Gr 3 learner shines at Abacus nationals
A Grade Three Crawford International Ruimsig learner, Alicia van der Merwe, has made her school proud by winning a prestigious Champion Trophy in the 10th Kyu category at the Abacus Maths Soroban Association of South Africa Competition.
The competition was held in Rustenburg, and it brought together 159 top achievers from across the country, with each having qualified through regional events. Alicia began her journey with Soroban (Japanese abacus) in Grade R under her Sensei from Abacus Maths' guidance.
Alicia has also successfully passed her international grading exams, ensuring her skills meet global standards set by the AbacusKing International Abacus Mental Arithmetic Alliance.
Some of her notable achievements include:
• 2022: Top Achiever – 12th Kyu (Regional)
• 2023: Silver – 11th Kyu (National)
• 2024: Champion – 11th Kyu (National) | Gold – 10th Kyu (Regional)
• 2025: Champion – 10th Kyu (National)
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Father's Day: A guide to buying dad a gift that has meaning
Father's Day gifts should be interesting and personalised. A book could be written about dads and the gifts they receive. The problem is it wouldn't be a novel so much as a leaflet. A single-page, double-spaced gifting covenant. Because when it comes to presents for men, whether it's Father's Day, birthdays, Christmas or a random on-the-go gift, the same tired shortlist is rolled out year after year. And yet, what dads really want is not something gift-wrapped. It's recognition. Like what moms get on Mother's Day. A proper hug, because contrary to legend, men do have emotions. Even the old-school ones. From boomer-era dads who fix things around the house to millennial dads who pack lunchboxes with salads and unsweetened snacks, the fundamentals of dadness haven't changed much over the years. It's still underlined with a love hard, work harder, yell from the sidelines, and clap the loudest at the talent contest. Socks, ties and skin care stuff Which is why socks, a tie, some kind of skin care product, another bottle of cologne, a bottle of wine or a scotch doesn't always do the job. These are gifts from the invisible catalogue of obligation. Items that hint at 'I kinda of know you' are no different, perhaps, than interpreting correspondence from Sars as a love letter or banking OTPs as sexting. ALSO READ: Seeing a dead pet? A sangoma explains what it may mean This is not to say that there's something wrong with giving your dad a pair of socks. Just make it interesting and personalised. Funny is good, even corny. Stores like PNA and Outdoor Warehouse stock pretty cool socks. – yes, you read correctly – stocks a super dad collection of socks that are novel and cute at the same time. Dad would wear it, he would love it if you chose a pair that makes a statement about who he is as a person, or what he may mean to you. The same goes for any item of clothing. Last-minute dot-com gifts are ok, but are not gifts with intent. Whisky or wine, another staple. Instead of the usual bottle of Irish or Scotch, choose something different. There are some excellent Japanese whiskies on the shelf that could be accompanied by an explainer note along the lines of how you may have thought that his love for tipple may be clear, but a segue to something slightly different may appeal to his sense of adventure. A bottle of Santori Toki, an excellent and affordable Japanese whisky, costs around R629 but to splash out, there's Hibiki Japanese Harmoney for around R2 200 a bottle. The same goes for a bottle of wine. Meerlust Rubicon is always a winner, because it's a collectible drinking wine retailing for around R600 for a 2022 vintage. Men love gadgets It's winter and men love gadgets. Especially something cool for the bar. A Solenco wine cooler with a decanter can look pretty good on the counter. It costs around R2 400. Imagine driving home from work and flicking an app on your phone, turning on a heater at home. It's connected to Wi-Fi and the Internet of Things makes it possible for your home to be snug when you get there. The Mill Portable Wi-Fi heater sells for around R3 200, and the oil heater is in the region of R5 400. There's never anything wrong with giving a T-shirt that mirror's dad's personality. From the Eish and Voetsek tees or Boksburg Rondebult Sinkhole celebration shirt parodies and La Linea service delivery shirts from The Atlas Bear online store, through to some great pop culture acquisitions at Big Blue. Pay between R200 and R500 for a proudly South African top. You can also personalise dadness, and there's still time, at stores like Classic Print in Sunninghill where a family pic on a shirt, a mug or a mousepad can be printed up in a day or two. Cards with a twist Bud Tenders in Benoni stocks some awesome craft cards. 'World's Dopest Dad' and 'Surviving Fatherhood One Joint At A Time' aren't exactly slogans you'd find at the local stationers. The cards are large and inside, in case of emergency or for a chill if it's your thing, a pre-roll. Books are gifts that keep on giving. Pair a great novel with dad's personality or what he enjoys, or some fantastic South African non-fiction. The Robert Harris series on the Roman Empire is a fantastic set of reads, while Tony Leon's Being There is highly recommended. Make a book part of a homemade dad-survival kit. Gift baskets are often chocolates, biltong, wine and whatever. Make your dad's different. Tally up everything he likes, whether it's pretzels, a hip flask and a book. Be creative and sculpt your dad's gift to match the guy he is. And more than anything, give that dad a hug. NOW READ: Race to the finish: Time to trade the hustle for a little me-time
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- The Citizen
Gr 3 learner shines at Abacus nationals
A Grade Three Crawford International Ruimsig learner, Alicia van der Merwe, has made her school proud by winning a prestigious Champion Trophy in the 10th Kyu category at the Abacus Maths Soroban Association of South Africa Competition. The competition was held in Rustenburg, and it brought together 159 top achievers from across the country, with each having qualified through regional events. Alicia began her journey with Soroban (Japanese abacus) in Grade R under her Sensei from Abacus Maths' guidance. Alicia has also successfully passed her international grading exams, ensuring her skills meet global standards set by the AbacusKing International Abacus Mental Arithmetic Alliance. Some of her notable achievements include: • 2022: Top Achiever – 12th Kyu (Regional) • 2023: Silver – 11th Kyu (National) • 2024: Champion – 11th Kyu (National) | Gold – 10th Kyu (Regional) • 2025: Champion – 10th Kyu (National) At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
06-05-2025
- IOL News
14-year-old Shreeya Mahadeo wins National Champion title at AMSASA Championship
Shreeya Mahadeo, a 14-year-old from Malvern, has triumphed at the AMSASA National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Championship, securing her title as the National Champion of Champions. The 14-year-old is the new National Champion of Champions (1st) for Grade 6 Level 4. Last year, Shreeya was placed as the top achiever in her category and in her level but had achieved second place for Dictation Sums, due to being older in the tie-breaker round. The AMSASA National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Championship is a national competition hosted by the Abacus Maths Soroban Association of South Africa. It provides a platform for young children to compete locally, nationally and at an international level using a Japanese mental mathematics technique to perform numerous mathematical operations. 'National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic uses a Japanese mental mathematics technique to perform numerous mathematical operations and use them to solve mathematical problems at a fast pace. 'In these competitions, each child has 9 minutes to write an exam with up to 80 sums using their abacus to do the calculations and a second exam in which they are given up to 80 sums within 3 minutes to do mental maths calculations. There are usually around 250 children competing for each event, ranging from Grades 00 to 10,' said Shreeya. The Grade 10 pupil at Durban Girls' College has been a dedicated pupil at SMART Mental Arithmetic classes since 2019. Throughout her time, she has developed a wide range of numeracy skills and has excelled in her studies. 'I have participated in five KZN Regional Championship competitions, where I was awarded the Champion of Champions title for being first in my level in 2019, 2021 and 2024, gold medal in 2022 and champion in 2023,' said Shreeya. From 2020 to 2024, Shreeya also participated in the AMSASA Nationals Championship where she was awarded a silver medal in 2020 and 2021, champion in 2022, a bronze medal in 2023, and a Champion of Champions for being first in her level in 2024. 'There were a few kids at my primary school that attended SMART Mental Arithmetic classes with their teacher Shaila Christian and my parents decided to enlist me in classes. They knew I have a love for mathematics, science and puzzles and thought I could excel in it. 'Shaila Christian helps us to prepare with weekly lessons, past year papers and dictation sums to practice our skills and time. Preparation includes getting enough sleep and practising for 15 minute slots every morning and night." Shreeya was initially nervous but believed in her ability. 'I put in a lot of hard work and when the event started, I remembered my parents' sacrifice and my charity, Parkinson's ZA, and gave it my best. I prepared really well with my teacher. It felt amazing and incredible to win. I made everyone proud and I was happy with the exam result." After winning, she has now been selected for the AIAMA International Championship in Malaysia in July 2025. 'Unfortunately, an international trip is expensive. We have to somehow raise the funds if we are to make this event. As long as I am old enough to compete, I wish to continue with mental maths. My goal is to one day participate in an international competition." Her parents said they are proud of her continued success. 'She works with consistency and dedication to achieve her goals. She has written her goals in her journal and reflects on it every day to make sure she is on track with progress and improvements. Even if a competition does not result in a podium position, the experience and lessons learnt always count in life," said her mom, Sash Mahadeo. 'Shreeya shows the wisdom and consistency of a mature student. While at SMART Mental Arithmetic, she showed us her talent of fast and consistent learning. To win a national competition, it takes a lot of effort and juggling chess practice and homework at the same time but I know she will be successful." The POST
