The Drumheller Valley is stepping into the spotlight at this year’s Alto Awards.
    Drumheller is a finalist for the Tourism Community of the Year Award and the Canadian Badlands Passion Play is a finalist for the Alberta Pride Award.
    “Drumheller is one of the jewels in Alberta’s crown, the other being Jasper and Banff,” said Chris Curtis, executive director of Travel Drumheller.    “There are so many things people are doing well here, and so many other things that could be done, that this place could just skyrocket in terms of tourism. I think the partnerships that do exist between the private sector, the public sector and the not for profits have served Drumheller well in terms of bringing people here.
    “That is why we are finalists, because we are working together.”
    According to the Travel Alberta website, the Tourism Community of the Year is designed to acknowledge a collective and successful effort on the part of a community to work together to promote or support tourism.
    The Red Deer 2013 Centennial is also nominated for the Tourism Community of the Year Award.
    The Canadian Badlands Passion Play knows it is in tough for the Alberta Pride Award, being named a finalist along side the Calgary Stampede. Despite this, general manager Vance Neudorf said the Passion Play had a challenging year it should be proud of its success.
    “The flood knocked us back,” he said. “The flood hit at our prime selling time and the phone lines just went dead.”
    The first weekend saw their lowest number in nearly a decade. What got the Passion Play back on track was word of mouth. At the performances, they simply asked attendees to help spread the word that the Passion Play was unaffected and there were lots of seats available.
    “By the second weekend we were on par, if not a little above. So we ended up with about 12,500 for the year which is not where we wanted to be but it was still a good year,” said Neudorf.
    “He said just being named as a finalists is important.
    “With an Alto Award, you are up in front of 600 community leaders and they see your presentation, so it is fantastic PR,” he said.
    This award comes on the heels of the Passion Play being named one of North America’s 100 best events for 2014 by the American Bus Association.

The Canadian Badlands Passion Play  is a finalist for Alberta Pride Award and Drumheller is a finalist for the Alberta Tourism Community of the Year Award

     Students in Golden Hills School Division are performing well and continue to improve year over year according to the most recent results on the 2012-2013 Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations.   
    “We value the support of our parents and appreciate the excellent work of our teachers and administrators in the continued success of our students,” said Bevan Daverne, Superintendent of Schools.  “With the support of our parents and communities, our staff is focusing on continuous improvement with a strong emphasis on providing the highest quality of teaching in our classrooms and on educational partnerships that support student growth”.
    In Golden Hills School Division, the percentage of students achieving the Acceptable Standard improved over the previous year in four of ten Achievement Tests from grades 3, 6 and 9.  Additionally, the percentage of students achieving the Standard of Excellence improved over the previous year in seven of ten Achievement Tests.  Grades 3 and 6 Language Arts and Math were both above the provincial average for the number of students achieving Acceptable Standard.  The number of students participating in the provincial achievement tests exceeded the provincial average in eight of ten subject areas.
    There were also increases in the number of students achieving Acceptable Standard over the previous year in four of nine diploma courses (English 30-2, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Physics 30).  Golden Hills’ students met or exceeded the provincial Standard of Excellence benchmark of 15% in four of nine diploma courses (Math 30-1, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Physics 30).  There were also notable increases over the previous year in the number of students achieving a Standard of Excellence in six of nine diploma courses (English 30-1, English 30-2, Social 30-1, Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Physics 30).
    “We continue to focus on providing high quality, 21st Century, student-centered instruction so as to promote engaged, ethical and entrepreneurial students.  It is important that our students not only do well on the Provincial tests, but develop the skills and abilities to be successful in the 21st Century,” said Daverne.
    The Provincial Achievement and Diploma Examination results are measures included in the Provincial Accountability Pillar.  Other indicators include dropout rates, high school completion, post secondary transition rates and a variety of stakeholder satisfaction measures.
    Principals will communicate their school’s results, along with important contextual information, to parents at School Council meetings and through their Annual Education Plan and Year-End Reports which will be posted on their school’s website by November 30.
    The Board of Trustees reviewed the division and school results in accordance with provincially developed protocols. “The Board has reviewed the 2012/2013 provincial testing results for the diploma exams and provincial achievement tests as presented by administration in a monitoring report,” said Dave Price, Chair.  “Graphs of the system results from the multi-year reports were presented, trends were discussed, and a plan was presented for teacher development with an emphasis on continuing the strong trends we have observed.  The Board appreciates the direction administration is taking and is appreciative of the efforts of administration and school staff to provide optimal learning opportunities for all students.  I strongly encourage parents to attend the meetings where Principals review results and discuss the school’s plan for powerful learning.”