News

Check out the new Driving Directions page.

Look at the photo taken way above the school; it's as if you were in an airplane or a hot air balloon and looking down! Can you find the playground, trailer, school, and church?

Now click on the Mapquest map. The red star shows ACS's location. Left click and drag the map around to find your street or where a friend lives. Get closer in or farther away by clicking the blue bars on the left side.

Maps are fun!

The relationship between math and science is shown in projects coordinated by Ms. Makar and Mrs. Pickering.

A Measuring Project was done by the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Teams used the metric system to hypothesize, then measure lengths, widths, and circumferences of items such as shoes and the distance from their nose to their fingertips! Ms. Makar used the data in math classes to graph, find percentages, and estimate. The students used the scientific method to prove their hypothesis right or wrong.

ACS students learned that math and science can be used in every day tasks.

Parents, friends, and relatives were pampered at ACS the evening of October 18th by Gail Santamaria from The Pampered Chef. "This is the first time we had them. Turn-out was good and they have great kitchen products," said Mrs. Shumny, coordinator of the event.

Credits from sales go to a worthy cause – purchasing needed items for the ACS Annual Holiday Bazaar on November 11.

"Pampered Chef pampers parents, try and say that five times fast," joked Mrs. Shumny!

We heard a lovely story of a Catholic teacher who was teaching the Pharisee and the Publican. In the manner of many primary school teachers she summed up by repeating the main message. To her horror she heard herself saying, “And so, children, aren't we all pleased that we are not like that Pharisee who….”

Students, you can read the Pharisee and the Publican by clicking on it here. Which is the Pharisee and which is the publican (referred to as a "tax collector") in the picture? What was wrong with the teacher's remark about the too-proud Pharisee? Check back here for the answers next week.

8th grade students and their families will make an important decision soon. Those considering Catholic high schools have indicated the schools they are interested in and will take the required entrance exams.

ACS 7th and 8th grade students saw video and slide presentations from diocesan and independent Catholic high schools. The students were given literature, folders, and small gifts to help them remember the presentations. 8th grade students can choose a school to visit as "freshman for a day."

See our list of local Catholic high schools with contact information and websites.

The November test results will come back in January. Then, a decision must be made because registration is already in February!

No, they didn't misbehave!

Actors Rebecca Castro and Alexander Mosko, ACS '04, along with Marissa Castro, ACS class of '08 have prominent roles in the St. Joseph High School Theatre Company (SJHSTC) presentation of the famous play, "The Diary of Anne Frank."

Anne's diary contains the thoughts and feelings of a teenage Jewish girl during WWII. The diary was written while hiding from ruthless Nazi’s who were looking to harm Jews. She hid in a small attic for an incredible 25 months with her family and other refugees.

A famous quote from the play shows her optimism even during the terror of the times. She wrote, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Performances are November 8, 9, and 10 at 7:30 PM and November 11 at 3:00 PM at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen.

Alexander is the St. Joseph High School Thespian president and Rebecca is secretary.

It's a play truly worth seeing.

"The school children have come back to a beautifully restored church," says Father Roman, Assumption Church pastor. "For most of the summer, the church was filled with huge scaffolding! All of the artwork was painstakingly restored or re-gilded, the walls were painted, a new confessional was built, and a decorative wall treatment was done for the Stations of the Cross," he added.

A film of dirt collected in the 30 years since the last major renovation; just from normal use. Restorers use a special cleaner that removes dirt but preserves the artwork. Gilding is either painted on, or done with incredibly thin sheets of real gold; so thin that light goes through it!

The renovations are being done in preparation for the 100 year Jubilee of the Assumption parish in 2008.

A new confessional was built

A decorative treatment was added for each Station of the Cross.

Icons were cleaned and re-gilded.

Do you know what a mural is?
Do you know what a vestibule is?
You will if you look them up in the Picture Dictionary !

Check out the new picture of Easter eggs (pysanky) in the Picture Dictionary. These masterpieces were done by a former ACS student, Mr. Charles Patulak, ACS '73.

Hey, even we goof up once in a while! We thought there were nine parables depicted in stained glass in the church. We found another one. Guess where? In the baby's crying room! It's called, "The Great Supper." Look it up under Parables and you can read it. It's a good one.

Jacqueline Somogyi, ACS '05 – a junior at Mother Seton Regional HS, took the SAT's as a sophomore last June and scored 2300 out of a possible 2400. Jacqueline traveled to Paris, France this past summer to take French language and literature courses.

Paul Rosato, ACS '06 – a freshman at Cardinal McCarrick High School is part of the Music Ministry.

Alexander Mosko and Rebecca Castro ACS '04, and Marissa Castro, ACS class of '08 – have prominent parts in "The Diary of Anne Frank" with the St. Joseph High School Theatre Company (SJHSTC), Metuchen, NJ. The show dates are November 8-11, 2007.
More details on this soon!

Alex was recently inducted into the St. Joseph High School French and Art National Honor Societies (NHS) and is a soloist in the Liturgical Choir there. He was recently invited to be an apprentice in the professional Ukrainian Dance Company, "Syzokryli" from New York City.

ACS builds confident, happy, and successful children!

If you know of any ACS graduates excelling in high school, please write to the webmaster on the Contact Us page. Note their name, achievement, date of graduation from ACS, the high school that they are attending, and any other information that may be of interest.