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MHS Principal Mastrangelo: ‘School spirit is on the rise… we’re thrilled about it!’
By Steve Freker
School had been out for the weekend for just about an hour last Friday afternoon when a piercing, hair-raising scream hurtled down the stairwell and into the first-floor hall of Malden High School. Standing there with his arms crossed, taking it all in, was eighth-year Malden High Principal Chris Mastrangelo. Remarkably unfazed by the high-pitched, unsettling sound, the MHS “CEO” had a different response. He grinned.
“That’s okay, it was a happy scream,” Mastrangelo quipped.
The MHS Principal was right on the money with his estimation considering, on the three floors above him, close to 300 of his students were taking part in a Halloween-themed, glorified game of hide-and-seek. It was the annual “Zombie Tag” event – hosted by the Malden High Fine Arts Club – where students sign up to portray either “Zombies” or “Survivors,” with one hunting the other down, all over the school, then switching roles.
“It’s great, it’s controlled chaos. The kids have a blast every year,” Mastrangelo said, of MHS Zombie Tag.
The event – founded by longtime, recently retired MHS art teacher Joe Luongo – was handed down to first-year Fine Arts Club advisor Christina Gilbert, a second-year MHS art teacher and Malden High alumnus. Each year, a decent number of students pay $5 and get to act out the roles and basically chase each other around the school for about two and a half hours to win prizes if they are “The Last of the Last.”
This year’s event had a different flavor to it: way more participants! Customarily, about 100-120 students take part in the event. This year? Nearly 300! WAY over the most that ever turned out for Zombie Tag.
Mastrangelo, for one, was not really surprised. “Did they expect this many kids to donate money and spend over two hours extra on Friday afternoon in their own school? Probably not. But this school year? It looks like its par for the course.”
The MHS Principal said he and his administrative team and school educators are witnessing a trending, noticeable rise in student participation in school-sponsored events. At Malden High so far this school year, it’s been basically a “If You Host It, They Will Come” state of affairs, a dramatic increase in attendance at school-sponsored social and athletic events. Mastrangelo said this hoped-for outpouring of support by MHS students was at the crux of an announced campaign he and his staff started in the very first hour of the very first day of the school year back in August, called “Let’s Make it Happen.”
“We were hoping our students would embrace this theme and they are really showing that they are on board, they show it by their participation,” Mastrangelo said.
Examples are many, he said. “The first home football game was packed with fans. So was the second. This past Thursday night, we had one of our largest non-Thanksgiving home game crowds in years,” Mastrangelo said. “The concession stand run by our Senior Class of 2025 was completely sold out. Everything! In the early fourth quarter.”
“We had close to 500 kids at our Homecoming Dance right here in our school Courtyard,” he added. “They all had a great time, they all dressed up and there was not a single issue to deal with by our staff except to share in a nice night for everyone. Just a bunch of teenagers being teenagers, enjoying each others’ company. What a great night.”
Volleyball games, soccer games, bake sales, Freshman Olympics. You name it, it has brought the crowds, Mastrangelo said. “We have a bunch of new clubs [starting] up at our school this year and the established clubs and signing up lots of new members,” the MHS Principal said. “The Tornado Baseball Team had their fall car wash on Saturday and they were out to the street waiting to get in. We have more student-athletes playing on fall sports teams than we have had in years.”
The rise in participation numbers is not limited to students; Mastrangelo reported that he and his staff have also experienced a big jump in participation by parents and caregivers in school events. “We had our first-ever Meet the Principal Night in early September: Over 150 attended. We had over 300 at our Back to School Night, the most ever.”
Mastrangelo said he is hoping and expecting the turnouts and participation numbers to continue and to grow as the school year goes on. “We have a very enthusiastic senior class and one of the most active and positive-minded freshman classes in years, it’s great to see,” Mastrangelo said. “School spirit at MHS is on the rise, and we’re thrilled about it.”
