Your Local News, Sports & More! Scan & Subscribe to Advocate News Online! Vol. 35, No. 33 -FREEwww.advocatenews.net Published Every Friday Malden Overcoming Addiction Brings Hundreds Together for Community Day Celebrating Recovery and Wellness 617-387-2200 Friday, August 21, 2026 BACK TO SCHOOL: Doors will swing open for close to 6,500 Malden Public Schools students on August 26 First day of school next week for Grades 1-12; Pre-K and Kindergarten begin on September 2 By Steve Freker T Malden Overcoming Addiction (MOA) Director Paul Hammersley, fourth from left, is shown welcoming, from left, city councillors Carey McDonald, Jadeane Sica, Mayor Gary Christenson, State Representatives Paul Donato and Steve Ultrino, and Laura Vlasuk, Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Malden to MOA’s Community Day. See photo highlights inside. (Photo courtesy of MOA) Special to Th e Advocate H undreds of residents came together on a Saturday at Lincoln Commons to celebrate community, family, recovery and wellness during the annual Malden Overcoming Addiction (MOA) Community Day. The free event was made possible in part through a City of Malden Community Connections Grant. Under beautiful summer skies, families and community members enjoyed an afternoon of food, music, games, community resources and activities that brought neighbors together in a fun CELEBRATING | SEE PAGE 12 he countdown is on for “Back to School” in Malden and over 6,500 students are getting ready to return to classes for the new school year. The Malden Public Schools district will kick off the 2026-27 school year on Wednesday, August 26 for students in Grade 1 through 12. The youngest students — those in the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes — will be back to school on Tuesday, September 2. Third-year Malden Public Schools Superintendent Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D. and his staff are looking forward to welcoming the city’s students, educaBACK TO SCHOOL | SEE PAGE 6 RETURNING SOON: Malden Public Schools students in Grades 1-12 will be returning to classes on Wednesday, August 26. (Advocate Photo) Malden High School still the #1 Most Diverse Public High School in Mass. NICHE Rankings also deem Malden High in top 20% of Best College Prep Public High Schools in Mass. at #54; also #57 Most Diverse in the U.S. of 22.7K By Steve Freker M aybe a bunch of students should stand out in front of Malden High School on “Back to School” day next week and wave those gigantic foam fi ngers around: “We’re Number 1!” they could chant. Through the years Malden has been fi rst in a lot of events and accomplishments. Once again for 2026, it has been announced that Malden High School has taken the top spot in a unique category. Malden High is one of the top public high schools in Massachusetts for a lot of reasons and for well over a decade has been ranked the #1 Most Diverse Public High School in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. NICHE School Rankings — which uses a wide range of methodology and analysis — has once again bestowed that honor on Malden High School for this school year as well. The diversity is measured in the sheer numbers of ethnic cultures represented and languages spoken — at last count, over 70 — by MHS students or in students’ homes. For 2026, not only is Malden High the #1 Most Diverse Public High School in Mass., out of 391 total high schools evaluated, Malden High is also the #57 Most Diverse Public High School IN THE NATION! That includes 22,747 public high schools from coast-to-coast. MHS | SEE PAGE 4 A spirited group of students of Brazilian descent celebrated with Brunelli House Principal Ewald Charles on Brazilian Flag Day in the Malden High School cafeteria. (Advocate Photo)
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