Post Tagged with: "South Jersey"

Second Grade Class Blesses Facilities Custodian Mr. Juan Perez

Christmas will be a bit brighter for ACS Facilities Custodian Mr. Juan Perez and family thanks to the efforts of students in Mrs. Laura McCarthy’s 2nd grade class.

This week, the students in Mrs. McCarthy’s class ended a month-long service project and presented  “Mr. Juan,” as he is lovingly called by the students, with a monetary gift.  The students also made handmade encouragement cards to give him.

“We were brainstorming in class about this time of year and how it is a time to bless others with kindness and gifts! After talking it over, the class decided to bless our janitor, Mr. Juan Perez. Juan works so hard and always has a smile on his face. His job can be a thankless one, and we want to help him feel appreciated this Christmas season.” Mrs. McCarthy wanted to instill in the class what a sacrifice is, what it means to put others before ourselves. “And for those two reasons we have a Savior and a Christmas!,” she added.

Mrs. McCarthy gave the students a service project where they were to  “work” and earn money to give to Mr. Juan by doing chores for their parents.

“It is such a blessing!  I was very surprised by Mrs. McCarthy’s class and it’s humbling that they picked me.” Mr. Juan shared.

Mr. Juan has been with ACS for almost two years.  He lives in Absecon, NJ  with his wife, Debora and their six children.

Alumni Came Out to Play Basketball, Volleyball

Over 30 ACS alumni turned out to play basketball, volleyball, and enjoy food and fellowship together on Tuesday, December 17 in the ACS gym. Former ACS boys’ basketball team members formed two teams that played against each other in a fast-paced and competitive game. The former ACS  girls’ basketball players played against our Varsity girls and displayed a lot of energy and talent.

Two alumni, DJ Hitchner (’17) and Francis Johnson (’18), who play on their college basketball teams joined the event. Additional alumni came out to play open volleyball following the two basketball games. Thank you to Athletic Director Pam Hitchner for organizing the fun event and to Mrs. Terry Vogel for running the Cougar Den throughout the evening.

Kindergarteners Make Christmas Thank-You Gifts for Mail Carriers and Decorated Gingerbread Men

The students in Miss Price’s kindergarten class wanted to give back to their community helpers, and who better to appreciate during this time of year than mail carriers? The students wrote “thank you” letters this week and created hot chocolate gifts for their mail carriers to enjoy after a long day of work. Inside the gift bags are hand written notes, cups, hot cocoa packets, marshmallows, and candy canes. The students will leave these gifts inside their mailboxes at home. When their mail carriers deliver their mail, they will see sweet, cozy treats inside the mailboxes to thank them for their hard work.

Mrs. Reilly and Miss Price’s Kindergarten students also decorated gingerbread cookies donated by Chester’s Pastry Pantry Bakery (Somers Point, NJ).

Middle School Choir Visits the Riverfront Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center

The ACS Middle School Choir had the opportunity to spread some Christmas cheer with residents at the Riverfront Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Pennsauken, NJ. Under the direction of Mr. Beadle and Mrs. Flynn, the middle school students sang carols and made Christmas cards for the nursing home residents. The experience greatly impacted the students and opened their hearts to share the love of God with the residents of the nursing home.

Atlantic Christian School Wins AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest

It’s a tie! Mrs. Bethany Kiefer and Mr. Grant Miller’s 5th grade students and Mrs. Laura McCarthy’s 2nd grade were recently named Grand Prize Winners of the AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children 2019 Winter Wellness Video Contest. The contest is one of the funding opportunities offered by AtlantiCare Healthy Schools, Healthy Children to partnered schools to promote the adoption and sustainability of wellness actions that align with AtlantiCare’s strategic community initiatives.

The 5th grade Students submitted the music video “Healthier,” where 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.  Share the videos on social media to encourage your family and friends to get healthier this coming new year!

All-School Christmas Chapel Guest Speaker is Children’s Book Author Cindy Brumbaugh

We are extending a special invitation to ACS families to attend our special All-School Christmas Chapel next Friday, December 20.  Join our students in what we know will be a time of celebration, blessing and inspiration. The chapel will feature special performances by Early Education and Elementary students.

Our special guest speaker on Friday will be children’s book author Cindy S. Brumbaugh.  Cindy and her family attend Coastal Christian Church in Ocean City where Cindy is the leader of Women in Service; a church and community outreach ministry designed to help those in need.

Cindy has written 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 will be available at the ACS lobby after chapel to discuss and sell her books.  The cost is $12 and ACS will receive $1 for each book sold.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER CINDY'S BOOK

Pastor Ted Winsley, Chaplain to Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, Shares Lesson on the Power of Words

Pastor Ted Winsley, Sr., chaplain to the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, was the featured speaker at our Middle/High School Chapel last Friday, December 6.  He has been the Philadelphia Eagles’ chaplain since 2001 and has played a key role in the spiritual development and team dynamic the Eagles are known for.

Pastor Ted Winsley shared his experience before he became the chaplain to one of the most successful teams in the NFL.  He also shared his beliefs on the power of words, through his interactive lesson “Watch Your Mouth – No More Idle Words.”  He shared that “It is important to watch the words that come out of your mouth, it has the power to change our lives and that of others.” He mentioned Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”  He further discussed and read scriptures that backed up the different types of idle words that we need to be mindful of.

The upper school students were fully engaged and followed Pastor Ted’s lesson by filling out the worksheet that was handed out at the start of chapel.  He closed chapel with a prayer and stayed after to take pictures with students, school administrators and parents.

ACS Announces Christmas Card Cover Art Design Winners – 11th Grader Katherine Kong Wins First Place

Congratulations to 11th grader Katherine Kong for winning the first place ribbon for her Christmas card art design, which will be featured on the cover of our school’s annual Christmas card being sent to several thousand families and friends this week.

Thirty-eight students in Ms. Mirakian’s after-school program, Art Studio, and high school students in Art Appreciation and Art Workshop submitted cover art designs.  Katherine’s card design, done in water color on card stock, has the message “Celebrate the Birth of the King” and the word “Emmanuel” which means “God is with us.”

In addition to Katherine, four other students were recognized for their outstanding designs. A second place red ribbon was awarded to 12th grader Lin Xiao; 9th grader Sophia Lee received the 3rd place white ribbon; and 9th grader Paige Noble and 11th grader Jia Peng received green Honorable Mention ribbons.

“This is the third year we have held this Christmas card art contest and we were very impressed with the outstanding designs created by our students,” said Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen. “We see this contest as a way to encourage our students to discover and develop their God-given artistic abilities.”

Grades K-12 Receives Annual Health Screening; ACIT Students Came to Help

Medical Assistant students from Atlantic County Institute of Technology assisted School Nurse Carrie Jorgenson this week with the annual health screening of students from grades K-12.

“Annually, we are blessed to have the Medical Assistant students come for four days to assist with student assessments. Together we check grades K-12 for vision, hearing, blood pressure, and in students above age 10, scoliosis. If any of the findings are above or below parameters, we notify parents. This has blessed many students, and it is a joy to see the ACIT students caring for our students,” Mrs. Jorgenson said.

Atlantic Christian School Girls Basketball Team Wins Delaware County Christian Tip-Off Tournament

Atlantic Christian School Varsity Basketball teams traveled up to Delaware County Christian School to compete in the 55th Annual DC Invitational Tip-Off Basketball Tournament on Friday and Saturday. On the first day, the girls made a statement against Norfolk Christian as they won in convincing fashion by a score of 73-35.

Cristen Winkel was 72% from the field while scoring 30 points. The boys played against the host, Delaware County Christian School, in a tough matchup that saw Ben Noble and Dan Roland score 13 and 12 points respectively. The boys lost a close game 44-49. After the loss, the boys would be forced to take on The Christian Academy in the consolation game the following day. Going up against a scrappy, quick TCA team that proved to be too much as the boys fell 54-71. The girls team faced off in the Championship game against Delaware County Christian School.

From the tip, the girls took a commanding lead and didn’t look back. By the end of the first quarter the score was 22-10. They eventually won the game by a final of 67-22 to become the first ever DC Invitational Tip-Off Tournament Champions in girls basketball history for Atlantic Christian School.

The performance was capped off by three Juniors scoring in double figures; Sydney Pearson (19), Olivia Chapman (15), and Cristen Winkel (12). A huge congratulations to Senior Ben Noble and Junior Olivia Chapman on being named All-Tournament players and Junior Cristen Winkel named MVP of the tournament.

ACS High School Students Attended ACSI’s Leadership Conference

Last week, twelve ACS high school students attended ACSI’s Leadership Conference called “Re:Purpose” in Washington, D.C. Our students worshipped and learned with close to 1,000 other student leaders from Christian Schools along the Eastern Seaboard. The students learned from 8 different speakers on topics about God’s purpose as it relates to identity, learning, service, work and beauty and how it applies to the students’ present situations as well as their future. They also had an excursion to the Holocaust Museum in D.C.

Each night there were group discussions about how the day’s lessons spoke to them and how to bring these themes back to Atlantic Christian. They have started the process of implementing some of these ideas into the school already. We look forward to seeing how these students lead our student body in the rest of this school year. It was such a great experience, some of the Seniors wish they could attend next year’s conference!

ACS Honors Class Learn Advance Spanish Through Cooking

MS/HS Spanish Teacher Mrs. Dena Johnson gave her honors Spanish class students a cooking video project where they will have to teach how to cook a dessert dish using only the Spanish language.

The goals of the project are: to practice giving instructions, appropriate use of commands, and to practice and expand use of numbers, fractions and measurements in Spanish.

Dressed in full chef’s gear and with the help of her husband, Rob, Mrs. Johnson demonstrated how it should be done by cooking Tiramisu in class.  The class really enjoyed the presentation and Mrs. Johnson introduced the project in a fun and engaging way.

5th Graders Create Ecological Succession 3-D Dioramas

ACS 5th grade students have been learning about how the earth and its ecosystems develop and change over time and can be impacted by natural phenomenon, such as glaciers and volcanic eruptions, as well as by human activity, such as mining and logging.

The students recently completed a two-week biology project assigned by science teacher Grant Miller in which they built detailed 3-D dioramas showing primary and secondary succession.  The dioramas included examples of subtrate, trees, plants, and animals that could be found in developing and changing ecosystems.

ACS High Schoolers Attended ACSI’s Leadership Conference

Last week, twelve ACS high schoolers attended ACSI’s Leadership Conference called “Re:Purpose” in Washington DC. Our students worshipped and learned with close to 1,000 other student leaders from Christian Schools along the Eastern Seaboard. The students learned from 8 different speakers on topics about God’s purpose as it relates to identity, learning, service, work and beauty and how it applies to the students’ present situations as well as their future. They also had an excursion to the Holocaust Museum in DC. Each night there were group discussions about how the day’s lessons spoke to them and how to bring these themes back to Atlantic Christian. They have started the process of implementing some of these ideas into the school already. We look forward to seeing how these students lead our student body in the rest of this school year. It was such a great experience, some of the Seniors wish they could attend next year’s conference!

Join Us for the Elementary Concert & Tree Lighting This Friday, 6:30 pm

Join us this Friday for the Elementary Christmas Concert that will feature performances by the students  from K-5th grade.

Immediately following the concert, join us for a time of fellowship while we light the ACS Christmas Tree for the season.  Cookies and hot chocolate will be provided and our Take Note Ensemble will lead the caroling.

The Christmas train display by Shoreline Model Railroad Club will also be open from 7:00 – 9:00 PM on Friday, December 6.

Christmas Door Decorating Contest – Vote for Your Favorites on Facebook Starting Tomorrow!

ACS students and teachers are almost done decorating their classroom doors for the Christmas Door Decorating Contest.

Photographs of each classroom door will be posted on the ACS Facebook page at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow, December 6 and will close at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13.

The Early Ed classroom door, the Elementary classroom door, and the Middle School/High School classroom door with the most “likes” will each win a special prize to be shared by all the class members.

Make plans now to go to the ACS Facebook page between December 6 and 13 to cast your vote with a “like” for your favorite door. Winners will be announced at the December 20 all-school Christmas Chapel.

ACS Special Chapel with Pastor Ted Winsley, Chaplain to Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles

We are extending a special invitation to ACS families to attend and join our students in what we know will be a time of blessing and inspiration.

Pastor Ted Winsley, Sr., chaplain to the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, will be the featured speaker at our Middle/High School Chapel tomorrow, December 6 which will be from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in the school gym.

Pastor Ted Winsley resides in South Jersey and heads “The Family Church” which is a non-denominational, multi-ethnic Bible-based church located in Voorhees, NJ. He has been the Philadelphia Eagles’ chaplain since 2001 and has played a key role in the spiritual development and team dynamic the Eagles are known for.

ACS Kicks Off the Christmas Season With a Touching Production of Annie Jr.

ACS ushered in the Christmas season with a touching production of Annie Jr. on November 22 and 23 on the stage in the school gymnasium.  The musical classic set during the Christmas season amid the Great Depression tells the story of 11-year-old little orphan Annie, played by 4th grader Vanessa Rallo in her first-ever leading role in a musical.

Vanessa gave a heart-warming performance as Annie, along with 42  talented students (and a dog!) who comprised the cast.  Lead roles were played by 10th grader Hunter Jorgenson as Oliver Warbucks, 12th grader Ashleigh Martin as Miss Hannigan, 9th grader Soolim (Sue) Yoon as Grace, 10th grader Asher Dawkins as Rooster, and 12th grader Nell Daeleman as Lily.

Show Director and Producer Amy Culleny said she was so proud of the young and largely novice cast and how hard they worked to achieve a polished production in just 10 short weeks once rehearsals got underway in mid-September.

“The cast worked hard in every rehearsal and it paid off with a great show,” Culleny said. She also thanked ACS parents, friends, and businesses in the community who supported the effort by purchasing tickets, playbill and electronic ads, making it possible to meet and exceed all the production costs.

Culleny said the success of the “Annie Jr.” production was a team effort, thanking a talented crew for their contributions and for ACS parents – Stage Manager Kelly Flynn, Carrie Jorgenson, Arzum Sanchez, and Jessica Martin for supporting the cast and production behind the scenes.   Lee Martin was the Music Director and Technical Director who used digital imagery on a large background screen to enhance the setting of each scene.  Jennifer, Haley, Havilah, and Caleb Shorten of Sojourn Productions acquired the beautiful costumes and managed the backstage area, and Sean Griffith, also of Sojourn Productions, designed and constructed the set. Robin Shorten ran all of the music and light cues. Culleny would also like to thank Sojourn Productions for graciously donating use of sets, costumes, and props.

After the curtain call and final bows by the cast and crew, the “Annie Jr.” production concluded with a brief sermonette by Musical and Technical Director Lee Martin. He drew parallels between the story of Annie Jr., an orphan who eventually found someone to adopt her, and how God takes care of us as His children.

Pastor Ted Winsley, Sr. Chaplain to Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, To Speak at ACS Chapel on Friday, Dec. 6

Pastor Ted Winsley, Sr., chaplain to the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, will be the featured speaker at our Middle/High School Chapel on Friday, December 6. He will share stories about his experience with the team and insight into how he helped the players turn adversity into a world championship during the hour-long chapel which will be from 8:45-9:45 a.m. in the school gym.

Pastor Ted Winsley resides in South Jersey and heads “The Family Church” which is a non-denominational, multi-ethnic Bible-based church located in Voorhees, NJ. He has been the Philadelphia Eagles’ chaplain since 2001 and has played a key role in the spiritual development and team dynamic the Eagles are known for.

We are extending a special invitation to ACS families to attend and join our students in what we know will be a time of blessing and inspiration.

ACS Students Show Love and Appreciation to Grandparents on Special Day


Over 500 grandparents visited the ACS campus on Friday, November 22 for our annual Grandparents’ Appreciation Day.

Mrs. Karen Oblen, ACS Chief School Administrator, welcomed the grandparents and PreK4 students started the program with the song “Hosanna.”  The chapel program continued with students from elementary through high school praising God through musical presentations, scripture recitation, and prayer.

The keynote speaker, Pastor Kevin Bernat of New Life Assembly and ACS grandparent, shared scriptures and encouraged grandparents to take an active role in ensuring that their grandchildren grow up with the knowledge of Christ.  He said “The greatest gift grandparents can give to their grandchildren is knowing Jesus.”  He shared the stories of how people were saved due to their grandparent’s prayers.  “Do not underestimate the prayers of grandparents,”  Pastor Kevin encouraged the crowd. “Grandparents are blessed and a blessing,” he added.  He said that he is grateful for a school like Atlantic Christian and its faculty and staff who are investing in each student and training them up in God’s Word.  He closed his remarks by praying for our students.

Before the close of the program, the grandparents got a sneak preview of that night’s upcoming show, “Annie Jr.,” with the cast performing one of the lively numbers entitled “Hard Knock Life.” Senior Class President Ian Iaconelli closed the program in prayer.

After the chapel program, the grandparents visited various classrooms where their grandchildren proudly shared examples of their classroom projects and gave them hand-made gifts.  The grandparents also had the opportunity to visit the Scholastic Book Fair in the school library and see the Shoreline Model Railroad Club’s model train Christmas display.

CLICK FOR GRANDPARENTS DAY PHOTOS

Christmas Door Decorating Contest Begins Dec. 2 – Vote for Your Favorites on Facebook Dec. 6-13

ACS students and teachers will begin decorating their classroom doors next week for the Christmas season. Classes will compete for prizes with winners to be determined by on-line voting on Facebook.

Photographs of each classroom door will be posted on the ACS Facebook page. Voting will open at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, December 6 and will close at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13.

The Early Ed classroom door, the Elementary classroom door, and the Middle School/High School classroom door with the most “likes” will each win a special prize to be shared by all the class members.

Make plans now to go to the ACS Facebook page between December 6 and 13 to cast your vote with a “like” for your favorite door. Winners will be announced at the December 20 all-school Christmas Chapel.

A Thanksgiving Message from Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen

Dear ACS Family,

As we gather together at Thanksgiving, with so many blessings and opportunities surrounding us, we can sometimes forget that all of these extraordinary blessings come from our great God. Today, I was reminded of this in Colossians 3:15-17, which says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Our God, the one from whom all blessings flow, lavishes us with these gifts freely and generously. What else can I be but overwhelmed with gratitude for all that He has done! So today, I am especially thankful for His love and grace. I am blessed beyond measure to serve in a school where God is glorified. I thank God for my ACS family! I pray each of you has a wonderfully blessed and joy-filled Thanksgiving!

Karen M. Oblen, M.Ed.
Chief School Administrator

Grandparents Day is Tomorrow! November 22

We are all set for our Grandparents Day!  Tomorrow’s celebration will begin with a coffee social for grandparents at 8:00 a.m. in the gym, followed by an all-school chapel at 9:00 a.m., where students from preschool through high school will participate in praising God through musical presentations and Bible readings. Grandparents will then have the opportunity to spend time with their grandchildren in their classrooms from 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

Grandparents are also invited to attend the following events tomorrow, November 22:

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR (LIBRARY)

10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
CHRISTMAS TRAIN DISPLAY
BY SHORELINE MODEL RAILROAD CLUB (ANNEX BLDG. #2)

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
TRUTH THAT ROCKS CHRISTIAN BOOK STORE (FOYER)

FRIDAY, 7:00 PM &
SATURDAY, 2:00 PM
ANNIE JR. MUSICAL (ACS GYM)
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE FRONT DESK

We hope to see all of our grandparents at ACS on November 22.