b'THE ELLESMERIAN Lower School Rudolph RunIn the last week of term, our Lower School students donned their 86 trainers to raise much needed funds for Nightingale House Hospice. Raising over 1,200, the inaugural Rudolph Run 2021 saw festive jumpers galore as our younger students tried to complete as many circuits of the Rudolph Run route as possible, ably led by Santa. This was followed by some well-earned and much enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies! Well done to everyone who took part and helped organise the event. Golf Academy-Top 5 in the UKEllesmere College Golf Academy is enjoying continued success with its latest win at a national golf event - the first to do so since the schools Golf Academy was launched, ranking the school fourth in England for golf. 18-year-old student and Golf Academy player Jonjo Ashbrook beat off tough competition to win the individual event at the Independent Schools GolfTournament National final in Ayr, Scotland - with his twin brother Charlie coming third. In addition, the Ellesmere College Golf Academy Team came an impressive third overall, with 17-year-old Marcus Wildblood and Charlie Boys, 15, competing with the twins.Head of the Golf Academy, PGA Advanced Professional RobertIgniting STEM Challenge Ashbrook, said these huge successes show the strength and depth of the Golf Academy at Ellesmere and how it is building each year.What better way to ignite our students imaginations, drive their teamwork, and develop their problem-solving skills than with fun and He said: We were up against all the schools that have Golf Academiesfast paced STEM and IET Faraday challenges!or play golf from around Great Britain so it was a great achievement to finish a very impressive third in the team competition but also to haveBoth Year 8 and Year 9 students took on two very different challenges at the winner and bronze medal places in the individual event. It is a proudthe end of last term but both were designed to get their teamwork and moment for the school - I believe this is the first time one of ourproblem-solving hats on!academy has won a National event and this will help us gain momentum for the future. Over the past few years the Academy hasSTEM days at the school are designed to put the emphasis on students gone from strength to strengthwith the help of impressive facilitiesworking as a self-directed and motivated team, navigating beyond their such as the indoor SkyTrak Golf Simulator and 9 hole CONGU ratedcomfort zones, and being challenged to explore their own solutions to golf course - and are building on each success with a lot of interesta variety of real world challenges - aerospace, transport, space travel, from new pupils each year. We have introduced new disciplines, a Playeretc. Judging from each of the teams presentations and demonstrations, Development Pathway and compete in as many events on as manywe think they should be very proud of their achievements - dont you? different golf courses as we can. Of course, we give equal weighting to academia too, so the students get the best of both worlds.The team qualified for the three-day competition at Dundonald Links by winning at Preston Golf Club and then winning again at the English final at Carden Park, Cheshire. Charlie also won the Shropshire & Herefordshire Youth Championship at Llanymynech Golf Club by one shot; the school hosted a Shropshire and Herefordshire girls competition; and last year one leg of the European Junior Tour was held at the school. Some Golf Academy members are also part of the Regional Development England Squad.'