Post Tagged with: "Cape May Zoo"

ACS Wins Best of the Press 2022 Awards in Three Categories

We’re in the Winner’s Circle! Atlantic Christian School was a big winner in the Press of Atlantic City’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards, placing in three categories — for Best Child Daycare Center, Best Summer Camp, and Best Place to Work. The award winners were announced on Sunday, November 6 and published in a special pull-out section in The Press of Atlantic City.

Our summer Cougar Camp and our Early Education Center both received 2nd place Silver Medals and ACS received a 3rd place Bronze Medal in the category of “Best Place to Work.”

Thank you to our ACS families and the many friends in our community who voted online in two rounds of the contest from July-September. Our desire is to honor God in everything we do as we serve our students, our school families, and our local community.

This past summer, children entering grades 1 to 7 enjoyed a 9-week Cougar Camp program that included field trips to the Cape May Zoo, King Pin Bowling, Estell Manor Park, and other fun and educational destinations, water foam fun, STEM activities, swimming at the lake at Sleepy Hollow Family Campground, working in the school garden, sports, Bible stories and worship, and much more. We’re very proud of our Cougar Camp staff, led by faculty member Eric Tardif, and our Early Education teachers and aides, led by Early Ed Director and Elementary Principal Gail Alford, for their dedication and love for each of the students who are in these programs.

CLICK HERE to read the online article on the awards in the Press of Atlantic City.

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.

 

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

 

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.