Post Tagged with: "South Jersey"

Students, Staff Gather to Worship the Newborn King at All-School Christmas Chapel on Dec. 23

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.

Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz presented the chapel message.

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.”

The PreK3 and PreK4 classes sang and danced 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.

A group of faculty and staff closed the chapel with a surprise song-and-dance routine.

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.

 

 

10th Grader Ryleigh Martin Wins ACS Christmas Card Design Contest

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.

 

Elementary Students Present “Beneath a Shining Star” Musical as Part of Dec. 16 Christmas Concert

Students from kindergarten to the third grade took center stage to share the story of the Biblical events that led up to the birth of Jesus at their Christmas concert on December 16. After the opening prayer by Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen, the kindergarten students performed “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Jingle Bells.” The concert program then transitioned to a presentation of the children’s musical — “Beneath a Shining Star.”

As the scenes of the musical unfolded, the story of Jesus’ birth was told by 1st to 3rd grade students through skits and songs, with various students playing the roles of Joseph, Mary, the inn keeper, shepherds, angels, the wisemen, and a townsperson from Bethlehem.  One student played the role of stage manager, weaving the various scenes together.

Within each scene, the students performed a number of songs including “I’m Booked Up,” which featured 2nd graders Jeremiah Diaz, Callie Gibson, and Bright Otong as soloists, “God Will See Us Through,” “Let’s All Go To Bethlehem,” “What Is This New Star,” and “Sing To the Newborn King.”

At the conclusion of the musical, during the collection of the Teacher-Staff Love Offering, the Elementary Sign Language Club presented a moving rendition of “The Goodness of God.” The concert ended with the audience joining the students in a lively Christmas carol sing-along.  Elementary Principal and Early Education Director Gail Alford closed the concert in prayer.

The students who played various speaking roles during the musical were: Jayden Bird (stage manager), Lucian Kizuka (Joseph); Grace Petrinic (Mary); Lillian Breitweiser, Nova Ciappina, and Alba Reed (angels); Nathan Frye and Kennedy Jackson (wisemen); Caitlin Doucett, Charlee Mitchell, and Ceci Tormey (shepherds), and Julia DiMaio (townsperson).

Congratulations to the show’s music directors Julie Zimmer and Tim Rosie, and sign language club advisor Jessica Martin for an outstanding program that celebrated the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of Jesus, the promised Messiah and savior of the world.

CLICK HERE to view a highlight video of the K-3 Christmas Concert which is posted on the ACS YouTube Channel.

CLICK HERE to view a Photo Galley of the K-3 Christmas Concert on the ACS website.

 

 

 

Early Education Students Present a Merry, Joyous Christmas Concert

The jingle-jangle of bells rang out to open the Early Education Christmas Concert on December 17, getting family members and friends in the Christmas spirit.  The program featured ACS preschool-aged students dressed in their best Christmas outfits singing songs that celebrated the birth of Jesus, interspersed with an interactive reading of the Christmas story by Early Education Director and Elementary Principal Gail Alford.

The concert began with Mrs. Genter’s toddlers performing “Jingle Bells,” followed by six preschool classes from PreK2 to PreK4 singing and doing choreography to a variety of Christmas songs, including “Lights on the Tree,” “Angels Sing,” “Glorious Night,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “The Best Gift, and “Baby Jesus, We Love You.”

Between each class performance, Mrs. Alford gathered for a special story time at the front of the stage to read the Christmas story aloud as several students from Mrs. Kelley’s and Mrs. Bird’s PreK4 classes listened and asked questions. The students who were part of the story time were: HazelMarie Black, River Finnegan, Jaxon Fiorilo, Lucas Keaney, Michael Lombardi, Wesley Myers, Lily Platt, Moriah Ragland, Teagan Raughley, Zoe McNulty, Roman Siu, and Hunter VanHenninga (from Mrs. Bird’s class); and Robert O’Donoghue, Brielle Sabulao, Jackson Sawatzke, Julian Walder, and Johannah Wilson (from Mrs. Kelley’s class).

School parent and pastor Lee Martin presented a Christmas message to the hundreds of parents, grandparents, other family members, and friends in the audience, reminding them that the best gift ever given was Jesus and the eternal life that comes through Him.  The PreK3 and PreK4 students closed the concert with an enthusiastic rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Thank you to the outstanding team of Early Education teachers and aides, who did a great job preparing our students for the concert — Robin Genter and her aides, Chanta Fernandez and Jessica Shoemaker (PK2); Ruby Lewis and her aide, Sandra Readding (PK2); Cookie Chambers and her aide, Michelle Wheller (PK2); Brittany Correa and her aide Karissa Costello (PK3); Alyda McKee and her aide, Ruth Valdes (PK3); Jennifer Kelley and her aide, Yomayra Gaffney (PK4); and Teresa Bird and her aide, Ashley Gonzalez.

CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery of the concert on our ACS website.

CLICK HERE to view a highlights video of the concert that is posted on Atlantic Christian School’s YouTube page.

 

Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd Grade Class Blesses ACS Staff Member with Surprise Christmas Gift

The students in Mrs. McCarthy’s 3rd grade class surprised ACS Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz on December 23 with a special Christmas gift — a poster full of hand-written letters thanking him for his dedication and hard work serving the students and staff and an envelope filled with $300 in cash.

“We had a class discussion in November about doing a service project to bless someone at Christmas who works at the school and sometimes goes unnoticed, but deserves appreciation for all they do,” said Mrs. McCarthy. “I wanted the students to learn about what the word “sacrifice” means — to put others before ourselves.”  The class voted and selected Mr. Delacruz and then the students had a month to do chores at home to earn money to give as a Christmas gift.

In the students’ letters to Delacruz, they thanked him for all his efforts to make the Race for Education and the One Christmas Night Festival a success. They also talked about the valuable lesson they learned about sacrificing by giving up their personal time to do chores to be a blessing to someone else. The students described the various chores they did, including setting the table, doing dishes, and cleaning their bedroom.

When he was presented with the poster and envelope of cash, Delacruz could only say — “This is such a blessing. Thank you so much. I’m shocked. I’m speechless.”

Delacruz joined the ACS staff in February 2020 to work on the facilities team. This September, he began teaching two high school Bible classes — Biblical Leadership and Bible Study No Excuses — and leading a chapel COMPASS group. He moved into the position of Event Coordinator in mid-October. Delacruz and his wife, Cristina, have three children and his son, CJ, is an ACS 6th grader. They live in Egg Harbor Township.

This is the second time that Mrs. McCarthy’s class has given a surprise Christmas gift to an ACS staff member. The last recipient was ACS custodian Juan Perez in December 2019.

 

Middle School Basketball Season Gets Off to an Early Start

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!

 

Mark Your Calendar for In-Person Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit on Feb. 5, 2022

Mark your calendar for our 9th ACS Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off Benefit to be held on Saturday, February 5, 2022 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the school gym. You won’t want to miss this enjoyable and entertaining evening of good food, fellowship, a student Talent Show, and a canned food drive — all to benefit ACS, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Southern Branch.

The Bowls of Hope benefit and canned food drive will be spearheaded by our high school students, giving them an opportunity to support ACS and bless our local community by selling tickets to the event, volunteering during the Bowls of Hope, and encouraging family and friends to donate to the canned food drive. An email with more information about the Bowls of Hope will be sent to the parents and guardians of high school students in early January.

The Bowls of Hope will seek to feature some 20 area restaurants and chefs serving up their signature soups. For one ticket price, those attending will have the opportunity to sample the soups and vote for their favorite. The canned food drive will kick off in January and continue through the night of the Bowls of Hope to benefit the Community FoodBank.

Tickets and Event Sponsorships are available for purchase.  For a gift of $400 an individual, business, or nonprofit can be an Event Sponsor. Event Sponsors will receive four complimentary tickets and will be recognized on a large banner at the entrance to the event, listed in the event program, and thanked during program announcements at the event.

CLICK HERE to be an Event Sponsor or to purchase tickets.

Check Out Our Winter 2022 After-School Classes

The winter 2022 schedule of After-School Classes is finalized and there is something for everyone. To promote the benefits of health and exercise, there are classes for karate and gymnastics which start during the third week of January. There is also a new Mock Trial Team for high school students that will be preparing for February competition.

The After-School program will continue to offer Art Studio for 1st-5th graders, Beginning and Intermediate Band for 4th-5th graders, Worship Team for 5th graders, and the Servant’s Heart Club for 2nd-5th graders.

Coach Kaylee Breunig and the Varsity Girls’ basketball players will be leading an intramural basketball clinic for boys and girls from the 2nd-8th grades on Saturdays, starting January 8. The last day to register for intramural basketball is January 7, 2022.

Please check the schedule for the start dates and any class fees.  The class schedule, class descriptions, and registration flyers were sent home with elementary students on December 23 and can also be downloaded from the ACS Website located under the “Programs” tab.

CLICK HERE to see the winter schedule of after-school classes and to download the registration forms.

Take A Bow! — ACS 12th Grader Isaac Choi Gets Perfect Score of 800 on SAT Math Section

Thursday, November 18 started off like any other day for 12th grader Hyeonjin Choi, an 18-year-old South Korean international student at ACS, who his teachers and classmates know as Isaac. He had a bowl of Chips Ahoy cereal and some rice for breakfast, talked with his twin brother, Hyeonbin  (Joseph), about their plans for the day, and caught the bus for school. But when he got to school and was sitting with friends in homeroom, he decided to check the College Board website to see if the results of his October 28 SAT test were released and that’s when his day took a dramatic turn — he learned he had scored an 800 on the math section of the SAT – a perfect score.

It was Isaac’s goal to get a perfect score on the SAT math section. He took the SAT for the first time on October 2 and scored a 780. “I was really disappointed with the results of the first test and I knew I could do better,” Isaac said. “I made a few small mistakes and I knew I could correct them.” He decided to take the SAT again a few weeks later and his efforts paid off.

Isaac is now busy applying to various colleges, and his #1 choice is NYU.  Other schools on the list are Cornell University, Stephen’s Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Tech. He plans to major in computer science and his dream job is to become an app designer.

12th grade Isaac Choi, pictured in the center, playing the violin at the all-school Christmas Chapel on December 23, as part of the Upper School Instrumental Worship Ensemble.

Isaac has attended ACS since 2019, when he enrolled in the 10th grade. He said he did well in math in South Korea, but really started liking math after coming to ACS. “I have enjoyed the teaching style of my math teachers at ACS — Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Carney,” Isaac said. “They really helped me understand the method behind solving equations and made sure that I understood every step.”  His commitment to study and work hard has resulted in straight A’s in all his math classes at ACS, including Honors Algebra 2, Honor Geometry, Pre Calculus, and AP Calculus.

When he’s not studying, Isaac enjoys going on YouTube and watching videos about the latest IT developments and products. He also enjoys playing the violin and this year is in the ACS Upper School Instrumental Worship Ensemble.

Congratulations, Isaac. We can’t wait to see the plans that God has for your life.

 

Classroom Cameo: Students Build Models of Bridges, Rollercoasters, and More in New Middle School STEM Class

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.

 

 

Students Learn How to Decorate Cookies for Christmas in Middle School Cooking Class

The students in Mrs. Lewis’ Middle School Cooking Class got a head start on baking for Christmas when they learned how to decorate cookies in their December 16 class.  For Mrs. Lewis, it’s all about sharing her love of cooking with the students and teaching them the fundamentals so they gain confidence and be creative.

During the class, the students crushed candy canes to make peppermint dust, learned how to melt chocolate over a double-boiler, carefully dipped store-bought cookies into the melted chocolate, and then decorated them with sprinkles and the crushed peppermint.

“In this class we learned that sometimes baking can be semi-homemade,” Lewis said. “If you don’t have a lot of time, there are short cuts that you can use and still have a delicious and attractive dessert.”

In addition to decorating Christmas cookies, other cooking class projects have included making gingerbread houses, making pumpkin pie and fancy mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, learning how to cook eggs several ways, and making salads using lettuce, kale, cucumbers, and peppers grown in the ACS school garden.

The Middle School Cooking Class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is a semester-long class. Lewis also teaches a high school elective cooking class.

ACS Alumni Enjoy a Night of Fun, Competitive Basketball at Annual Winter Games on Dec. 20

Alumni, their parents, and friends filled the ACS gym on December 20 for the annual Alumni Basketball Games and fans were treated to some exciting, fast-paced basketball as over two dozen alumni took to the court for some friendly competition.  The Alumni Girls’  Basketball Game, the first game of the evening, featured 14 former players who competed for ACS from 2008-2021. The white team won handily by a score of 57-31. The Alumni Boys’ Basketball Game saw 12 former players from the 2013-2021 graduating classes face off in a game that went down to the wire, with the green team winning 68-66. Dozens of alumni cheered from the bleachers and enjoyed complimentary food provided by the ACS Athletic Department.

The Alumni Girls’ game featured the following 14 players: Kaylee Breunig (2012), Bailey Carney (2016), Olivia Chapman (2021-NG), Maryah Coleman (2011), Lydia Dice (2016), Shelby Einwechter (2021), DJ Hitchner (2017), Emily Kelley (2020), Shannon Murphy (2017), Sydney Pearson (2021), Candice Winkel (2016), Caraline Winkel (2019), Cristen Winkel (2021), and Carly Harper Witherow (2008).

The Alumni Boys’ game featured the following 12 players: Mikai Browne (2019-NG), Ben Chapman (2013), Elijah Chapman (2019, Josh Clark (ACS PE teacher and MS Boys’ Basketball coach), Yamier Cooper (2015), Malachi Green (2021), Jon Hevalow (2016), Ben Noble (2020), Jacob O’Brien (2019), Dan Roland (2020), Jacob Rosie (2021), and Mark Rosie (2020).

Thank you to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner for organizing an enjoyable evening of great basketball and fellowship on and off the court and for gifting each alumni player with a green or white alumni basketball event T-shirt.

 

 

Inaugural One Christmas Night Festival Brings Together ACS Families, Friends for a Joyous Celebration of Christ’s Birth

Over 1,000 ACS families and friends turned out for our first One Christmas Night Festival on December 3 — a heart-warming, joy-filled way to kick off the Christmas season. Thank you for coming and making our One Christmas Night a success! There were a variety of fun activities for adults and children alike to experience, including a live nativity, tractor-pulled hayride, pony rides, a petting zoo, inflatables, Christmas craft making, face painting, Christmas Story Time, and outdoor Christmas movies.

Students from elementary to high school entertained festival-goers with lively band and vocal performances of favorite Christmas songs. There were performances in the gym by the 4th and 5th Grade Bands, the Middle School Band, and the High School Instrumental Ensemble, all under the direction of Band Director Tim Rosie. The Middle School and High School Worship Teams, led by staff member Kelly Flynn, presented 15-minute performances throughout the evening of popular Christmas carols on an outdoor stage in front of the main school building.

We loved seeing all the smiles and watching families come together to warm up near the fire pits or roast marshmallows to make S’mores. There were also opportunities to do some Christmas shopping at the local merchant booths and get some tasty food, hot chocolate, and desserts provided by Stir It Up catering, our Parent Teacher Fellowship, and Chef Steve’s Popcorn.

Hope to see you there next year!

 

CLICK HERE to see our One Christmas Night Photo Gallery on the ACS website.

 

2021 Race for Education Raises Record $44,107; Student, Class Prizes Awarded at December Chapels

The final results are in and our 2021 Race for Education raised $44,107 for our Annual Fund, exceeding our goal by 10% and raising over $4,000 more than last year’s Race. Thank you to our 20 Event Sponsors, 30 Classroom Sponsors, and hundreds of other donors, our student and teacher participants, and volunteers for making our 2021 Race for Education fundraiser a super success. Event Coordinator Christian Delacruz congratulated Jenna Howard, in Mrs. Kelley’s PK4A class, as the Student Grand Prize Winner during the December 10 Early Ed/Kindergarten Chapel.

The students and classes from PreK3 to the 12th grade who excelled in their fundraising efforts were recognized during several December chapels and a video capturing the Race highlights was also shown. Student Grand Prize Winner Jenna Howard Jenna raised $1,090 through gifts from her sponsors and will receive a season pass to Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township or to an Ocean City water park as her prize.

Three classes were recognized for winning the Class Grand Prizes. The Early Ed/Elementary Class Grand Prize went to Mrs. Reilly’s kindergarten class, who raised $2,74o. Mrs. Altier’s 6th grade class won the Middle School Class Grand Prize, raising $4,325, and Miss Stonelake’s 9th grade homeroom class won the High School Class Grand Prize, raising $600. The winning classes are receiving the prize of a fun class outing to either the Get Air Trampoline Park in Mays Landing or the Playland Castaway Cove in Ocean City.

Additional prizes and certificates were also awarded for individual student and teacher/staff participation.  Some 100 certificates were given to one boy and one girl from each class (including some ties) who were the top runners, completing the most laps in their class. Ninety-two students from preschool to high school who received three or more donations were awarded a Dress Down Day Pass or a Snack Pass.  Six teachers and staff reached out to friends and family to raise money for the Race and they are receiving Amazon Gift Cards valued at 50% of what they raised to purchase classroom supplies or equipment. Those teachers and staff were Mindy Capito (1A), Sara Coates (6B), Kelly Flynn (Business Office), Kristen Hockenberry (2C), Laura McCartney (1C), and Tim Rosie (Music Department).

Some 610 students from PreK3 to the 12th grade participated in the Race. The student in each class who had the most sponsor donations (in some cases there was a tie) received a $10 Five Below Gift Card.  The 40 top student fundraisers from each class were:

• PK3A – Owen Flanigan
• PK3B – Luke Kulp
• PK3B – Lilyana Flores
• PK3B – Quinn Piotti
• PK4A – Hudson Berges
• PK4A – Jenna Howard
• PK4B – Zoe McNulty
• KA – Felicity Macpherson
• KA – Johannah Wilson
• KB – Roselyn Vega
• 1A – Kayla Dlugosz
• 1B – Nashla Sosa
• 1C – Felicity Macpherson
• 2A – Alba Reed
• 2B – Rachael Eachus
• 2C – Jackelyn Berges
• 3A – Lindsay Eachus
• 3B – Kennedy Jackson
• 3C – Erik Macpherson
• 4A – Stevi Richards
• 4B – Gabrielle DiSciascio
• 4C – Grayson Vice
• 5A – Madison Guthrie
• 5B – Sophia Gomez
• 6A – Christian Pineo
• 6B – Makenzie Fresh
• 7A – Mackenzie Flynn
• 7B – Ethan Costello
• 7C – Connor Settles
• 8A – Gianna Flynn
• 8B – David O’Donnell
• 9A – Aine Dorsey
• 9B – Taylor Sutton
• 10 – Gary Wyckoff
• 10 – Andre Gomez-Rugoff
• 10 – Alicia O’Donnell
• 10 – Kaia Barbour
• 11A – Sophia Hoang
• 11B – Summer Scott
• 12 – Haley Whedbee

High School Teams Head to Delco Tournament in PA as Basketball Season Gets Underway

The ACS Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball teams headed to Pennsylvania on Friday, December 10 to play in the two-day Delco Basketball Tournament, just days before they would face off against Gloucester County Christian School on December 13 in their first Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference games at home in the ACS gym.

“ACS has been participating in the Delco Tournament for 17 years and we always look forward to competing against the Pennsylvania-area schools that have strong basketball programs,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner.  The players and coaches gathered in a circle at the front entrance of the school for prayer and final instructions from Hitchner “to have fun and honor God as you represent our school” before leaving for the tournament, which is sponsored by Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, PA. Nearly two dozen members of the ACS Cheerleading Team also traveled to cheer in the opening games of the tournament.

Check the ACS website under the “Athletics” tab for upcoming game schedules. Gate fees at all home games will be $1 for students, $2 for adults, and $5 max for families. All funds collected support the ACS Athletic Department.

The Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ teams opened the season with a non-conference away game on December 1 against Veritas Christian Academy, with the girls’ team losing and the boys’ team chalking up their first win. In their second non-conference game, ACS played Doane Academy at home on December 7. The JV and Varsity Boys’ teams lost their games and the Girls’ team won. On December 9, the Varsity Girls played a scrimmage game at home against St. Joe’s in Hammonton, and no scores were kept.

Athletic Director Hitchner has planned some fun, themed nights for several upcoming home games, as follows:

  • Tuesday, December 21 — Christmas-Themed Games — wear Christmas pajamas and get into the games for free.  ACS vs Absegami – JV Boys at 4 p.m. and Varsity Boys at 5:30 p.m.
  • Friday, January 21 — White-Out Games — wear white. ACS vs Pilgrim Academy. JV Girls’ at 3:30 p.m.; JV Boys’ at 4:30 p.m.; Varsity Girls at 6 p.m. and Varsity Boys at 7:30 p.m.

The 18 members of the 2021-2022 ACS Varsity Boys’ Basketball team, led by head coach Drew Carney and assistant coach Ben Chapman, are: Robby Barberio, Charlie Costello, Asher Dawkins, Jake DeNick, Noah Gibbs, Aaron Glancey, Sam Glancey, Eddie Ireland, Manny Johnson, Chase Leach, Cruz Lewis, James Papanikolaou, Evan Pearson, Jayden Sanchez, Adam Schlundt, Josh Schlundt, Devin Tridente, and Caleb Vogel.

The 12 members of the 2021-2022 ACS Varsity Girls’ Basketball team, led by head coach Kaylee Breunig and assistant coach Dara Kimmerley, are: Daniella Ajayi, Isabell Alford, Maddie DeNick, Angela Eggie, Sophia Johnson, Becca Kelley, Evangelina Kim, Reyna Lewis, Ava Nixon, Paige Noble, Amber Ramos, and Taylor Sutton.

Largest-Ever Cheerleading Squad Begins Exciting Winter Season, Plans to Enter Spring Cheer Competitions

The winter cheerleading season is underway with 29 middle school and high school students participating, making it the largest cheer squad in school history. The team has ambitious goals, with plans to cheer at both home and away basketball games and to participate in several cheerleading competitions in the spring of 2022. The squad cheered for the first time at the December 7 home Varsity basketball games against Doane Academy and traveled to Pennsylvania on December 10 to cheer for ACS at the Delco Basketball Tournament.

Congratulations to five of the team members, who have already seen competitive cheer success in a local area meet. 7th graders Ashlee Alford, Annalena DiMaio, April Eaves, Mackenzie Flynn, and Abigail Kelley, who are part of the Varsity EHT Eagles Cheerleading Team, won first place in the Varsity Division at the Egg Harbor Township High School Cheer Competition on November 14.

Five members of the ACS Cheer Squad, who are part of the Varsity EHT Eagles Cheerleading Team, won first place in the Varsity Division at the November 14 Egg Harbor Township High School Cheer Competition.

The ACS cheerleading team has been practicing three to four times a week since early November, led by Head Coach Morgan Gibson and Assistant Coach Kelly Flynn.

Gibson said several new training activities have been added for the squad this season.  On November 27, the co-owners of Reign Athletics, a cheer gym in Moorestown, NJ that runs a competitive All-Star cheerleading program, led the ACS cheerleaders in a 7-hour practice to teach them a competition routine to use in the spring cheer meets and to perform at some half-times (see photo above).

“We were so excited and pleased with the way Kayla Price and Tyler Washington from Reign Athletics worked with our squad and helped them move up to the next level,” Gibson said. “They were also impressed with the skill level of our team and categorized our team as a Level 2 cheerleading squad.”

Gibson said the cheerleaders will also be participating in a 6-week program at Blake’s Gymnastics in Northfield, meeting weekly to work with the Blake’s coaches on improving their tumbling skills.

Congratulations to the 29 students who are part of this year’s Cheerleading Team — Ashlee Alford, Ava Barberio, McKenzie Cubbage, Victoria Dade, Annalena DiMaio, Rebecca DiMaio, April Eaves, Mackenzie Flynn, Makenzie Fresh, Kylie Jackson, Grace Johnson, Melody Kane, Abigail Kelley, Rielly Kisielewski, Ava Lombardi, Autumn Loo, Kiara Loo, Ja’Niyah Martin, Jadelyn Maurer, Lydia McCarthy, Tara McCorkle, Heather Milstead, Nadia Pearson, Sophia Puglisi, Chelsie Richards, Haven Sanchez, Isabella Santos, Makayla Tomlinson, and Geanna Ulerio.

 

High School Students Attend Leadership Conference in Washington, DC; Focus on Responding to Injustice in Broken World

Thirty-three ACS high school students attended a leadership conference in Washington, DC from November 21-23 that focused on human suffering around the world and how to respond to that through the lens of God’s Word. The annual conference was sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International and drew over 650 students from Christian high schools in the Northeast.

The conference activities featured several keynote speakers, worship, presentations and game time led by entertainer Brandon Rushin, performances by illusionist Brett Myers, and a tour of the Holocaust Museum, led by American Christian Tours.  During one of the inter-active game activities, two ACS students — 12th grader Amber Ramos and 11th grade Sam Glancey — joined several other students on stage to participate in the fun.

The students participated in large group sessions where speakers explored five topics — Dignity Through Work; God Loves Justice; Pro-Life Apologetics; Children’s Rights Issues; and Human Trafficking. At the end of each day, the ACS students broke into four small groups to dig deeper into the topics presented.

Upper School Principal Meg McHale, who attended the conference with the students, said the speakers challenged the students to use the inspiration they felt from the conference to take action to address the brokenness and suffering in the world today.

“This was the largest group of students that we have ever taken to this conference and we were the second largest group overall,” McHale said. “We are very excited to see a growing number of our high school students stepping up to become leaders in our school. We have really been praying for that.”

McHale said that in the final small group sessions, ACS students worked on identifying several projects to spearhead at ACS that would bring more awareness to the pressing issues addressed at the conference. She said one group of 9th and 10th grade girls, led by staff member Jessica Martin, decided to organize a fundraiser to raise awareness about human trafficking. Another group of 11th and 12th grade boys chose to start a student-led Bible study on Mondays during lunchtime.

Four adult chaperones who accompanied McHale on the trip and also served as small group facilitators were: staff member Jessica Martin;  Sean Griffith, Pastor of Sojourn Community Church; high school Bible teacher Urick Lewis; and high school faculty member Gina Wilson.

ACS Forms New Mock Trial Team; Seeking High School Students for Four Open Slots

ACS has formed a new Mock Trial Team that began practicing on November 30 and is preparing to compete in the Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition in February 2022. Any high school student can join and the team’s Teacher Coach, Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney, said there are still four open spots for students to serve as lawyers and witnesses. Robin Tolg, Esq. is serving as the Attorney Coach.

By playing the roles of witnesses and lawyers in mock trials, Hahn-Chaney said students will learn firsthand about the American system of justice by trying their cases before judges and attorneys. A team typically consists of 10 contestants plus alternates. The Vincent J. Apruzzese High School Mock Trial Competition is sponsored in cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Association and New Jersey’s county bar associations.

Both Hahn-Chaney and Tolg have past experience participating in the New Jersey Mock Trial Competition. Hahn-Chaney participated as a witness and a lawyer as a member of the Crossway Home Learners Mock Trial Team from 2001-2003. Tolg, who is a practicing attorney in Linwood, served as the attorney coach for three years the last time ACS fielded a Mock Trial Team from 2003-2006. Hahn-Chaney has also reached out to Atlantic City Councilman Jesse Kurtz to support the ACS team and give insight in developing the case. Kurtz and Hahn-Chaney both competed together as high schoolers on the Crossway Home Learners Mock Trial Team.

“We’re excited to be fielding a team again and we’re looking forward to building a program that will continue into the future,” Hahn-Chaney said. “The experience of being on a Mock Trial Team gives students an edge in the areas of public speaking and critical thinking and also looks great on a resume.”

The ACS Mock Trial Team practices are on Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. in the school library, on Wednesdays from 5-6 p.m. in the Computer Lab, and virtually on most Saturdays. The practice schedule is designed to coordinate with the basketball team practices enabling a student to participate in both activities. Hahn-Chaney also plans to offer a mock trial high school elective in January on Tuesdays and Thursdays to provide further practice time to prepare for the February competitions.

The dates of first two Mock Trial Competitions, which will be held virtually, are:

  • Thursday, February 3 at 5:30 p.m. — ACS vs Mainland  Regional
  • Thursday, February 10 at 5:30 p.m. — ACS vs Egg Harbor Township

Please contact Hahn-Chaney for additional information and practice times at rhahn-chaney@acseht.org.

Alumni Spotlight: ACS Alumni Making Their Mark in College and Beyond

ACS is pleased to periodically recognize and congratulate several of its alumni who are making their mark in college, in the working world, and in other endeavors, building on the strong educational and spiritual foundation they received during their years at ACS.   The alumni spotlighted this month are:  Tiffiny Butler (’03), Brianna McHale Haltom (’07), Jeff McConnell (’16), Dakota Hitchner (’17), Naomi Glancey Johnson (’18), Lindsey Ash (’19), Jacob O’Brien (’19), Luke Johnson (’19), Suhyun (Danny) Lee (’19), Ben Noble (’20), and Jeremiah Engle (’21).  Profiles of many more ACS alumni can be found on the “Alumni News” page of the ACS website under the “News and Events” category.

The Alumni Women’s Basketball game on December 20 will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the Alumni Men’s Basketball Game will start at 7:00 p.m. A complimentary pizza meal will be provided to all alumni who attend and all players will receive a commemorative event T-shirt. Alumni interested in playing in the games should RSVP to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner by Wednesday, Dec. 15 by sending a text to 609-412-7735.

Dr. Tiffiny Butler (’03) was recently promoted to Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Educational Equity at Rutgers University in New Brunswick.  Tiffiny returned to New Jersey in August 2021 from Worcester, Massachusetts, where she had been a Teaching Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for five years and the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs for the past two years. Tiffiny earned a BS in Biokinetics in 2007 from Eastern University. She received her MS and Ph.D. in kinesiology from Temple University.

Brianna McHale Haltom (’07) recently received her Doctor of Education degree in curriculum and instruction, with a concentration in special education, from Liberty University. For her final project for her Ph.D., Brianna examined professional development and differentiated instruction at ACS. She is now working as a special education teacher in the Resource Room at the Ventnor Middle School. In January 2022, Brianna will also become an adjunct professor at Liberty University. Brianna and her husband Caleb live in Egg Harbor Township and have three children — Brantley and Maverick, who attend ACS, and 1-year-old McKenna.

Jeff McConnell (’16) is serving as a full-time missionary with Circuit Riders, based in Huntington Beach, CA. Circuit Riders is a ministry under the auspices of  Youth With a Mission, focused on reaching young people with the gospel in universities and high schools. Jeff is primarily working in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, doing some preaching and helping organize outreach rallies on various campuses. Jeff earned a BA from Rowan University in 2020, double majoring in business and music. While at Rowan, he served in the student government and carried out a service project at a church in Glassboro, designing a new sound system and providing training on how to use the system.

Dakota (DJ) Hitchner (’17) was named the Colonial States Athletic Conference Player of the Week on November 29 for her outstanding performance as a guard on Cairn University’s Women’s Basketball Team. In Cairn’s November 27 game against Cedar Crest, DJ scored 33 points and helped lead the team to victory. She is now the 3rd highest scoring player in a single women’s basketball game in school history and is just 28 points away from scoring a career 1,000 points in her 3 years on the team. In the fall season, DJ also played midfield on Cairn’s Women’s Soccer team and was named to the 1st team All-Conference. She also holds the record as the 6th All-Time in scoring on the Women’s Soccer Team. DJ will graduate on December 18, 2021 with a BS in physical education.

There were wedding bells this October for two ACS alumni — Naomi Glancey Johnson (’18) and Luke Johnson (’19) — after Luke popped the question in August 2021 at the Tuckahoe Inn.  Luke is taking the necessary steps to become a fireman, planning to serve with the Wildwood Fire Department. They live in Ocean City and are active at Coastal Christian Church in Ocean City.

Lindsey Ash (’19) is making her mark on William Patterson University’s Women’s Soccer Team. A junior this year, she just finished her second season a a midfielder, playing for 84 minutes in four out of 21 matches, with two assists, and scoring a goal in William Patterson’s 4-0 over Pratt in late October 2021. Lindsey is majoring in exercise physiology.

Suhyun (Danny) Lee (’19) is currently serving in the military in South Korea and is applying to attend college after completing his military service.

Jacob O’Brien (’19), and Ben Noble (’20) were strong contributors to the No. 3-seed Cairn University Men’s Soccer Team this fall, which advanced to play in the Colonial States Athletic Conference Championship game on November 6, 2021. Cairn lost to Rosemont College, but it was Cairn’s first CSAC Championship appearance in program history, with the team finishing the season with an 11-4-2 record. Jacob is in his junior year majoring in criminal justice and Ben is a sophomore majoring in health and PE.

Jeremiah Engle (’21) graduated from the U.S. Navy’s boot camp in Great Lakes, IL in September 2021. He completed eight weeks of grueling training and passed with special awards. He earned the rank of Mail Petty Officer for his division and also received the prestigious Marksman Award for weapons training accuracy. He is currently in the Apprentice Technical Training portion of his education to be an Electronics Technician.  After completing his schooling, he will be assigned to a ship and sail the globe, which he is very excited about! His job will involve troubleshooting of technical problems, and repairing the computer equipment that will operate all functions aboard his assigned vessel.

ACS Holds Successful Life-Saving December Red Cross Blood Drive

Thank you to everyone who donated blood at our American Cross Blood Drive on December 1 and helped make the life-saving event a success. We collected 21 units of blood — which will provide critical aid for up to 63 area hospital patients.

We plan to hold our next blood drive on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 and two more on May 3 and August 10, 2022.   Please mark your calendar so that you can participate. More details will be posted in upcoming issues of the “Cougar Current,” on our school website, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ACS has been a partner with the American Red Cross as a blood drive sponsor since 2008. The blood drives are organized by the ACS Student Council, overseen by Student Council faculty advisor Dave Genter.

Donate Items for Cougar Den – Earn a Free Season Pass to Basketball Home Games

As the basketball season gets underway, our Cougar Den concession stand in the gym is in need of donations.  Anyone who donates at least 3 large items will receive a season pass for all home basketball games.

Following are the items we need:

  • Large Boxes of Nacho Chips
  • Large Cans of Cheese for Nachos
  • Hot Dogs
  • Hot Dog Rolls

The Athletic Department also welcomes monetary donations given toward the purchase of these items. Please bring all donations to the Athletic Office in the gym.

Thank you.

Intramural Basketball Starts Jan. 8; Registration Closes Friday, Dec. 17

Our popular Intramural Basketball Program for boys and girls in the 2nd to 8th grades will begin on Saturday, January 8, 2022 and Friday, December 17 is the last day to register for the program.

The intramural program will be led by Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach Kaylee Breunig, with assistance from the high school players on the girls’ basketball team. The cost of the 5-week program of Saturday sessions from January 8 to February 19 is $75 and includes a T-shirt.

The Boys’ Intramural Sessions will be held from 9-11 a.m. and the Girls’ Intramural Sessions will be held from 11:15-1:15 p.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.

Colors, Images of Fall Inspire Student Artwork

Students from kindergarten to high school were inspired by the colors and images of fall as they created unique artwork during classes led by Art Teachers Sherry Mirakian and Patti Scardilli in October and November. The artwork, showing skills the students learned using paint, quilling, and mixed media, have been on display for several weeks on bulletin boards in the main hallway near the Multi-Purpose Room.

High school students in a Mixed Media class studied the still life collages of Pablo Picasso and Edith Hillanger and then used a different media, including printed paper, newspaper, cardboard, and chalk to create their own still life collages.

In the Middle School Art Studio class, students learned the art form known as quilling or paper filigree — which involved taking strips of paper and rolling, shaping, and gluing them together to create decorative designs.

Kindergarten students in their twice weekly art class painted pumpkins for fall as part of a lesson on colors. The students learned how to make orange and green from the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue.

Inviting ACS Alumni, Families to Winter Alumni Basketball Event – Monday, Dec. 20

ACS Alumni and their families are invited to our winter alumni event — Alumni Women and Men’s Basketball Games — on Monday, December 20. A complimentary pizza meal will be provided for all alumni and all players will receive an event T-shirt.

Please RSVP by 12/15/21 to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner if you would like to play — send a text to: 609-412-7735.

The Alumni Women’s Game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the Alumni Men’s Game will start at 7:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

Thank You for Supporting our Neverland-Themed Scholastic Book Fair — Record Sales Top $10,000

Thank you to the many parents, grandparents, and other family members who supported our Escape to Neverland-themed Scholastic Book Fair held from November 15-23. With over 1,250 books sold, the sales exceeded $10,700, setting a new school record, according to Mrs. Rhapsody Hahn-Chaney, ACS K-12 Computer Teacher, who oversaw the Fair along with faculty member Patti Scardilli.

The Book Fair profits will be used to buy teacher requested books for their classrooms, add books to the school library, and purchase subscriptions to the Scholastic News magazine used in K-5 classrooms. Hahn-Chaney said 105 new books are being added to the ACS library, including picture books, early readers, chapter books, and graphic novels.

As part of the Book Fair, ACS students were able to enter a “Tell Us a Story, Wendy” drawing to win a basket of preschool books valued at $100 and could also spin to win a poster.  In a live drawing held during the Fair on the ACS Facebook page on November 22, 7th grader Zahir Hollis won the basket of books, which he plans to share with his younger cousins.

Students visited the school library from November 15-19 to preview the Book Fair items and create their “wish lists.” A Book Fairy poster in the library also promoted teacher book wishes. Product selection included Scholastic books and stationery items, as well as Bibles, devotionals, and Christian books and gift items supplied by the Truth That Rocks Bookstore in Northfield. In-person family shopping began on November 19 and 20, with opportunities to shop both before and after the Peter Pan JR. musical performances. Family shopping continued the following week, both in person and online.

Hahn-Chaney recognized and thanked a number of parents, grandparents, staff, who volunteered and helped make the fair a success, including: Gail Alford, Katie Boyle, Noriko Dorsey, Heather Kern, Brenda Maurer, Minelva Miller, Karen Oblen, Luke Petrecca, Kelly Petrinec, Sandy Settles, Stephanie Vice, and Allie Wilson.  She also thanked a number of students who gave a helping hand — Aine Dorsey, Caedyn Hahn-Chaney, Keira Frontino, Autumn Henson, Valentina Hines, Joshua Kinch, Gracie Leon, Emma Parker, Rowynn Shevlin, and Chloe Weyman.