Education

Playground at Early Childhood Center
Education

Malden Public Schools employees living outside district can now enroll their children in Early Learning Center

November 22, 2024 NeighborhoodView 0

By Annie Sarlin The Malden School Committee passed a new policy that allows teachers and other school department personnel living outside the district to enroll their children in the Early Learning Center preschool program. At their meeting on Oct. 18, the committee voted unanimously to create the policy, officially titled “JFE4 Preschool Early Learning Center Admission of Children of School Department Personnel.” The motion took effect immediately. According to committee member Keith Bernard, the new policy will help make scheduling easier for school employees. “We’ve got teachers that are coming from another district… allow[ing] them to go and enroll their kids in our Early Learning Center so that, at the end of the day… [they] don’t have to jump out of school to go running back to their home and…pick up their kid,” said Bernard. The Early Learning Center, a preschool program in Malden for students ages 3-5, offers full and half-day programs. Parents and caregivers can also select if they wish to send their children in two, three, or five days a week. When […]

Education

From the Streets to the River – Litter’s Effect on Malden

August 8, 2024 MHS Eco-Club 1

By Merari Flores and Nora Hounain One of the biggest problems in today’s society is acknowledging environmental issues without taking any action to address them. Walking down the street, it is easy to spot trash; however, not much is being done in order to clean it up or, at the very least, prevent the amount of litter present.  In the United States alone, according to Keep America Beautiful, there are about 50 billion pieces of trash along waterways and roadways. In Malden, Massachusetts, the problem of litter is no exception. 124568 In April 2023, Friends of the Malden River (FoMR), held a clean-up event where they were able to fill up 70 bags plus miscellaneous materials like mattress springs, bicycles, and UFO’s with riverside waste.  In 2024 alone, 4,390 pounds of trash has been collected in the Malden River Watershed as well as 4,124 pounds from trash clean-up events.  Friends of the Malden River is one of many organizations in Malden that actively push and advocate to keep the environment clean. They focus on problem-solving and […]

Arts

Meet the five “Wonder Women” decorating Malden’s bike path AND the women behind them

December 15, 2023 NeighborhoodView 0

By Samantha Deras In the midst of bright colors and bold outlines, you can see five of Malden’s famous women looking back at you. A new Malden Arts mural by artist Amanda Hill highlighting five local “wonder women” was recently installed along the bike path this October (off Main St. between Charles and Madison St.). Malden Arts is a community organization that was founded in 2006 by former Maldonian Naomi Brave who is on its board of directors along with four other women: Candace Julyan, Robin Inman, Naomi Kahn, and Sharon Santillo. The group’s mission is to bring art to the Malden community and put the spotlight on local artists. “As much as we want to support local artists and all that they do, we felt that not everyone goes to galleries, not everyone goes to museums, but public art is truly for everyone involved in this very diverse community,” Malden Arts historian Sharon Santillo said. “And we wanted to put art out there that everybody could enjoy, just in their daily life or as […]

Education

School Department continues to support controversial curriculum despite charges of racial insensitivity

December 13, 2023 NeighborhoodView 1

By Avieana Rivera The Malden School Committee and superintendent continued to support the district’s new curriculum at their November meeting, despite charges from parents and teachers that it is racially insensitive. Seven different educators, all members of the Malden Education Association (MEA), along with two concerned parents, spoke out against the Amplify curriculum at October’s monthly school committee meeting, which they claimed is racially insensitive and a potential civil rights violation for English language learners. Amplify ELA (English/Language Arts) is a national-for-profit curriculum and was purchased by the Malden School District for all students in grades Pre-K through 8. They said one of the more disturbing lessons for 8th graders included a passage written by 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass where he quotes a slave master using the N-word four times to express his displeasure of slaves being taught to read and write. “I did everything I could to prepare my students for what they were going to read. Nothing prepared me for the gasps, the looks on their faces when they saw the illustrations. […]

Arts

“Second House” filmmakers discuss filmmaking, Malden, and their next project shooting at Urban Media Arts

December 6, 2023 Jack Drees 0

By Jack Drees Lights, camera, Malden! A new short film is set to begin production in Malden this weekend. The untitled “proof of concept” production for a proposed feature film — a psychological thriller — will take place at Urban Media Arts, and YOU have the opportunity be a part of it! The production invites people with varying levels of experience to fulfill some behind-the-scenes roles. It will also bring back two minds behind the award-winning science fiction short film To Err. The two returning minds are Anthony Martinez and Anders Johnson. They are passionate about films and how they are made. Both have origin stories that relate to their craft and the setting for this upcoming film. Now a Malden resident, Martinez was a TV reporter while still a student at the University of Missouri. Comfortable in front of and behind the camera, he took his newfound interest and pursued his Masters degree at the London Film Academy in England, where he worked with international students and collaborators. He describes it as an “incredible […]

Arts

How my community benefits from immigration: The Immigrant Learning Center’s 2023 essay contest

September 6, 2023 Jamie Perkins 2

“It is simply impossible to act as if our ethical and other differences do not exist; however, we can learn to embrace one another’s customs and lifestyles instead of disregarding them. Our distinctiveness is, after all, what makes us human, and brushing these things aside will only end in ignorance.”  From “How Malden Benefits From Immigration” by Dina Genene, First Prize, The Immigrant Learning Center’s essay contest, 2022 By Jamie Perkins The Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, Massachusetts, holds an annual essay-writing contest that, according to their website, celebrates “the impact of immigrants and refugees.” The 2023 contest concluded with an awards ceremony at The Immigrant Learning Center on Monday, May 22. This year’s topic was “How My Community Benefits from Immigration.” All Malden High School, Everett High School, and Medford High School students can apply to the contest at no cost. Participants must write their essays in English but are not solely evaluated on English proficiency, and English learners are encouraged to apply.  The Immigrant Learning Center is a non-profit organization providing free English […]

Business

Rain, Snow, or Shine: outdoors serves as classroom for local preschool

August 24, 2023 Jamie Perkins 1

By Jamie Perkins “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær.”  This common Norwegian saying translates to “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” Malden preschoolers and their families learn to embrace this perspective at the Boston Outdoor Preschool Network’s (BOPN) Malden/Melrose location.  BOPN is the brainchild of three local educators: Sarah Besse, Shela Sinelien, and Sara Murray. Masters-level educators with experience in public and private schools, Montessori education, and special education, the three founders opened BOPN’s first program in 2019 at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.  They’ve since opened three additional sites, including one at Pine Banks Park, a 107.5-acre park on the Malden/Melrose line. The Pine Banks Park location began in September 2022 and offers a half-day, mixed-age program for preschool and Pre-K-aged children.  As stated by their website, BOPN provides “mixed-age, nature-immersive programs designed to teach resilience, persistence, and problem-solving.” Programming runs throughout the year, including during the summer.  According to Besse, the program emphasizes a play-based curriculum that strengthens children’s social-emotional skills. “The research shows that children […]