Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021 SCHOOL | FROM PAGE 1 Ward 4 School Committee Member Dana Murray said she trusts that the mask mandate is the right move. “The resources and data available to them on a state level go far beyond what I have access to as a School Committee member,” she said. “As this school year stands before us, my hope is that all of our children will have a safe, healthy, happy, challenging, school year – in person.” On the state level, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted, during its August 24 meeting, to authorize Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to put the mask mandate in place for the first month of school. The purpose of the mandate is to “encourage higher vaccination rates among students and staff and to implement a uniform policy for all schools to begin the year.” After October 1, students and staff on the middle and high school levels can remove their masks provided they have been vaccinated. In addition, 80 percent of students and staff in each school must be vaccinated as well. “As students and staff prepare to return to school fulltime, in-person, our priority is on a smooth reopening,” said Riley. “With cases rising, this mask mandate will provide one more measure to support the health and safety of our students and staff this fall.” Lt. Governor Karyn Polito explained the reasoning for the 80 percent threshold. “Our goal remains to get as many people as possible vaccinated,” she said. “We hope that by instituting vaccine benchmarks among school populations we will create a real incentive for students and staff to get vaccinated so they can remove their masks.” Although Massachusetts has one of the best vaccination rates in the country, Education Secretary James Peyser said there is still work to be done. “The vaccination SPORTS | FROM PAGE 13 nounced four captains who will lead the team this season; they are Augusto Goncalves, Elmahdi Elkeaouakibi and Wilmer Rodriguez, who are all seniors, and Max Doucette, a junior. MHS and first-year head coach Exilhomme eye first test of season on Saturday The fast pace of high school rates among young people in Massachusetts are among the highest in the nation, with 65 percent of 12-15-year-olds vaccinated, but we still need to do more to make sure our young people and educators are protected from COVID-19,” he said. “Instituting universal masking mandates to further encourage vaccination rates among everyone in our schools is one measure we can take now.” Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders also underscored the importance of getting vaccinated. “Increasing vaccination in our eligible residents is the most important thing we can do to ensure a safe return to the classroom for this upcoming school year,” she said. preseason football continues this week for Malden High School football and first-year Head Coach Witche Exilhomme. Malden football opened camp on Friday along with the rest of the over 300 high school programs in the state, and Coach Exilhomme said he and his staff are pleased with the early results. “We have good numbers and a lot of hard-working players who have started the preseason,” said Coach Exilhomme, himself a 2012 Malden High School graduate and former three-year Golden Tornado varsity starter. Malden will get to work against an opponent tomorrow, Saturday, August 28 when the Golden Tornados welcome Greater Boston Leaguers Chelsea and Somerville to Macdonald Stadium at 10:00 a.m. for a three-team, jamboree-style scrimmage. While Somerville does appear on Malden’s regular season schedule, Chelsea does not in 2021. It is expected that the Red Devils will reappear as a GBL league opponent for Malden on the 2022 slate. Chelsea is easing its way into the GBL fold this fall, playing three GBL opponents – Revere, Medford and Somerville – in football. The Red Devils are playing a full GBL league slate in other sports. MHS season opener is set for Sept. 16 vs. Whittier Tech The Golden Tornado football regular season schedule opens on Thursday, September 16 when Malden hosts non-leaguer Whittier Tech at Macdonald Stadium at 6 p.m. On Friday, Sept. 24, Malden hits the road for a 7 p.m. game at two-time defending Division 4 Super Bowl Champ Melrose. The Tornados then stay on the road against Greater Boston League oppoSPORTS | SEE PAGE 15
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