With upward trends in achievement over the last three years, Golden Hills continued to see improvement in a number of areas on the 2017-2018 Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations.

Annually, these assessment results are measured in the Provincial Accountability Pillar, where indicators, such as dropout rates, high school completion, post-secondary transition rates and a variety of stakeholder satisfaction measures, are also considered.

Laurie Huntley, Golden Hills School Division Board Chair, stated, “On behalf of the Board, we are pleased to hear that after a number of years of growth, Golden Hills is still seeing improvements in many areas on the Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations. The Board is delighted with all the work students have done and we are grateful for all of the support from staff and parents.”

The 2017-18 results show  Golden Hills students are near, at or above the provincial average in seven of the eight Provincial Achievement Tests, with a slight growth (<5%) in Grade 6 Social and Grade 9 Language Arts, a moderate increase (>5%) in Grade 9 Science, and a significant increase (>10%) in Grade 6 Math. Over the previous year, the percentage of students achieving the Standard of Excellence improved in two of the eight Achievement Tests (Grade 6 Math and Grade 9 Science).

Golden Hills maintained achievement in five out of nine Diploma exams (Math 30-1, Math 30-2, Social 30-1, Biology 30 and Physics 30), observing improvement in Math 30-1 at both the Acceptable Standard and the Standard of Excellence. As well, Golden Hills students exceeded the Provincial Standard of Excellence benchmark in four of the nine Diploma courses (Math 30-1, Biology 30, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30).

“We are very pleased to see a continuation of good student results again in this year’s student achievement”, said Bevan Daverne, Superintendent of Schools. “This year’s results support a continuation of positive trends and provides affirmation for our teachers and the hard work they have done with students in their classrooms to create innovative and engaging classrooms. We are also very proud of our students. They have worked hard and it is encouraging to see our leaders of the future developing in our classrooms.”

A piece of Drumheller history has made it back into the hands of the Nacmine Community Association.

Tom and Amie Courtenay of the Faux Den are always on the lookout for interesting items for the store, and on a recent trip to Stettler last summer they made a discovery of an item of interest to the former mining community in Drumheller.

  Amie explains they stopped in Stettler on their way to Edmonton at a garage/antique sale.

  “We bought some other mining stuff and the guy working there said “this is Drumheller” and he showed us the seal” explains Amie.

What he had a was a seal belonging to the Nacmine Community Association. This was used as a seal and to emboss documents.

Amie said the person who sold them the seal originally believed it belongs to the North American Colliers Mine, but upon close inspection, they saw that it denoted the Nacmine Community Association.

The treasure hunters brought it home but decided the best place for it would be back in the hands of the Nacmine Community Association. They approached the association and they were willing to accept it.

The stamp was presented back to the community at the monthly breakfast at the Community Hall on Sunday, November 18, through three long-time Nacmine residents and volunteers of the association.