Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, November 12, 2021 SCHOOLS | FROM PAGE 1 new year began. Though the total enrollment at the start of the school year was several hundred below last year’s figure in late August, the new figure represents a 110-student rise over the 2020 districtwide population. According to Supt. Noriega-Murphy, the three largest grade level increases are in the kindergarten (+169), High School, Grades 9-12 (+89) and Pre-K (+82), with those three levels alone accounting for a full 68% of the increase. The Malden High School number is a bit deceiving as nearly 200 new students have enrolled in MHS since September 1, but about 100 have transferred out as well since mid-August. Across the district is the same story, as it is believed that over 700 new students are now enrolled in the Malden Public School, just since mid-August. Overall, the 543 student number rise is a nearly 10% increase – in just eight weeks. When there was a major surge of transfer students to be processed in the two weeks preceding the opening of school and most of the month of September, the previously named Malden Parent Information Center (PIC) was besieged by the numbers. Supt. Noriega-Murphy and her staff, particularly Assistant Superintendents Laryssa Doherty and Toni Mertz, addressed this wave of new students waiting to be processed by revamping the PIC in rapid fashion. The PIC was renamed Malden Public Schools “Welcome Center.” Additional fulltime and part-time staff members were hired and immediately put to work, particularly in language translation with regard to the processing. The changes resulted in a quicker and more efficient service, and the turnaround time from when caregivers applied for entry into MPS and the actual first day of school for the new students decreased dramatically. Supt. Noriega-Murphy commended all who have played a role in assimilating this surge of “newcomers,” as the MPS now refers to the new students. She noted the challenges faced and the work performed by administrators and educators in the school buildings as well as that of those in the Welcome Center in getting these newcomers off to a positive start in MPS. Others who addressed the School Committee later in the meeting on the subject included Ward 5 School Committee Member Adam Weldai and Jennifer McCabe, Director of English Language Education, who noted that 124 new English Language Learner (ELL) students have enrolled in the MPS – just since September 1. All told, there are now 1,186 ELL students in MPS, with the three largest clusters at Salemwood K-8 (355), Ferryway K-8 (226) and Malden High School (156). Ward 5’s Weldai said, “To put 50-100 new students into a school building in a span of just weeks is a major change. It’s yeoman’s work for everyone in that school – principals, assistant principals, guidance counselors, educators and other staff. “We hear a lot about the challenges, but we don’t hear about all the challenges,” Weldai said. “Our staff who helps all of these newcomers get off to a great start deserve all our praise and credit for what they do.” 100 years of cigar experience Our store is still open to serve you! WE SELL CIGARS & ACCESSORIES PLUS: * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * Gift Certificates Available Buy Cigars by the Box & Save! Competitive Prices On All Brands, Good Selection Come On Down - Save Money & Time! R.Y.O. TOBACCO ----------TUBES ~ SMOKER’S DELIGHT ~ 15 Churchill Size Cigars Long Filler, 4 Year Old Tobacco Individually Wrapped ONLY $43.95 A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 STORE HOURS: Mon. - Wed.: 8 AM - 7 PM / Thurs., Fri. - Sat.: 8 AM - 8 PM Sunday & Holidays: 8 AM-6 PM It is said in Malden... T hat the Malden Veterans Day Parade returned yesterday and drew a decent crowd despite a new route, which began at the Malden American Legion Post #69, which is now located at 75 Meridian St. **** That the new American Legion Post #69 is the former home of the Malden Aerie of Eagles, which transitioned the building to the Legion Post shortly after the Post moved out of its former longtime spot on Pleasant Street, selling the building and land to an ambitious community housing project. **** That a Pleasant Street real estate firm, Kristin Gennetti Associates, is touting its sale of a $1,295,000 two-family home on Dexter Street as the highest sale price in Malden history. **** That the Annual “Don’t Be Alone for Thanksgiving” free holiday dinner – featuring a full-course roast turkey meal and all the fixings – will be served from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Malden High School cafeteria on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 25, sponsored by Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, Bread of Life, Cornucopia Foods and the Forestdale Community Church, among others. **** That it appears that Boda Borg Boston, the highly successful Malden Square real-life gaming environment where participants engage in “Questing,” might be expanding once again, space-wise, as there is initial signage related to the company now appearing on the longtime vacant former CVS storefront at the southern side of the Pleasant-Dartmouth Streets intersection. **** That the traffic light at the west end of Pleasant Street as it connects with Commercial Street is quickly climbing the ladder as “Light You Most Wish to Avoid Due to its Length.” **** That Malden DPW workers were out and about all week (and part of last week) filling potholes with “dry patch” in advance of the winter season, with several men doing a great job multitasking in the middle of Malden Square on Pleasant Street, directing traffic with one hand while deftly using their tools to fill the potholes with the other. **** That despite the wonderful weather we are having this season, we all know full well that dramatic drops in temperatures and even a possible early snowstorm in November are not farfetched at all at this time of year. **** That the Malden Middle School Baseball team, which is made up of 23 seventh- and eighth-graders from all five of Malden’s K-8 schools, and coached by Malden High School baseball coaches Phil Cook, Kenny Runge, Mike McMahon and Shawn Nice, were crowned Greater Boston League co-champs recently, with a 7-2-1 overall record this fall. 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