ACS is pleased to welcome and spotlight the final group of four faculty members who are new to the ACS staff this fall or have moved into new positions — Mrs. Becca Jackson, Mrs. Abigail Meza, Mrs. Gretchen Murphy, and Mrs. Ashley Vaccaro. We thank God for the how these new faculty members feel called to be teachers and are excited about the opportunity to share God’s love with each of their students.
Mrs. Rebecca Jackson is a new 4th grade teacher. She brings a wealth of experience to the classroom, having spent 10 years as a public school teacher in Upper Township and Somers Point. She took 12 years off to be a stay-at-home mom, but earlier this year she got the urge to return to teaching. Mrs. Jackson holds a BA in elementary education from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana and a MA in student personnel services from Rowan University.
She and her husband, Rich, have been married for 16 years and live in Linwood with their four children who are also new to ACS this year — 8th grader Richie, 6th grader Kylie, 4th grader Robbie, and Kayla in PreK3. They worship at Fresh Start, where her husband was saved, and over the years she has heard good things about ACS from teachers and students who also attend Fresh Start.
“I really wanted to get back into teaching and it’s all about God’s timing,” Mrs. Jackson said. “I love to teach and it’s been great to be able to pray with my students and tell them that Jesus loves you for who you are.” She also said she was impressed by the excellent penmanship of the students in her class, likely the result of cursive writing being a continuous part of the ACS curriculum.
One of Mrs. Jackson’s hobbies is gardening. “While spending time at home during the outbreak of COVID-19, I got very involved in my garden and have enjoyed growing lots of different flowers as well as tomatoes, green beans, and peppers,” Mrs. Jackson said. She hopes to get involved this year with the ACS school garden and greenhouse.
Mrs. Abigail Meza joins ACS as a new second grade teacher. Mrs. Meza is a strong believer in the value of a Christian education, having attended the Christian School of York in Pennsylvania from kindergarten to the 9th grade. The oldest of three girls, she moved to southern New Jersey with her family eight years ago, when her father, Tony Montemurro, took a position as the Pastor of Calvary Chapel Gateway in Northfield.After graduating from Ocean City High School, Mrs. Meza attended Cairn University and finished earning her BS in elementary education online from Calvary Chapel University. Married in November 2019, she and her husband, Ryan, live in Ocean City.
Mrs. Meza first walked the halls of ACS in 2011, when she started attending weekly evening Bible studies that her father was holding at ACS. After getting her degree, she said her first choice was to find a job teaching in a Christian school. Two ACS teachers who attend church with her at Calvary Chapel Gateway encouraged her to apply at ACS.
As a first-year teacher, Mrs. Meza appreciates the close-knit, family-like environment at ACS. “Everybody works together,” she said. “I can always ask my fellow teachers questions and they’re ready to help.” Mrs. Meza said her main goal this year is to help every student in her class grow and develop their God-given gifts and talents and see them advance academically, spiritually, and socially.
Mrs. Gretchen Murphy is teaching 5th grade. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Mrs. Murphy moved to South Jersey in 1999 when her husband, Kim, took a staff position at the First Presbyterian Church in Ocean City, where he continues to serve. Mrs. Murphy joins the ACS faculty after teaching at the Westminster Christian Academy in Ocean City for the past five years.Mrs. Murphy attended college at Messiah University for two years and then transferred to SUNY Cortland, where she graduated with a BS in elementary education and later earned a MA in Education. She worked for eight years as a public school teacher — in New York and in South Carolina — and then took time off to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool her four children, Olivia, Elijah, Natalie, and Rowlee. Natalie and Rowlee are now in 7th grade at ACS. She also has two grandchildren.
Since joining the faculty at ACS, Mrs. Murphy has especially enjoyed having devotions and worship time with the staff and watching the students sing and worship together during chapel each week. “I love music and I used to be involved with worship at our church,” Mrs. Murphy said. “It’s great to be in a school where God’s name is lifted up and we can celebrate our shared faith.”
Mrs. Ashley Vaccaro is a new kindergarten teacher. While she is a new faculty member, she is not new to ACS. Mrs. Vaccaro first came to ACS as a parent in 2013, when her son, Austin, started kindergarten. Austin is now an ACS 7th grader and his younger brother, Asher, is in kindergarten.“What I always liked about ACS was the feeling of community, that we are one huge family,” Mrs. Vaccaro said. “I felt that as a parent and now I feel it as a part of the faculty. I never considered teaching anywhere else.”
Mrs. Vaccaro holds a BS in elementary education from Liberty University and has formerly worked as a substitute teacher and kindergarten aide at ACS. She and her husband, Carlos, and their two children reside in Northfield and worship at Fusion Church, where she has served in the children’s ministry.
One of Mrs. Vaccaro’s favorite verses is I Corinthians 16:13, which ACS chose this year to be its Spiritual Development Theme Verse. “We have to stand firm and trust in God no matter what we are facing,” Mrs. Vaccaro said. “We can’t let anyone steer us away from our faith because of fear.” Mrs. Vaccaro’s students recite the verse every day in class and they have created choreography to go with the verse. The class may share and teach their unique movements to the verse when they lead Elementary Chapel on October 16, Mrs. Vaccaro said.
In her leisure time, Mrs. Vaccaro is an ocean conservationist. She and her family are involved with One Ocean and volunteer with 4 Ocean, doing monthly trash cleanup at local beaches. “It’s all about being a good steward of the earth that God created,” Mrs. Vaccaro said.