Due to recent weather-related school closures, Friday, March 15 will be a regular school day for EE-12th grade. ACS will operate a full schedule including before- and aftercare, and buses will run as usual. Please make note of this important change to our school calendar and plan accordingly.
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4th Graders Hear First-Hand Account of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Life and Work
ACS 4th grade students had the unique opportunity this week to learn about the important work of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King as a key leader in the civil rights movement from an ACS grandparent who met and interviewed Dr. King in the 1960s. February is Black History Month and 4th grade teacher Eric Tardif invited Mr. John Frasier, who is 4th grader Xavier Johnson’s grandfather, to speak to the students on Thursday about his encounter with Dr. King and the impact of his work.
Mr. Frasier, who lives in Atlantic City, had a 34-year-long career in broadcasting and had the memorable opportunity as a reporter with radio station KPRS-AM in Kansas City to interview Dr. King in 1963. Mr. Frasier showed the students a framed newspaper article from 1963 with a photo of him with Dr. King and a paper containing Dr. King’s autograph. “Dr. King believed in peaceful resistance and that’s what made him so different,” said Mr. Frasier. “He prayed and spoke about us all being together as one.” Mr. Frasier talked about Dr. King’ s life-long efforts to eliminate segregation and racist policies in America, working tirelessly until his assassination in 1968. “As I look around this classroom and see the many students sitting together here from different ethnicities I can tell you that you are what Dr. King lived and died for; you are his dream come true,” Mr. Frasier said.
“Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive Collects 310 Pounds of Food for Community Food Bank of NJ
ACS families and friends showed their heart-felt support for helping the homeless and needy in our community with an outpouring of canned food donations over the past month as part of our annual “Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive spearheaded by the high school Student Council members. The food drive ended on February 19, extended one week after the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. Upper School Principal Meg McHale and Development and Communications Director Carole Karabashian delivered 310 pounds of assorted cans of soup, vegetables, beans, tuna fish, and other non-perishable food items to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch on Thursday. Colette Kraus, Food Sourcing Coordinator, for the FoodBank, met with Mrs. McHale and Mrs. Karabashian and thanked ACS for its efforts.
ACS to Host Showing of “Priceless” Movie — Students Seek to Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking
On Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m., ACS will be showing the movie “Priceless” starring Joel Smallbone and directed by Ben Smallbone, both members of the Christian band For King and Country. The film, rated PG-13, tells the story of James Stevens, a widower who has lost custody of his little girl. Angry, desperate, and unable to hold down a steady job, he agrees to drive a box truck on a shady, one-time trip cross country for cash — no questions asked. But when he discovers what he is delivering is actually two young women, he is compelled to save two beautiful and frightened sisters who are unaware of the danger that awaits them.
ACS students Lola Oguntuase (12th) and Ashleigh Martin (11th) decided to organize the movie night in an effort to raise awareness about human trafficking after attending the ACSI Leadership Conference in November. Tickets for the movie showing are $5 at the door, and a love offering will be taken. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the International Justice Mission.
Thank You to Our Red Cross Blood Drive Donors
Thank you to everyone who donated blood at our February 13 blood drive, helping give the gift of life to someone in need in our community. According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Just one pint of donated blood can help save as many as three people’s lives. The ACS February blood drive was a very successful event that collected 27 pints of blood, according to Student Council Advisor Dave Genter, who oversaw the blood drive. The total amount of blood collected at this drive and one held at ACS last summer reached a level that has qualified one ACS high school senior to receive a $250 scholarship for his or her efforts in assisting with the drives. The recipient of the senior scholarship will be announced and awarded at Baccalaureate.
Elementary Students Trade Valentine’s Card, Celebrate with Parties
Students, teachers, and staff members were all smiles on Wednesday, February 14 as members of the freshman class visited classrooms to deliver Valentine Grams and a sweet treat. At lunch time, elementary students gathered in the Multi-Purpose Room for class Valentine‘s Day parties. Thank you to all the parents who contributed in various ways to make our students and staff feel special and loved on Valentine‘s Day.
Students Create Valentine’s Day Gift Bags for Ronald McDonald House Families
Students from the 1st to 8th grades collaborated on a service project this month to decorate and fill 30 Valentine’s Day Gift Bags with hand-made Valentine’s Day cards, snacks, games, and craft projects for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden. The gift bags were delivered on Valentine’s Day by ACS Resource Room Specialist Mrs. Kelly Schlundt, who organized the project. The gift bags are being given to children who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House while they receive treatment at Philadelphia area hospitals. This is the second year that ACS students have shown their love for the children staying at the Ronald McDonald House by putting together Valentine’s Day gift bags for them.
Parents, Staff Invited to Legacy Gala Committee Meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 20
All ACS parents and faculty/staff are invited to attend the next meeting of the Legacy Gala Committee will be Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. With just six weeks to go before the 2019 ACS Legacy Gala with Kirk Cameron, there is still lots to do, and more volunteers are welcome to participate. There are plenty of opportunities to serve by obtaining sponsors, advertisers, and silent auction donations, as well as by promoting the event to the community. If you are interested helping with this exciting and important fundraiser in any way, please contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at (609) 653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.
Varsity Basketball Teams Gearing Up for TSCAC Playoffs
The Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams are heading next week to the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference tournament. The Boys’ team, with an overall record of 16-8, enters the playoffs in first place after an undefeated (10-0) regular season in the conference. The girls, 11-10 overall, secured the #2 seed in the tournament with an 8-2 league record. Both teams have a bye in the quarter-final round (Tuesday, February 19) before hosting the semi-final games here at ACS on Thursday, February 21. The Girls’ team will play at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Boys’ team at 6:30 p.m. There is a small conference gate fee for these games – $1 per student, $2 per adult, or $5 per family. Go Cougars!
The playoffs will conclude on Saturday, February 23 at Gloucester County Christian School with the consolation games (Girls’ game at 1:00 p.m. and Boys’ game at 3:00 p.m.) followed by the Girls’ championship game at 5:00 p.m. and the Boys’ final at 7:00 p.m. The gate fees for Championship Saturday will be $2 per student, $3 per adult, or $10 per family.
New green “Protect the Den” T-shirts are available for $10 each in the Athletic Office. ACS fans are encouraged to purchase the shirts and wear them for our home games next Thursday.
Middle School Basketball Teams Wrap Up Winning Seasons
The Middle School Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams wrapped up excellent seasons with wins over conference rival The Pilgrim Academy on Tuesday, February 12. The Middle School Girls’ team, under head coach Grant Miller, started the season with a tournament win at ACIT and also finished as runner-up in the Pilgrim Invitational Tournament. They posted a final record of 15-5, placing second in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League and going undefeated in the 10-minute league “JV” games. “We thank God for these achievements,” said Miller. “But we are even more grateful that He helped us draw closer to His kingdom this season.”
The boys’ team, under head coach Lee Martin, started the season 1-3 before winning 9 of their last 10 games for a final record of 10-4 and placing second in the conference. “Winning games is obviously one of our goals, and reaching that goal has been fun.” said Martin. “But the most significant thing we accomplished this season was growing together in skill, teamwork, and character. God used the ups and the downs to help us all get better in a lot of ways.”
Let’s Get Fired Up — ACS Cheerleaders Promote School Spirit
An enthusiastic, 14-member cheerleading squad has been getting ACS fans fired up at home and away games throughout the basketball season. The 6th-8th grade students in the squad, under the leadership of coach Kelly Flynn, started practicing in December to learn over 40 chants, cheers, and half-time dance routines and to develop their jumping, stunting, and tumbling skills. “These girls have worked very hard and have unified beautifully as a team,” said Mrs. Flynn. “I really enjoyed getting to know their hearts and seeing their desire to do their best at every game.” The squad will conclude its season next week and will be cheering at next Thursday’s Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity playoff games at home. The squad has been led by three 8th grade captains — Jada Logan, Alli Lushina, and Annia Pierre. The other members of the squad are: Angelina Alexis, Isabell Alford, Makayla Bailey Eason, Rebecca DiMaio, Grace Johnson, Nevaeh Johnson, Autumn Loo, Haven Sanchez, Annabelle VanAcker, Lily VanAcker (who is Corgie the Cougar mascot), and Eve Wilson. In addition to practicing or cheering at a game three to four days a week, the squad has also enjoyed their time together at team dinners and Bible studies.
Butterfly Ball for K-8 Girls Is Saturday, March 2
Girls in Kindergarten through 8th Grade are invited to bring their “special prince” (father, grandfather, uncle, brother) for an evening of dinner, dancing, and fun at the annual Butterfly Ball on Saturday, March 2 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the ACS gymnasium. The cost is $35 per couple and just $10 per additional daughter. Please RSVP by Monday, February 25 to Miss Stonelake – rstonelake@acseht.org.
ACS Celebrates 100th Day of School on Feb. 12
We’re 100 days smarter! Our elementary students and their teachers celebrated the 100th day of school on Tuesday, February 12, dressing up to look like a 100-year-old person and participating in lots of creative math, writing, and physical activities involving the number 100. Students in Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class had fun seeing how high they could count in 100 seconds and how many times they could write their name in 100 seconds. Miss Vogel’s 1st graders did a math speed drill to solve 100 subtraction problems. They also were asked to answer the question — “If I had $100, I would…” One student wrote: “I would buy a mansion and a limo.” Another wrote: “I would give it to the poor because I like to help people.” Miss Williams’ 2nd graders created posters or decorated shirts that had 100 objects in them. In Mrs. Capito’s 1st grade class, students took 100 steps outside their classroom to see how far they would go, and almost made it to the school office. In kindergarten, there was lots of activities that incorporated counting to 100 — including counting their tasty snack items like cheerios and raisins. It was all about making learning fun.
National Junior Honor Society Application Deadline — Friday, Feb. 22
Applications from students in grades 7 and 8 for membership in the National Junior Honor Society are due next Friday, February 22. Application packets have been given to academically-eligible students and are also available online on the ACS website under the Academics tab. Completed packets, including four teacher recommendations, must be submitted to faculty member Sara Coates, who is the Honor Society advisor. Students selected for induction will be notified during the first week of March. The National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 12. Please contact Mrs. Coates with any questions at scoates@acseht.org.
New HVAC Units Installed This Week, New LED Lighting for Classrooms, Outdoors Coming Soon
Eight new HVAC units were installed on the school roof on Monday, February 11, in spite of the steady snowfall, and will be fully operational by the end of this week, ensuring heat throughout the winter season and air conditioning for the spring and summer months. Installation of new LED lighting in every classroom and in outdoor entrance-ways and perimeter fixtures will also get underway this week and continue for several weeks. The new LED lighting and HVAC units have been obtained through a combination of grant and loan programs totaling nearly $255,000, offered through the State of New Jersey Office of Clean Energy and financed by South Jersey Gas.
“We are very thankful to have been approved for a second time to receive clean energy funding through this state program, which has enabled us to complete the replacement of all of our original HVAC units that had reached the end of their lifespan,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “The new HVAC units and LED lighting for our classrooms and outdoor areas will make our school more energy efficient and will result in some $21,000 in annual energy savings to benefit the school for years to come.”
ACS received its first energy upgrade funding through a state grant program in the fall of 2015, which was used to obtain six new HVAC units and new LED lighting in the gymnasium and in common areas, including hallways, foyers, bathrooms, locker rooms, and the school office. That first grant paid for 70% of the cost. An interest-free loan through South Jersey Gas enabled ACS to pay its 30% share over a three year-period. Oblen said that ACS will be paying off its share of that first grant this month. She said electricity savings realized from the new, more energy-efficient HVAC units and LED lighting fixtures will be used to pay for the school’s portion of these new grant and interest-free loan programs.
Oblen also expressed her appreciation to Hutchinson Mechanical of Cherry Hill, who is the designated state contractor, for directing and coordinating the acquisition of the grant and loan programs and for its professional expertise in the installation of the new equipment.
We Love Our Pastors
Over 30 pastors and ministry leaders from 22 area churches were the honored guests at Pastor Appreciation Day on Wednesday, February 13. The special day began with a complimentary breakfast for the pastors, followed by an all-school chapel program that featured students from preschool to the 12th grade. The students sang and danced to songs of praise and worship and read Bible passages. 12th grader Joshua Mizrahi shared about how serving God on ACS missions trips to Nashville and Houston had helped him grow in his faith. 12th grader Lola Oguntuase talked about a new student-led project underway to increase awareness about the tragic issue of human trafficking and invited the pastors and ministry leaders to a March 14 showing at ACS of the movie “Priceless” that will focus on the issue. At different points in the program, Event Coordinator and program emcee Jessica Martin shared with the pastors heart-felt messages written by various students about why they love their church and pastors. The chapel program concluded with 12th grader Francis Johnson talking about the important, transformative role that pastors, ministry leaders, and missionaries play in the lives of each person with whom they come in contact, and then closed with prayer. After chapel, the students had fun taking pictures and talking with their pastors.
During breakfast, the pastors received a presentation on the impact of technology and social media on the family. They watched video clips from Kirk Cameron’s “Connect” movie and Pastor Sean Griffith of Sojourn Community Church shared his insights on the topic. Each pastor/ministry leader also received a special gift of a cotton-ball decorated paper sheep made by ACS PreK3 students. CLICK HERE to see additional photos from Pastor Appreciation Day posted on the ACS website.
ACS Students Achieve SAT Scores Topping National, State, and County Public School Averages
ACS students achieved SAT scores in 2018 that topped the national, state, and Atlantic County public high school averages, according to statistics recently released by the College Board. The SAT is a national standardized exam that colleges use to admit students and to award scholarships.
“These strong SAT scores are a reflection of the commitment we have made over the past six years to build a more rigorous academic program,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We have raised the bar in every area, including updating our curriculum, developing a stronger focus on students’ writing skills, and adding Chromebooks and other technology training.” Oblen also said that the efforts of our highly-qualified and dedicated faculty members have contributed to our students’ academic success. A significant number of ACS faculty have advanced degrees and teachers regularly participate in professional training and development.
The average scores of college-bound students from ACS who took the SAT in 2018 were 569 in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) section and 564 in the Math section. These ACS scores were higher than the national and New Jersey state averages and the average scores of eight Atlantic County high schools, including Absegami, Atlantic City, Atlantic County Institute of Technology, Cedar Creek, Chartertech, Egg Harbor Township, Mainland, and Pleasantville (see chart).
“These SAT scores encourage all of us to keep working hard and striving for excellence in everything we do,” Oblen said. “Our goal is to continue to provide our students with a high-quality education, rooted in a Biblical world-view, that will prepare our students for success in college and the workplace.” A review of school records over the past 48 years shows that 95% of ACS seniors go to college, many receiving academic scholarships, and then go on to pursue careers in a wide range of fields including business, education, engineering, law enforcement, medicine, ministry, technology, and the military.
Join the Legacy Gala Committee and Help Make Our March 29 Fundraiser a Success
The 2019 ACS Legacy Gala with Kirk Cameron is now just seven weeks away! There is still lots to do and plenty of opportunity to participate by serving on the Legacy Gala Committee and helping with obtaining sponsors, advertisers, and silent auction donations. The next Gala Committee Meeting will be Wednesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. If you are interested in helping with the Gala in any way, please contact Event Coordinator Jessica Martin at (609) 653-1199, ext. 314 or jmartin@acseht.org.
TO PURCHASE GALA TICKETS, SPONSORSHIPS, ADS
Today Is ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings
Today is the day! From 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing (4311 Black Horse Pike) will donate 10% of your total bill — eat-in or take-out — to ACS Athletics! Click the image below and download a sheet of our special yellow tickets to present at the restaurant. Keep one for yourself and give two away. Be sure to post your photos from Buffalo Wild Wings to social media using #acseht and #acscougars.
“Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive Extended to February 19
The Student Council “Let’s Can Hunger” Food Drive has been extended to Tuesday, February 19. ACS students and families are encouraged to drop off non-perishable canned food items in the marked bins in the school foyer and outside the upstairs school office. All items donated will be given to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Southern Branch to help families in need throughout southern New Jersey. Help us reach our goal of 100 more pounds of blessings!
ACS Hosting Blood Drive Next Week — Wednesday, February 13
Our American Red Cross Blood Drive is next week — Wednesday, February 13 — from 3 to 8 p.m in the Multi-Purpose Room. Make an appointment online to donate blood and help save a life. Walk-ins are also accepted. Our goal for the February 13 blood drive is to have 40 or more people donate blood. ACS has hosted American Red Cross blood drives since 2008 to help meet the urgent needs of patients at hospitals in our community.
To make an appointment, go to: www.redcrossblood.org
Use sponsor code: Atlantic Christian
ACS Goes Pink for Cancer Research
ACS athletes and coaches helped raise funds and awareness for cancer research this week. It was all part of a Coaches vs. Cancer Campaign sponsored by the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference. All gate fees and donations collected at home games this week at ACS and other conference school home games are being donated to the American Cancer Society. Our middle school and high school basketball players, cheerleaders, and coaches purchased and wore pink “Shoot for a Cure” T-shirts, which were also for sale at the games.
Students, Staff Show Off Their Cougar Pride for Spirit Week
Students and staff showed off their school pride this week by dressing-down each day with various themes for our popular Spirit Week. A pep rally last Friday kicked off this week’s activities. Monday’s dress-down theme was Twinning, Tuesday was Lumberjack Day, followed by Camo Day, College T-Shirt/Sweatshirt Day, and Green-and-White Day on Friday, showing off our school colors. It was all in good fun to support our middle school and high school basketball teams as they played at home and away games throughout the week. Go Cougars!
National Junior Honor Society Applications Now Being Accepted from Eligible Students
Applications are now being accepted from students in grades 7 and 8 for membership in the National Junior Honor Society. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 22. Application packets have been given to academically-eligible students and are also available online on the ACS website under the Academics tab. Completed packets, including four teacher recommendations, must be submitted to faculty member Sara Coates, who is the Honor Society advisor. Students selected for induction will be notified during the first week of March. The National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 12. Please contact Mrs. Coates with any questions at scoates@acseht.org.
Valentine Grams for Sale Through Tuesday, February 14
The deadline to purchase a Valentine Gram is this coming Tuesday, February 12. The Valentine Grams and a sweet treat will be handed out during school on Valentine’s Day, which is Thursday, February 14. Tell a fellow student, teacher, or staff member “I Love You Because…” The Valentine Grams are $1 and the proceeds will go to the Freshman Class. Valentine Gram order forms were sent home with elementary students and are available in the school office, from freshman class students, and in Mrs. Johnson’s classroom.