SAMF eNewsletter - July
2011

Foreword - Prof Johann
Engelbrecht

SA Team for International
Mathematical
Olympiad

SA Mathematics
Olympiad

Careers in Mathematics - Poster
Competition

Jet South
African Mathematics Challenge

National Mathematics
Week

Foreword - Prof Johann
Engelbrecht

The South African Mathematics Foundation has joined the digital
age.  Our Facebook Page and Twitter
account is active and we encourage you to engage with us on those two
platforms.

July is an important month for the National team who will be
departing for Amsterdam to take part in the International Matheamtical
Olympiad.  In the past South Africa has performed exceptionally well
at this Olympiad and we at the SAMF are proud of the youngsters who will
be presenting the country there.

I trust you enjoy this, our second newsletter and look forward to
receiving your comments and suggestions for future
newsletters.

SA Team for International Mathematical
Olympiad

Since 1992 South Africa has been an active participating country in
the largest and oldest Olympiad for the exact sciences. This year
over six hundred incredibly talented young mathematicians from across the
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’
High School), Dalian Sunder (Star College), Dylan Nelson (Benoni High
School), Kira Dusterwald (Springfield Convent Senior), Robert Spencer
(Westerford High School) and Sean Wentzel (Westerford High
School). They have been training under the watchful eyes of team
leaders Prof Stephan Wagner and Dr Koos van Zyl.

The selection process for the team is a strict one.  A group of
about 50 top contestants from the 2010 South African Mathematics Olympiad
was invited to attend a training camp at the University of Stellenbosch in
December last year. Each participant must complete monthly
assignments as part of the qualifying process. From this group,
thirteen learners were chosen to attend a second training camp that took
place at the University of the Free State in April this year. The
final team was chosen from this group.

SA Mathematics
Olympiad

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), with support from
Harmony Gold Mining and the South African Institute of Chartered
Accountants (SAICA), hosted the second round of the South African
Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) on 17 May 2011 at schools across the
nation.

The SAMO is the national and premier Mathematics Olympiad in South
Africa with 58 522 learners from 833 schools that participated in the
first round on 16 March this year.

Moving on to the second round is a total of 12 342 learners, all
of whom have scored a mark higher than 50% for the first round paper
consisting of two categories – junior (grades 8 and 9) and senior level
(grades 10 to 12).

Careers in Mathematics - Poster
Competition

The South African Mathematics Foundation is organising a competition
for Grade 7 to 12 learners. The goal is for learners to design a poster in
one of two categories to convey the importance of mathematics. The winning
posters will become part of a series of posters that will distributed to
schools nationwide. Each category winner will also receive a cash prize of
R2,000. Entry is free and the closing date is 22 July 2011.

Jet South African Mathematics
Challenge

During the first week in August, primary school learners can take
part in the annual JET South African Mathematics Challenge. It is
open to all learners from Grade 4 to 7. The Challenge consists of two
rounds and participants can take part as individuals or in
pairs. Learners who advance to the Final Round are awarded with Gold,
Silver and Bronze certificates. Recipients of Gold certificates will
also receive a R200 CNA voucher. For enquiries, call the South
African Mathematics Foundation on 012-392-9342.

National Mathematics
Week

1-5 August is National Mathematics week and a variety of activities
will be hosted in five provinces across the nation: Rhodes
University, Grahamstown (Eastern Cape), Wynberg Boys’ High School, Cape
Town (Western Cape), Teachers Centre, Kimberley (Northern Cape),
University of Limpopo (Polokwane) and the Sol Plaatjie High School,
Mafikeng (North West).

“The main purpose of the Mathematics Week is to highlight the
beauty, utility and applicability of mathematics and also to dispel the
myth that this subject is difficult, cold, abstract, and only accessible
to a few,” says Prof Johann Engelbrecht, Executive Director of the
SAMF.

Activities during Mathematics Week focus attention on Mathematics and
Mathematics Education with the aim of making Mathematics more interesting,
attractive, relevant, challenging, rewarding and engaging to learners and
the community at large. “The activities highlight the impact of
Mathematics on our daily lives and stresses the importance of Mathematics
as a foundation for careers in science, technology and managerial jobs,”
says Elspeth Mmatladi Khembo, Chairperson of the SAMF and National
President of AMESA.

Some of the activities that will take place are: games,
competitions, quizzes, puzzles, calculator contests, teacher development
workshops and career guidance.