Byline: Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
27 October 2026
Thistle Grove Combined School emerged victorious at the 7th Annual Friends of the Library Spelling Bee Competition, held at Graceland Hotel in Secunda on Thursday, 22 October 2026.
The competition, hosted by Friends of the Library in collaboration with various stakeholders, attracted approximately 31 schools, including institutions catering for learners with disabilities, such as Basizeni Special School and George Hofmeyr.
Four Grade 7 learners from Thistle Grove Combined School, Nuuri Gilo, Hania Yosuf, Olunje Mabena and Sphesihle Nkosi, put their school on the map by securing first place overall against the participating schools.
Their achievement was met with pride by their teacher, Ms Maya Jaganath, who said the victory was particularly special because the school had not won the competition for many years.
“We are very proud of our learners. They have once again put our school on the map after so many years. I don’t remember when we last won this competition; it has been years, and we are very proud. This victory highlights the learners’ hard work, dedication and spelling skills, bringing recognition to our school ,” said Ms Jaganath.
