Newport's Thompson Middle School Welcomes New Principal

NEWPORT, RI — A new face is coming to Newport's Thompson Middle School. After searching for five months, the Newport School Department selected Xavier Barrios as the new principal.

Barrios has worked in education for more than two decades, working in elementary, middle and high schools, as well as in district-level administration roles. He comes to Newport after serving as the Instructional Leader for English Language and Exceptional Education Learners in the Providence School Department.

"We’re excited to announce that Xavier Barrios will be the next Principal of Thompson Middle School," Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain said. "With two decades of experience in districts of all sizes, and a record of working with diverse stakeholders to accomplish results for students, Mr. Barrios is ready to set a bold path of leadership at Thompson. I want to thank our parents, teachers, and community partners who all provided valuable feedback during the search and candidate vetting process, and I also want to thank Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Behan for stepping up to serve as interim principal."

Barrios received both a bachelor's and master's degree from DePaul University, and is fluent in both Spanish and Italian.

"Thompson Middle School and the community of Newport are very special places and I’m honored by the opportunity to serve as Principal," Barrios said. "I like to say that I’m a visionary-practical-idealist by which I mean have a big vision for excellence while being practical in bringing an entire school community together to achieve bold results together. In the coming weeks I look forward to getting to know Thompson students, parents, faculty, staff, and community partners, and I’m already excited about the 2021-2022 school year to come."