After years of waiting, Golden Hills School Division is very excited to hear the  announcement from Premier Redford and Minister of Education, Jeff Johnson of two new area schools.
    Over the past number of years, the communities in East Wheatland of Hussar, Standard, Rockyford and Gleichen have been experiencing challenges with respect to shifting student populations and quality of school facilities.
    Last year, in order to provide solutions to this problem, a working group of parents representing each of those four school communities was formed to explore possible solutions for education in the area. After an involved process of collaboration and consultation that extended broadly to all four communities, this Working Group proposed closure of those four community schools and consolidation of all the students in the area to one K-12 centralized school.
    The GHSD Board of Trustees endorsed this proposal and with this announcement, the province has made the decision to support this area and these four communities with a new consolidated school to support all the students in East Wheatland.

Bevan Daverne…
Golden Hills superintendent

     “We are very excited with today’s announcements. I can’t say enough about the Working Group and the excellent job they have done in moving this whole situation forward,” said Golden Hills superintendent Bevan Daverne. “Truly, this is a solution that not only is good for students, but is also a model for rural sustainability. For the province to recognize that work and support all the communities in East Wheatland with a consolidated solution and to fund a state of the art facility where all our East Wheatland staff and students are able to work and learn together is fantastic news for all of us!”
   The second school announcement impacts the community of Three Hills, where, for the past eight years, the Prairie Christian Academy’s campus has been split between multiple campuses in a variety of leased space. This announcement provides funding to take the elementary campus and right-size it for the entire K-12 student population.
    The addition of teaching spaces would include support for high school program courses as well as a new gymnasium suitable for senior high athletics. This announcement will mean that all PCA students and staff will be able to learn and work together in a modern board-owned facility.
    Board chair, Dave Price, stated, “This is a wonderful announcement today for the community of Three Hills and parents, staff and students at PCA. From an educational and financial perspective – for the culture of that school community, this is an excellent solution and we are very appreciative of the support we have received from the province on this situation.”
    The projects are part of Premier Alison Redford’s promised investment in education infrastructure and the second major capital announcement this week.
    “We made a commitment to build new schools and we’re doing just that,” said Premier Redford. “This is about more than bricks and mortar — it’s about building strong communities so all our kids get the best possible start in life. By investing in schools today, we are investing in ourselves, and our province.”

    This weekend, May Day festivities will be punctuated with some young, local talent who have made their way on the stage of the Drumheller Music Festival.
    The Drumheller and District Music Festival Association is hosting a concert at the Badlands Community Facility on Sunday, May 5.
    The concert features  Kjel Erickson, who, as a youngster, competed at the Music Festival. Other performers include Chelsea Murphy, as well as sisters Shelby and Rayanne Laycock.  All three performed at this year’s Music Festival and were recommended to compete at provincial festivals.
    He says the Music Festival shows there is great talent in Drumheller.
    “There are a lot of young people in the valley who are good at what they do,” said Erickson, adding that funds from the show will be shared between the performers and Drumheller and District Music Festival.
    Erickson, an accomplished operatic singer, is studying music and Visual Arts at the University of Lethbridge, where he continues to sing. He is looking forward to the show.
    The concert is at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 5 at the Badlands Community Facility.