CAPE TOWN– Christel House SA learners were named number 1 in the Western Cape in the Maths Olympiad.
The Grade 2, 3, 6 and 7 learners of the school, a non-profit organisation based in Ottery, took part in this year’s Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad, which ran from Monday 4 to Friday 8 August and delivered outstanding results.
This is a free online maths competition for primary schools.
The winners were announced on Saturday 16 August.
The first place prize is R20 000.
Five young learners from Christel House, a school registered as a non-profit in Ottery, were named the Western Cape’s best in the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad. The school’s Grade 2, 3, 6 and 7 learners took part in the annual competition, which ran from Monday 4 to Friday 8 August and delivered outstanding results. Read more on page 3. Photo: supplied Credit: Matthew Paulse 
Christel House South Africa learner Qobolwethu Sijila with his certificate after completing his exercises in the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad. Photos: Supplied
Christel House South Africa supports learners from disadvantaged communities, starting from Grade RR to Grade 12 and up to five years’ post-matric.
“We secured first place in the Western Cape and placed seventh nationally,” said school spokesperson Megan Losper. “The dynamic five-day competition is designed to spark a lifelong love for mathematics in young (learners) across South Africa.
“What makes this Olympiad truly unique is its focus on participation, fun and building strong learning habits, rather than just chasing perfect scores.
“It offers our (teachers) invaluable insights, highlighting strengths, pinpointing learning gaps and helping us enhance maths performance across the board.
This year’s winner, Grade 2 learner Ziarah Bosch, is described as a talented and determined learner from Manenberg who lives with her mom, aunty and grandparents.
She scored 97,86% on the learner leaderboard.
“She is passionate about understanding the human mind and hopes one day to study criminal psychology,” said Losper. “Her goal in the competition was to tackle every problem to the best of her ability and earn a full five-star score on each math problem.”
Christel House principal and Chief Academic Officer Dr Ronald Fortune said he was immensely proud of his learners.
“Despite obstacles, including WiFi connectivity issues, they still delivered outstanding results,” he said.
“This is a true reflection of their resilience and determination to excel, no matter the circumstances. My heartfelt thanks go to our Mathematics and Coding teachers for the dedication and preparation that helped our (learners) shine in this competition.”
