Learners honoured for outstanding Mathematics Olympiad performances
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) has honoured outstanding learners and teachers for their performance in the 2018 South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) and the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC).
SAMF’s annual awards function took place on the 22nd of September in Stellenbosch. The First Round of the SAMO took place in March and more than 106 000 leaners from 1 303 schools participated this year. The Second Round took place in May of which 210 learners from a 100 schools went through to the Final Round on the 26th of July at centralised venues.Ralph McDougall (Curro Durbanville) was awarded the prize for the top senior (grades 10 to 12) learner and Emmanuel Rassou (South African College High School) for the top junior (grades 8-9) learner of the SAMO.
Ralph McDougall is a talented grade 12 learner who enjoys playing the piano and doing programming. He plans on studying Electronic Engineering next year at Stellenbosch University. Ralph has represented South Africa at International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2017 and Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) in 2016 and was a runner-up in the 2017 SAMO. Emmanuel Rassou won a silver medal at the 2017 SAMO when he was still attending primary school. He enjoys athletics and has represented Western Province at hurdles. This grade 8 learner has more recently taken up cross-country and enjoys jogging up Table Mountain twice a week with his classmates. Emmanuel is part of the junior debating team of his school and loves a good argument.
The best performing senior black learner Kgaugelo Bopape, was also part of the South African 2018 PAMO team. The grade 10 learner from Horizon International School in Johannesburg won agold medal at the event. The 2018 SAMO best girl learner is Danielle Kleyn from Hoërskool Parel Vallei in Somerset West. She came fourth overall in the PAMO and was also crowned Queen of Africa for being the top girl.
The best performing schools in the country that received awards include Rondebosch Boys’ High School, who walked away with both awards for best performing overall school and best performing Quintile 5 School in the SAMO. Highveld Secondary School from Mpumalanga walked away with the top performing MST school and top performing Quintile 1 school.
Another flagship project of the SAMF is the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) for grades 4-7 learners. The award to the top performing school and best quintile 5 school was awarded to Sweet Valley Primary School. A total of 73 159 learners form 735 schools participated in the First Round of the SAMC, of which 14 271 learners from 398 Schools qualified for the Final Round.
The Mathematics, Science and Technology (MST) grant is utilised by the provincial education department to pay the entry fee for learners participating in the SAMO and SAMC. The SAMO awarded prizes to top performing learners from MST grant schools for the first time. Tshimangadzo Mulaudzi from Mbilwi Secondary School in Thohoyandou and Neo Vorsatz from Pinelands High School in Cape Town both walked away with best junior MST learners’ award. Thuthuka Khumalo from Matheku Secondary School in Habeni, KwaZulu-Natal is the best senior MST learner.
CSI Project Manager Arthur Moeletsane of the Liberty Group a major sponsor of the SAMO, says that "As a responsible financial service institution and a member of the Standard Bank Group, we would like to congratulate the students who have participated in the South African Mathematics Olympiad this year - particularly those who have made it to the top of the competition. In line with our purpose of improving people's lives by making their financial freedom possible, we are equally committed towards the empowerment of youth through education. Liberty has long recognise that education is an agent for change - hence our partnership with organisations like South African Maths Foundation (SAMF), whose primary objective is to address educational needs that are critical to the development of our youth. As Liberty, we therefore would like to encourage all students to take advantage of programmes such as the South African Mathematics Olympiad."
The SAMF programmes such as the prestigious SAMO are used to select and train learners for international competitions. Approximately sixty of our country’s best young mathematicians will be invited to an Olympiad camp in December at the University of Stellenbosch, thereafter the group will be trimmed down, in order for the best learners to be selected to represent South Africa at the2019 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) and Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO).
2018 SOUTH AFRICAN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD
JUNIOR WINNERS (GRADES 8-9)
Vivienne Banks Grade 8 Rustenburg Girls’ High School
Mohamed Z Cassim Grade 9 St. David’s Marist Inanda
Yi Lou Grade 9 St. Peter’s College
Jaedon Naidu Grade 9 Eden College Durban
Emmanuel Rassou Grade 8 South African College High School
Christine Rossouw Grade 9 Hoërskool Jim Fouché
Juliette Roux Grade 8 Herschel Girls’ School
Daniel Schlesinger Grade 8 Rondebosch Boys’ High School
Emil Schnabel Grade 9 Hoërskool Stellenberg
André Toerien Grade 9 Rondebosch Boys’ High School
SENIOR WINNERS (GRADES 10-12)
Ralph McDougall Grade 12 Curro Durbanville
Taariq Mowzer Grade 11 Fairbairn College
Aaron Naidu Grade 11 Eden College Durban
Williams Okele Grade 12 Graceland International School
Razeen Parker Grade 12 Rondebosch Boys' High School
Timothy Schlesinger Grade 12 Rondebosch Boys' High School
Du Toit Spies Grade 12 Parel Vallei High School
Emile Tredoux Grade 12 Parklands College
Emil van der Walt Grade 11 Hoërskool Jan van Riebeeck
Adri Wessels Grade 11 Curro Durbanville
OTHER NATIONAL AWARDS TO LEARNERS
Best performing S.A. Black learner Junior Nqobile Mbaleki (Model Private School)
Senior Kgaogelo Bopape (Horizon International High School)
Best learner from outside South Africa Akinfoluhan Akinleye (The Ambassadors College)
Best girl learner Danielle Kleyn (Hoërskool Parel Vallei)
Best MST learner Junior Tshimangadzo Mulaudzi (Mbilwi Secondary
School)
Neo Vorsatz (Pinelands High School)
Senior Thuthuka Khumalo (Matheku Secondary School)
Top performing Quintile 1 learner Junior Asive Hlangane (Vulithuba School)
Senior Elijah Mashishi (Highveld Secondary School)
Top performing Quintile 2 learner Junior Stefanus Cilliers (Douglas Combined School)
Senior Karabo Buthelezi (Lodirile Secondary School)
Top performing Quintile 3 learner Junior Mzekelo Tukushe (Centre of Science and Technology)
Senior Thutuka Khumalo (Matheku Secondary School)
Top performing Quintile 4 learner Junior Francois Pieterse (Hoërskool Ferdinand Postma)
Senior Francois Grobbelaar (Ficksburg CSS)
Top performing Quintile 5 learner Junior Emmanuel Rassou (South African College High School)
Senior Timothy Schlesinger (Rondebosch Boys’ High School)
NATIONAL AWARDS TO SCHOOLS
Best performing overall school Rondebosch Boys’ High School
New school with best participation Siphakeme Combined School
School with best participation Bedfordview High School
Wynberg Boys’ High School
Jeppe High School for Girls
Best performing Quintile 1 school Mount Frere Commercial School
Best performing Quintile 2 school Lodirile Secondary School
Best performing Quintile 3 school Hector Petersen High School
Best performing Quintile 4 school Hoërskool Middelburg (EC)
Best performing Quintile 5 school Rondebosch Boys’ High School
Top performing MST school Highveld Secondary School