The Malvern Middle School body gathers each Friday after lunch in the chapel to recognize students who have demonstrated Augustinian values. Each week, selected students from each grade are recognized in front of the Middle School and also awarded Wawa gift cards due to their embodiment of the theme of the week. The theme of the week rotates between veritas, unitas, and caritas (truth, unity, and love). 

When asked about why Friday Celebrations started, Mr. DelPizzo replied, “Friday Celebration was initiated because as a Middle School team, we thought celebrating students was a top priority for the school.” 

He added to this by saying, “The whole idea behind the celebration is to get together as a community and celebrate students’ success. Success is not just in the classroom; it is also in our character.” Furthermore, he adds, “Our success is in our values.“

Many middle school students look forward to a 20-minute time period of going outside after recognizing students. 

When asked if going outside benefits the students, Mr. Del said, “Absolutely, developmentally at [your] age, getting the time to unwind and interact with peers in a non- academic setting is very important. It is all part of becoming a well-rounded student.” 

A new development these past few years has been Ms. Suber’s acronyms. At the beginning of each month, Ms. Suber delivers an acronym to help us Friars strive for greatness.

Mr. Del stated that, “The way Mrs. Suber interacts with us is highly effective, gives us a new version of learning and embodies what Father Reilly says a few times every day, which is “becoming the best versions of ourselves.”

When 7th grader Liam Matlack was asked how he felt when he was recognized and won the Wawa gift card in front of the entire middle school, he replied, “I felt very proud of myself because I demonstrated my core values and I know that others could look up to me.” 

Overall, the Malvern Prep community members  agree that Friday Celebration is beneficial and is something that all kids look forward to.