b'THE ELLESMERIAN Gold AwardThis year saw a further nineteen Year 12s sign up for the Gold Duke of 64 Edinburghs Award here at Ellesmere.With the group settled and sorted in Weeks 1 and 2, it was towards the end of September that work began on preparing for the upcoming October Expeditions, during which the Year 12 group would undertake the necessary three-day intensive canoe training to equip themselves with the skills needed to manage the canoes, stay safe on the water, and rescue each other. We looked at basic canoe craft and kit requirements in College and were supported by our in-House Nursing Team with First Aid Sessions focusing on CPR and other crucial skills.The three days in October allowed the group to work on the river under demanding weather conditions and finish with a days river journey unaccompaniedfrom Shrewsbury to Atcham. It was good to see leadership and resilience emerge this day, under tricky river levels. All of the group persevered with their hour-long weekly commitments to: Volunteering (either sports coaching or supporting reading in Lower School); Skills (a diverse range from learning to drive to raising calves) and Physicalmainly Netball, Hockey, and Rugby. Several also pushed hard to sort the critical fifth section (the Residential) which requires a five day stay away with an unfamiliar group learning new skills. Those that managed this are the most likely to go on and complete the full award, so congratulations to them. Towards the end of April we completed a very challenging three day Practice Expedition from Welshpool to Buildwas, where the group battled against downpours, mud, and a lack of boats for the first morning to learn how to efficiently cope with the demands of long days on the river whilst camping overnight. The first two days were tricky and the learning curve was steep, but by the third day the group were ready.For the final Assessed Expedition, the group journeyed over four days from Hay on Wye to Monmouth. This is a significant challenge and one that tested resolve, group work and determination. Once the wouldnt melt! Whats more, the ladies in St. Aidans got an extra roundsection from Byecross to Tresseck had been completeda mammoth of treats every Thursday afternoon. 45k sectionthe group had broken the back of the trip and finished in glorious sunshine near Monmouth to celebrate a successful and After extra navigation practice and more expo training, we set off onrewarding year.our assessed expedition. This year the Year 10s walked from Barmouth to Dolgellau and then up towards Bala. They had to be one of the best groups we had (Lily Harris, Faith Harris, Hal Winney and Chris Astbury) and so, Mr Taylor and I decided to call them the Fab Four. The sun was short lived and, as can be the case in Snowdonia, it started to torrentially rain. The Fab Four, however, set off at their usual great rate of knots and continued to navigate brilliantly despite this. They made it into the campsite in Dolgellau in good time and set up for the night cooking a substantial camp stove dinner. The second day saw them walk up through the Snowdonian countryside through woods and valleys towards Bala. The weather had returned to summer, which lightened everyones mood. The pupils successfully navigated their way for a second day and celebrated back at camp with a Connect Four championship and a rope swing. The final day of their expedition also went well and, as is customary at the end of an expedition, we visited McDonalds again for another celebratory Happy Meal or two.RJH'