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SAMF =
eNewsletter - July=20
2011 |
<=
SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Foreword - Prof Johann=20
=
Engelbrecht<=
/SPAN> =20
SA Team for =
International=20
Mathematical=20
=
Olympiad <=
/DIV>
SA Mathematics=20
=
Olympiad <=
/DIV>
Careers in =
Mathematics - Poster=20
=
Competition &nbs=
p;
Jet South=20
African Mathematics Challenge
National Mathematics=20
Week |
|
|
Foreword - Prof =
Johann=20
Engelbrecht
The South African Mathematics Foundation has joined the =
digital=20
age. Our Facebook Page and Twitter=20
account is active and we encourage you to engage with us on =
those two=20
platforms.
July is an important month for the National team who will be=20
departing for Amsterdam to take part in the International =
Matheamtical=20
Olympiad. In the past South Africa has performed =
exceptionally well=20
at this Olympiad and we at the SAMF are proud of the youngsters =
who will=20
be presenting the country there.
I trust you enjoy this, our second newsletter and look =
forward to=20
receiving your comments and suggestions for future=20
newsletters. |
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SA Team for International =
Mathematical=20
Olympiad
Since 1992 South Africa has been an active participating =
country in=20
the largest and oldest Olympiad for the exact sciences. This =
year=20
over six hundred incredibly talented young mathematicians from =
across the=20
globe will take part in the Olympiad that runs from 16 to 24 =
July.
The South African team is made up by Ashraf Moolla =
(Rondebosch Boys=92=20
High School), Dalian Sunder (Star College), Dylan Nelson (Benoni =
High=20
School), Kira Dusterwald (Springfield Convent Senior), Robert =
Spencer=20
(Westerford High School) and Sean Wentzel (Westerford High=20
School). They have been training under the watchful eyes of =
team=20
leaders Prof Stephan Wagner and Dr Koos van Zyl.
The selection process for the team is a strict one. A =
group of=20
about 50 top contestants from the 2010 South African Mathematics =
Olympiad=20
was invited to attend a training camp at the University of =
Stellenbosch in=20
December last year. Each participant must complete monthly=20
assignments as part of the qualifying process. From this =
group,=20
thirteen learners were chosen to attend a second training camp =
that took=20
place at the University of the Free State in April this =
year. The=20
final team was chosen from this group.
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SA Mathematics=20
Olympiad
The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), with support =
from=20
Harmony Gold Mining and the South African Institute of Chartered=20
Accountants (SAICA), hosted the second round of the South =
African=20
Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) on 17 May 2011 at schools across the=20
nation.
The SAMO is the national and premier Mathematics Olympiad in =
South=20
Africa with 58 522 learners from 833 schools that =
participated in the=20
first round on 16 March this year.
Moving on to the second round is a total of 12 342 =
learners, all=20
of whom have scored a mark higher than 50% for the first round =
paper=20
consisting of two categories =96 junior (grades 8 and 9) and =
senior level=20
(grades 10 to 12). |
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Careers in Mathematics =
- Poster=20
Competition
The South African Mathematics Foundation is organising a =
competition=20
for Grade 7 to 12 learners. The goal is for learners to design a =
poster in=20
one of two categories to convey the importance of mathematics. The =
winning=20
posters will become part of a series of posters that will =
distributed to=20
schools nationwide. Each category winner will also receive a cash =
prize of=20
R2,000. Entry is free and the closing date is 22 July =
2011. |
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Jet South African =
Mathematics=20
Challenge
During the first week in August, primary school learners can =
take=20
part in the annual JET South African Mathematics =
Challenge. It is=20
open to all learners from Grade 4 to 7. The Challenge =
consists of two=20
rounds and participants can take part as individuals or in=20
pairs. Learners who advance to the Final Round are awarded =
with Gold,=20
Silver and Bronze certificates. Recipients of Gold =
certificates will=20
also receive a R200 CNA voucher. For enquiries, call the =
South=20
African Mathematics Foundation on 012-392-9342. |
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National =
Mathematics=20
Week
1-5 August is National Mathematics week and a variety of =
activities=20
will be hosted in five provinces across the nation: Rhodes=20
University, Grahamstown (Eastern Cape), Wynberg Boys=92 High =
School, Cape=20
Town (Western Cape), Teachers Centre, Kimberley (Northern Cape),=20
University of Limpopo (Polokwane) and the Sol Plaatjie High =
School,=20
Mafikeng (North West).
=93The main purpose of the Mathematics Week is to =
highlight the=20
beauty, utility and applicability of mathematics and also to =
dispel the=20
myth that this subject is difficult, cold, abstract, and only =
accessible=20
to a few,=94 says Prof Johann Engelbrecht, Executive Director of =
the=20
SAMF.
Activities during Mathematics Week focus attention on =
Mathematics and=20
Mathematics Education with the aim of making Mathematics more =
interesting,=20
attractive, relevant, challenging, rewarding and engaging to =
learners and=20
the community at large. =93The activities highlight the =
impact of=20
Mathematics on our daily lives and stresses the importance of =
Mathematics=20
as a foundation for careers in science, technology and managerial =
jobs,=94=20
says Elspeth Mmatladi Khembo, Chairperson of the SAMF and National =
President of AMESA.
Some of the activities that will take place are: games,=20
competitions, quizzes, puzzles, calculator contests, teacher =
development=20
workshops and career guidance. |
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