Excitement builds at Athwood Primary for Reading and Writing Solutions competition
Athwood Primary School teachers Jean Davids and Sizekile Jela are ready to help pupils prepare for the upcoming Reading and Writing Solutions (RWS) Newspaper Quiz and Spelling Bee competition.
Image: Phiri Cawe
As the 2025 Reading and Writing Solutions (RWS) Newspaper Quiz and Spelling Bee competition approaches, teachers and pupils are gearing up to make sure they are ready.
Athwood Primary from Hanover Park is among the schools preparing and is eager to be at the Dulcie September Civic Centre in Athlone on Thursday, September 11, at 4.30pm.
Despite finishing in fourth place in the 2022 RWS competition, the Atwood Primary School team is determined to perform better this time around.
Led by Jean Davids and Sizekile Jela, the team is looking forward to competing positively and possibly taking home the top award. The teachers feel they are on the right track to compete.
Ms Jela said: “The preparations are going well.”
One reason for their successful preparations, she said, is the early delivery of newspapers, the cooperation of children and parents, and the children's enthusiasm to win.
“We are excited and looking forward to the day. We came fourth in 2022, but we want to climb to the top. We have also added two other teachers to assist with the preparations. However, as I mentioned, our children are enthusiastic,” she said.
The competition aims to change pupils’ attitudes towards reading and writing through participatory education. It challenges pupils from various grades to compete effectively and understand the importance of reading.
In partnership with Athlone News, the initiative also seeks to improve literacy by encouraging pupils to read regularly, expand their vocabulary, and develop strong general knowledge skills.
Ms Jela said that they have additional plans that they cannot reveal on how they will excel. Classes are conducted during break times, and they have a WhatsApp group to monitor progress. She added that there is more they are doing that will surprise many competitors.
Ms Davids said she was happy with the progress and the support from parents. She said the children cannot wait to meet other schools.
Following the announcement that the number of participating schools has been reduced to 21, the chances for the remaining schools to win have increased. Reading and Writing Solutions founder and quiz convenor, Jeff Paulse, explained that the reduction was necessary due to venue capacity restrictions.