Bermudez returns to WMS as new principal

By Crystal Apilado Editor-in-Chief

Winters students might receive their education in a small school district, but they often receive more care and attention than their peers who attend larger schools. Jose Bermudez said the care and one-on-one support he received as a student in the Winters Joint Unified School District was one of the things behind his decision to pursue a career as an educator and the decision to apply for the principal position at Winters Middle School.

Come this August, middle-school students will have the opportunity to need their new principal, and Bermudez will be bringing back his experiences and knowledge to give back to one of the schools that helped guide him on his journey.

Bermudez is a Winters High School Class of 2001 graduate and was a Winters student starting as a young child. As a student, he said he can remember countless times a teacher stepped in to help him and his family out when they needed it. From donated blankets to support in the classroom, his teachers were there to support and cheer him along his educational career.

“I can remember all of (my teachers) doing more than what a teacher is required to do. As I started working as a tutor in my undergrad, I started seeing a little bit of myself in the kids,” Bermudez said.

He did not always plan on pursuing a career in education. Bermudez’s family migrated to the area, and growing up he knew he wanted to help support his family. He started off working with a construction company. And it was during his lunch breaks, he found himself in conversations with his coworkers talking about what they wanted to do with their lives. Bermudez found himself coming back to wanting to be a teacher because those were the folks who always helped him and his family out when they needed it most.

However, with the knowledge that educators are not a highpaid profession, he started out pursuing a business degree.

“Being the oldest of a migrant family, it was about ‘how can I help my family out,’” Bermudez said.

In his college studies, he reconnected by chance with his first teacher when his family came to the United States and went out to dinner with her and her husband.

“We went out to dinner. In conversation, I mentioned that (teachers) don’t make a lot of money, She said, “I work with a lot of teachers and I don’t know any that are starving. If that’s your passion, go for it,” Bermudez said.

He received his BA in liberal studies which allowed him the flexibility to focus on education as a career and he got his start as an educator at César Chávez Elementary. He eventually received his administrator credentials and ended up being the principal at Edwin Markham Elementary School in Vacaville before accepting the position at WMS.

This school year, Bermudez wants to ensure that his students are able to come to school, feel safe, and find connections with both staff and their peers.

“Students are students. They all want to be themselves whether they know what that is or not. The biggest thing I tell everyone is students are looking to make a human connection with anyone on campus,” Bermudez said. “That is my focus — they come in and feel safe and that welcomes our out-of-town visitors, newcomers and long-time residents with information and community events of Winters and the surrounding areas. This full color magazine will be direct mailed to over 4,100 homes in Winters on Friday, August 25th and available at key locations.

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Publishes: Friday, August 25 ALL they meet someone they feel comfortable going to. It’s about the whole child. I go back to those people who influenced me as a child.”

He said as an educator, he received some letters from a former sixth-grade student who shared about the impact Bermudez had on his life. To Bermudez, he had just been doing his job in having supportive conversations with a student, and to the student — it made the difference he needed at the time.

Bermudez said he has had former students invite him to attend the milestones in their lives.

“It makes you understand the impact you can have on their life — not just reading and writing, but also as individuals,” Bermudez said.

Bermudez would like to strengthen connections between WMS and families as well as the community. He would like to see more parent participation through groups and volunteering on campus. He would also like to connect the school to the community through events on campus, as well as having students go out and do things in town.

“Ultimately, It’s about our kids. It’s how we put them in situations where they can grow and become better. We want to get them ready for life,” Bermudez said.