The exclusive time period for current ACS parents to re-enroll their children in ACS and secure their spot for next year ends in just a few days — on Sunday, February 28. The following day, March 1, enrollment will open up to new families and there are many who are seeking to enroll their children and space is limited, according to Admissions Director Jessica Martin.
Martin sent emails this week to every current family advising them if their re-enrollment application is COMPLETE or INCOMPLETE. If an application is incomplete, Martin said it is likely missing one of the following items required for re-enrollment:
1) Completed B6T form for ALL K-12 students. This is required whether you are using bus transportation or not.
2) The enrollment fee, which is $75/child with a family cap of $150.
“We want to make sure that our current families secure their student’s spot before we open up enrollment to new families on March 1,” Martin said. ” Current families who have not completed all the necessary paperwork may lose their spot for next year to a new family that enrolls.” Martin said space is particularly limited in kindergarten through the 5th grade and in 7th grade.
Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said ACS worked hard last summer to put health and safety protocols in place to be able to open ACS with full, in-person instruction last September. “We are very grateful for the encouraging messages from so many parents during this school year who have thanked our teachers and staff for their efforts,” Oblen said. “We are praying that all of our current families will choose to return to ACS next year.”
Oblen also shared some of the positive comments and feedback that been received from current parents:
- From ACS parent Jennifer Kinch, who children Joey, Emily, and Josh are in 3rd, 4th, and 8th grades: “This school has done EVERYTHING possible for the kids. The teachers are AMAZING. They treat them like their own kids. ACS is the absolute best decision we could have ever made for our children and their future. I know financially it is overwhelming, but think about all that your money is buying. And what other things you are so quick to spend $$ on. This is worth it. I promise you. I don’t care if I have to work 3 jobs. We love you Atlantic Christian School.”
- From ACS parent Connie Macpherson, whose son, Erik, is in 2nd grade: “We’ve officially made it to the 100th day of school at ACS. This is always a fun and exciting day, but this year I’m extra grateful to be celebrating this point in the year. We’ve been in school, in person, 5 days a week for 100 days and I thank ACS for all the hard work they are doing and extra protocols they put in every day to allow our kids to come to school and have as much of a normal school year as possible.”
- From ACS parent Jennifer Hoffman, whose son, Brayden, is in kindergarten: “Thank you to ACS for getting us to this point, safely!!!! 100 DAYS OF SCHOOL!! So grateful for all of the AMAZING, rock star teachers, staff, and administration for their love, dedication, hard work, and patience to keep our children in school during this crazy year!
The ACS Varsity Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball Teams are heading into the playoffs next week in strong positions to advance to the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference championship finals on Saturday, March 6, which will be held in the ACS gym. At pep rallies on Thursday, February 25, ACS students and staff cheered for the players and showed their school spirit, proudly displaying our school colors of green and white. The students also enjoyed dressing up all week in various, themed costumes for Spirit Week.
Throughout February, ACS students participated in a variety of special activities for Black History Month. Bulletin boards, library displays, classroom assignments, and a quiz contest during morning announcements helped shine a spotlight on the history, culture, and accomplishments of Black Americans.
Our elementary students and their teachers celebrated the 
In Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class, students had fun seeing how high they could count in 100 seconds and did a math speed drill doing 100 multiplication equations. The students also had fun with a writing project where they answered questions as if they were 100 years old and looking back on their lives. 3rd grader Tamara Kulov wrote that she had a great career “as an artist and a painter” and had worked for an art museum. Classmate Melanie Libro wrote that her biggest accomplishment “was getting a job as a teacher.”
Servant’s Heart Club members recently decorated and filled 80 Valentine’s Day gift bags for residents living in the Haven House, a senior assisted living facility in Cape May. The gift bag project was completed at their February 9 monthly meeting and the bags were delivered to Haven House on February 12, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
The Middle School Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams posted strong, winning seasons this winter, making the best of a year impacted by COVID-19 and building experience and teamwork that will result in continued success in coming years. ACS also launched a new developmental league that met on Saturdays and gave 30 middle school boys who did not play on the team a chance to develop and strengthen their ball-playing skills.
Fifteen members of the ACS Cheer Team participated in Fresh Start Church’s “Night to Shine” event on Friday, February 12, clapping and cheering as a car parade of special needs students passed by. The event was organized through the Tim Tebow Foundation.
We’re hiring! ACS has immediate openings for several part-time positions — custodian, flex aides for our award-winning Early Education Center, and substitute teachers to serve in kindergarten through 12th grade classes. Apply on the ACS website on the “Employment Opportunities” page or contact Human Resources Manager Mrs. Arzum Sanchez for more information at asanchez@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.
ACS 4th grade students have been learning about the history and culture of the Lenape Indian tribes, one of the early inhabitants of New Jersey, and recently created models of the longhouses where they lived. The longhouses are now on display in the hallway outside the 4th grade classrooms.
In her essay, 4th grader Mia Gaffney wrote that the longhouses were built by tying young trees to the frame, “trees young enough to bend and shape.” 4th grader Malani Christmon noted that 20 or more people could live in a longhouse and that “some longhouses had two stories used for sleeping and storage.” 4th grader Rafael Patiag wrote that a lot of fires were placed in the longhouse and were used for heating, cooking, and light. “There were holes at the top of the longhouse for the smoke to go out,” Patiag wrote. In his essay, 4th grader Ben Kelley wrote that one way to measure the length of a longhouse was by the number of fire pits. “A longhouse is about ten to twelve campfires long,” Kelley wrote.
ACS recognized and honored forward Olivia Chapman, a 4-year member of the Varsity Girls’ Basketball team, for pulling down 500 rebounds during her high school career with a special ceremony during the January 30 home game in the ACS gym. Olivia grabbed her 500th rebound in the first two minutes of the game against Veritas Christian Academy.
“I have been coaching Olivia for the past three years and I believe she is one of the most naturally, God-gifted athletes to play for our girls’ program,” Breunig said. Olivia has been a starter on the ACS Varsity Girls’ team for the past three years. She has led the team in rebounds for the past two years and usually leads the team in steals each game.
Kathy Reinheimer first came to ACS as a parent to enroll her daughters, Heather and Holly, in elementary school in 1973, just two years after ACS opened its doors in the Parish House at St. John’s By the Sea Reformed Episcopal Church in Ventnor, New Jersey. Nearly 40 years later, Mrs. Reinheimer returned to ACS, coming out of retirement as a public school librarian and volunteering for the past nine years to help expand and modernize the ACS school library.
Thank you to our school family and friends who participated in the Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” charitable shopping event in October 2020, which resulted in donations to the ACS Annual Fund and the ACS Missions Club.
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.
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: Kristine Cassell (’85), Kim Clark Eaves (’87), Jonathan Cassell (1996-8th), Ian Wallace (’04), Taylor Hadley (’07), Sterling Breunig (’09), Byron Nelson (’09), Amy Vogel Nelson (’09), Alexa Weintraub Byrd (’09), Ani Karabashian (’12), Dakota Hitchner (’17), Jacob O’Brien (’19), and Ben Noble (’20). Profiles of these and many more ACS alumni can be found on the “Alumni News” page of the ACS website under the “News and Events” category.
Kim Clark Eaves (’87) returned to ACS as a school parent in September 2020 to enroll four of her five children, and in November 2020 was a featured speaker at the 50th anniversary Elementary Chapel. She talked about her passion for helping and serving others, and how that passion led her to become a foster parent. She adopted three of her children after fostering them. Over the past 30 years, Kim has held a variety of positions in the medical field, from working as a radiology tech to practicing and teaching massage therapy. Currently, Kim is working as an entrepreneur in a health and wellness social retail network marketing business. She resides in Egg Harbor Township and her family worships at Gospel of Grace Ministries.
Ian Wallace (’04) is the operations manager at Shoemaker Lumber Co. in Ocean City, NJ, a position he has held since 2011. Ian earned a BA in history from Eastern University. He was in the first ACS graduating class to graduate at the new campus in Egg Harbor Township in June 2004. He returned to ACS to serve as the Varsity Boys’ Baseball Coach from 2009-2013. Ian is a deacon at Ocean City Baptist Church and has overseen their adult basketball outreach on Tuesday nights in the winter and spring. One of his favorite life verses is Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Byron Nelson (’09) became the Boys’ Basketball Head Coach at the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in Mays Landing in 2020 and also teaches health and PE. He graduated from Kean University in 2016 with a BS in communication recreation administration. Prior to working at ACIT, Byron worked at Winslow Township High School and at ACS, as a fitness trainer and running basketball clinics. In 2019, Byron married ACS classmate Amy Vogel Nelson (’09). Amy earned her BA in elementary education from Stockton University in 2013. She returned to ACS in 2015 to serve as the Extended Care Director and then became an elementary teacher. Amy and Byron reside in Northfield and have one son, Cameron.
Alexa Weintraub Byrd (’09) earned a BA in interdisciplinary studies from Coastal Carolina University, with a concentration in education and social work. After college, she and her husband, Torren, put down roots in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since 2018, Alexa has worked at Bridgewater Academy, a charter elementary school in Horry County, and at Bridge Builders Family and Youth Services as a counselor. Alexa and Torren are active at Ekklesia Christian Church and have two girls, Victoria and Ava.
Ani Karabashian (’12) became a full-time student in the fall of 2020 to pursue a Master’s degree in urban planning from Rutgers University. She is looking to pursue a career in urban planning that focuses on food access and creating healthier communities. She earned her BA in social work from Gordon College in 2016. After graduation, she took a position with Food Corps NJ and worked as a nutrition educator with K-8 students in the Atlantic City public schools and at the Salvation Army. In 2018, Ani took a new position as a SNAP-ED nutrition educator with the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch, teaching nutrition classes to adults and children, which included cooking demos. Ani is active with the women’s Bible study group at Beacon Evangelical Free Church and has served as a leader with the middle school youth group. She enjoys gardening, exploring the outdoors, and cooking, and in the winter of 2020-2021 baked and sold Armenian pastries to raise funds for the Armenian Soldier’s Fund in Armenia. She resides in Ventnor.
An exciting winter sports season is underway as high school and middle school basketball and cheer teams showed off their skills at several games during the week of January 25. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, no spectators are allowed in the stands, but fans can watch the games live on YouTube.
Next week is the kick-off of our annual Bowls of Hope Soup Fundraiser. To ensure the health and safety of our school family and friends, the Bowls of Hope will not be held this year as an in-person Soup Cook-Off in our gym. Instead, this year’s fundraiser will be in the form of a “Super Soup Coupon Card” that can be purchased and used to to receive a free soup, with a minimum purchase, at 15 participating local restaurants from February 1 to May 31, 2021.
The Student Council is leading a school-wide Food Drive in February in conjunction with the Bowls of Hope Soup Fundraiser. Brown paper grocery bags donated by the English Creek ShopRite will be sent home with students the week of February 1 to fill with non-perishable food items that will be donated to the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch.
Students from kindergarten to the 12th grade are being challenged to create an original video to promote the Bowls of Hope Soup Fundraiser. The contest offers VISA gift card prizes for the top three entries and those winning videos will be posted on ACS social media during the month of February.