Post Tagged with: "Birch Grove Park"

12th Grader Aaron Glancey Organizes Middle School Boys Over-Nighter as Senior Project

ACS 12th grader Aaron Glancey is organizing a Middle School Boys Over-Nighter on March 25 at the Ocean City Tabernacle — an event he has chosen to be his Senior Project as part of a year-long Senior Project Class. Aaron announced the event during Upper School Chapel on March 10 and has distributed flyers this week about the over-nighter to ACS middle school boys.

Aaron said the over-nighter is open to middle school boys at ACS and in the community, and he is busy spreading the word about the event to area churches and on social media. Aaron chose to organize this special event for middle school boys because he attended a similar event when he was in 8th grade and remembered the positive impact it had on his life.  Fellow senior, Quinn Schrag, is leading worship at the over-nighter as part of his Senior Project.

The over-nighter will be held from 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25 to 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 26 and there is a $20 registration fee. The evening will include games, refreshments, live worship music, and small group break-out sessions. Aaron and Quinn will lead some of the small group sessions, joined by several adult leaders from area churches.

The Senior Project class is facilitated by faculty member Linda Stiteler. Stiteler said that other students are working a variety of Senior Projects, all with a community service focus and utilizing their individual gifts and talents.  Joshua Schlundt is building a bench to install in Birch Grove Park in Northfield. Mia Liggins is using her talents as a photographer on a project for St. Vincent’s School in Mays Landing. Devin Tridente, a member of the ACS Championship Varsity Basketball team, is organizing an outdoor basketball clinic at ACS in April.

“It’s a very valuable learning and growing experience for our seniors to be responsible for coming up with a unique project and creating it from start to finish,” Stiteler said.  She said writing a letter of intent, writing a research or reflection paper, and doing an oral presentation to the class are also required elements for every project.

CLICK HERE for more information and to register for the Middle School Boys Overnighter.

 

Cougar Camp, Under the Sea Early Ed Program Wrap Up Fun-Filled Summer

The ACS campus was buzzing with activity all summer long as children from preschool to the sixth grade attended our popular, award-winning Cougar Camp and Early Education summer program. Faculty member Eric Tardif, in his second year as Cougar Camp Director, put together an exciting schedule of weekly-themed activities for nearly 90 campers who attended two or more days a week. “It was a summer filled with laughter, joy, and making memories,” said Tardif on the final day of camp on August 27. Early Education Director and Elementary Principal Gail Alford oversaw the Early Ed summer camp program for nearly 100 preschool and kindergarten-aged children.

In Cougar Camp, the children enjoyed field trips to Young’s Skating Center, Birch Grove and Estell Manor Parks, the Cape May Zoo, the Funny Farm Rescue, bowling at DiDonato Family Fun Center, and more. The campers also looked forward each week to water days on Wednesdays and Fridays, especially enjoying the Big Kahuna water slide and “foam fun days.”

Thursdays were STEM days and the challenging projects included constructing a tower using popsicle sticks, making a flashlight, and designing an aluminum foil boat that could hold marbles and float in a basin of water. The students also enjoyed learning more about alpacas, who visited the campus in June, and experienced the wonders of magic performed by Mr. Magico. The campers cooled off on several hot summer days with treats provided by Kona Water Ice.

The campers also held their own Camp Olympics, coinciding with the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and even made their own Olympic medals out of oreos and fruit leather. The school garden was a favorite place of activity each week, where campers watered, weeded, and harvested tomatoes, beets, carrots, and much more, with some of the produce donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch.

Each day in Cougar Camp began with the worship and devotions. The older campers led the group in several worship songs and devotions were presented by one of the camp counselors.

“One of the most memorable parts of camp for me was seeing the hearts of a number of children transform to desire to know God and to learn about what He wants for their lives,” Tardif said. “The seeds of the gospel were sown and we started seeing fruit from that.”

Congratulations to our camp directors and camp counselors for a memorable and life-changing summer.