Dear Winthrop Grade School Families,

Greetings! We are thrilled to write this letter to introduce ourselves as the new administrative team at Winthrop Grade School.

Mrs. Barter: My name is Mel Burnham Barter and I am your new principal. I come to WGS from the Pre-K through 8th grade Monmouth Memorial School, where I was the principal for the last 10 years. I live in Winthrop with my family: Eli and Cal, who just left WGS and are students at the middle school, my husband Steve, and our two dogs, Buddy and Henley. I also attended and graduated from the Winthrop Schools and have served our community as a volunteer coach. I am proud and excited to become a school leader in the hometown I love!

Mr. Milledge: My name is Craig Milledge and I am your brand new Assistant Principal! I am coming from the Mountain Valley school district where I worked as a teacher for 10 years and as an Assistant Principal for the past six. I moved to Winthrop two years ago with my wife and two children, Wells and Charlotte and we absolutely love our new community. My wife, Andrea, teaches sixth grade at Winthrop Middle School. We love playing outside with our dogs, Bo and Rex and also have a cat Benson. I am super excited to be a part of the Winthrop family andMrs. Barter and I can’t wait to meet all of you in a few weeks!

As we look forward to an exciting new school year, we want to provide families with plenty of opportunities to connect with us, ask questions, and begin building relationships within our school community. Over the next few weeks, we invite you to join us for a few informal meet-and-greet opportunities to stop by, say hello, and get to know us.

Weekdays Wednesday, August 11th through Tuesday, August 25th, any time between 9-2: Come by the WGS office with your student(s) at any point in this timeframe to meet one or both of us! We’d love to connect with you.

Tuesday, August 18th: 5:00-6:00 pm Color and Chat

Drop int0 the WGS cafeteria to meet us, ask questions, and get to know us a little better as students color some Rambler-themed designs!

Thursday, August 27: 5:30-6:30 pm Popsicles with the Principals during Open House As part of our Open House, come grab a popsicle on the playground and spend some time with us.

We hope you’ll take advantage of these opportunities to connect. We are so excited to welcome our students and families and to begin this new school year together!

Sincerely,

Mel Burnham Barter Craig Milledge

Principal Assistant Principal

Winthrop Grade School

Winthrop Grade School

WGS Rambler Newsletter September 2026 (Page 2)