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 and also came with a portable carrying case.

Jorgenson said the AED will be located on the second floor of the main school building, where it will be accessible for use by Upper School students, faculty, and staff.

“A new AED can cost upwards of $2,000 and is now even difficult to purchase due to supply chain issues,” Jorgenson said.  “We are very grateful to AtlantiCare for donating this life-saving device.” Jorgenson said the easy-to-follow instructions on the unit make it possible for anyone to use in the event of an emergency.

 

4th Graders Sample Healthy Quinoa Cabbage Salad at AtlantiCare Cooking Demo

Our 4th grade students were treated to an in-person cooking demo on Tuesday, December 13 by Chef Shara Gadomsky of the Happy Heart Corner, who prepared a healthy quinoa cabbage salad for the students to sample as she encouraged them to eat nutritious foods and to not be afraid to try something new. Throughout the demo, Chef Shara interacted with the students, including having them use their math skills to help her measure the ingredients for the salad dressing. The demo was sponsored by the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program, of which ACS is a participating member school.

Jessica Whittle of AtlantiCare, accompanied by Angela Dennis, spoke to the students about how fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are part of a healthy diet. Quinoa is an ancient, gluten-free grain thatis a protein and originated with the Incas in the mountains of Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.  The presentation also tied in with sciences lessons in Mrs. Jackson’s and Mr. Tardif’s classes, who are teaching their students about making healthy food choices.

The students enjoyed sampling the salad and some even went back for seconds. They were also excited to receive a special gift of a measuring cup and measuring spoons from AtlantiCare as well as a recipe card for the Quinoa Cabbage Salad.

CLICK HERE for the recipe of the Quinoa Cabbage Salad.

 

AtlantiCare Selects 5th Grader Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney as a Winner in Green Mustache Photo Contest

A photo featuring ACS 5th grader Gaebriel Hahn-Chaney sporting a thick green mustache after sampling a healthy fruit and spinach smoothie during lunch in early May was recently selected as a winner in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children “Green Mustache Day” photo contest. Gaebriel received an award certificate from AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children and a $50 VISA card to be used by his teacher, Ms. Lorick, to support a health and wellness activity for his class.

Gaebriel was presented with his certificate and gift card during class on March 25, after his win was shared with the student body during Morning Announcements.  In the winning photo (pictured below left), Gaebriel posed with two other classmates, Chase Hagel and Gabriel Hudec, and all three also received sporty blue water pouches from AtlantiCare.

Students from the 1st to 6th grades sampled healthy green smoothies as part of “Green Mustache Day” on March 2 and posed for photos taken by ACS staff. Three of the best photos featuring nine students showing off their green mustaches were submitted to the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools Program to be entered into the photo contest.

 

 

Three New Water Bottle Filling Stations Purchased with Donations, Installed to Benefit ACS Students, Staff

Students from elementary to high school are lining up to fill their water bottles with healthy, refreshing filtered water from three new water bottle filling stations that were recently installed on the first and second floors of the main school building. The purchase of the new filling stations was made possible by a grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program combined with a gift from an anonymous donor.

ACS facilities staff member Bill Smallwood finished installing the filling stations on January 25, which also have a regular water fountain in the front.  One filling station is located near the elementary bathrooms and the rear bus entrance of the school building. The 4th graders pictured above filling up their water bottles during lunch are, from left, Isabelle Kiefer, Joey Kinch, and Brennan Meyer. On the second floor, 7th graders Kalee Tardif (left) and Zion Dawkins (right) used the filling station near the Music Room, (pictured below right), while 11th graders Cruz Lewis, left, and Jake DeNick, right, filled up at the new station near the high school stairwell (pictured below left).

“We are very grateful for the support from AtlantiCare and a generous donor that made the purchase of these filling stations possible,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We now have water filling stations at every location in the school building, replacing all of our basic water fountains. We know this helps provide a healthy learning environment for our students and staff.”  Oblen also said studies have shown that water bottle filling stations encourage everyone to drink more water and also have a positive impact on the environment, reducing the usage of disposable plastic water bottles.

ACS installed its first water bottle filling station in the 1st floor Multi-Purpose Room in the spring of 2018. It was purchased with a grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program. That filling station has now been used to fill close to 103,000 water bottles.

ACS Donates Fresh Produce from School Garden to Community FoodBank in August

Students in our summer Cougar Camp harvested fresh produce from our school garden in August that was twice donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch, in Egg Harbor Township. The donations totaled 28 pounds of organically grown vegetables, including green beans, banana peppers, green peppers, snap peas, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Our Cougar Camp students have been active in the school garden all summer – watering, weeding, harvesting, and planting seeds for fall vegetables. They have also been sampling the fresh vegetables, including carrots, lettuce, radishes, green beans, tomatoes, and beets.

Three ACS elementary students in Cougar Camp this summer participated in the after-school Garden Club last spring that planted the vegetable seeds in the garden and they were excited to see the bountiful harvest from their efforts.  The students, pictured above from left, are Nova Ciapppina, Callie Gibson, and Barrett Woods. The Garden Club was overseen by ACS faculty members Eric Tardif and Rebecca Jackson, who both also worked in Cougar Camp this summer.

Representatives from the Community FoodBank thanked ACS for its donations, which were delivered to their facilities in Egg Harbor Township on August 11 and August 19. Pictured below with Development and Communications Director Carole Karabashian (in center) are CJ Cicchino and Keishia Campbell, who received and weighed the produce on August 19.

Thank you to the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program for providing grants to support our garden, which was first established in 2015.  AtlantiCare also provided a grant for an ACS greenhouse, which is adjacent to the school garden.

 

 

Mental Health Awareness Poster Created by 11th Grader Amber Ramos Selected as Southern Region Winner in Statewide Contest

ACS 11th grader Amber Ramos, right, with Technology teacher Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney in the ACS computer lab with Amber’s winning poster, “Together We Can Overcome the Darkness” displayed on the screen.

Congratulations to 11th grader Amber Ramos, who combined her artistic talents with technology skills to design a poster that was recently selected as the Southern Region Winner in the Teens4Teens Mental Health PSA Contest. Amber designed her winning poster using ProCreate and Affinity, software programs that she learned to use this year in her high school “Information Technology” class taught by faculty member Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney.

“Amber is a very talented artist and she is certainly deserving of the spotlight for her work,” said Hahn-Chaney.  Amber’s poster, entitled “Together We Can Overcome the Darkness,” was one of eight winning student entries selected for recognition in the statewide contest held in May, which was Mental Health Awareness Month. The contest sponsors created a video to announce the winners on June 8 and posted the video on YouTube that features Amber’s poster and the other winning entries. Amber will also be receiving a $200 prize for her poster design

The contest was sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Heath, in partnership with The Center for Prevention and Counseling, Empower Somerset, the 2nd Floor Youth Helpline, and AtlantiCare Healthy Schools.  The goal of the Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest was to promote mental wellness and support youth who may be going through a difficult time, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic’s long and short-term circumstances and effects.

Hahn-Chaney said she challenged Amber and her fellow classmates to enter the contest using the computer software programs they had learned to use during class. Amber said she created her poster on a tablet, working on the design during class and at home.  Three other students — Isaac Choi, Joseph Choi, and Daniel Kim — created posters that Hahn-Chaney also submitted into the contest and their posters are displayed below.

CLICK HERE to view the contest winners on YouTube that features Amber’s poster along with the other winning entries.

 

 

AtlantiCare Healthy Schools Program Rewards ACS Students for Walking for Good Health

ACS students have been making a special effort this spring to spend dedicated time walking outdoors for good health. Five elementary classes participated in a 4-week walking challenge in March and April and received prizes for their efforts this week from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

For walking over 400 minutes during the month-long challenge, the students in Mr. Tardif’s 4th grade class and Ms. Williams’ 2nd grade class won the top prize of a blue portable water pouch. Students in Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class walked some 300 minutes and received pencils.

Students in two other classes — Mrs. Meza’s 2nd grade class and Mrs. Reilly’s kindergarten class — received stickers with encouraging slogans like “Fueled by Fitness” and “Moving and Improving.” Each of the classes also received an AtlantiCare Certificate of Achievement.

Mr. Tardif said his class walked 20-30 minutes each day, mostly in the afternoon, to help boost his students’ energy and creativity. Mrs. Reilly’s spent 10-15 minutes walking with her students each day around the track and the basketball court.  “We really enjoyed going outside and breathing the fresh air and getting some healthy exercise,” said Mrs. Reilly.

The 4-week Walking Challenge was among a number of health and wellness activities that ACS students participated in throughout the school year.  By participating in these activities, ACS earned points that qualified the school to receive a $300 grant in May from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

 

 

Students Sample Healthy Smoothies for Green Mustache Day

Our elementary students showed off their green mustaches on Thursday, March 18, after sampling healthy, delicious green smoothies during lunch. It was all part of “Green Mustache Day,” a fun annual activity that ACS sponsors as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

Photos were taken of the K-5th grade students as they sampled the smoothies at their lunch tables. A staff panel of judges later selected three groups of students for having the best green mustaches. The students received a dress down day pass and a PTF snack pass.

And the winning students sporting the best green mustaches were:

— from Mrs. Vaccaro’s kindergarten class — Olivia Douglass, Alivia Eaves, Addison Figueroa, Annalise Gaffney, and Jayden Warriner;

— from Mrs. Brossman’s first grade class — Sean Connolly, Kane Cummings, Nehemiah Gonzalez, and Cole Manzione;

— from Mrs. Kiefer’s 5th grade class – Billy Winkel;

— from Mrs. Murphy’s 5th grade class – Ethan Brumble, Elijah Polynice, and Matthew Schlundt.

Thank you to the team of volunteers who helped make the smoothies — Anne Block, Doug Pearson, PJ Santos, Heather Shivers, and Steve Thomas.  Here’s the special smoothie recipe, using a blender, that makes 32 ounces of a healthy green smoothie:

2 ripe frozen bananas
1 apple, chopped
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cold water

School Garden, Greenhouse Ready for Summer, Fall Growing and Learning

The ACS school garden and greenhouse are ready for new opportunities for children to develop their green thumbs this summer and fall thanks to grant funding from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program and revitalization efforts by our Garden Club advisors, school groundskeeper, and the ACS Boy Scout Troop Scoutmaster.

Activity for ACS students in the school garden and greenhouse usually goes into high gear in the spring, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, the school campus was closed from mid-March to the end of the school year. The roofing of the greenhouse was damaged by inclement weather and the raised garden beds were in need of weeding and new planting.

New, heavy-duty plastic sheeting for the greenhouse roof was purchased with the AtlantiCare grant funds and installed by Scoutmaster Mike Jorgenson. Jorgenson had led a team of scouts that built the greenhouse, which first opened in October 2018. Repairs and clean-up of the raised garden beds were carried out in June by Garden Club Advisors Bethany Kiefer and Eric Tardif and groundskeeper Brandon Stevens. Using grant funds, Kiefer and Tardif also purchased and planted a variety of vegetables and a few flowers in the garden, which they will maintain during the summer months.

Tardif, who is an ACS 4th grade teacher and the Cougar Camp Director, said campers will have the opportunity to water, weed, and learn about how to grow plants organically in pesticide-free soil as part of their camp experience. Some of the vegetables growing in the garden include tomatoes, squash, beans, eggplant, peppers, and watermelon. Tardif said produce harvested from the garden will be used in camp cooking classes and donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch.

Kiefer, who is an ACS 5th grade teacher, said activity in the greenhouse will get underway in the fall, and maintaining and harvesting produce from the garden beds will also continue. Both teachers said they are looking forward to seeing students back in the garden again when the after-school Garden Club gets underway.

March 17 – Green Mustache Day

On Tuesday, March 17, students in grades K-5 will participate in “Green Mustache Day,” a fun annual activity just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. During lunch, students will have the opportunity to sample healthy green smoothies made by faculty and staff. Students who try the green smoothies will have their pictures taken and be entered into a drawing to win a prize! March is National Nutrition Month. Atlantic Christian is participating in Green Mustache Day as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

ACS Teachers Receive Awards for 1st Place Finish in AtlantiCare Student Video Contest

Three ACS teachers were presented with award certificates and cash prizes totaling $250 during Elementary Chapel on Friday, January 10 for original videos created by their students that tied for the Grand Prize in the 2019 AtlantiCare 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest. The winning teachers were, pictured from left to right — Mrs. Laura McCarthy, Class 2B; Mrs. Bethany Kiefer, Class 5B, and Mr. Grant Miller, Class 5A.

The AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program sponsored the video contest in the fall of 2019 for the more than 100 public and private schools in and around Atlantic, Cape May, and Ocean Counties that participate in the program.

In the ACS 5th grade student video, entitled “Healthier,” the students re-created a popular song with their own lyrics and showed different ways to be healthy during the winter months.

Mrs. McCarthy’s 2nd grade class submitted the video “Get Healthier,” where students shared tips on what to eat and different exercises that will help improve your body and mind.

Winning videos will be featured on AtlantiCare’s Facebook page  in the upcoming weeks.  Please share the videos on social media to encourage your family and friends to get healthier this year!

New 2nd Floor Water Bottle Filling Station Blesses Upper School Students, Staff

Middle school and high school students and staff are lining up to fill their water bottles with healthy, refreshing filtered water from the school’s second new water bottle filling station, located on the 2nd floor of the school building near the bathrooms. The purchase of the new filling station was made possible by a donation from ACS parents Dr. Salaam and Lauren Alobeidy.

The Elkay filling station, which also has a regular water fountain in the front, was installed on January 3 by ACS parent and licensed plumber Phil Kates, and has already been used by our middle school and high school students and staff to fill over 160 water bottles. Pictured filling up their bottles in between classes are, from left, ACS high school seniors Emily Kelley, Ben Noble, and Dan Roland.

“We are very grateful for the generosity from our school families who support our efforts to provide a healthy learning environment for our students and staff,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. Oblen said the new filling station encourages everyone to drink more water and also has a positive impact on the environment, reducing the usage of disposable plastic water bottles. ACS is also grateful to Lowe’s in Egg Harbor Township for providing discounted pricing on the machine.

ACS installed its first water bottle filling station in the 1st floor Multi-Purpose Room in the spring of 2018. It was purchased with a grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program. That filling station has been used to fill now close to 52,000 water bottles.

ACS Awarded $1,000 AtlantiCare Healthy Schools Grant

ACS was recently awarded a $1,000 grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program to support educational programs focused on nutrition and physical activity. Additional funding of up to $300 was also approved for CPR training for ACS staff.

The grant check was presented to ACS faculty members at an AtlantiCare workshop on Wednesday, January 8 held at the Atlantic City campus of Stockton University. Pictured at the workshop, from left, are 5th grade teacher Bethany Kiefer, 4th grade teacher Eric Tardif, and high school science teacher Dave Genter. The workshop provided valuable school garden and greenhouse educational training and materials.

Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said ACS will use the grant funds to purchase new equipment and supplies for the school garden and greenhouse, and new equipment for physical education classes and elementary recess activities.

“We are very grateful for the generous support from the AtlantiCare Foundation that helps us continue providing our students with an outstanding educational experience,” Oblen said. “Our students at every grade level enjoy the hands-on learning in the school garden and greenhouse and we are also excited to be purchasing new PE and recess equipment for this spring with these funds.”

Oblen said ACS will continue to offer an after-school Garden Club this spring, led by faculty members Tardif and Kiefer. ACS is also considering adding a Junior Master Gardeners program as an after-school club.



Atlantic Christian School Wins AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest

It’s a tie! Mrs. Bethany Kiefer and Mr. Grant Miller’s 5th grade students and Mrs. Laura McCarthy’s 2nd grade were recently named Grand Prize Winners of the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest. The contest is one of the funding opportunities offered by AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children to partnered schools to promote the adoption and sustainability of wellness actions that align with AtlantiCare’s strategic community initiatives.

The 5th grade Students submitted the music video “Healthier,” where students re-created a popular song with their own lyrics and showed different ways to be healthy during the winter months.

Mrs. McCarthy’s 2nd grade class submitted the video “Get Healthier,” where students shared tips on what to eat and different exercises that will help improve your body and mind.

Winning videos will be featured on AtlantiCare’s Facebook page  in the upcoming weeks.  Share the videos on social media to encourage your family and friends to get healthier this coming new year!

Green Mustache Day – Wednesday, March 6

On Wednesday, March 6, students in grades K-5 will participate in “Green Mustache Day,” a fun annual activity just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. During lunch, students will have the opportunity to sample healthy green smoothies made by faculty the ACS middle school and high school cooking classes. Students who try the green smoothies will have their pictures taken and be entered into a drawing to win a prize! March is National Nutrition Month. Atlantic Christian is participating in Green Mustache Day as part of its membership in the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program.

 

 

AtlantiCare Awards Grant to Benefit New ACS Greenhouse

ACS has been awarded an $800 grant from the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program to furnish and equip our new school greenhouse, which was erected in the fall of 2018. Student horticulture projects are envisioned to get underway in the greenhouse this spring, including growing seedlings of vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers to plant in the school garden. The grant check was presented to ACS faculty members at an AtlantiCare workshop on Tuesday, January 8. Pictured at the workshop, from left, are high school science teacher Dave Genter, 4th grade teacher Eric Tardif, and 5th grade teacher Bethany Kiefer.

“We are very grateful for the support from AtlantiCare that will help us launch new educational programs in our greenhouse to get our students involved and excited about horticulture,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “Teachers at every grade level are being encouraged to incorporate science projects that will bring their students into the greenhouse for inter-active, hands-on learning.” Oblen said a new horticulture elective class is being offered to high school students this spring and an after-school Garden Club, led by faculty members Tardif and Kiefer, will also be offered for K-8th grade students. Faculty member Genter said they would like to have a composter for the greenhouse and if anyone would like to donate one to please contact the school office.

The new ACS greenhouse is a 20-foot x 20-foot farmer’s hoop-house design that was erected by the scouts in Boy Scout Troop 389 and will provide ample space for multiple classes to conduct  science projects. It is also envisioned that some of the produce grown in the greenhouse and garden, such as lettuce and spinach, will be harvested and used by the school’s middle school and high school cooking classes and perhaps for a salad tasting during school lunch.