E-weekly Issue 208

Message from Miss Beary

Let me begin with a thank you to all the Friends and those who ensured that the Michaelmas Fair was such a success. I know that a great deal of hard work went on behind the scenes. A special commendation must go to Pippa in Year 8 who busked outside the Fair on her saxophone and raised over £120 for the Sandra Jones Centre, this year's whole school charity.

This week the Year 9s have been on their team building trip and much fun was had by one and all, even the brave teachers who accompanied the girls! Our MUN team had an exciting trip to Torun, Poland, including being interviewed by a local TV station – I look forward to a plethora of applications from Poland as a result of the Mayfield ambassadors! It was also National Poetry Day and I believe that Mayfield’s next edition of ‘Poetry Please’ is hoping to have some parental contributions, as well as those of girls and staff. Poetry is all about helping us to look at things in a different way and experience the often mundane in a new light. This independent approach is something we all can cultivate and benefit from, so I encourage you to channel your creative spirit over the weekend.

Next week we are off to the Independent Schools of the Year Awards Ceremony! We have been selected as a finalist in the 'Independent Girls' School of the Year' category. This is in no small part down to an impressive and poignant video presentation by Amelia in Year 13, which originally formed part of her Prefect application. She will be accompanying me to the ceremony. Even if we don’t win, it is a great credit to the School and the girls for us to get this far, so we will enjoy the evening, whatever the result!

Next Friday is Foundation Day and a special one this year as we celebrate our 150^th Anniversary. It will be a busy day, and a fun one, I hope with inter-house competitions and events. Even the Kitchens are contributing with a special pièce de résistance! Many 150^th challenges are running over the course of the year as we encourage girls, staff and parents to have more fun while they learn. Any new ideas on the 150 theme are welcome.

Year 9 Residential PGL trip

The age-old adage “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again” couldn’t be truer. Building resilience from a young age helps to equip young people for setbacks in their studies as well as other aspects of life. Those who are equipped with a higher level of resilience find that they enter new situations with more confidence.

On Monday 3rd October we took the Year 9 cohort on a three-day residential trip to Windmill Hill PGL Outdoor Centre. The girls took on activities such as The Sensory Trail, Abseiling, Zip wire, Fencing and Jacobs Ladder, helping to expand their comfort zone. They also found themselves in a new group dynamic, with one of the main focuses being to gel as a new year group and develop their friendships within their new forms.

This trip lends itself to building so many skills that are essential later in life. Having the skills to empathise with others is key to year group cohesion, friendship and well-being and this experience has proven invaluable in building the girls’ self-belief and self-confidence. Many of the girls were away from their parents for the first time and had to discover strengths they never knew they had.  Listening skills were also enhanced through learning from activity leaders, as well as coming up with solutions to the challenges they were set. 

It was a fantastic three days and there was lots of fun and laughter had by all (including the tutors!). 

Miss Sophie Auer, Deputy Head of Middle School

National Poetry Day

To celebrate National Poetry Day, girls in Year 7 transformed the novel 'Julia and the Shark' into performance poetry. They used voice, movement and choral reading to bring short verses from the novel to life. Once back in the classroom, the girls were inspired to write their own poetry, using words and images from the novel as their inspiration. 

Mrs Parrett

Sixth Form Charity Day

A huge well done to the Sixth Form on their brilliant Charity Day. Their fundraising raised £671.55 for this year's whole school charity, the Sandra Jones Centre in Zimbabwe, which supports abused and abandoned children.

Winners of the inter-tutor group competitions were:
Most Money raised - Soak the Teacher stall
Best Teamwork - Mocktails stall
Best Novel idea - Hook the Fish
Best Marketing - Mere
Most money raised by an individual - Andrea

Trip to Charleston and Monk's House

Sophie W in Year 12 tells us about the Year 12 English A level trip to Charleston and Monk’s House:
"I learnt a lot of contextual information about the style of living in the time of Virginia Woolf. I discovered the Bloomsbury Group, including their views on societal issues (such as class, gender and sexuality, and how one affects their views on the other two). I viewed a lot of beautiful art by Vanessa Bell and others, with varying styles, media and colours. I especially loved the design of some of the desks at Charleston, which seem a lot more useful for storage (eg stationery) and space saving (they had a retractable desk table)."

"I gained a break from hard work, with stunning scenery to sit in. The gardens were beautiful, containing a range of flora from nasturtiums to lavender, and many rarer ones I have yet to identify. At Charleston, a large pond half-covered in lily pads (and inhabited by female ducks and a heron) provided a refreshing atmosphere and peaceful lunch hour. All the artwork from inside, blended with the calming scene, inspired me to bring out my sketchbook and draw for the first time since school recommenced."

"Therefore, not only was the trip fruitful in way of learning, it allowed me to take a step back from school and regain perspective of the outside world. I’d forgotten how much I craved the outdoors, so I really enjoyed this trip."

Sophie S added:
"The trip to Charleston and Monk's House helped us learn more about the background surrounding the book we are reading and give us a better grasp on Virginia Woolf’s life. We learned some very interesting stories about the Bell family, such as one member falling asleep when T.S Eliot read his poem to them! Overall, it was a great day out."

A Level Art and Design Trip to Hastings

On Tuesday 20th September the year 10 GCSE and year 12 A Level Art and Design students visited Hastings for the day to develop their photographic skills and gather visual research for their current coursework projects. A plethora of photographs were taken of a wide range of subjects as the students focused on the buildings, signage and shop fronts in the Old Town and fishing boats, machinery, rusting surfaces and fishing paraphernalia along the Seafront.

Learning Librarian skills

Pupil Librarians working in the main school library have started this academic year by helping with the many tasks behind the scenes that keep the library running. As well as re-shelving returns, tidying the shelves and spinners, and jacketing new books, Sarah added to the selection of poetry books on display with titles that she felt would attract the eye. Skye has selected this week’s ‘Book of the Week’, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.

Watch Ruta Sepetys talking about Salt to the Sea

Pippa busks for Charity

Pippa in Year 8, a budding saxophonist, busked at the Michaelmas Fair last weekend and raised a whopping £121 for the whole school charity, the Sandra Jones Centre. Congratulations Pippa! #ActionsNotWords

Sports Update

A busy Wednesday afternoon for Lower School
The U13A Team went to the Worth invitational tournament this week. It was a brilliant opportunity for the girls to test themselves against a variety of different schools. The girls played progressively better with each game and ended with a record of played 8, lost 4, drew 2, won 2, meaning they finished in 6^th place. Mrs Nixon and Mrs Jones were incredibly pleased with the progress made by the team throughout the day and special mentions go to top scorers, Emilia R and Erin B, who played excellently. Well done girls!

Meanwhile, the Under 12s travelled away to Roedean School in Brighton. On a very windy afternoon the girls played well. The B and C teams were frustrated in losing to the home side, however the A team came away with an impressive 4-0 victory. There were goals from Brianna, Lola, Flo and Gigi and some key saves from Saskia. Amelia and Anya kept shape well in the middle of the pitch and some key defensive tackles from Flo and Amelia made it difficult for the home side. Brianna was voted player of the match by Roedean. Huge congratulations to the Year 7s and it looks like an exciting season of hockey ahead!

Back at Mayfield, our U13B, C & D teams hosted Roedean, enduring wind and sideways rain, which did not seem to faze our girls! Despite one draw and two losses, the girls played some very nice Hockey. It was great to see them putting several weeks of training into practice in the match. Well done to Emma, Talulah and Martina for their player of the match performances!

Mrs Fletcher and Mrs Nixon

A tough block fixture against Ardingly

Mayfield 1st XI travelled to Ardingly last Saturday to face an exceptionally strong senior team. With this in mind, we focused on what we had taken away from the Eastbourne match the week before, namely keeping our shape in defence under pressure. It was a 5-0 loss, but the Mayfield team did not make it easy for the hosts and created some good chances up front. 

Notable performances from Anabelle up front, whose work rate was impressive throughout, and from Rachel in goal, who made some really impressive saves. Maddie and Amelie also stepped up in defence and intercepted to ensure Ardingly had to work hard to create their chances.

The 2XI and 3XI hosted Ardingly at home. In both matches, the speed and assertiveness of the opposition took the girls back, but after half time they rallied, playing good hockey, moving the ball around well and showing their ability to defend as a unit. There were stand out performances from Flo B, Freya W and Emma J. We are very much looking forward to seeing how they progress through the season.

And finally, the U14 and U15s too had a tough afternoon at Ardingly. Both the U14 A and B teams lost, however it was their first full fixture of the season. The teams are getting used to their positions and roles, and are experiencing playing together for the first time. Well done to Maggie, Anna and Erin who were voted players of the match. The U15s defended very well and held Ardingly for the majority of the first half. The girls fought hard and should be proud of their performance. Well done to Ines for being voted player of the match.
 

National Schools Netball
We wish our U16 and U19 Netball teams the best of luck as they travel to East Grinstead tomorrow for this year’s National Schools. They will have a full day of games, where they can dust off the Netball cobwebs. We look forward to seeing them in action!

Miss Jones and Miss Auer

A weekend of Bellringing 

At the weekend some of our Gabs’ boarders took the opportunity of visiting St Dunstan’s church in the village to learn about bellringing. We were welcomed by four of the bellringing team, led by Mr Graham Holland, who gave us a fascinating talk on the history of bells and bellringing around the world and in Mayfield. After this the girls were given the opportunity to toll the eight bells in the church tower, one of which is 420 years old this year, and another of which weighs 1 tonne! The girls quickly discovered that getting a sound out of the bells is not as easy as it looks, although after a few tries they were soon bouncing up and down on the ropes and giving the village the impression that some great event was happening. They soon gave the floor to the experts, and our four hosts demonstrated ‘ringing up’ and a short ‘method’ which was mesmerising to hear and to watch. Before returning to School the girls had the opportunity of climbing further up the tower to see the mechanism of the village clock, restored this year for the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Meanwhile, the boarders from Leeds embarked on a scavenger hunt, involving a number of team challenges. There was also a “Name that Tune” quiz, led by Mrs Le Riche with music from all eras and styles, while some of the Gabs’ girls had the opportunity to be creative with their stone painting skills.

Nigerian Independence Day meal

Adaiba in Year 13 tells us about the history behind last weekend’s Nigerian Independence Day meal: “Nigeria is the result of a shotgun marriage of over 300 different ethnic groups of diverse cultures, languages, and religious beliefs.” Independence from the British Protectorate administration took place on the 1^st of October 1960 and was the “cutting of the umbilical cord for Nigeria” which is what makes it a significant day in the calendar for all Nigerians everywhere.  The country received its freedom charter from Princess Alexandra of Kent, the Queen's representative at the Nigerian independence ceremonies. The President's address to the public marks the beginning of the festivities, this is broadcasted on radio and television. Then Nigerians will proudly sing the national anthem while raising the green and white flag. This will then be followed by a series of events such as parades, fireworks, parties and much more. It is a national holiday and a very special holiday to all Nigerians. So on Saturday the 1^st of October, the catering team organised a lovely Nigerian meal for the everyone serving the country’s national dish formally known as Jollof rice, alongside some chicken stew and plantain. The girls played some Nigerian music and sang proudly as they ate their meal and it felt just like being at home.

Message from Ronan

Here at Mayfield, I think I can safely say, we like animals. You'll often come across a member of staff walking their dog. But I think we should be proud of our commitment to care for animals, and for the environment (See Mr Gough’s excellent MESSy club as just one example of that) as we walk in the footsteps of a very famous saint- Francis of Assisi.

Tuesday, the 4^th October, is the Feast Day of Saint Francis. Born in 1181, Saint Francis is the patron saint of animals, merchants, ecology and - bizarrely - stowaways. Francis saw Creation, animals and the environment, as a manifestation of the beauty of God. He followed the Gospels obsessively, devoting himself to the care of the poor, the sick and the marginalised. His compassion and humility proved inspirational, and people soon began to follow him. This led to the creation of the Franciscan Order, and of the Poor Clares.

This week’s reflection will not come from St Francis - neither his gorgeous ode to Creation, ‘The Canticle of the Sun’, nor his famous Prayer for Peace. Instead, we’ll hear from Saint Clare, a friend of St Francis’, and foundress of the Poor Clares:

“We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things, we become a thing. If we love nothing, we become nothing. Imitation is not a literal mimicking of Christ, but rather, it means becoming the image of the beloved, an image disclosed through transformation. This means we are to become vessels of God's compassionate love for others.”

Let us commit this week to renewing our love for God, and for one another. Let’s honour St Francis’ memory as we ask God to “make me a channel of your peace…”

Mr Ronan Lavery, Lay Chaplain

Poetry Please 150^th Anniversary Competition

This week we have launched our latest Poetry Please competition – we’re looking for 150 poems to celebrate our 150^th! This is open to pupils, parents, OCs and all staff. Remember, poetry is for everyone!

More information on our competition

Plea for Pots

MESSy, Mayfield’s Environmental and Sustainability Society, urgently need any free plant pots you may have lying around in your garden sheds? It’s planting season and they would like to recyle your old pots – please bring any in – thank you.

Support for Parents

Please see link below to the ‘What’s On’ parenting guide for East Sussex, which outlines all of the  FREE courses for supporting parents and carers.  Maybe you would like some advice on how best to support them? Whether it is support with screentime squabbles, getting your child to listen to you, building your teens survival skills and resilience or managing anxiety that you could use some tips on, the Parenting Team has got you covered!

What's On Parenting Guide

Mayfield Festival of Music and the Arts presents...
 

Join the Mayfield Festival as it presents a celebration of young classical musicians in Mayfield School Concert Hall on Saturday the 15^th of October, starting at 7.30pm. The performing artists were all finalists at this year’s Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition so this is another great opportunity to experience a live performance by these very talented young musicians who are in the early stages of their professional careers and who are on track to become the stars of the future. 

Find out more and book your tickets
Current pupils are eligible for complementary tickets – please email Rebecca Allen, rallen@mayfieldgirls.org if you would like to attend.

Tabea Streicher, Piano Winner, at St John’s Waterloo, London

Please do join us on Wednesday 19^th October from 7pm to 8pm for this Rush Hour concert in the new performance space at St John's Waterloo, very close to Waterloo East. Fresh from her success in Haywards Heath, young Tabea Streicher, winner of the Piano Section in the 2022 Competition, will present an impressive programme of piano classics.

Find out more and book your tickets (free to students and under 25s)

Edvard Pogossian (cello), Overall Winner and Strings Winner, at St John’s Waterloo, London

Please do join us for a Rush Hour concert at St John's Waterloo on Wednesday 26 October from 7pm to 8pm, followed by a drinks reception. This concert features Edvard Pogossian, cello, Overall Winner, Strings Winner and Audience Prize Winner of the 2022 Competition, accompanied by Erdem Misirlioglu (piano).

Find out more and book your tickets (free to students and under 25s)

News from the Friends of Mayfield

Parent Lunches
If you have signed up then please remember to attend the Year 9,10 & 11 Parent Lunch at 1pm in The Courtyard this Monday 10th October.

Year 7
We are having two coffee mornings, on 14th October at the Sussex Gardener in Mark Cross at 9am, as well as a Christmas coffee morning on 8th December.

Year 9
Parents in Year 9 are welcome to join for coffee at The Sussex Country Gardener in Mark Cross on Monday 17^th October at 9am if you are free.

Year 9 is also arranging Christmas dinner at The Middle House in Mayfield on Thursday 1^st December, (arrive 7pm, dinner at 7.30.pm) The cost is £31.50 per person with a £10 non-refundable deposit per person. Please email Joanna Healing (wandj.healing@hotmail.com) to let her know if you would like to attend.

Year 10
Do come for Coffee/brunch at the Middle House in Mayfield, from 9am-11am on Friday 21st October. Please let Fiona Wills (07742 279264) know if you will be coming so a table can be booked. Thanks.