With Christian music on the speakers and over 250 skaters on the floor, Young’s Skating Center in Mays Landing was full of energy on Saturday, January 11. The Junior class welcomed students, friends, and family members from ACS, local church youth groups, and even other Christian schools for an exciting evening at the rink.
The fundraiser brought in over $1,600 and will benefit the Junior Class fund for its Senior Trip.
We love our pastors! Atlantic Christian School students and their families worship at over 100 churches across South Jersey and each year we set aside a day to recognize and thank the important role that pastors and others working in church ministry play in the lives of our students. This year, Pastor Appreciation Day will be held on Wednesday, February 12.
The day’s activities will begin with a breakfast for the pastors, with Pastor Mike Bult of Mainland Baptist Church in Galloway as the featured speaker. After breakfast, the pastors and ministry leaders will attend our student-led All-School Chapel at 10 a.m. in the gym, where students from preschool to high school will show their appreciation for their pastors through choral, instrumental, and oral presentations. Invitations have been mailed to pastors at their churches. We are asking pastors to please RSVP to Mrs. PJ Santos, Assistant Director of Development and Communication, at 609-653-1199, ext. 302 or to psantos@acseht.org.
If you could give to Atlantic Christian School without paying more, what would you do? When you use Xspero to shop local merchants in our community, 20% of your purchase goes directly to ACS without costing you more! Download the Xspero app on your mobile phone today and help raise funds through your normal spending.
A number of Atlantic County businesses have been added to the Xspero network in recent weeks, including Atlantic City Sub Shops, Cordivari’s Restaurant, Ernest & Son Sub Shop, La Cucina Ristorante, Naomi’s Cafe, Pets Plus, Sal’s Coal Fired Pizza, Stir It Up, TacocaT, and Your Chiropractor. New merchants are being added weekly so check back often to see if there are any more restaurants or shops in your area.
Yard signs promoting Xspero went up in various locations on the ACS campus this week. Representatives of Xspero will also be at the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday, February 1 to answer any questions and encourage ACS families and friends to support ACS by using the Xspero app.
Every day is an adventure — that’s how three of our teachers’ aides describe their work day, smiling as they describe the joys and challenges of working with our youngest students in our Early Education and kindergarten classes. Mrs. Kristin Scull, Mrs. Ashley Vaccaro, and Miss Sarah Getty, pictured from left to right, all began last September as full-time aides and at this half-way point in the school year they are grateful and excited to be a part of the ACS family.
Vaccaro, an aide to kindergarten teacher Hayley Price, first came to ACS as a school parent, enrolling her now 6th grade son, Austin, in kindergarten seven years ago. Her son, Asher, is now also enrolled in PreK4. “As a parent, I saw how everyone here was part of a family and it was inspiring to me; I wanted to be a part of that,” Vaccaro said. She holds a BA in elementary education from Liberty University and is certified in special education and early childhood development. Prior to joining the ACS staff, she worked in the Northfield Community School as a special ed para-professional. She attends Fusion Church and helps with preschool care on Sundays.
Getty, who is an aide in Mrs. Nicole Warriner’s PreK2 class, said she has always loved being with children, and gained valuable experience helping for many years with Kids Club, VBS, and children’s Sunday School at Faith Bible Baptist Church in Egg Harbor Township. “The favorite part of my job is seeing the excitement the children have whenever they learn something new,” Getty said. “Little accomplishments make they happy, like when I teach a child how to put on their shoes and socks, they get so excited when they are able to do it on their own.”
Scull, who has three adult children and three grandchildren, enjoys loving on our youngest students as an aide in Mrs. Chambers’ PreK1 Infant classroom. “Every day is an adventure and it’s never boring,” Scull said. “I love working with children at this age because they grow so much and you can have such a big impact on them.” Scull attends Fusion Church, where she is part of the media production team, runs small groups, and teachers in kids’ church.
Elementary students in our Servant’s Heart Club made some 50 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches at its January meeting for the Atlantic City Rescue Mission to distribute to the homeless in our community.
The 2nd-5th grade students made the sandwiches during their monthly after-school meeting on January 7 and the sandwiches were delivered to the mission this week by Club Advisor and school parent Jennifer DiMaio. The students also colored Bible verses with an encouraging message on flyers that were attached to the sandwich bags.
Mrs. DiMaio said the club’s February project will be to create Valentine’s Day care packages for children in the Ronald McDonald House. Twenty-one students participate in the after-school club and additional students are welcome to join at any time.
The Varsity Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball teams are off to a stellar start, with undefeated records of 5-0 in the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference (TSCAC) and five weeks left in the second half of the season. “Both teams are doing great and playing better each time they’re on the court,” said Athletic Director Pam Hitchner. “We’re also very pleased with the enthusiasm of our school families and friends who are filling the bleachers at our home games and helping energize our players.”
The Lady Cougars, led by Kaylee Breunig in her 3rd year as head coach, started the season strong, winning the Delco Christian Tip-Off Basketball Tournament on December 7, with high-scoring guard Cristen Winkel receiving the tournament MVP award, both firsts in school history. The Girls’ team played well again in the December 27-28 Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood, losing to Absegami High School and then beating Cedar Creek High School.
The Varsity Boys’ team also got off to a great start in December at the Doane Academy Tournament, winning 2 out of 3 games and placing third in the tournament. Dan Carney is in his 4th year as head coach, assisted by Drew Carney, Ben Chapman, and Paul Jones.
The ACS teams have a challenging schedule, playing teams both in the TSCAC and in the Cape Atlantic League. The Varsity Girls currently have a 3-1 record against area high schools in the Cape Atlantic League and will face ACIT, Egg Harbor Township, Pleasantville, and Winslow Township in upcoming games. The Varsity Boys’ are 1-1 in games against Cape Atlantic League teams, and will be playing Cedar Creek at home on February 3.
Student Council members kicked off the Bowls of Hope Food Drive this week, making presentations to students in various classrooms on Tuesday morning and distributing brown grocery bags to take home for families to begin collecting canned soup and other non-perishable food for the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch. Please return the Food Drive bags to ACS by Friday, January 31, or bring them with you to the Bowls of Hope event.
Six hundred brown grocery bags were donated by the English Creek ShopRite to use for our Food Drive. Collection boxes for donations are now located in the school foyer and next to the offices of our Elementary and Upper School Principals. We are encouraging every family to participate in our Food Drive to give a helping hand to those in need in our community. Thank you for your participation.
Thirteen restaurants and chefs are now on board to participate in our Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday, February 1 and more are signing up every day. Eight area businesses are also supporting the event as sponsors. Buy your tickets now to attend this enjoyable family event that will benefit ACS, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. You can purchase tickets and sponsorships online at acseht.org or in the school office. Tickets will also be sold at the door.
To date, the participating restaurants and chefs include — the Academy of Culinary Arts (student chef team), Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Eat Clean Organization, Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar (last year’s People’s Choice “Golden Spoon Award” winner), La Cucina Ristorante, Romanelli’s Garden Cafe, Sal’s Cafe, Sofia Restaurant, Steve & Cookie’s, Tennessee Avenue Beer Hall, and Whisk Bakery & Cafe. We are also excited to be welcoming several new participants — Maurizio’s Pizzeria in Mays Landing (opening soon in Egg Harbor Township) and The Local’s Spot in Somers Point.
To date, our eight Event Sponsors are — American Church Group of NJ; B.F. Mazzeo Fruit & Produce; Clayton’s Self Storage; Edward Jones Investments, Jason Kiefer Financial Advisor; HS Restoration & Cleaning Service; Klingert Chiropractic Wellness, Olympic Physical Therapy, and SERVPRO of Egg Harbor/Ventnor City, Additional sponsors are welcome for a donation of $400 and sponsors receive 4 complimentary tickets to the Bowls of Hope. The sponsor deadline is Friday, January 24.
For one ticket price, attendees will enjoy tasting a variety of hot, delicious soups and voting for their favorite to receive the “People’s Choice Golden Spoon Award.” Bread, beverages, and desserts will also be provided.
The evening will also include a student Talent Show and a Silent Auction featuring themed gift baskets like “Football Party,” “Baker’s Delight,” and “Family Game Night,” and “Ice Cream Social” donated by our PreK4-8th grade classes. Parents, please note that the collection deadline for all Silent Auction baskets is Friday, January 24.
The prices of the Bowls of Hope tickets, which are considered a charitable, tax-deductible gift, are: Adults-$20; Students-$10; Children (6-10)-$5; Children under 5-Free. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased online, in the ACS school office. Tickets will also be sold at the door that night.
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets and sponsorships.
“I have a dream.” Those memorable words are the centerpiece of a special history project that students in Mrs. Fosbenner’s 3rd grade class completed this week ahead of Monday’s national holiday honoring the late civil rights leader and minister, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The students created portraits of Dr. King, accompanied by excerpts from his famous “I Have a Dream” National Mall speech to a crowd of some 250,000 people at the 1963 March on Washington. The students were also challenged to list five ways they can help others in the spirit of Dr. King’s message. In addition to creating the portraits, the students are reading a Scholastic News article about Dr. King’s life and impact on society.
The 3rd grade class projects will hang in the hallway near their classroom throughout this month. Dr. King’s biography is also on display on a bulletin board in the hallway near the school library. The display promotes the theme: Speak Love, Think Love, Show Love based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
Over the next week, our elementary students will be reading, writing, and watching videos about Dr. King. As one example, Mrs. McCarthy’s 2B class will be reading “Martin’s Big Words” and completing a writing piece entitled “Martin Had Big Dreams and So Do I?” Our Upper School students learn about the life and legacy of Dr. King throughout the school year as part of their history/social studies curriculum.
ACS is grateful for courageous leaders like Dr. King who have helped us understand and apply the biblical truth that in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one.” (Galatians 3:28)
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday-Thursday, January 21-23. Twenty-minute time slots are available from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Conferences are mandatory for families of K-5th grade students and optional for families of 6th-12th grade students and of Early Education students.
Click the appropriate grade-level link below to sign up online:
See you there! ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing is Friday, January 24. Eat wings and help raise funds for ACS Athletics.
This is the second year for the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Mays Landing to be partnering with ACS to support our school. For this school year, the restaurant has decided to increase its donation to 20% of the total bill of any customer who presents our special fundraising ticket between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. on January 24. The restaurant is located at 4311 Black Horse Pike in Mays Landing.
Please spread the word about this exciting fundraiser to benefit ACS middle school and high school sports programs.
CLICK HERE to get the special yellow printable fundraiser ticket to present when you order your meal. Tickets are also available in the school office.
Interested in helping plan and promote the upcoming May 1 ACS Legacy Gala with keynote speaker and performer Mandisa? You’re invited to come out to our first Legacy Gala Committee Meeting on Wednesday, January 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the school library. We need your help with contacting area businesses to be Gala sponsors, advertisers, and Silent Auction donors. We also need volunteers to spread the news about the Gala to our local churches by distributing Gala flyers and posters. And we need volunteers to help the day of the Gala with auction set-up, greeting, and much more. The bigger our Gala team, the more people we can reach about supporting this exciting event for our region.
If you can attend the Gala Committee Meeting, or would like to be involved but cannot attend the meeting, please email PJ Santos, Assistant Director of Development and Communication, at psantos@acseht.org or call 609-653-1199 ext. 302. This is a great opportunity to tell people about the positive impact that Atlantic Christian is having in the lives of our children and to ask them to support our school.
As the Human Resources/Accounts Payable Manager, Mrs. Arzum Sanchez knows every ACS employee by their first name and is always ready to answer a question about health insurance plans and other employee benefits. But in addition to fulfilling her tasks in the school’s Business Office, Mrs. Sanchez is a dedicated volunteer. Most recently, she served as the back stage manager of the school’s “Annie, Jr.” musical production, overseeing nearly 40 students during the after-school rehearsals and performances.
“I’m very passionate about serving others and giving of your time and talents to bless others,” Mrs. Sanchez said. Outside of ACS, she volunteers at Fresh Start Church, where she has attended for the past 13 years, and helps with fundraising efforts for KW Cares, a community give-back project of Keller Williams realty.
Prior to coming to ACS in November 2017, Mrs. Sanchez was working full-time as an investor/realtor with the Keller Williams Atlantic Shore office in Northfield. She still actively works in her real estate business, by appointment at night and on weekends. “I really just love working in real estate and helping people successfully make one of the most important financial transactions of their lives,” Mrs. Sanchez said.
Mrs. Sanchez, who is a native of Atlantic City, holds a BA in business from Stockton University and is also taking graduate courses when her busy schedule permits. She and her husband, Pablo, live in Egg Harbor Township and have four children — Elijah (26), Alexys (24), ACS 8th grader Haven, and ACS 7th grader Jayden. She is also a proud grandmother to 22-month-old Victoria.
“I’m so happy that my children are at ACS,” Mrs. Sanchez said. “I used to drive by the school and pray that our children could come here and God answered my prayers.”
Three ACS teachers were presented with award certificates and cash prizes totaling $250 during Elementary Chapel on Friday, January 10 for original videos created by their students that tied for the Grand Prize in the 2019 AtlantiCare 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest. The winning teachers were, pictured from left to right — Mrs. Laura McCarthy, Class 2B; Mrs. Bethany Kiefer, Class 5B, and Mr. Grant Miller, Class 5A.
The AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children program sponsored the video contest in the fall of 2019 for the more than 100 public and private schools in and around Atlantic, Cape May, and Ocean Counties that participate in the program.
In the ACS 5th grade student video, entitled “Healthier,” the students re-created a popular song with their own lyrics and showed different ways to be healthy during the winter months.
Mrs. McCarthy’s 2nd grade class submitted the video “Get Healthier,” where students shared tips on what to eat and different exercises that will help improve your body and mind.
Winning videos will be featured on AtlantiCare’s Facebook page in the upcoming weeks. Please share the videos on social media to encourage your family and friends to get healthier this year!
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Tuesday-Thursday, January 21-23. Twenty-minute time slots are available from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Conferences are mandatory for families of K-5th grade students and optional for families of 6th-12th grade students and of Early Education students.
Click the appropriate grade-level link below to sign up online:
Save the Date! ACS Spirit Day at Buffalo Wild Wings in Mays Landing is Friday, January 24. Eat wings and help raise funds for ACS Athletics.
This is the second year for the Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Mays Landing to be partnering with ACS to support our school. For this school year, the restaurant has decided to increase its donation to 20% of the total bill of any customer who presents our special fundraising ticket between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. on January 24. The restaurant is located at 4311 Black Horse Pike in Mays Landing.
Please spread the word about this exciting fundraiser to benefit ACS middle school and high school sports programs.
CLICK HERE to get the special yellow printable fundraiser ticket to present when you order your meal. Tickets are also available in the school office.
The winter schedule of After-School Classes is finalized and there is something for everyone. To promote the benefits of health and exercise, there are new sessions for gymnastics and karate starting the last week of January. There’s also a new Snapology class, “Escape Room,” starting on January 31 for 2nd-6th grade students that will encourage them to use their S.T.E.A.M. skills to discover clues, solve puzzles, answer riddles, and manipulate contraptions to complete assigned tasks. Drama Club is also being offered by Miss Amy Culleny for 9th-12th grade students that will start on January 28.
Check the schedule for the start dates and any fees for the other classes being offered this winter. Registration flyers will be sent home with students next week.
CLICK HERE to see the winter schedule of after-school classes and to download the registration forms.
We are looking for students who are willing to share their God-given talents and perform at the Talent Show to be held during the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off on Saturday, February 1 in the ACS gym. Auditions for the Talent Show will be next Thursday, January 16, starting at 3:15 p.m. Please sign up at the ACS Front Desk by Tuesday, January 14.
As the winter season gets underway, we want to be sure that parents and guardians are aware of our communication guidelines in the event that school is cancelled. As a general rule, if the Egg Harbor Township public schools are closed, ACS will be closed. The decision to close school is usually made by 5:30 a.m. and will then be communicated to parents and guardians in a variety of ways, as follows:
We are looking for students who are willing to share their God-given talents and perform at Talent Show to be held during the Bowls of Hope Soup Cook-Off. Auditions for the Talent Show will be on Thursday, January 16, starting at 3:15 p.m. Please sign up at the ACS Front Desk by January 14.
The final results are in and the Race for Education raised $36,000 for our Annual Fund, exceeding our goal by 33% and raising $11,000 more than last year’s Race. Thank you to all our donors, student and teacher participants, and volunteers for making our 2019 race a success.
4th grader Liam Larkin, pictured above, was recognized during our January 3rd Elementary Chapel for being the Student Grand Prize Winner, raising $2,080 through gifts from his sponsors. Mrs. Hoover’s 4th grade class, pictured below, was recognized as the Early Ed/Elementary Class Grand Prize Winner for raising $4,004, the most in donations overall.
Student Grand Prize Winner Larkin is pictured with Assistant Director of Development and Communication, Mrs. PJ Santos, and Chief School Administrator, Mrs. Karen Oblen. Larkin received a special certificate redeemable for an Apple Watch Series 3, Beats Wireless Headphones or 4 Theme Park Tickets.
Mrs. Hoover’s class is receiving an outing to either the Get Air Trampoline Park or the Playland Castaway Cove as their prize. Mrs. Coates’ 6th grade class received the Middle School Class Grand Prize for raising $3,016. The students are receiving an outing to the Get Air Trampoline Park as their prize.
Additional prizes were also awarded for class, student, and teacher/staff participation:
Dress Down Day or Snack Pass Prize
Awarded to students who brought in 10 or more address labels. Teachers will distributed the passes on Monday to the winning students in their classrooms. This year, 218 students turned in at least 10 or more labels.
Teacher Prizes for Class Participation
$50 Gift Certificate
A $50 gift certificate to use toward purchasing classroom supplies or equipment was awarded to the following teachers who had at least 75% of their students turn in 10 or more address labels:
• 1A – Mrs. Mindy Capito
• 2A – Ms. Amy Williams
• 3 – Mrs. Karen Fosbenner
• 4A – Mrs. Sherree Hoover
• 5A – Mr. Grant Miller
• 5B – Mrs. Bethany Kiefer
• 6A – Mrs. Sara Coates
$100 Gift Certificate
A $100 gift certificate to use toward purchasing classroom supplies or equipment was awarded to the following teachers who had 100% of their students turn in 10 or more address:
• KA – Ms. Hayley Price
• 2B – Mrs. Laura McCarthy
• 4B – Mr. Eric Tardif
Teacher Gift Certificates
The following teachers submitted labels and raised money through their sponsors. During chapel, these teachers received gift certificates equal to the value of the total amount that they raised to use for classroom supplies or equipment:
• $1,145.00 – Ms. Amy Williams (02A)
• $375.00 – Mrs. Bethany Kiefer (05B)
• $250.00 – Ms. Hayley Price (KA)
• $175.00 – Melinda Capito (01A)
Five Below $10 Gift Card Prize
The one student in each class that had the most sponsors received a Five Below $10 Gift Card. Those students recognized during chapel on Friday were:
• PK3A – Bennett Smith
• PK3B – Kannon Cummings
• PK4A – Brooklyn Smith
• PK4B – Jadyn Piccinio
• KA – Madeleine Sawyer
• KB – Nathan Frye
• 1A – Selah Melody
• 1B – Alana Rosie
• 2A – Jonathan Ireland
• 2B – Gabriella Santos
• 3 – Peyton Hiller
• 4A – Liam Larkin
• 4B –Matthew Schlundt
• 5A – Thomas Potenski
• 5B – Garrett Martin
• 6A – Paityn Kates
• 6B – Calvin Costello
• 7A – Aine Dorsey
• 7B – Seth Philips
• 8 – Zachary Fosbenner
Lap Winners
The boy and girl in each class that ran the most laps during the Race received a certificate of achievement and a Race Baton courtesy of Chick-fil-A. The class lap winners were:
Winners of the annual Christmas Door Decorating Contest were announced during the all-school Christmas Chapel on Friday, December 20. Thirty-five doors, including a few bulletin boards and hallway walls, were creatively decorated by students from preschool to the 12th grade, with some assistance from their teachers. This year’s doors all have been decorated to reflect the name of a Christmas song. Photos of the doors were then posted on the ACS Facebook page and close to 1,400 votes were cast from December 6-13 by family and friends, who voted by posting a “like or love” on the photos of their choosing. The winners were selected based on the combined number of Facebook votes received and points earned from a faculty/staff panel that judged the doors based on the amount of student participation, theme song representation, and the most original and creative design. The three winning classes were awarded first place blue ribbons to display on their winning doors and will each receive an ice cream party in January.
The first place winner in the Upper School (6th-12th grade) division was Mrs. Flath’s 11th grade class, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The first place winner in the Elementary division was Mrs. Nelson’s 1st grade class, featuring photos of students with red noses to reflect their Christmas song theme, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The first place winner in the Early Education division was Mrs. Correa’s PK2 class, with the Christmas song theme, “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”
Four Honorable Mention awards were also given to various classes. The “People’s Choice” Award for receiving the most votes on Facebook (152) went to Mrs. Correa’s PK2 Class. Mr. Dickson’s 7th grade class received the “All In” Award for the most student participation. Mrs. McCarthy’s 2nd grade class received the “Be Transformed” Award for best representing the Christmas song they have chosen for their door. Miss Williams’ 2nd grade class received the “Creative Genius Award” for the originality and creativeness of their door decoration.
The winning first place and honorable mention doors can also be seen on the ACS Facebook page.
Our annual all-school Christmas Chapel on Friday, December 20 brought students from preschool to 12th grade and all faculty and staff together for a joyous celebration of Christ’s birth. The chapel opened with students from PK3 and PK4 singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” followed by prayer offered by Elementary Principal and Director of Early Education, Mrs. Gail Alford. Mrs. Amy Nelson’s 1st grade class came next with a skit depicting the story of Jesus Christ’s birth.
Worship time continued with Mrs. Morgan Gibson’s American Sign Language class performance of “Noel.” The 5th grade worship team got everyone on their feet to sing and move to “Born is the King” and It’s Christmas Time.”
Guest speaker Cindy S. Brumbaugh shared her testimony and introduced the story behind her three children’s books: “Charlie the Wiener Wonder Dog”, “Charlie the Wiener Wonder Dog and the Lost Woobie” and “Tea with Benny and the Honeybee”. Cindy also shared scriptures and with Christ’s birth, reminded everyone about God’s love and to open our hearts and minds to the wonderful gift of Christ’s salvation.
Some lighter moments in chapel included the popular and much anticipated Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest, with the assembly voting by acclamation for their favorites from among teachers and students representing each class. After several rounds of voting, 3rd grade class teacher, Mr. Eric Tardif, was declared the winner. The winners of the Christmas Door Decorating Contest were also announced.
The program concluded with the Atlantic Christian School’s humorous version of the “12 Days of Christmas” performed by the staff and faculty. Upper School Vice Principal Drew Carney wished everyone a Merry Christmas and gave the closing prayer.
I am filled with hope this Christmas season. But lately, as I watch the news and focus on what is going on around me, I confess I sometimes feel otherwise. Everywhere we look, it seems humanity is in crisis. This can cause us to become fearful or afraid. It’s at these times that I go to what I call my “But God” Scriptures. One of the verses that comforts me the most is from Lamentations 3:21-23 which says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
You see, with God there is hope. In fact, hope is what Christmas is all about. Some 2,000 years ago, God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to earth that we might have hope, redemption, and eternal life. This was God’s gift to mankind. Born in a stable in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became the hope of the world. Everything in the whole world changed in that moment. Jesus Christ our Savior is born; our Lord has come. When we focus and trust in our Lord, all is well. I pray that you have a very Merry Christmas and a joyous, hope-filled New Year.
Congratulations to 6th grader Paityn Nicole Kates on on her 2nd Place winning essay, “What Veterans Day Means to America.”
Egg Harbor Township Mayor Paul Hodson publicly recognized Paityn at the December 18th Township Committee Meeting. Paityn read her essay and received a certificate for her outstanding accomplishment. Paityn’s family and ACS Upper School Principal Meg McHale attended the event.
Every year, Egg Harbor Township Veteran’s Advisory Board sponsors an essay question for students in the township. Paityn’s essay was submitted to ACS Middle School Language Arts teacher Mrs. Caitie Lee, who then forwarded the essay to the township.
