Winthrop Principal Search to Begin Immediately

A search committee will be assembled and a parent roundtable arranged as the search begins to find a new principal at .

Principal Carrie Vaich announced this week as the principal at Mast Way Elementary School in Lee, N.H. starting this fall.

“This school is located much closer to my home, which will lessen my daily travel time greatly,” Vaich wrote in a letter to Winthrop families on Thursday.

Vaich said she has “quite a drive” from her New Hampshire home. Her new job in the Oyster River Regional School District, near Durham, is adjacent to the town where she lives.

“Over the past five years I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the Winthrop school community,” Vaich said in the same letter. “The combination of teacher dedication, parent support and involvement and the kindest, most caring and creative students, makes for a dynamic learning community; I will greatly miss working with the students and staff each day as they have brought joy, happiness and inspiration to my work.”

 Interim Superintendent Peter Gray has outlined the process for searching for a replacement.

“We want to thank Carrie for her six years of hard work and dedication to the students at Winthrop Elementary,” Gray said in a Connect-CTY message to parents on Thursday afternoon.

In Gray’s message, he encouraged parents to submit a letter of interest by June 27 if they want to serve on the search committee for the position. In the letter, Gray said parents should indicate why they would like to participate and the skills they would bring to the search committee.

Gray didn’t say how many people will serve on committee and who the others members will be. Gray did not return phone messages and an e-mail seeking further details on Friday.

Gray also said in his Connect-CTY message that he is enlisting the input from all Winthrop parents at a focus group on Monday morning. Gray said he is hoping parents provide input “in determining the desired profile for the next Winthrop school principal.” It is scheduled for Monday, June 25 at 10 a.m. in the library at Winthrop School library.

Anyone who wishes to serve on the search committee should send their letter of interest to Gray at , 5 School St., Wenham, Ma., 01984.