Maldden alld a Vol. 29, No. 43 den AADD -FREEBy Steve Freker J ust as coaching sports is never simply about the “X’s and O’s,” nor does teaching mathematics deal solely with numbers and angles. That’s why Jennifer Hedrington, who teaches seventh-grade math at Malden’s Ferryway School, has incorporated community service projects as part of her students’ school worlds. She also continually strives to create a positive mix of academics and social activism in ways such as celebrating Black History Month, involving both students and their families. Above all, the thread that brings all of her approach together remains the relationships she forges and strengthens with her Malden students, every day. Speaking Tuesday, with her husband, Jamaal, and two young sons, Ethan, 10, and Isaiah, 8, by her side, Hedrington www.advocatenews.net The Advocate - A Household Word in Malden! CTE OCAT AT Published Every Friday 617-387-2200 Malden Public Schools math teacher named state’s top educator Ferryway School’s Jennifer Hedrington honored as Teacher of the Year this week I Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Jennifer Hedrington is shown with her family – husband Jamaal and sons Ethan, 10, and Isaiah 8 – outside DESE headquarters in Malden Square after she accepted her award on Tuesday morning. (Courtesy Photo/DESE) honed in on the ethos of her years as a successful educator: connecting with students. She spoke of today, while refl ecting on the past. “If we can build a relationship with the kids, then everything else falls into place,” she said. “I want to become the teacher that I needed when I was in school that I didn’t have.” TEACHER | SEE PAGE 11 E Friday, October 23, 2020 Accolades are many for Mass. Teacher of the Year selectee Jennifer Hedrington of Ferryway School By Steve Freker t was a fi rst for the Malden Public Schools this week and a prestigious award for one of its own when Ferryway K-8 School math teacher Jennifer Hedrington was announced as the 2021 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year on Tuesday. The 10-year Malden educator stressed how important it was for her to build relationships with her students as part of the path toward their overall development and success. “I tell everyone we’re superheroes. We can make or break a child,” Hedrington said at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Board meeting where she was introduced Tuesday. “I can be a villain or I can be their superhero, and I’ve been blessed where I’ve seen the fruits of my labor.” Accolades and good wishes have been pouring in for HeACCOLADES | SEE PAGE 11 “Adopted” fire-ravaged Malden, Wash., boosted by local Malden generosity Donation drive by Malden FD and Lions Club raised nearly $5,000 to aid families By Steve Freker I t’s a safe bet to say Ed Lucey’s just about seen it all. A lifelong Malden resident for over 70 years, the former Mayor and City Councillor is known for his discerning eye and wry wit, to go along with a close watch on what’s going on today in his community, and beyond. Even still, Lucey was impressed and proud of the local response to a call to help out “another” Malden in need of a boost. The tiny town of Malden, Washington, was destroyed and essentially leveled by a wide-ranging, devastating wildfi re which ravaged 80 percent of the buildings in that community. A Malden, Mass.-fueled donation drive generated an extremely generous response to the tune of nearly $5,000, all of which went directly to residents of Malden, Wash. Lucey said he was moved by and impressed with the response, but not surprised. “It’s a refl ection of the people out there in Malden who are of a giving nature,” said Lucey, a former twoterm Mayor, from 1992-1996. “I’m not surprised at all how Malden residents showed their kindness to a town full of people they’d never even met before.” Malden, Washington, is just 422 acres in size and had a population of 209. It is located about 35 miles south of Spokane, the economic and cultural center of inland Washington. Malden is also located about 20 miles DEVASTATED MALDEN: Wildfires ravaged about 80 percent of all buildings in Malden, Washington. (Courtesy Photo) MALDEN| SEE PAGE 9
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