The ACS Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams have both finished in first place in the regular season in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference and are heading into the playoffs the week of November 2. Both teams have a bye in the quarter-final playoff round and will play at home in the semi-final round on Thursday, November 5, with both games starting at 2:30 p.m.
The Varsity Girls’ team is undefeated with a 10-0 record in the TSCAC. The Lady Cougars have now finished in first place for the fifth consecutive season under the skillful leadership of head coach and ACS alumnus Carly Witherow (’08). The Varsity Boys’ team, under new head coach Andres Tortola, is in a two-way tie for first place with King’s Christian School. This is the first time since 2012 that the Varsity Boys’ team has ended the regular season in first place or tied for first. Due to the tie for first place, a coin toss was used to determine the seeding for the playoffs and ACS lost the coin toss and was seeded second.
The final round — the Championship Games — will be played at Cairn University on Saturday, November 7. The Girls’ and Boys’ consolation games will begin at 10 a.m. The Girls’ Championship Game will begin at 12:00 p.m. and the Boys’ Championship Game will kick off at 2:00 p.m. The TSCAC will be charging gate fees at the Playoff and Championships Games. The gate fee at the November 5 playoff game at the ACS campus will be $1/child, $2/adult, or $5/family. The gate fees at the Championship Games will be $2/child; $3 per adult, or $10/family.
“This season was full of challenges, but I’m proud of our athletes and how hard they worked to rise above every obstacle,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. “Throughout the season, my message to every player was to be grateful and to enjoy every moment of each game because we would not know what the next day would bring.” Hitchner encouraged school families and friends to come out to the November 5 playoff games on the ACS home fields to cheer on our ACS teams to victory and a spot in the Championship Games on November 7. (Photo credits: Scott Johnson and Katherine Kong)
Atlantic Christian School was a big winner in the Best of the Press 2020 awards, placing in three categories — for Best Child Daycare Center, Best Summer Camp, and Best Place to Work. The Press of Atlantic City’s 2020 Readers Choice Awards were announced on Friday, October 30 in a special pull-out section of the newspaper.
Our 50th Anniversary “Throwback Thursday Photo Contest” got underway in October with four photos posted for the month. The person with the most points each month from October 2020 to April 2021 will receive a prize and the prize for the month of October is a gift card to Buffalo Wild Wings. How do you enter the contest? Just email your best guesses about any of the photos we post to CONTEST@ACSEHT.ORG.
ACS students will be celebrating the important role that grandparents play in their lives at two Grandparents Appreciation Virtual Chapels on Wednesday, November 25. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to invite grandparents to join us for this special day, but the chapels will be livestreamed on the ACS YouTube Channel and recorded for later viewing. The Middle School/High School Chapel will begin at 8:50 a.m. and the Elementary Chapel will begin at 9:40 a.m.
ACS students and staff will celebrate God’s faithfulness to Atlantic Christian School at special chapels to celebrate the school’s 50th Anniversary on Wednesday, November 18. Outside guests will not be able to attend the chapels due to COVID-19 health and safety requirements, but both chapels will be live-streamed on the ACS YouTube Channel and recorded for later viewing.
Our 18th annual Race for Education fall fundraiser is just three days away, rescheduled to Monday, November 2 due to rain. Thank you to all our donors who have helped us reach and exceed our goal of $30,000! You can still make a gift to the Race and help us reach our new Challenge Goal of $37,000. Donate online at this link — 
Donate blood and help save a life. Make an appointment to donate blood at the American Red Cross Blood Drive on Saturday, November 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the ACS Multi-Purpose Room. All donors will receive a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, courtesy of Suburban Propone, while supplies last.
Congratulations to our Middle School Soccer teams for posting a strong, winning season this fall. The Middle School Boys’ team was undefeated with an 8-0 record and the Girls’ team was 8-1.
What does it mean to stand firm in your faith? ACS students were challenged to answer that question at our day-long High School Spiritual Emphasis Retreat on Friday, October 23 held at the school campus. A variety of speakers, including Crossroads Fellowship Pastor Matt Mouliert, shared their personal faith journeys with the students in small and large group sessions.
Alumni, students, and families gathered at the ACS campus on Saturday, October 17 for Homecoming 2020, which featured two exciting Varsity vs. Alumni Soccer games, the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen and presentation of their court, and the dedication of the newly installed artificial turf Varsity Soccer Field. The campus grounds were creatively decorated for fall, including pumpkins painted by students in the high school art classes to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ACS.
Between the games, ACS dedicated the new artificial turf soccer field and recognized supporter Ralph Clayton for spearheading and funding the project. He was presented with the game ball, which was later signed by the players on the Varsity teams.
ACS honored nine seniors on the Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer teams and their parents in a special ceremony on Monday, October 19. The seniors honored were: Olivia Chapman, Kami DeNick, Shelby Einwechter, Malachi Green, Joshua Jacoby, Sydney Pearson, Jacob Rosie, Chloe Vogel, and Cristen Winkel.
A friendly reminder that ACS will be closed on Thursday, November 5 and Friday, November 6 for students from kindergarten to the 12th grade to provide an opportunity for professional development for our teachers. The Early Education Center will be open on Thursday and closed on Friday.
Greg Louderback first came to ACS as a proud grandparent, excited to watch his grandchildren, Lily and James Boyle, as they performed during the Elementary Christmas Concert in December 2017. Now, just three years later, he is no longer an occasional visitor to ACS but a valuable volunteer, donating his knowledge and expertise as a long-time teacher and IT specialist to benefit our faculty and students.
Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said she was thrilled when she first met with Louderback in the fall of 2019 and he offered to volunteer and provide his valuable experience as an IT specialist and trainer at ACS. “We are truly blessed to have a volunteer like Greg who is willing to give of his time and expertise to bless ACS,” Oblen said. “The use of technology in the classroom has become more and more critical, and Greg has been a vital resource, coming to ACS at just the right time.”
ACS middle school and high school students were introduced to the game of Pickleball the week of October 5, thanks to recent donations to the ACS Athletic Department.
A new “Buddy Bench” was installed in the elementary playground on Wednesday, October 7, after a dedication program held during the Elementary Chapels. ACS students collected over 540 pounds of plastic bottle caps in the spring of 2019, enough to build the 6-foot-long Buddy Bench as well as a toddler-size picnic table for a preschool play area.
Looking for money to pay for college? The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key to getting free federal financial aid to help pay for college. If you are the parent of a student in the 11th or 12th grades, you can learn all about the FAFSA at our free FAFSA Workshop on Thursday, October 22 at 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Give us your best smile! Lifetouch will be at ACS to take school pictures on Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23 and students should only wear school uniforms on those days.
Mrs. Rebecca Jackson is a new 4th grade teacher. She brings a wealth of experience to the classroom, having spent 10 years as a public school teacher in Upper Township and Somers Point. She took 12 years off to be a stay-at-home mom, but earlier this year she got the urge to return to teaching. Mrs. Jackson holds a BA in elementary education from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana and a MA in student personnel services from Rowan University.
Mrs. Abigail Meza joins ACS as a new second grade teacher. Mrs. Meza is a strong believer in the value of a Christian education, having attended the Christian School of York in Pennsylvania from kindergarten to the 9th grade. The oldest of three girls, she moved to southern New Jersey with her family eight years ago, when her father, Tony Montemurro, took a position as the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Gateway in Northfield.
Mrs. Gretchen Murphy is teaching 5th grade. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Mrs. Murphy moved to South Jersey in 1999 when her husband, Kim, took a staff position at the First Presbyterian Church in Ocean City, where he continues to serve. Mrs. Murphy joins the ACS faculty after teaching at the Westminster Christian Academy in Ocean City for the past five years.
Mrs. Ashley Vaccaro is a new kindergarten teacher. While she is a new faculty member, she is not new to ACS. Mrs. Vaccaro first came to ACS as a parent in 2013, when her son, Austin, started kindergarten. Austin is now an ACS 7th grader and his younger brother, Asher, is in kindergarten.
Tommy Tillis (’10) joined the U.S. Navy after high school and served as a Navy rescue swimmer for six years, with three tours of duty to Bahrain. He is married to another ACS alumnus, Rachel Picking (’11), and they have two children, Ellie, and Cooper. While Tommy was serving in the Navy, the family lived in Norfolk, VA, but they returned to South Jersey in 2018. Tommy is now a firefighter in Ocean City, his life-long dream job, and Rachel is a stay-at-home mom. Rachel, who was valedictorian of the Class of 2010, attended Liberty University where she earned a BS in business administration.
Hannah Schalles (’13) graduated in May 2020 from Cedarville University with a Doctor of Pharmacy and is now doing her pharmacy residence at Nemours/Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. She plans to pursue a career as a clinical pharmacist.
Paul Jones (’15) has relocated to Florida with his wife, Hunter, and daughter, Selah, to take a faculty position at Trinity Christian Academy in Lake Worth. Paul is teaching middle school Bible and history. He will also be an assistant coach on the Varsity Boys’ basketball team, a position Paul held at ACS for the past several years.
Lydia Dice (’16) graduated with honors in September 2020 from Lancaster Bible College with degrees in Bible and middle level education in science and math. She has moved to South Carolina to work for a gap year with One Life at South Wesleyan University while she pursues her Masters in higher education through Geneva University.
Dakota (DJ) Hitchner (’17) is in her junior year at Cairn University pursuing a degree in health and physical education. She has distinguished herself as a scholar and athlete, making the dean’s list every semester while playing on the Women’s Soccer Team and the Women’s Basketball team. She has made all-conference in both sports every year, has been captain of the Women’s Basketball team, and was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team of the Colonial States Athletic Conference. In September 2020, DJ was recognized for her athletic talents and leadership by being one of 10 players named to Cairn’s 2010-2020 All-Decade Women’s Basketball team. She is also student president of the athletic department and is responsible for planning student events on campus.
Our kindergarten classes celebrated Johnny Appleseed Day and Apple Day during the week of September 28, learning how to make applesauce from scratch and doing an apple taste test.
This school year is the 50th Anniversary of ACS and there will be various activities and events to mark this amazing milestone in our school’s history. The first fun anniversary activity will begin on Thursday, October 8 — a Throwback Thursday Photo Contest — with monthly prizes for contestants who correctly identify details in the photos. The first contest photo is posted here. Let the competition begin!
Save the Date! ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing will be on Friday, October 16. Eat wings and help raise funds for ACS Athletics.