Dear Melrose Manatee Families,

It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the 2025 – 2026 school year! I hope you all have had a relaxing and fun summer break. I am extremely proud to serve as the Principal of this amazing learning community for the 2nd year and to continue to support the students of Melrose Elementary! We are excited to celebrate our school grade of a “B” and it’s because of the support from our staff, community and families that pushed us there. This year, our school theme is “Data Champions...Charting our way to Success”. As a school, we will be infusing data opportunities into all that we do, so that we will strategically place ourselves at the door of success, with an A. As has been our mission at Melrose, we will continue to strive for academic excellence and social and emotional well-being for our students as we move forward!

I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in the district or have relocated from another city, state, or country. We are excited to share with you all that Melrose has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Melrose is a special place for all children. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you into our amazing community.

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new students and begin this year’s journey with them. The dedicated staff at the school have been working tirelessly so that we can foster academic success and a true sense of connectedness and belonging for our students. Our primary goal is to ensure student proficiency in core academic subjects, so thank you for partnering with us to help our students succeed. We want to have a strong focus on student attendance. We know that students who come to school every day on time, typically perform better and have more academic options. So, thank you, thank you, thank you for getting your child here every day, on time, ready to learn.

Please be sure to listen to our Manatee Message each Sunday afternoon at 2:30pm, as it contains important information from the school. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, as we make sure to engage weekly so you can see all of the great things that are happening here.

In closing, Melrose’s outstanding educators create the foundation for your child’s academic success, but we NEED You. Thank you for being an active and engaged family who are partnering with us to take our students from good to great.

I look forward to an amazing school year and to continuing our collaboration of providing your children with an effective and engaging educational experience.  As always, my door is open, and our team welcomes your input. Please feel free to contact me via email at the address below or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet!

Love Melrose, Absolutely!

Best regards,

Dr. Carmen J. Harris

Harriscar@pcsb.org

Greetings,

I am Brandi Williams-Miller, and I am excited to begin my second year as the Assistant Principal here at Melrose Elementary School. Last year, we made incredible strides together, celebrating student growth, building strong relationships, and fostering a positive learning environment.  As we begin a new school year, I am filled with excitement and renewed commitment to continue the important work of supporting our scholars, empowering our staff, and engaging our families.

I am a product of Pinellas County Schools and a proud graduate of Bethune Cookman University where I received my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I received my master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University.  I served as an Assistant Principal prior to coming to Melrose, Literacy Coach, and I’ve taught 1^st and 2^nd grade.

I am a transformational leader, committed to student success.  I will work collaboratively with all stakeholders to create a positive, impactful, and supportive learning environment for all scholars. I am truly honored to serve the students and families of Melrose Elementary and am excited for the work ahead!