— Excellence in the MPS —

Malden High School presents Pillar Awards to First Semester honorees

By Steve Freker

The “Pillar Awards” are presented to students who embrace all that makes Malden High School a great place to learn and live. Malden High’s seventh-year Principal, Chris Mastrangelo, announced the First Semester awardees recently, taken from nominations by MHS administrators, educators and staff members.

Mastrangelo and his administrative team created the Pillar Awards in the Fall of 2021, just a year after the onset of the once-in-a-hundred-years COVID-19 and the school lockdown that ensued. With students back in school fully, after returning on a limited basis in the spring of 2021, the Malden High principal said, he and his staff were looking for ways to boost morale and accentuate positives at MHS, following a grueling 16 months trying to adapt education to COVID-19 response and restrictions.

“It remains a nice way to recognize students and we placed a pretty high bar with the qualifications we were looking for before bestowing this honor,” Mastrangelo said.

Since its launch in fall 2021, Malden High School has been recognizing students as Pillar Award honorees on a regular basis – now in the midst of its third academic year.

“We now have a special display case where we honor our Pillar Award winners by their photos and names,” Mastrangelo said. “Students are excited when they see themselves listed as Pillar Award winners and so are their friends and other classmates.”

Pillar Awards are presented to Malden High School students who have consistently shown themselves to be exemplary school citizens, exhibiting qualities of academic success, a positive outlook and displays of kindness and compassion for their fellow students and school staff.

Following are the most recent Pillar Award honorees, chosen for their excellence in the First Semester of the school year.

Malyk Adrow

Mateus Brito

Jerrell Calixte

Madison Cook

Matheus Costa Barretto

Scarlet De Los Santos

Alexander Drinkwater

Sarahy Escobar Ayala

Yisen “Ethan” Feng

Fi Gold

Gary Herrera

James Hyppolite

BaKoma Itoe

Scott Lassiter

Ericah Machariah

Yassine Mlila

Juliana Mercideau

Abigail Morrison

Leonard Page

Andy Tang

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Malden Police take part in ‘Read Across America’ at the Beebe K-8 School

The Annual Read Across America celebration was held in the Malden Public Schools the week of March 3-8. Guest readers from all over the city, including elected officials like Mayor Gary Christenson as well as business owners, visited the Malden K-5 classrooms and read from books to students. Some 17 members of the Malden Police Department, including Chief Glenn Cronin, patrol officers and detectives, all took part in the program at the Beebe K-8 School. The March 2024 Read Across America theme was “Celebrate Diversity,” which is especially relevant to the Beebe School and all schools in the Malden Public Schools District, which is the most diverse district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.—Steve Freker

Annual MHS Blue and Gold Gallery will be on display at 350 Main St. April 4-May 15

By Steve Freker

One of the many highlights of the school year is the annual Malden High School Blue and Gold Gallery. The gallery will be on display from April 4 through May 15 in the lobby of 350 Main St., Malden (Spaulding Building). Malden Mayor Gary Christenson and Malden Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ligia Noriega-Murphy will be on hand to address the student artists and educators who have put together this year’s show.

There will be an opening reception on Thursday, April 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to celebrate over 300 pieces on display and Malden Public Schools 10 Scholastic Award Winners. For anyone unable to attend Opening Night, the gallery will remain on display and open to the public until May 15. The Mayor and Superintendent will also be congratulating Malden High students who were winners of Gold and Silver Keys from the statewide competition of the Boston Scholastic Art Show.

The work consists of drawing, painting, digital art and ceramics. A fixture since 2001, the art exhibition features the creations of many Malden High School art students, with dozens and dozens of artistic works from many different mediums displayed on the walls of the lobby and anteroom of the building.

Last year, Opening Night drew over 150 art lovers primarily from Malden, as well as surrounding communities and other visitors from around the region.

The exhibition is open to the public six days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. There is no admission charge and those who visit are free to view the artwork on their own or with a small group.

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