With the 2022-2023 school year now underway, we thank God for a number of improvements to our school facilities that were completed over the summer, many of them made possible by charitable gifting and discounted pricing by contractors. Some of the improvements included new art classroom tables, new stage lighting and a new control system, and upgrades to the 10 Commandments Memorial Garden. We were excited for our school families to see some of these improvements firsthand when they attended Orientation and the Back-to-School Nights this September.
Here are more details about these improvements:
New Art Classroom Tables: Six new art solid maple tables were installed in Mrs. Mirakian’s art classroom, made possible by gifting of $4,800 from an anonymous donor. Over the summer, the art classroom was relocated to a larger room in a modular building to the right of the main school building. The new tables, which are 60-inches long and 42-inches wide, are more moveable than the prior tables that were very heavy and had surfaces well-worn from use. Mrs. Mirakian said she is thrilled with the new tables and with her larger space that allow her to configure the classroom in different ways. During the week of September 12, 4th grade students were among the first to begin using the tables as Mrs. Mirakian guided them in creating their art portfolio packets to store the artwork they create in the coming weeks.
New Stage Lighting and Control System: Just in time for our fall production of Seussical, JR., ACS has purchased and installed new stage lights and portable lights, along with a wireless control system, that replace a 12-year-old incandescent lighting system. The new $13,000 system was paid for by an anonymous donor in response to a Special Projects Appeal mailing sent to ACS families and supporters in August. Lee Martin, ACS parent and Director of Worship and Communication at the Ocean City Tabernacle, oversaw the installation, with assistance from ACS alumni parent and electrician, Mike Darragh, owner of Wire Wiz Electrician Services. The project involved installing 18 new LED stage lights, replacing 16 existing lights, and adding 8 portable LED lighting bars to be used for back lighting on stage. “These new lights and control system will be more reliable, use less electricity, allow us to add colored lighting, and has other features like zoom and strobe,” Martin said. The new lights will be used not only for the Seussical, JR. musical, but will be used for chapel worship time and school concerts and special events.
Upgrades to 10 Commandments Memorial Garden: New landscaping, concrete, and a brick pathway were part of a needed upgrade to the 10 Commandments Memorial Garden to the left of the main school building’s entrance. The facelift and new additions to the garden were carried out by ACS parent David O’Donnell, owner of O’Donnell’s Landscaping, and his team. The garden was first established in 2006 and its main feature has been a black granite sculpture depicting the 10 Commandments, donated by ACS grandparent Kathy Breunig. The project involved removing overgrown shrubbery, adding bluestone and river rock around the sculpture, installing bricks in a former gravel pathway, and pouring concrete over areas where grass was no longer growing or viable. Chief School Administrator Karen Oblen said the garden area is a busy place in the afternoons during student pick-up and the improvements were needed to better accommodate the large number of students who stand waiting in front of the school. Some $5,000 has been donated to this project and ACS welcomes additional donations toward the $9,000 remaining in project costs.
We will continue to make improvements throughout the year both in our school building and with our outdoor facilities as God provides additional funds.
Atlantic Christian School students and staff presented the Community FoodBank of NJ, Southern Branch with a check for $1,870 on Tuesday, April 20 to support the FoodBank’s important work meeting the food needs of thousands of families in the region. The donation came from the proceeds of the school’s Bowls of Hope Soup Fundraiser in February and March.
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.