Chincoteague Elementary School

08/28/2026

Our 4th grade team at Chincoteague Elementary consists of Mrs. Merritt and Mrs. Thompson! 🐴🖍️ (Mrs. Thompson was an Instructional Assistant at CES last school year and we are so grateful that she will be joining our teaching staff for the 26-27 school year!)

💛A message from Mrs. Merritt:
“One fun fact: If I'm not at the baseball field, I'm at the beach. 🏖️” Mrs. Merritt also says that while math was not her favorite subject in school, she truly loves getting to teach this subject to students. She enjoys finding ways to make learning fun and meaningful for students. She has this message for 4th grade parents/families: “I look forward to getting to know your children, watching them grow, and being another advocate in their corner.”

💙A message from Mrs. Thompson:
“I love running, listening to audiobooks, and baking. So far this year, I’ve run over 800 miles, listened to 42 books, and helped make over 10,000 bagels! This is my first year teaching and I’m so excited to bring lots of energy and fun to the 4th grade classroom!”

08/27/2026

Our 3rd grade team at Chincoteague Elementary consists of Ms. Amber Fisher and Ms. Maria Aljosa Luarca! 🐴🖍️ (Welcome to CES, Ms. Luarca!!)

💛A message from Ms. Fisher:
“I enjoy seeing the students grow throughout the year.” One goal she has for the new school year is for students to “work hard and enjoy learning.”

💙A message from Ms. Luarca:
“I love making learning fun through hands-on activities, science experiments, and educational games. One of greatest joys as a teacher is seeing my students become curious, confident, excited to share and become the best, and discover new things every day. My goal this school year is to create a safe, welcoming, and engaging classroom where every child feels valued and inspired to learn. I look forward to partnering with the families of CES to help each student grow academically, socially, and emotionally.”

08/26/2026

Our 1st grade team at Chincoteague Elementary consists of Ms. Libertino and Ms. Laird! 🐴🖍️

💛A message from Ms. Libertino:
“I enjoy painting in my free time! A goal that I have for the upcoming school year is for every student to end the year loving school a little more than they did when they walked through my door.”

💙A message from Ms. Laird:
“What I love most about teaching is being there for the moment everything clicks for a student. Whether we’re learning a new vowel team or mastering addition facts, seeing the excitement and confidence on a student’s face when they finally understand something is incredibly rewarding. Watching them realize, “I can do this,” is what makes teaching so special to me. My goal is to foster a love of learning by making lessons engaging and meaningful for every student.”

08/25/2026

Yesterday we introduced our awesome Pre-K team here at CES...today we want to introduce our Kindergarten team!

Our Kindergarten team at Chincoteague Elementary consists of two teachers, Mrs. Giddings and Ms. Burford as well as two assistants, Mrs. Merritt and Mrs. Meckley! 🐴🖍️

💛A message from Mrs. Giddings:
“My favorite part of Kindergarten is watching how they grow during the year. It is absolutely magical and so much fun to see them start to read and write and create! Their little personalities start to emerge and it is amazing to watch these little people come into their own. ❤️ Kindergarten is such a special and rewarding place to be. Thank you for trusting us with your sweet little blessings! Please know we will care for them as our own!”

💙A message from Ms. Burford:
“One fun fact about me is that I love digital design and being creative! I love getting to create my own resources, activities, etc. for my classroom. I also love Halloween and all things spooky…my house may or may not already be decorated for spooky season…😆🎃 I was so blessed to be given the Kindergarten teaching position 7 years ago. I have loved every minute and I am so grateful that I am still able to make a difference in the lives of any child who walks through my classroom door. Kindergarten is magical because students learn social/emotional skills alongside academics. Watching a child read a sentence on their own for the first time is something that cannot be described with words. Here’s to year 8 in Kinder!”

💛A message from Mrs. Merritt:
“I enjoy doing fun crafts with the kids. I can't wait to enjoy every day with our new group!”

💙A message from Mrs. Meckley:
“One fun fact about me is that I went to two Miami Heat basketball games this year, watching them take on the 76ers and Celtics! I'm looking forward to meeting all of our new students and having a great year with a lot of fun and learning!”

08/24/2026

CES teachers and staff will be returning to school later this week (some have already started working on getting their rooms ready for students!). 😊 Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing our CES Staff for the 2026-2027 school year! 🐴💙💛

Our Pre-K team at Chincoteague Elementary consists of Ms. Powers (teacher) and Mrs. Ritchie (assistant)! 🐴🖍️

💛A message from Ms. Powers:
“I’m a mom of two littles, who always keep me on my toes! I’m looking forward to helping the littlest Colts find a love for learning. Everyday is an adventure in Pre-K!”

💙A message from Mrs. Ritchie:
“One fun fact is that I own and work at our family electrical business. I enjoy every day with the kiddos!”

08/12/2026

Just a few short weeks until the start of the school year! See the fliers below for Open House information and supply lists! 💙

08/06/2026

This week some of our incoming Kindergarten and Pre-K students dove into an ocean of learning during our Jump Start program! Students learned how to use crayons, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, and markers through fun activities and crafts. From cutting a "net" to free a sea turtle to gluing blue paper to make water for the Pout Pout Fish, students have had a great introduction to school!

Today, students ventured to the playground for the first time (thanks to the mosquito plane taking to the skies this morning) for a quick lesson regarding recess equipment and playing nicely. We look forward to having students back next week for Jump Start week 2!

08/05/2026

If you’re looking to get involved, this might be the gig for you! 💸💙

You've read that right, we need a treasurer for the upcoming 2026/2027 school year! ✏️ 🏦

Our current treasurer accepted a job within our school as the new fourth grade teacher so we want to ensure she has enough time to dedicate to her new classroom!

Please reach out if you are interested! 💙 💛

07/23/2026

🍎 Back-to-School Reminder!
Students entering Kindergarten, 7th, and 12th grade must be up to date on required immunizations by the first day of school.
What’s Required:
✏️ Kindergarten – DTap, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, and Polio
✏️ 7th Grade – Tdap, Meningitis ACWY, HPV
✏️ 12th Grade – Meningitis ACWY

✅Already have everything? Bring your student’s records to their school anytime between now and the first day of school.

💉 Need vaccines? Please contact your primary care provider, your nearest Eastern Shore Rural Health Center, or the Accomack County Health Department.
Atlantic Community Health Center - 757.824.5676
Onley Community Health Center - 757.787.7374
Eastville Community Health Center - 757.331.1086
Chincoteague Island Community Health Center - 757.336.3682
Accomack County Health Department - 757.787.5880

📅 Eastern Shore Health District will be available at Nandua High School and Arcadia High School during Open House on September 3rd to administer Tdap and MenACWY. Please bring your student’s vaccine record.

📌 Questions? Please contact your school nurse.

https://www.accomack.k12.va.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=265997&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=1206290

07/21/2026

The Town of Chincoteague is hosting a school supply drive! Please considering donating to help the families of CES and CCS! 💙💛