Two high schools in Hanover County have been recognized as among the best in the country for financial literacy education.
Working in Support of Education (W!se), a nonprofit organization based in New York City, announced recently that Atlee High School (AHS) and Patrick Henry High School (PHHS) have earned the distinction of being named a Blue Star School for their students’ outstanding performance on the 2020-2021 W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test.
To earn the coveted award, a school must have achieved an 80% passing rate on W!se’s Financial Literacy Certification Test and have either a majority of students on a given grade level receive personal finance instruction or a minimum 10% of a school’s enrollment taking the Certification Test.
“When our students leave our school, it is extremely important for us to know that we have given them the tools for their toolbox to make sound financial decisions as adults," said Dr. John Wheeler, Atlee High School Principal. "Receiving this award demonstrates that our talented and dedicated staff members are delivering quality instruction and are equipping students with the knowledge and skills they need to manage money effectively."
Said Patrick Henry High School Principal Chris Martinez: “We are excited to celebrate our students and staff for their work to achieve this recognition. It is a testament to our students' focus and our teachers who strive to provide them with relevant, meaningful, and rigorous instruction.”
In addition to AHS and PHHS receiving the Blue Star designation, seven Hanover teachers earned Gold Star status in recognition of their students' success on the W!SE test. This distinction is given to a teacher with at least one class in which all students earned 93% or better on the test.
The teachers recognized for their students’ performance are Julie Emerson of Atlee, Amber Haas of Patrick Henry, Sarah Huss of Patrick Henry, Tyler Kane of Hanover High School, Luke Kupscznk of Patrick Henry, Stephen Salvato of Mechanicsville High School, and Steven Teator of Patrick Henry.