E-weekly Issue 225 - 17 March 2023

Welcome

Dance Showcase 2023

Just in! Photos from the opening night of Mayfield’s Annual Dance Showcase 2023. Good luck to everyone performing tonight!

Year 10 Charity Day

On Wednesday Year 10 held their Charity Day to raise money for the School charity, The Sandra Jones Centre. Girls were encouraged to come in fancy dress and there were prizes for the most students dressed the same! 26 of the girls in Year 11 chose to come as sports personalities or supporters in their rugby and football shirts. There was an opportunity to join in with a JustDance competition as well as market stalls. This included a table top sale, baked goods, pick n mix, as well as face painting.

Over the next week, girls will also be able to join in the Easter Egg decorating competition, guess the name of the bunny and how many eggs are in the jar!

Thank you to all the girls and their Form Tutors for supporting them.

Mrs Le Riche

Mayfield Festival of Ideas

Next week we are launching the first ever Mayfield Festival of Ideas as part of the Scholars' and Gifted and Talented Programme. Scholars in Years 9-13 have come up with their own ideas for interactive workshops that they are going to run for all the girls in Years 7 and 8 during the lunchtime Activities slot over the whole week (except for Thursday). Workshops range from learning about economics through sweet trading to making a vehicle operational using coding. There are also options related to psychology, music, fake news, linguistics, history and Shakespeare, amongst others. Any girl in other years, or member of staff, will also be warmly welcomed! 

Mrs Kasia Kilvington, Gifted and Talented Coordinator

Easter Spark Camp

Book now

Bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award Update

Back in September 2022, 24 Year 9 girls started their Bronze DofE Award programme, the first level of the world’s leading youth achievement award. The DofE Awards are a voluntary programme intended to develop or improve skills, physical ability and self-motivation in young people. 

DofE Awards are designed to take young people out of their comfort zone and into a place where they will push themselves and have amazing new experiences as well as building up and improving soft skills such as confidence, teamwork, problem solving and resilience and having great fun doing it! Each DofE Award programme is unique to the individual and this is what makes the DofE Awards so special. 

Having selected what they wanted to do for their volunteering, physical and skills sections of the Award, the girls have been very diligent in completing these sections for at least 1 hour a week per section with their chosen activity. Our Thursday A1 sessions have been focused on getting the girls “expedition ready”. Meeting most weeks, they have worked extremely hard to learn lots of new expeditions skills to equip them for the Practice Expedition around the Mayfield Area and the Assessed Expedition in Ashdown Forest, both in May. Over the last few weeks, they have been planning their routes carefully on OS maps and route cards and creating expedition menus.  

I look forward to updating you soon after they have completed their Practice Expedition. 

Mrs Saunders, DofE Manager 

Sports Update

The U13s attended BACA for the county finals of Lady Taverners Indoor Cricket tournament, and they got so close to qualifying for the next round! They reached the Final and the girls should be so proud of themselves for their run in this tournament. They have made such good progress and have made their own piece of history as they have gone the furthest any Mayfield team has ever gone in this tournament. Encouraging signs for the upcoming Cricket season - well done girls!

Lower School Netball
On Wednesday the U12 and U13 A&B teams hosted Burgess Hill in what were some well fought Netball games. Burgess Hill came out with three wins from four matches, with the U13A taking a draw. Well done to all involved. The girls now turn their attention to Interhouse Netball which will take place next week.

Match reports on SOCS

Netball - Saturday 11^th March vs Ardingly

Match reports on SOCS

U12 Indoor Hockey 

On Friday the U12 Hockey A team travelled to Kent College Pembury to experience indoor hockey for the first time. The game is quite different to outdoor, with only 5 outfield players and the walls in play. The girls were new to indoor and started off against a very strong Sevenoaks Prep A side with a defeat. However, they went from strength to strength, learned a huge amount and ended morning’s play with two losses and two draws.  

Year 11 Badminton
A big 'well done' to our Year 11 Badminton players who played in their second and final match against Roedean on Thursday. The girls have trained continuously since September to improve their Badminton for GCSE PE and have shown that hard work really does pay off. They came away with six wins out of nine, well done girls!

Staff v Parents Netball – Friday 3rd March
The third fixture of the staff v parents series took place last Friday and once again, it did not disappoint. Going into the Netball game tied at 1-1, there was everything to play for and this was shown by the competitive but fun nature of the game. The parents started strongly, however the staff were able to get themselves back into the game, and led at half time. The second half proved crucial as the staff we able to extend their lead, evenually winning the game 18-11. It was a thoroughly enjoyable event and I would just like to thank everyone that played and supported on the day to make it such an enjoyable atmosphere! Keep your eyes peeled as the news regarding the Cricket rematch will be announced in due course!

Jordan Walser, PE Department

Upcoming Sports Fixtures

Saturday 18^th March
Netball vs King's Canterbury U15A, B & B, U14A, B & C
Benenden Netball Tournament U18A & U16A

Monday 20^th March
Football vs Great Walstead U13 A& B
Swim Gala vs Bede's U13A & U12A

Thursday 23^rd March
Football vs Bedales School, U15A

Saturday 25^th March
Triangular Fixture vs Worth and Seaford:

• U18A, B & C
• U16A, B & C
• U15 B & C
• U14A, B & C

Gabs get creative

Last Saturday was a creative afternoon for the girls from St Gabriel’s. We made bunting to hang around the boarding house. The girls really enjoyed this activity and produced all sorts of designs. Another group worked in the Art Department, creating designs for a mural based on influential women. We look forward to seeing the outcome in a few weeks’ time. Leeds House had a quieter afternoon with the opportunity for some manicures, nail painting and mindful colouring.

Great Leeds Bake Off

On Sunday we had the much anticipated Great Leeds Bake Off, where the challenge was to create six identical cupcakes decorated in the theme of Mother's Day or spring. The girls produced dozens of beautiful and very tasty cupcakes. 

Miss Petra Kotesovska, Leeds House Housemistress

Ronan's Reflection

Please allow me to begin by saying: Lá fhéile Phádraig shona daoibh go leir!
(Happy St Patrick’s Day!)

Although today is the Feast of St Patrick - patron saint of Ireland, Nigeria, engineers, and people who are afraid of snakes - I trust he won’t mind me drawing your attention to another great Saint of the Church: Joseph.

Husband to Mary, and foster father to Jesus, St Joseph’s Feast Day is usually the 19^th March (although this year it is moved to Monday 20^th, as priority is given to the Sunday liturgy during Lent). I believe it is worth reflecting this week on the man and parent Joseph. Our girls might relate to the fact that Joseph was a man of both dreams and of action. It’s not enough to dream: we must work hard too! But in the midst of all the hard work, never forget your dreams, your ambitions, your reason for all the late nights, deadlines, study and cramming for exams. Dreams and action. What a vocation.

Some of us might relate to Joseph’s ‘hidden life’ - his role in raising Jesus seeming to be unacknowledged, his patience, understanding, obedience and integrity forgotten. Never in the spotlight, but invaluable in his presence and support. Sometimes overlooked but invaluable. Maybe there’s a reason Mother’s Day is this Sunday!

However ‘hidden’ Joseph’s life was, his witness to mercy was public and powerful. On hearing of Mary’s pregnancy, his heart was surely broken. He would have been aware of the law calling for Mary to be stoned. But Joseph chose compassion and mercy over vengeance. In the words of Sr. Helen Prejean, “Mercy is stronger and more God-like than vengeance,” but arguably a much more difficult path to choose. Mercy requires courage, while vengeance does not. Can we relate to Joseph’s compassion, his mercy, his integrity? Can we be open to God’s will when faced with tough choices or difficult situations?

Is there someone in our lives who deserves our compassion right now? To whom are we called to show mercy? To let go of our desire for vengeance, no matter how difficult that might seem? And as we try to submit to God’s will for each one of us, let’s remember that we are called to both dreams and action!

Saint Joseph, who answered God’s call: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, who said Yes in Faith: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, who cared for Mary and Jesus: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, Man of Courage and Commitment: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, Man of Hope and Humility: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, Man of Conviction and Trust: Pray for us
Saint Joseph, Man of Faith and Prayer: Pray for us
Amen

Please note, Mass on Sunday is at 5pm, not in the morning. Tuesday evening remains at 6pm. All are welcome!

Mr Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

MESSy Charity Day

Our MESSy Charity Day is coming up! On Friday 24th March, MESSy will be running a boot sale to promote reusing and recycling clothes/equipment/books etc to raise money for Sussex Wildlife Trust. If anyone has anything that they don’t wear/use anymore or were thinking of donating to charity, please bring it in and take it to Mr Adams’s Geography room (Room 15) on 20th March. Items could include for example; clothes, accessories, books, textbooks, stationary, riding equipment, sports kit/equipment, hangers. If you don’t want it and it’s in a good condition, there will most definitely be a person who does! The boot sale is taking place in the top car park just outside the Chapel. We are planning on doing a real "Boot" sale as well as selling cakes/brownies so please come along to see and get some good deals.

Amelia, Upper Sixth

Rainbows Support Group

Rainbows  fosters emotional healing among children and young people who are grieving a loss through a death, divorce, separation or any other painful transition in their lives.
Rainbows acknowledges that grief needs to be recognised and supported; not denied, buried or ignored.
Rainbows provides a safe setting in school in which children and young people can talk through their feelings with their peers who are experiencing similar situations. They are helped to articulate their feelings by a trained facilitator.
Rainbows supports self-esteem, trust, confidence and resilience. It promotes emotional development and positive, healthy relationships.

A new Rainbows group will be starting in the summer term, and we will continue to run this programme several times a year. We welcome any girls to our group who feels they need our support or would just like to give it a try.

If you would like to find out more or to sign up for the group please contact any of the Rainbows facilitators:

Mrs Lavery: hlavery@mayfieldgirls.org (co-ordinator)
Miss Keoghane: akeoghane@mayfieldgirls.org
Mrs Le Riche: lleriche@mayfieldgirls.org
Ms Brennan: kbrennan@mayfieldgirls.org

Confidentiality is at the heart of Rainbows. Confidentiality will be kept at all times unless a child or young person is at risk. Rainbows strictly adheres to the school’s safeguarding policies.

News from the Friends

From the School Shop

Lost Property
Please see pictures of lost property still in the school shop as of 16^th March 2023. If you think anything is yours, please come to the school shop to collect it.

Year 11 & 13 End of Term School Shop Bills
If you ordered either Year 11 celebration hoodies or the Year 13 leavers’ joggers and / or hoodies, the cost for these has been put on your daughter’s / wards' Spring Term 2023 School shop bill as we have to pre-pay for the order. The items will be handed to the girls before they break for study leave next term.

Revision Aids
We have revision aids in the shop including revision cards in both white (lined and unlined) and coloured (lined). We also stock A4 whiteboards and whiteboard pens as well as plenty of paper and pads. If you think there is anything else we should carry to aid revision, please email me at sbowles@mayfieldgirls.org. For those sitting public exams, we have the clear pencil cases. We also carry batteries for calculators if yours has run out. Please allow at least 24 hours in advance of an exam to come to the shop for batteries. If we cannot get the back off or the calculator is broken, we have new ones available in the shop.

Mrs Susan Bowles, School Shop Manager