In Mrs. Evelyn Altier’s sixth-grade class, instead of the usual solar system project, something exciting happened. She let the students design their own planet.
The main goal was simple: learn more about the solar system and make a planet with living things, plants, and water. The students had a blast putting what they learned in class into action, creating cool planets of their own. We’ve got some pictures of the students and their planets to share below!
Year-end Awards Chapels on June 7 and 14 recognized students in grades 1-5 and in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for their hard work and accomplishments in their academic subjects, as well as in the areas of physical fitness and demonstrating Christian character.
Elementary Principal Gail Alford and middle school faculty member Dan Vasquez both reflected in their chapel remarks on this year’s theme verse from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. “God’s Word is given to each of us to equip up for every stage of our life,” Vasquez said. “This summer, allow God’s Word to come alive in your heart and impact how you live and act every day.”
At the Elementary Awards Chapel, 5th grader Maxdiel Ramos gave the opening prayer and the 5th Grade Worship Team led the students in two worship songs. After Alford’s chapel message, students were honored for making the Honor Roll and for significant achievement in physical fitness, music, art, Spanish, and technology. Each classroom teacher also recognized individual students for highest academic average, most improved, and exemplifying Christian character with their fellow classmates. 5th grader Knox Maxwell closed the chapel with prayer.
At the Middle School/High School Awards Chapel, the Middle School Worship Team opened the chapel with worship, singing “I Thank God” by Maverick City Music and Upperroom and “I Speak Jesus” by Here Be Lions. Upper School Principal Meg McHale then welcomed the students, noting that the program was a time to celebrate and receive awards for various achievements.
“But your true reward is knowing that you have poured yourself out and done the best that you could before the Lord,” McHale said. “God asks us to take the gifts He’s given us and give Him glory by using them and growing and learning so eventually we are able to impact the world for His kingdom.”
Students were then recognized for various achievements, including achieving the highest academic average in their grade and in individual subjects, the Presidential Fitness Awards, the Citizenship Award, and the COMPASS Award for exhibiting outstanding character and Christian testimony. Faculty member Vasquez closed the chapel with a devotional and prayer.
Both awards programs were live streamed and can be viewed on the ACS You Tube channel.
The Middle School Servant’s Heart Club packed 53 bags of snacks on May 25 to donate to Angels in Motion (AIM), a local nonprofit. The snack bags, called Blessing Bags by AIM, will be distributed to individuals in Atlantic City who are struggling with addiction.
The 19 students in the club, which has been meeting monthly on Thursdays during 8th period, have been working on this good will project for several months, according to club advisor Linda Stiteler. The project began with a bake sale in the winter that raised $300. These funds were then used to buy a variety of snacks for the Blessing Bags, Stiteler said.
The students also wrote and decorated encouraging messages on paper cards that were placed in the Blessing Bags along with an AIM list of resources that provide lifesaving treatment and services.
“This project has helped our students become more aware of people who are in need right here in our local community,” Stiteler said. “We are very happy to be able to help AIM and support the important work they are doing ministering to people suffering with the disease of addiction.”
According to their Facebook page, AIM distributes upwards of 100 Blessing Bags weekly “and the Blessing Bags always make people smile.” Some of the food items in the bags included Pop-tarts, applesauce, cookies, chips, Welch’s fruit snacks, and a water bottle.
The middle school club members who participated in packing the bags were: Lily Boyle, Malani Christmon, Natalia Flores, Mia Gaffney, Heather Milstead, Alayna O’Donoghue, Sophia Rose, Isabella Saad, and Kalee Tardif. Other members of the club are: Caelyn Domsic, Makenzie Fresh, Grace Lushina, Ja’Niyah Martin, Julia Morris, Solia Pecou, Nina Purdy, Chelsie Richards, Zy’Raina Rogers, and Haley Schnecker.
ACS inducted 16 middle school students into the National Junior Honor Society at a March 28 ceremony in the school gymnasium. It was the second largest group of inductees since ACS established its chapter of the NJHS in 2012. Upper School Principal Meg McHale and school counselor Christina Ragland, the chapter advisor, welcomed over 100 family members and guests and congratulated the inductees for their significant achievements.
The 7th and 8th grade students inducted into the National Junior Honor Society were: 8th graders Aiden Cortes, Xavier Johnson, and Gracie Leon, and 7th graders Gabriel Capito, Colton Carney, Matthew Coates, Aiden Costantini, Caelyn Domsic, Liam Larkin, Grace Lushina, Malena Meyer, Antonino Miranda, Raquel Mitchell, Julia Morris, Sophia Rose, and Isabella Saad.
Faculty member Daniel Vasquez, who teaches 7th-9th grade Bible, was the guest speaker and shared a message drawn from Luke 2 and the experience of Jesus at the age of 12 interacting with the Jewish teachers in the temple in Jerusalem. Vasquez noted that at the end of Luke 2 it says that “Jesus grew in wisdom and statue, and in favor with God and men.”
Vasquez encouraged the inductees to emulate the example of Jesus as a young man — to focus on others above self, to be ready to teach and lead others, and to stay on a path of constantly growing and gaining wisdom.
“Today is not the end of your growth, Vasquez said. “Today is really the beginning of your growth.”
The ceremony culminated with Club Advisor Ragland leading the students in the Honor Society pledge and then introducing each inductee, who signed the official chapter registry, lit a votive candle, and were presented with their society membership certificate by McHale.
Senior members of the ACS chapter of the National Junior Honor Society also participated in the ceremony, speaking about the spiritual significance of each of the Honor Society’s four guiding principles. Senior chapter member Josiah Christmon spoke on the principle of scholarship, Kalee Tardif spoke on service, Shelby Tomlinson spoke on leadership, and Kiara Loo spoke on Christian character.
Fifteen middle school students and five high school students will spend part of Easter break in Coatesville, Pennsylvania doing volunteer service for the Bridge Academy, a non-profit that works with inner-city children from preschool to the 8th grade. The ACS missions team will work with the young people in the Academy’s after-school program and also help with cooking, upkeep of the facility, and other hands-on projects at the Camp at Old Mill, which the Academy uses for summer youth camp programs.
Leading the team as chaperones during the April 10-13 missions trip will be faculty member and ACS parents Daniel Vasquez, his wife, Erin, and school nurse and ACS parent Carrie Jorgenson. Vasquez said the high school students on the trip will be assisting as team leaders, giving them an excellent opportunity to serve and learn valuable leadership skills.
“The goal of this missions trip is to help develop a heart to serve within our students and to understand what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Vasquez said.
The middle school students participating in the trip are: Liam Aspenberg, Ethan Brumble, Aiden Costantini, Christian Delacruz, Caelyn Domsic, Chase Hagel, Brandon Jorgenson, Greta Rebecca Kleinman, Liam Larkin, Grace Lushina, Malena Meyer, Julia Morris, Bezute Ngwabi, Lillian Porreca, and Lexi Wyckoff. The high school trip participants are: Gabriella Goodwin, Manny Johnson, Luke Mills, Kennedy Vasquez, and Malachi Vasquez.
This is the fourth year that an ACS missions team has served in Coatesville at the Bridge Academy, building on a relationship that began in 2017.
CLICK HERE if you would like to make a donation to support the ACS Middle School missions trip to Coatesville or go to: https://acseht.org/giving/online-donation-form. Under the gift category section, choose the Coatesville, PA missions trip. The per person cost is $400.
Students in 7th Grade Honors Science moved their classroom outdoors on March 29 to conduct an ecosystems lab project analyzing living and nonliving things in grassy areas on the ACS campus. Faculty member Kelly Kirchhoff said the warmer weather created the perfect opportunity to do an outdoor lab as the 19 students in the class started a new unit on how living things interact with, and depend on, the other parts of an ecosystem.
The students used magnifying glasses to discover and examine the types of organisms in a 1-meter-square section of ground. Kirchhoff said each student created a table and recorded every different living and nonliving thing that they found and the number of times they found the item, such as a leaf, a rock, grass, a flower, etc.
After completing their research, the students returned to the classroom to organize and review the data they collected and predict how their observations would change during different times of the year. Kirchhoff said the students will use the information from their lab to create an ecosystem project in April.
Congratulations to our top scholars who made the first semester Honor Roll of the 2022-2023 school year. The Honor Roll, finalized in mid-February, recognizes 331 students from the 1st through 12th grades who have excelled in their academic studies, receiving Highest Honors or Honors designation.
“We are very proud of these students from elementary through high school who have distinguished themselves as top-notch scholars and earned a place on the Honor Roll,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We are also thankful for our dedicated and highly qualified faculty who encourage our students to excel academically and to seek to honor God with their lives.”
Elementary students in grades 1-5 who earned a 95% average or higher in every major subject received the Highest Honors designation and students who received an 85%-94% average in every major subject received the Honors designation. Middle School and High School students in grades 6-12 who earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 or higher at the end of the school year received the Highest Honors designation. Students in grades 6-12 who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5-3.79 received the Honors designation.
CLICK HERE for a complete list of the students from the 1st to 12th grades who achieved Highest Honors or High Honors.
The ACS Cheer Team, which earned the prestigious title of National Grand Champion last year in The ONE Finals Junior High Intermediate Division, has earned a first place win in this 2023 season and is setting its sights on advancing to compete again in The One Finals in April. The 20-member team, which is comprised of both middle school and high school students, has also moved up to compete this year in the Varsity Division.
At the January 14 ImpACT Cheer and Dance Challenge held at Brookdale Community College, the ACS Cheer Team earned first place in the Varsity Division, based on points. With this win, the team earned a partial bid to compete again in The ONE Finals in Virginia Beach on April 1-2.
The team is now preparing for its second ImpACT Cheer and Dance Challenge competition on February 5 at the RWJ Barnabas Arena in Toms River and will compete again on March 4 at Brookdale Community College. The goal is to gain additional wins and points to receive a full bid to The ONE Finals.
Head coach Morgan Gibson and assistant coach Michelle Wheeler have been working with the team on a regular basis since September to sharpen their skills and to learn a new competition routine. That new routine was performed for the first time for ACS fans during half-time at the January 20 home basketball games against Gloucester County Christian School.
Fans cheered and clapped as they watched the cheerleaders display their skills in building, tumbling, dance, and creativity. The team will continue to lead cheers and perform its half-time routine at upcoming Friday night Varsity home basketball games.
The 20 students who are participating on the competition cheer team this season are: Ashlee Alford, Ava Barberio, Annalena DiMaio, Rebecca DiMaio, April Eaves, Mackenzie Flynn, Makenzie Fresh, Kylie Jackson, Emily Johnson, Grace Johnson, Abigail Kelley, Ava Lombardi, Autumn Loo, Kiara Loo, Tara Mccorkle, Mia Morales, Madeline Neill, Chelsie Richards, Haven Sanchez, and Makayla Tomlinson.
The Middle School Girls’ Basketball season kicked off in early January and the large, 20-player squad has been playing with enthusiasm and a focus on honoring God on and off the court, according to its new head coach, faculty member Daniel Vasquez. As of January 20, the team had posted a winning record of 4 and 2 in the Atlantic Cape Junior High League, and is improving and gaining confidence with every game.
“This team is such a joy to coach,” said Vasquez, who is assisted by ACS 2021 alumnus and former standout Varsity Girls’ team member Sydney Pearson, and Jen Domsic, whose 7th grade daughter, Caelyn, is a team member. “They are very coachable, tenacious, and relentless,” Vasquez said. “They want to be better and we often have to force them to leave the court because they just cannot get enough basketball.”
Vasquez also described the team as a group of girls who want to honor Jesus. “They are showing this with their attitudes and lifestyles on and off the court,” Vasquez said.
The team’s theme verse is Proverbs 31:30 — “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Vazquez said the team members have all memorized the verse and are learning to live in the fear of the Lord together.
A number of players have been excelling over the past six games and are helping lead the team to victory. 8th grader Shelby Tomlinson is the team’s top scorer and also leads the team in steals. 8th grader Kalee Tardif is the second-highest scorer and is also strong on the boards and in steals. 7th grader Malena Meyer leads the team in rebounds, is the third-highest scorer, and has chalked up over 7 steals. 7th graders Caelyn Domsic and Solia Pecou are also top rebounders and 8th grader Isabella Santos, in her first year on the team, is excelling on defense and getting lots of steals.
The 20 members of the team are: Kendall Bouchard, Sophia Capito, Natalie Dickson, Caelyn Domsic, Isabelle Edwards, Mia Gaffney, Lucy Huff, Gracie Leon, Grace Lushina, Ja’Niyah Martin, Layla McCarthy, Malena Meyer, Nadia Pearson, Solia Pecou, Nina Purdy, Sophia Rose, Isabella Santos, Kaila Smalls, Kalee Tardif, and Shelby Tomlinson.
The team has eight more games to play in the season, including two homes games the week of January 23 — playing Folsom Middle School on Wednesday, January 25 at 3:45 p.m. and Assumption Regional Catholic School on Friday, January 27, starting at 3:30 p.m. Come on out and cheer our team on to victory!
Pictured below are photos from the January 18 home game against Egg Harbor City Community School, which ACS won 17-4.
Serving others and showing the love of Jesus through acts of kindness is the motto of a new Middle School Servant’s Heart Club that this month has made some 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, baked brownies for teens at the Covenant House in Atlantic City, and created hand-made cards for gift bags for Angels in Motion. The club is one of 12 middle school clubs that are now meeting weekly during 8th period, a new time slot created this year for middle school and high school clubs to meet.
Other middle school clubs include crafts, chess, STEM, Bible and basketball, and National Junior Honor Society. There are also some 12 high school clubs that meet on Thursdays, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Missions, Hispanic Heritage, Student Ambassadors, National Honor Society, and several Bible studies. All the clubs are led by ACS faculty and staff.
“We wanted to set aside time during the school day for our students to get involved in groups focused on ministry, leadership, and service by being part of one or more clubs,” said Upper School Principal Meg McHale. “We’re excited to see the impact that these clubs will be having within our school and in our community.”
Faculty member Linda Stiteler, who is the Middle School Servant’s Heart Club advisor, said she and the 12 students in her club have put together an ambitious list of service projects for this school year. Some of the upcoming projects include collecting scarves, gloves, and socks for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, filling shoe boxes with children’s Christmas gifts for Samaritan’s Purse, and picking up trash at the Nature Reserve in Egg Harbor Township.
The members of the club are: Ashlee Alford, Annalena DiMaio, Natalia Flores, Mackenzie Flynn, Ava Lombardi, Ja’Niyah Martin, Josh Maxwell, Julia Morris, Nina Purdy, Chelsie Richards, Cyrus Seyf, and Haley Schnecker.
Thirty-three students will be serving as the hands and feet of Jesus when they participate in two short-term missions trips over the Easter vacation. One group of 21 high school students will be serving in North Carolina and a group of 12 middle school students will be serving in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Please pray that these missions teams will be salt and light as they serve God on these trips and thank you to the family members, friends, and churches who donated to support their volunteer efforts.
During the all-school Easter Chapel on April 14, the members of the two missions teams and their chaperones were introduced and high school Bible teacher Urick Lewis gave a prayer of blessing and commission.
Faculty member and Missions Club Advisor Dave Genter said the high school team will be serving in Columbus County, North Carolina from April 18 to 23. The students will be building handicapped ramps for low-income families in an area where hurricanes cause flooding. The team is also donating close to 50 tool kits that were donated to the Missions Club for use by local churches in construction or renovation projects. The trip was organized by Praying Pelican and the team is partnering with Cerro Gordo Baptist Church, the Columbus County Baptist Association, and Facts of Life Church of God.
Genter said that anyone interested in following and praying for the work of the missions team in North Carolina can monitor their efforts on a trip blog. CLICK HERE to connect to the blog.
The student participants on the high school trip to North Carolina are: Isabell Alford, Destiny Brewer, Jacob DeNick, Maddie DeNick, Samuel Glancey, Emmanuel Johnson, Grace Johnson, Moges Johnson, Sophia Johnson, Hunter Jorgenson, Ryleigh Martin, Luke Mills, Nathan Mills, Paige Noble, Amber Ramos, Haven Sanchez, Jayden Sanchez, Adam Schlundt, Shane Schweppenheiser, Taylor Sutton, and Haley Whedbee. Four chaperones are accompanying the team: Grant and Minelva Miller and Brian and Laura Mills.
Faculty member Sara Coates is leading the middle school missions team that will be volunteering from April 19-22 at The Bridge Academy, an after-school community center, and at The Camp at Old Mill, both in Coatesville, PA. Coates said the team will be doing activities and building relationships with some 40 intercity children who attend The Bridge, including tutoring, arts and crafts, games, and cooking and serving several meals. At The Camp at Old Mill, the students will serve outdoors doing mulching, landscaping and other tasks to help prepare the facility for its summer Christian youth camp programs.
“During our first day at the center, each student on our team will be sharing what their favorite Bible verse is and then we will do a craft with the children that reinforces the messages in those verses,” Coates said. “We want to reach the hearts of the children in that center and show them God’s love.”
The 6th-8th grade students participating in the trip to Coatesville are: Daniel Accardi-Gonzalez, Lily Boyle, Ethan Brumble, Sophia Capito, Matthew Coates, CJ Delacruz, Gabriella Goodwin, Kylie Jackson, Brandon Jorgenson, Julia Morris, Bezute Ngwabi, and Lexi Wyckoff. Three chaperones will be part of the team: Joe and Sara Coates and Lisa Dye.
Over 140 middle school students enjoyed a lively evening of appetizers, desserts, a scavenger hunt, games, and line dancing on April 14 in the ACS Gym. A special candy table, donut wall, cupcake tower, and photo booth made the evening both fun and memorable.
Atlantic Christian School staff member Kelly Flynn oversaw a team of teachers and volunteers who helped organize the event. Middle School teacher Amy Parker served as the MC for the evening.
“This is our second year hosting the Middle School Social and the students were really looking forward to it,” Flynn said. “Everyone had a great time and the scavanger hunt was a new addition and a big hit.”
Thank you to the middle school teachers, parents, students, and friends who donated food and volunteered that night to chaperone, serve food, and decorate the gym for the event.
Photo credit: Christian Delacruz
Congratulations to our top scholars who made the first semester Honor Roll for the 2021-2022 school year. The Honor Roll, finalized in early February, recognizes 291 students from the 1st through 12th grades who distinguished themselves in their academic studies, receiving Highest Honors or Honors designation. The Honor Roll was also published online on March 3 in the Currents and Gazettes newspapers.
“We are very proud of these students from elementary through high school who have distinguished themselves in their academic studies and earned a place on the Honor Roll,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We are also thankful for our dedicated and highly qualified faculty who encourage our students to excel academically and to seek to honor God with their lives.”
Elementary students in grades 1-5 who earned a 95% average or higher in every major subject received the Highest Honors designation and students who received an 85%-94% average in every major subject received the Honors designation. Middle School and High School students in grades 6-12 who earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.8 or higher at the end of the school year received the Highest Honors designation. Students in grades 6-12 who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5-3.79 received the Honors designation.
CLICK HERE for a complete list of the students from elementary through high school who achieved Highest Honors or High Honors.
On the heels of its first place cheer competition win in February, the ACS Cheer Team is now preparing to compete for the first time in a national competition in early April — THE ONE FINALS in Virginia Beach, Virginia — and fundraising is underway to cover the cost of the trip. Help our cheer team get to Nationals by purchasing a bag of Chef Steve’s Popcorn or come out on March 18 for a family bowling event at King Pin Bowling in Egg Harbor Township.
The cheer team of 23 middle school and high school students received an invitation to THE ONE FINALS competition after winning first place on February 12 in Toms River at the ImpACT Competition, in the JV Intermediate Division.
“Our team is thrilled to have this exciting and first-ever opportunity to compete at the national level,” said Head Coach Morgan Gibson. “We know that we can count on the support from our school families and friends to help us raise the funds we need for the trip.”
Gibson said the fundraising goal is $10,000 to cover transportation, housing, food, registration fees, and other related expenses for the cheerleaders and coaches to attend the competition.
Large bags of Chef Steve’s Popcorn, in six different flavors, are being sold until March 24 for $10 per bag. CLICK HERE to purchase. The popcorn will be delivered to the school.
The bowling outing on March 18 will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at King Pin Bowling at 6622 E. Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. The cost is $20 per person and includes two games of bowling, shoe rental, and a slice of pizza or chicken nuggets. CLICK HERE to register. Online registration is preferred, but not required to participate.
In addition to the popcorn sale and bowling outing, the cheer team will also be raising funds by holding two after-school intramural cheerleading clinics — one for PK3 to 1st grade students on Thursdays from April 7 to May 26, and one for 2nd to 5th grade students on Mondays from April 11 to May 23. The sign-up form for these classes will be sent home at the end of next week.
For any questions about these fundraisers, please contact Arzum Sanchez at asanchez@acseht.org. Thank you for supporting the ACS Cheer Team!
Students in Miss Stonelake’s 8th grade integrated science class designed and built large models of roller coasters as part of a month-long class project that concluded with classroom presentations on December 21 and 22, which was also Christmas Pajama Dress Down Day. The students worked individually and in groups, both in class and at home, using household materials to complete their unique designs, some of which spanned nearly 4 feet high and 4 feet wide.
Stonelake said the project helped the middle school students apply what they had learned about energy conversion, friction, and the law of conservation of energy. The students were required to name and decorate their coasters and include hills, loops, and a vehicle that could travel through the entire coaster without stopping. Stonelake said every roller coaster highlighted in this article achieved the necessary requirements.
Pictured above with Miss Stonelake are Amelia D’Anna (left) and Mikalya Cubbage (right), with their roller coaster named “Tropical Coaster.” Other roller coasters with the students who designed and built them are pictured below.
Students and staff gathered to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus at an all-school Christmas Chapel on December 23. Students from preschool to the 12th grade participated in the chapel program with drama, vocal, and instrumental presentations. Event Coordinator and high school Bible teacher Christian Delacruz encouraged everyone in his chapel message to be thankful for the best Christmas gift of all — the gift of grace, love, and eternal life made possible through the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Gail Alford, the Elementary Principal and Early Education Director, opened the chapel with prayer and then introduced Mrs. Meza’s 2nd grade class, who presented a dramatic skit about four words that embodied the Christmas story — sacrifice, seek, shout, and share. Mrs. Meza challenged everyone to take the opportunity during this Christmas season to share the salvation message rooted in the Christmas story with family and friends.
The PreK3 and PreK4 classes then took to the stage to joyously sing and dance to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
An Upper School Instrumental Worship Ensemble performed two Christmas songs, featuring 12th grade brothers Hyeonjin (Isaac) Choi and Hyeonbin (Joseph) Choi on violin, 8th grader Rowlee Murphy on cello, and 12th grader Haley Whedbee on flute.
CLICK HERE to view a video of the Upper School Instrumental Worship Ensemble’s performance.
The 5th grade Worship Team got everyone on their feet to sing and dance along with them as they performed “Feeling Like Christmas” and “Born is the King.” The Middle School and High School Worship Teams followed suit, as they encouraged the students and staff to sing along as they performed “Carol of the Bells” and several other Christmas carols.
CLICK HERE to view a video of the Middle School and High School Worship Teams performing one of their carols during the Christmas Chapel.
There were several light-hearted moments during the chapel. The winners of the 6th-12th grade Christmas Door Decorating Contest and the K-5th grade Christmas Tree Decorating Contest were announced. Mrs. Flath’s 9th grade class won the Christmas Door Decorating contest, that included decorating several doors and adjacent walls with a Charlie Brown theme. The elementary Christmas Tree Decorating Contest focused on a Christmas Around the World theme and Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class won with a tree decorated as Christmastime in the tropics.
The audience also participated in an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, cheering loudly as they voted for their favorite students to win first place. The winner from the 6th to 12th grade classes was 12th grader Mia Liggins and the K-5th grade winner was kindergartner Felicity Macpherson. The chapel concluded with a surprise — a song-and-dance routine performed by an energetic group of faculty and staff.
Congratulations to 10th grader Ryleigh Martin for winning first place in the ACS Christmas Card Art Design Contest. Her original art design is being featured on the cover of our school’s 2021 Christmas card that was recently mailed to several thousand families, friends, and supporters.
In addition to Ryleigh, four other students were recognized for their outstanding designs: 2nd place – Sophia Capito (7th grade); 3rd place – Hazel Burgan (8th grade); 4th place – Paige Noble (11th grade); and 5th place – Angela Eggie (12th grade).
Fifty-four cover art designs were submitted for the contest. Students from the 6th-12th grades worked for a month on their designs during art classes taught by Sherry Mirakian and Patti Scardilli, including Middle School Art Studio, Middle School Mixed Media, 9th Grade Art Appreciation, and High School Mixed Media.
On December 2, a faculty-staff panel of judges selected the top 5 designs and the winners were announced and presented with award ribbons during Upper School Chapel on December 9.
Ryleigh’s card design, done with colored pencils, pen, and gel pens on card stock, features a family gathered in their living room, with a Christmas tree nearby, and the father reading to his children from the Bible. The scripture verse from John 1:14 that is part of the design reads — “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
“This is the fifth year that we have held this Christmas card art contest and we had more students participate than ever before,” Mirakian said. “The contest gives our talented students the opportunity to use their God-given artistic abilities to create a design that has a visual impact and shares a Biblical message about the birth of Christ.”
The top five Christmas card designs along with nearly 50 other card designs are on display through the end of January on a large bulletin board in the main school hallway adjacent next to the Multi-Purpose Room.
The Middle School basketball season got off to an early start this month as the boys’ and girls’ teams competed in the Dixie Howell Jr. High Basketball Tournament in Ocean City from December 10-15, with only a few practices under their belts. The regular season for Middle School basketball kicks off in January, with the first games to be played at home against King’s Christian School on Wednesday, January 5. Come on out and cheer for our Cougars! Please note that Atlantic Cape Junior High League rules this season require that masks must be worn by spectators at all games, whether at home or away.
In the Dixie Howell Tournament, sponsored by the Ocean City PBA Local 61, the Middle School Boys’ team won one game and lost one game and advanced to play in the Tournament’s Boys’ Consolation game, where they lost to Upper Township 38-20. The Middle School Girls’ team lost its first two games and did not advance to the final round.
One player from each team was named to the All-Tournament Team — Caden Kim on the Boys’ team and Skyler Shivers on the Girls’ team.
Check the ACS Middle School Athletic Calendar on the ACS website or ACS app for upcoming game information.
The 14 members of the Middle School Boys’ Basketball Team are: Johnny Cook, Calvin Costello, Ethan Costello, Micah D’Anna, Zion Dawkins, Jude Gibbs, Caden Hahn-Chaney, Xavier Johnson, Jason Kelley, Caden Kim, David O’Donnell, Justice Settles, Luca Sullivan, and Jeriko Thomas. ACS PE teacher Josh Clark is in his first year as head coach, assisted by ACS parents Jenna Cook and Charlie Costello.
The 15 members of the Middle School Girls’ Basketball Team are: Alexis Andujar, Angela Awad, Sophia Costello, Mikayla Cubbage, Gianna Flynn, Lucy Huff, Gracie Leon, Grace Lushina, Malena Meyer, Solia Pecou, Nina Purdy, Skyler Shivers, Kalee Tardif, Shelby Tomlinson, and Anyae Welch. Faculty member and ACS alumnus Grant Miller (’07) is in his third year as head coach, assisted by his wife and faculty member, Minelva Miller.
ACS is grateful to Linwood Community Church for providing their gym as a place for our Middle School Girls’ team to practice after school and to Greentree Church for providing practice space in their gym for our Middle School Boys’ team.
We’re looking forward to an exciting season. Go Cougars!
The 17 students in Mrs. Melody’s STEM class, a new Middle School elective offered this fall, built models of bridges and rollercoasters in December as they learned the fundamentals of structural engineering. The students have been working in teams since September, learning how to apply mathematical and scientific concepts to real life, hands-on projects.
“The students have been very excited and engaged in their projects,” Mrs. Melody said. “In our unit on structural engineering, they learned about kinetic and potential energy and the cause and effect when energy is transferred.” Students on one team used a kit to build a suspension bridge. Below at right is a photo of that bridge, with the students who built it, from left: Billy Winkel, Elliott Parker, Josiah Christmon, Raquel Mitchell, and Colton Carney. Another team, pictured below left, built a roller coaster from the kit. The members of that team, from left, were: Autumn Loo, Liam Larkin, Steven Nixon, and David O’Donnell.
Earlier in the semester, the students worked on several other projects during class. For a unit on robotics, students built a soccer goalkeeper, a forklift, and a printer. In a unit on programming, the students used a computer to program a virtual rover landing on Mars, using the Gizmo online simulation lab.
Melody said the STEM class, which meets three times a week, will be offered as a Middle School elective next semester.
Congratulations to the 60 ACS middle school and high school students who competed in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference Track Meet on Thursday, May 6 and earned medals and top team honors. All four ACS teams — the High School Boys’ and Girls’ teams and the Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ teams — finished in first place with the highest number of points earned among the teams from six other regional Christian schools who participated.
Overall, ACS received 34 first place medals — with the Middle School Girls’ earning 10, the Middle School Boys’ earning 8, the High School Girls with 7, and the High School Boys had 9.
“I’m very grateful for the outstanding efforts of the entire ACS family that all worked together, using their various gifts and talents, to make this track meet a success,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner, who organized the meet. This is the 14th year that ACS has hosted the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference track at its campus. The other schools participating in the meet were: Abundant Life Academy, Ambassador Christian Academy, Cumberland Christian School, Gloucester County Christian School, King’s Christian School, and The Pilgrim Academy.
The day-long event, held under sunny, blue skies, saw several middle school and high school athletes set school and meet records. The track and field athletes and their individual accomplishments will be recognized at the year-end sports awards ceremonies.
Hitchner said that the ACS runners shined particularly bright during the meet, taking first place in all 12 relay races held. Several middle school and high school athletes also made significant contributions to their teams. 7th grader Sophia Costello scored 14 points for her Middle School Girls’ team and 8th grader Isabell Alford scored 12. For the Middle School Boys’ team, 8th grader Jayden Sanchez led all teammates, scoring 13 points. On the High School Girls’ team, 10th graders Paige Noble and Reyna Lewis led their team with 12 and 10 points, respectively. For the High School Boys, 10th grader Cruz Lewis scored 15 points and his 11th grade brother, Cole, scored 7. Collectively, the three Lewis siblings scored 32 points over the course of the meet.
A large volunteer team of students, alumni, and parents helped manage the 20 track and field events in the meet, serving as timers, working at the scorer’s table, and cooking and serving at the concessions stand. In particular, Hitchner recognized and thanked several individuals for their efforts: PE teacher Ben Chapman, for field preparation of the meet competition areas; PE teacher Kaylee Breunig, who served as Hitchner’s assistant; alumni parent Larry Martin, who oversaw the scorer’s table; substitute teacher Mike Bohs, who served as the official starter of all the races; Jeff Wolf, who served as the “Clerk of Course,” assisted by his daughter, Renee; and PTF President Terry Vogel, who headed up the concessions stand that raised funds to support the ACS Athletic Department.
CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery of the Track Meet.
Open enrollment for the 2021-2022 school year is now underway for new families seeking to enroll their children in Atlantic Christian School and several new elementary and middle school classrooms are being added for the coming school year to enable more families to be a part of the ACS Family.
“We’re very excited about our growth and the ability to welcome new students and their families to our school,” said Admissions Director Jessica Martin. “There have been many families on the waiting list this year and this new expansion will enable more parents to place their children in our school, where we are nurturing and equipping students with a Biblical worldview.”
There are openings available in preschool (for children from 12 months old to 4 years old) up through high school. ACS is also grateful for the support from various donors that makes it possible to continue offering needs-based Tuition Assistance Grants to new families as well as returning families.
Interested families should contact Mrs. Martin to set up a private tour or to discuss the online application process. Please call Mrs. Martin at 609-653-1199, ext. 314 or email her at jmartin@acseht.org
Students in the ACS 8th grade Honors Writing class recently had the opportunity to compete in the Young Writers’ “SOS Sagas: Trapped” contest and the eight students who chose to enter the contest had their original stories selected for publication in the anthology that will be released later this year.
English teacher Tori Flath, who teaches the writing class, said the students were required to write a 100-word story for the contest around the theme of being “trapped,” either physically, mentally, or emotionally. The stories were submitted in mid-December.
The eight aspiring writers whose stories will appear in the anthology are, from left: Isabell Alford, Rebecca DiMaio, Ava Nixon, Aine Dorsey, Taylor Murphy, Alek Stein, Alex Deliivanov, and Charlie Costello.
Two prior ACS students have also had their works published by Young Writers — Matthew Dietrich, with a story in the “Stranger Sagas” flash fiction anthology, and Fiona Xiao, with a poem in the “Through Their Eyes” poetry anthology.
The application period is now open for students interested in being accepted into the National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society. The application packets can be downloaded from the ACS website under the “Academics” tab and also obtained from NHS advisor Mrs. Coates and Guidance Counselor Mrs. Ragland.
Students in the 7th and 8th grades may apply for admission into the National Junior Honor Society. The application packet, with four teacher recommendations, must be given directly to Mrs. Coates by 3 p.m. on Monday, March 1, 2021.
Students in the 10th and 11th grades may apply for membership in the National Honor Society and the application packet, with four character recommendations, is due to Mrs. Ragland by noon on Friday, March 5, 2021.
New candidates will be selected for membership by a Faculty Council and must demonstrate academic achievement as well as outstanding character, leadership, and service.
The Induction Ceremony into the National Junior Honor Society will be held on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 a 6 p.m. and the Induction Ceremony into the National Honor Society will be Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 6 p.m. Both ceremonies will be held in the ACS gym.
ACS first established its National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society chapters in the fall of 2012. Since that time, 43 high school students have been inducted into the National Honor Society and 75 middle school students have been inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.
CLICK HERE to download and view the National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society application packets from the ACS website.
Congratulations to the 17 middle school and high school students who were recently elected to the 2020-2021 Student Council. The election, overseen by faculty Advisor Dave Genter, was held on December 4 and council members will begin meeting in January to discuss their agenda for this school year.
Genter said the council members will help plan school and community service activities, strive to enrich the spiritual atmosphere of the school, and spearhead at least one all-school fundraiser to benefit a community organization or charity.
Following is a list of the officers and students who were elected to those positions:
12th Grade Officers –Sydney Pearson, President; Chloe Vogel, Vice President
10th Grade Officers — Cruz Lewis, President; Reyna Lewis, Vice President; Moges Johnson, Secretary/Treasurer (not pictured); Tommy Ellison, Chaplain
9th Grade Officers — Ryleigh Martin, President; Noelle Thompson, Vice President; Haven Sanchez, Secretary/Treasurer; Evangelina Kim, Chaplain
8th Grade Officers — Isabell Alford, President; Taylor Murphy, Secretary/Treasurer; Sophia Johnson, Chaplain
6th Grade Officers — Mackenzie Flynn, President; Isabella Santos, Vice President; Kiara Loo, Secretary/Treasurer; Annalena DiMaio, Chaplain
Our popular Intramural Basketball Program for boys and girls in the 2nd to 8th grades will begin on Saturday, January 23 and Friday, January 15 is the last day to register for the program.
The intramural will be led by Varsity Girls’ Basketball coach Kaylee Breunig, with assistance from the high school players on the girls’ team. The cost of the 5-week program is $60 and includes a T-shirt.
The intramural will run from January 23 to February 20 and will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. in the ACS gym.
CLICK HERE for the registration form. Please complete the form and submit it to the school office by Friday, January 15 with your payment of $60.