FLIPPING BOOK CHRONICLE 2024

impactful intern programme, enriching excursions, emphasis on practical work and success in extension programmes collectively contribute to a holistic and inspiring educational environment. As Michaelhouse continues to nurture a culture of academic achievement and curiosity, the department remains a cornerstone in preparing boys for future success in the field of life sciences and beyond.

enhances their critical thinking and analytical skills, providing a platform for them to showcase their knowledge and passion for life sciences at a national level. In conclusion, the Michaelhouse Life Sciences Department stands as a beacon of academic excellence and practical learning. The dedication and expertise of the teachers, and the

MATHEMATICS

Head of Department: Ms Aldi Smith Staff: Mrs Amanda Emmott, Mr Conrad Bubb, Mr Graeme Lucas-Bull, Ms Karin Moffat, Mr Steven Ngwenya, Mrs Angela van Wyngaard Intern Staff: Mr Dominic Leslie, Mr Thokozani Ngcobo, Mr Robert Pike, Mr Xavier Saunderson Part-time Staff: Mr Paul de Wet, Mrs Glynnis Owen, Mr Peter Stevens t the beginning of the year we welcomed Mr Conrad Bubb and Mr Graeme Lucas-Bull to the department. Both of them have been valuable additions to the team. During the year we said farewell to Mrs Angela van Wyngaard, who left South Africa to take up a teaching role at Rugby School in England. We wish her all the best in this new adventure. Ms Aldi Smith will be leaving Michaelhouse at the end of the year to return to Johannesburg, and Mrs Amanda Emmott has been appointed as the new head of department. We wish her all the best for next year. A STAFFING

morning of the mid-term break in the Michaelmas quarter. Each boy was furnished with a Math Camp workbook, and a full set of worked solutions was provided digitally on completion of the camp. We believe that this initiative is one of the reasons for our excellent results in the IEB examinations.

FURTHER STUDIES MATHEMATICS

The top-set boys in B Block opted to write the IEB final Statistics paper in May and achieved some very pleasing results. Both Luke Camerer and Roelof Rossouw achieved distinctions. Almost all the boys used the opportunity to write again at the end of the year to try and do better still.

MATHEMATICAL LITERACY

Mr Conrad Bubb took over the reins of this department from Mr Sibonelo Khanyile. We have seen much growth in this subject and it is wonderful to have such an experienced teacher ensuring a good standard and high level of performance. So, in summary, our department has enjoyed another busy but rewarding year, maintaining the standards that we have become known for.

SOUTH AFRICAN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD

SHAYA IZIBALO MATHS INSTITUTE (SIMI)

We had a total of 305 boys taking part in the first round, of which 157 qualified for the second round. Roelof Rossouw (B Block) and Zhengfei Li (D Block) achieved places in the top 100 in the country, qualifying them to write the third and final round. This is an amazing achievement, especially for Roelof Rossouw, who has now qualified for the final round two years in a row.

Written by Mr Paul de Wet, Director of SIMI

We have had another busy but productive year. Each term we provided write-in student workbooks to learners in Grades 8-12 in schools in the Michaelhouse Community Partnership Trust footprint and beyond. In total more than 3 500 students benefited from these resources. During the year we hosted each grade for several Saturday sessions in the Schlesinger Theatre where, on average, around 220 students from ten different schools visited Michaelhouse. On each of these occasions learners were provided with a write-in workbook for the session. We seated them in alternate rows in the theatre in order that they could be easily accessed with a roving microphone for the purpose of taking their questions and eliciting answers from them. We also facilitated online attendance of these sessions by providing over 600 workbooks ahead of the session to remote locations outside of the Michaelhouse Community Partnership Trust footprint. By setting up a projector and speakers, schools were able to facilitate their learners’ involvement, and we typically had several hundred students joining online. 77

PI DAY RELAY

The annual Pi Day Relay was held on 13 March. The teams consisted of five boys from each House (one boy per Block), who had to solve problems and complete the 3.14km route to win the coveted trophy. Founders came in first, with McCormick and Tatham in second and third, respectively. Mrs Karin Moffat graciously agreed to take the cream pie in the face from the winning team captain.

A BLOCK MATH CAMP

As we have done for a number of years we gave the A Block boys the opportunity to attend the Michaelhouse Math Camp, which involves them staying at school for the Thursday and Friday