Prestigious W!se Blue Star Distinction Granted to the Mount

Mount Saint Mary Academy has been included in the prestigious list of W!se (Working in Support of Education) Blue Star Schools for the 2022-2023 academic year. The Academy is among 150 national high schools in the W!se network to be given this distinction.

 

To earn the coveted Blue Star School award, a school must have achieved an 80 percent passing rate on our Financial Literacy Certification Test with at least half the students on a grade level OR a minimum of 10% of school enrollment having taken the Certification Test during the academic year 2022-2023.

 

This national standardized Test is administered to students after a course or unit on personal finance. Students who pass the Test become Certified Financially Literate™ and earn a W!se CFL™, demonstrating that they have developed sound financial knowledge and skills.

 

The test is administered as part of W!se’s award-winning Financial Literacy Certification program. Schools enrolled in the program teach a course or unit on personal finance using instructional resources from W!se, including a curriculum outline aligned to national and state standards, and then administer the Test. Since its introduction, the program has become integral to personal finance instruction in thousands of classrooms across the United States and is offered in 49 states.

 

Mount Saint Mary Academy has provided young women the opportunity to take a semester course in financial mathematics for over ten years. In addition, all of these students have successfully passed the W!se Financial Literacy Examination. In the Financial Math class, students learn strategies and develop valuable skills that allow them to become financially literate adults.  Additionally, Mount students learn how to analyze financial data and trends using the Bloomberg Terminals in our Finance Lab.

 

Maggie Milej, Mount math teacher, stated, “Teaching this course is extremely rewarding because every concept covered reflects real life choices, and the common question ‘What is this used for?’ is always answered. It brings me joy when a student shares that she opened a checking account, used her first credit card, or organized a budget for herself.”

 

“It is very exciting to learn that our school has earned this distinction for providing instruction in the important topic of financial literacy. I hope this course continues to motivate our Mounties to participate in the financial world throughout their lives,” she added.

 

“Congratulations to all Blue Star Schools for this national recognition of great scholarship,” said Dario Stipisic, W!se Financial Literacy Director. “It’s clear that students from these schools are prepared to develop a healthy relationship with personal finance.”