Post Tagged with: "Dr. Seuss"

Students Sample Healthy Smoothies for Green Mustache Day, Get Surprise Visit from Cat in the Hat

Over 250 students from the 1st to 5th grades showed off their green mustaches on Thursday, March 2 after sampling healthy smoothies during lunch made with fruit and spinach. 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.

Green Mustache Day also coincided with Read Across America Day that celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday, which meant many students were dressed up like the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1, 2, and 3, or other characters from Dr. Seuss books. 12th grader Evan Power, who has held leading roles in several ACS musicals, paid a surprise visit to the lunchroom dressed up as the Cat in the Hat and posed for photos with the students.

After they sampled the smoothies, groups of students made green mustaches on their upper lips with the drink and posed for photos. Students who sampled the smoothies received a green paper mustache as a fun reward. A number of faculty and staff also sampled the smoothies and posed for photos.

A staff panel has selected three group photos to submit to an AtlantiCare contest. One of the photos could be selected to receive a $50 VISA card, which will go to the classroom of the students in the photo. The photos in the running are from Mrs. Huff’s 3C class, Mrs. Jackson’s 4B class, Mr. Tardif’s 4C class, and Ms. Williams’ 5B class.

For families who would like to try making this healthy smoothie at home, here’s the recipe that makes 32 ounces:

Healthy Green Smoothie Recipe

2 ripe frozen bananas
1 apple, chopped
2 cups fresh chopped spinach (can also use kale)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cold water

The first 3 photos below are being entered into the AtlantiCare contest:

 

 

 

 

ACS Students Present Spectacular Production of Seussical, JR. Musical

The ACS production of the Seussical, JR. musical drew over a thousand people to our school’s stage for three shows on November 18 and 19. A cast of 45 students from the 3rd-12th grades put on a spectacular performance — singing, dancing, and bringing to life the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, JoJo and the townspeople of Whoville, Mayzie LaBird, Gertrude McFuzz, and other wacky and whimsical Dr. Seuss characters.

Narrated by the Cat in the Hat, played by 12th grader Evan Power, the story in the musical centers on Horton the Elephant’s quest to save the people of Whoville, who live on a tiny speck of dust. Horton, played by 10th grader Joshua Kinch, lives with other interesting animals in the Jungle of Nool, including a plain bird named Gertrude McFuzz, played by 11th grade Ryleigh Martin, and Mayzie LaBird, a fancy, showy bird, played by 6th grader Sophia Gomez.

Horton places the speck of dust on a pink ball of clover, and as the story unfolds he builds a friendship with one of the youngest Whos, JoJo, who only he can hear speaking from tiny Whoville. No one believes that anyone is living on the speck of dust until JoJo, played by 5th grader Megan Connolly, gives out a great yell that everyone in the Jungle of Nool can hear.  The iconic Dr. Seuss quote that becomes a recurring theme throughout the musical is — “A person is a person no matter how small.”

Director Genevieve Huff said the cast worked very hard and bonded over the 10 weeks of rehearsals — becoming like one big, happy family. A talented group of some 50 volunteers — including ACS teachers, staff, students, and parents — served behind the scenes doing set design, scenery, face painting, costumes, stage crew, and much more.

“I know the audience members felt like they were walking into a Dr. Seuss storybook and I’m very grateful for the countless hours that our volunteers spent to make the show visually spectacular,” Huff said.

ACS Art Teacher Sherry Mirakian led a team of volunteers who focused on the scenery — creating and painting the backdrop, the Pill-Berry Bush, glow-in-the-dark fish, and other props for the show. The student Set Design Club worked diligently on Thursdays during school and additional volunteers served after school and in the evenings for two weeks prior to the show.

ACS Computer Teacher Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney and Instructional Specialist Bethany Kiefer focused on costumes. Hahn-Chaney, who majored in fashion design in college and worked for several years at fashion houses in Manhattan, made the costumes for the six Bird Girls and the lead characters of Maizy LaBird and Gertrude McFuzz, and made the ears and tails for the six monkey-like creatures known as the Wickersham Brothers.

Thank you to Gail Crafton of AC Photo for donating her services to create these photo memories.

 

 

 

Mark Your Calendar for Seussical-Themed Book Fair — November 14-23; Sign Up to Volunteer

Our fall Book Fair with a Seussical theme is two weeks away and will run from November 14-23, concluding on Grandparent Appreciation Day. All students and their family members will have opportunities to visit the fair on select days and will be able to shop in person for books and gift items. New this year — ACS has partnered with several Christian companies to promote a Biblical worldview through the books, posters, and other products that will be on sale.

Truth That Rocks Bookstore, as well as Munce, Swanson, New Day, and other Christian vendors, will be supplying books and products for the Book Fair. The Northfield bookstore’s general manager, Bill Link, is working closely with ACS librarian Patti Scardilli to provide books and novelty items that are consistent with the school’s mission statement and values.

“We expect to offer a great selection of Christian books, games, stationery items, toys, CDs, DVDs, Christian apparel, and more,” Scardilli said. In keeping with the Seussical JR. theme, she said the school library and adjacent hallway will be decorated with Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and other characters from Dr. Seuss’ famous books.

Volunteers are needed from November 11 to 27 to help with the Book Fair. There are various two-, three-, and four-hour volunteer time slots available. Volunteers can be parents and grandparents, as well as middle school and high school students, who can earn service hours. Volunteer tasks include unloading and unpacking boxes of books and other items, decorating and setting up the Book Fair, assisting students with making their wish lists, assisting students and families as they shop the Book Fair, and breaking down and cleaning up after the close of the Book Fair.

CLICK HERE to sign up to volunteer at the Book Fair.

Students will be visiting the school library from November 14-18 to preview the Book Fair items and create their “wish lists.” A copy of each student’s wish list will be sent home so parents can approve selections and send money in with students during the shopping week, from November 21-23. Grandparents are welcome to visit the Book Fair during Grandparent Appreciation Day on Wednesday, November 23.  Middle school and high school students can shop during lunch break during the fair.

In-person family shopping will begin on Friday, November 18 — the opening night of the Seussical JR. musical — with opportunities to shop both before and after the show, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. and from 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will also be open on Saturday, November 19 before and after the two Seussical JR. performances, from 1:00-2:00 p.m., 3:00-4:00 p.m., 6:00-7:00 p.m., and 8:00-9:00 p.m. The Book Fair will be closed while the musical is being performed.

Family shopping will continue the following week, on November 21-22, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and on November 23, Grandparent Appreciation Day, from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

 

Elementary Students Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday and the Love of Reading

ACS students in preschool and elementary celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday this week as part of Read Across America – a national campaign that focuses on motivating children to be lifelong readers. On Monday, students wore crazy socks to school; 12th graders read Dr. Seuss books to elementary students on Tuesday; and for Wacky Wednesday, teachers, students, and staff dressed up in colorful, mismatched clothes, wigs, and hats. Students also celebrated their love of reading by eating green eggs and ham, listening to secret readers, and reading books showcased in the ACS school library.

.

CLICK HERE FOR THE PHOTO GALLERY

.