Students in two lesser known areas of study at Westport’s Staples High School—child development and financial literacy—have recently won first place honors.
Staples students work with children in the child development course. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
The awards were earned in the 2011 Connecticut Statewide Career and Technical Educational Assessment competition. Staples scored first in the state – as a group – on both the Early Childhood Education and Services, and Personal Finance, exams.
The wide-ranging tests – taken by computer – last 90 minutes. The school will be honored at the annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Annual Conference on Dec. 14, in Farmington, an announcement said.
The CTE’s mission is to prepare students for both college and careers.
Child Development – a popular course that draws a wide variety of Staples students – includes instruction on child development and parenting.
Students help run a play school for 3- and 4-year-olds, gaining hands-on experience as “teachers.” Graduates of the course have gone on to careers as educators, pediatricians and child advocacy workers.
Financial Literacy, taught by Lenny Klein and Sarah White, is just two years old. But it has quickly become one of the most popular courses at Staples.
Students learn about personal finance. Several participated in a Federal Reserve Bank contest earlier this year, and advanced to the New England regionals.
Linda McClary, who teaches Child Development, praised her students as “great, intelligent and committed.”
Lenny Klein, who teaches Financial Literacy with Sarah White, said, “This course is important for all students. It’s supported strongly by our principal and the Board of Education.
“Students genuinely find it interesting. And, based on the results of the CTE test, the subject matter certainly seems to be sinking in.”
The Child Development Course is one of Staples and Westport