A mathematics and science club from Oval North High School in Beacon Valley has been awarded the prestigious Mayor’s Pride Award, beating competition from well-resourced schools across the city.
Sub-council 12 chair Solomon Philander presented the Mayor’s Pride Award to the school’s Geometric Mind Society on Tuesday 28 October, during a special assembly.
The award comes with a R2 000 prize.
“We’re really honoured to have this award, we honestly didn’t think we would be receiving this,” said Michaela van Diemen, a Grade 11 learner and secretary of the club.
“When you hear you’re competing with other schools in the city like those fancy schools, you don’t think my tiny school from Mitchell’s Plain is really going to compare with them.”
READ MORE: Portland pupil beats dozens of other primary school artists
The Geometric Mind Society is a mathematics and science-centered club that has made its mark through various competitions and community projects. The club boasts four bronze medalists from the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists and regularly participates in the UCT mathematics competition.
Daniel Alfreds, the club’s president and fellow Grade 11 learner, joined initially because he had never been to UCT.
“The only reason I joined in the beginning was because they went to a UCT math competition, and I never went to UCT,” he explained.
READ MORE: Grace wins gold in national maths competition
The club’s recognition stems not just from academic achievements but also from their community involvement. Members conducted a conservation project, collecting litter from their school to analyse waste patterns and develop reduction strategies.
“I didn’t realise how much our community litters and how bad the plastic waste in our community is,” Van Diemen reflected.
The club has also been involved in coding and robotics programmes, with members representing the school in various competitions. Some students participated in job shadowing at Victoria Hospital, expanding their exposure to STEM careers.
Future Plans
Van Diemen said she hopes the win will help the school to attract maths tutors.
“There’s so many of our school learners that are not doing well in maths, and it would be really nice if the GMS would be a way that we can assist in maths and science tutoring,” said Van Diemen.
The club requires members to take pure mathematics to participate in certain competitions, despite the school offering technical maths and maths literacy options.
Van Diemen, who aspires to become a civil engineer, was attracted to the club because of her “geeky” love of science. She realised that the club was a stepping stone to university.
READ MORE: Summerdale teacher wins national maths excellence award
“The fact that we are part of a club that is officially recognised by the Department of Education really boosts our chances of getting into university.”
Alfreds, who is considering a career in education, noted how the club has opened doors to experiences like visiting the Observatory to learn about astronomy — opportunities that wouldn’t have been available otherwise.
Background
The Geometric Mind Society was established by the previous year’s matriculants and a teacher who has since left the school. It was taken over by current Grade 11 students.
The club now has 16 Grade 11 members who underwent a leadership selection process involving scenario-based assessments.
According to Philander, the club was chosen for the award based on their collective achievements and contributions to both the school and community, rather than winning a specific competition. “It was just like collective buildup, our statistics, all that we did, that had us win this award.”
The Mayor’s Pride Award recognises the club’s success in representing their school and community while making a positive impact through STEM education and community service.
