Back: L - R Ms Cowell (Head of Junior Maths), Mr. Price (Acting Principal), Mrs. van der Westhuizen (Head of Maths)
Front: Dexter Williams Grade 9, Jason Arnold Grade 8, James Nevin Grade 8 and Andrew Robertson Grade 12
Last week BHS’ Maths Department, headed by Geraldine van der Westhuizen, scooped up a Maths Excellence Award from the National Department of Education and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund for the outstanding performance of the matric class of 2008. Bergvliet High was one of only ten schools countrywide to receive this accolade and the only school from the Western Cape. Other schools included Pretoria Boys’ High and Westville Boys’ High from KwaZulu Natal.
Bergvliet High’s Maths Department has consolidated on last year’s results by achieving a Top Ten finish (9th place) in the prestigious UCT Maths Competition this year – one of only two co-ed schools to achieve this. Two of their learners, Andrew Robertson Grade 12 and James Nevin, Grade 8 received gold awards which meant that they were placed in the Top 10 in the competition.
Not a school to rest on its laurels, another two of its learners, Jason Arnold in Grade 8 and Dexter Williams in Grade 9, reached the Top 100 in the country in the South African Maths Olympiad which is a phenomenal performance by both the learners and the educators that teach them.
As if that is not enough, Bergvliet High’s Maths Department is one of only a handful of schools in the Western Cape that has received funding for Maths to the tune of R750 000 from the Epoch and Optima Trusts as a result of their consistent excellence in Maths marks in the final matric exams.
At a gala event held last week in Gauteng, hosted jointly by the National Department of Education and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, Acting Principal Stephen Price together with Geraldine van der Westhuizen and Karin Cowell (Head of Junior Maths) collected the framed certificate and a cheque for R150 000. At this event both the National Department of Education and the Anglo American Chairman’s Fund Trustee lauded the school for its commitment to excellence in the Sciences and described the school and its Maths Department as a “partner for change” in the South African context. “We are immensely proud of our learners and educators who have worked long and hard to achieve such excellent results” said Mr. Price, “and this award is testament to the fact that Bergvliet High School makes good on its mission to offer a world class education and is regarded as an exceptional school on a national level by both the State and corporate South Africa."
"We believe this award more than justifies the decision of those parents in the community who have decided to enrol their children at Bergvliet High”. Mr. Price paid further tribute to Mrs. van der Westhuizen and Ms. Cowell for their "dedication, attention to detail and unwavering demand for excellence” as heads of the Maths Department.
L - R: Mr. Price, Mrs. van der Westhuizen and Ms. Cowell |
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