Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 4, 2025 ~ Excellence in the MPS ~ Malden High School presents Pillar Awards to First Semester honorees By Steve Freker T he “Pillar Awards” are presented to students who embrace all that makes Malden High School a great place in which to learn and thrive, according to MHS Principal Chris Mastrangelo. Mastrangelo recently announced the First Semester awardees taken from nominations by MHS administrators, educators and staff members. From a historical perspective, Mastrangelo and his administrative team created the Pillar Awards in the fall of 2021, just a year after the onset of the oncein-a-hundred-years COVID-19 and the school lockdown that ensued. With students back in school fully, after returning on SCHOOLS | FROM PAGE 1 to two schools, run by Friends of 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. “To this day, it remains a great 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, its third academic year later. “We now have a special display case where we honor our Pillar the Fells (FOF) through Malden Public Schools’ Malden Out of School Time (MOST) afterschool 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 2024-2025 school year. Edaina Abrhame Isaac Aguilos program. “The Great Malden Outdoors 50 Mid-grade Regular $3.47 2.73 35 37 Over 47 Years of Excellence! 1947 - 2025 Full Service ULS $2.95 Order online at angelosoil.com goal from day one was to increase outdoor participation for all Malden residents by removing barriers to entry for this Environmental Justice Community,” says First Seed Sown CEO Darren (DJ) Josey. “With the help of MOOR [Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation], cost will not be an issue thanks to local non-profit partnerships with Waypoint Adventure and Friends of the Fells who are providing: professional guiding, equipment, and outdoor education. At a time when DEI / EJ work is being cut in both the public and private sectors, the state of MA is investing in outdoor access for those communities who are underrepresented outside.” Both programs were funded by a grant from MOOR, making the Adaptive Outdoor Program free for residents and the MOST / FOF hiking program at no additional cost to current participants. “A central pillar of the Office of Outdoor Recreation is to promote inclusivity outdoors,” said MOOR Director Paul Jahnige. “We are proud to support organizations like First Seed Sown in breaking down barriers and promoting equitable access to PILLAR AWARDS: Malden High School exemplary students were honored with First Semester Pillar Award recognition. (Advocate Photo) Walter Amaya Lara Isabella Arevalo Anthony Arevalo Rodriguez nature. The Great Malden Outdoors project will offer adaptive outdoor events and after-school hiking programs for folks with disabilities to cultivate a sense of kinship. Our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, can experience the joy and freedom of the outdoors.” To get the word out, Malden Public Schools will be distributing backpack fliers (in eight languages) about the Adaptive Outdoor Event Series to every Independent Learning Plan classroom in the city. The Malden Recreation Department will also email its citywide list to build upon existing social programming for residents with disabilities, like its Teen Night Out, a three-city partnership for teens with disabilities to socialize. Waypoint Adventure and First Seed Sown will lead programs on April 5, May 4 and June 1. Adaptive hiking will be taking place within the Middlesex Fells Reservation via MBTA-accessible trailheads and with the utilization of specialized adaptive hiking equipment that can overcome rocky and rooted dirt trails. Adaptive rock climbing will take place at Waitts Mount, the only ADA-accessible outdoor climbKely Charles Wender De Abreu Moura Marvin Desgazons Maria Barbosa Gadeia Luis Custodio Tobias Sarahy Escobar Ayala Christaleen Guillaume Fatima Husain Derline Hyppolite Jaylen Jeudy Katie Liang Matheus Lima Marie Melo Mauro Mendes Julianna Mercidieu Saima Valencia Montoya Arthur Erthal Moreira Leica Naceus Johnny Phu Rayane Santos Rodrigues Cortez Thou Hui Anna Zheng ing destination in the eastern part of the state. “We are thrilled to be partnering with First Seed Sown as they launch accessible programming as part The Great Malden Outdoors and look forward to bringing engaging activities and skill building to participants,” said Waypoint Adventure MA Cofounder and Executive Director Dan Minnich. “Being outdoors and having access to sports has provided so many opportunities for individuals with a disability to learn lifelong skills, and continue to find partnerships such as this to spread access for those who need it most.” FOF will take its successful afterschool hiking pilot program at the Salemwood School and now offer it at the Beebe School, the largest public school in the city. The FOF afterschool outdoor education program introduces students to the Middlesex Fells and inspires them to develop a stewardship ethic for the natural environment. Children experience new challenges of trail hiking and outdoor exploration, build observation skills and increase self-confidence in being outdoors in nature. As a result, stuSCHOOLS | SEE PAGE 10
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