Spelling star, 13, needs funds to reach national final

Thirteen-year-old Jayden Haarvoor is preparing to compete in the national round of the Sanlam WOW Spelling Festival after qualifying from her school, Douglas Primary, in the Northern Cape. Jayden, who is in grade 7, dedicates herself to memorizing words, sometimes up to 500, as she believes she can win the competition. She describes the experience as both challenging and enjoyable.

Jayden's school is the first from her town to ever qualify for the finals, and she is the first to do so. However, Jayden needs financial support to cover travel, accommodation, and other expenses related to the festival. The registration and participation in the festival are free, but Jayden and her teacher, Roxanne Pieterse, need to raise R20,000 to help with the costs. So far, they have raised R3,100 through a fundraiser.

Jayden's father, Ronald Valentine, notes that they live in a small town, making securing funding challenging. Jayden has been participating in Afrikaans spelling competitions for the past three years, including the South African Spelling Bee. She first competed in the school-level round of the South African Spelling Bee in grade 4 and has been hooked ever since.

This year, she qualified for the national finals at the Sanlam festival, the largest competitive spelling event in the country, taking place on Saturday, 3 October at Stellenbosch University. Last year, the competition had over 500 learners from 350 schools.

Jayden has competed at three levels - circuit, district, and provincial - to reach the nationals, placing first at this year's district-level competition and third at the provincial round. Despite her dedication to spelling, Jayden balances her studies with activities such as dance team and choir, and she serves as the school's deputy head girl.

Principal Bernadine Bostander is proud of Jayden's achievement, highlighting what can be accomplished with encouragement, support, and opportunities from teachers. She also sees Jayden's success as an example for other learners that they too can pursue their interests, work hard, and strive for excellence.