E-weekly Issue 229 - 28 April 2023

Drama Scholars' evening

Welcome

This week has flown by.  For me, the highlight of the week was the Drama Scholars’ evening. I have rarely - if ever - seen dramatic scenes presented so professionally and evocatively as on Tuesday evening. Girls from Year 7 to Year 13 presented monologues and duologues with extraordinary professionalism: congratulations to them all, and their teachers.

Yesterday was Open Day: brilliantly organised and very well attended. The tour guides were impressive ambassadors for the School as were the speakers at the presentation.

I’m getting around the School, meeting girls, staff and parents and just hoping for some warmer weather! Enjoy the bank holiday weekend.

With very best wishes,
Jonathan Forster

Drama Performances

On Tuesday evening the Drama Scholars and Caedmon performed a selection of monologues, duologues and a short scene for an audience in the studio theatre. The excerpts ranged in style from Shakespearian to modern day and from serious drama to witty comedy. The actors, who represented every year group, performed to a high standard, conducting themselves with professionalism whilst supporting each other. Congratulations to all who took part. It was a successful and pleasant evening.

Sally Gerstmeyer, Head of Drama Department

Gold Award for Mayfield’s Physics Students

Yesterday, Year 12 students Megan, Evangeline and Elizabeth travelled to the Royal Society in London to receive a Gold Award for their experimental project work in this year’s British Physics Olympiad competition. These awards are amongst the most prestigious academic awards in the country. The girls’ inventive project involved using flour to look at the size of craters created by projectiles. The girls used a range of measurement techniques - including implementing AI based Hough transformations - to categorise the size of the craters in a non-invasive way. The girls also exploited the hydrophobic nature of flour to cleverly measure the volume of the craters formed. Their innovative techniques impressed the judging panel and landed them the coveted award.

Former students Victoria and Valeria, currently studying at the University of Cambridge, were also awarded gold for their work in the Computational Olympiad. In this competition, the girls used the computer programming language Python to model lapse-rates in the atmosphere, work that helps us understand temperature variations from our surface to space. Their work was carried out in Year 13, and they received their prize in September. It was a great opportunity for our current pupils to talk with Old Cornelians about their journey to, and life at, university.

Dr Darragh Corvan, Head of Physics 

Thriving Minds in Year 8

On Monday, 14 Year 8s attended the Thriving Minds Intermediate Conference at Bede's School, where they listened to lectures exploring 'Justice, Truth and Beauty' and 'Quantum Theory'. In group enquiries with pupils from other schools in the morning, they investigated the ethics of eating meat, while in the afternoon, they debated whether or not freewill is an illusion. The girls' participation in all the discussions was truly commendable, even if it did mean that their heads were 'fried' on the way back to School! It was a great opportunity for them to explore ideas outside and across the curriculum, even if they were not all fully understood. Julie Arliss, one of the speakers, suggested that if they came away thinking that they understood quantum theory, then they really did not. It is important for all of us to engage with difficult ideas and accept struggle in learning, which this experience provided an excellent opportunity for the girls to do.

Mrs Kasia Kilvington, Head of International English, Gifted and Talented Coordinator

Sports Update

Flo and Saskia compete in U13 Hockey Regional Finals
Last Sunday, Flo and Saskia in Year 7 travelled to Guildford for the U13 Hockey regional South-East finals with their Sevenoaks Hockey Club side. The team played well with Saskia in goal and Flo in defence; they were in a competitive group, losing only to the eventual finalists and winners, eventually qualifying for the 3^rd place, bronze medal match, against Sussex rivals East Grinstead. The match was close and after going a goal down they worked well as a team and managed to equalise. With no time left to go for the win they found themselves in a penalty shoot out. Saskia saw her team through with a 100% save record – diving to make her final save and secure her team a bronze medal! Well done to both of them, we are very proud of all they have achieved with their Hockey this year. 

Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 29th April - Athletics Diamond League
Wednesday 3^rd May - U13A Cricket vs Worth
Wednesday 3^rd May - U13A Tennis vs Roedean
Thursday 4^th May - U17A Cricket vs Downe House

Mayfield’s Dressage Team Qualify for Nationals

Last weekend Mayfield’s Dressage team, featuring Millie, Cordie, Emilia and Polina, competed at Golden Cross, where they performed superbly to qualify for the National Championships later in the year.  There was success in the individual events as well, with Emilia winning the Preliminary Class, and Cordie coming second in the Novice Class – with both girls securing their place at the National Championships. Congratulations to all involved!

Jill Barker, Director of Riding

International Fair

Last Saturday, the International English department held their International Fair for the boarders in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. It was an opportunity for our international pupils to showcase their countries with a range of activities for the girls to enjoy.

The Mexican themed session had the girls learning the Payaso de Rodeo dance and then testing their knowledge about Mexico with a Kahoot quiz. The girls all enjoyed the delicious nachos with homemade guacamole and quesadillas.

2023 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit so Mrs Kilvington brought in Buster her rabbit for the girls to hold and entertain. They were also shown some Chinese calligraphy, and made and decorated rice balls to eat.

Lastly, in the European themed room, the girls were taught the Ukrainian alphabet and learnt some phrases helped along by some Ukrainian pastries and biscuits made by Yasmina’s grandmother. To finish off the session, the girls enjoyed some mindful colouring and dot to dot drawings of European landmarks.

A special shout out to the Year 10 girls who ran these sessions for all their hard work and enthusiasm especially Sophia, Mary, Valeria and Isabella (Mexico), Yasmina and Kseniia (Ukraine), Dora and Sherene (China/Hong Kong).

Mrs Gibson, International English teacher

Year 9 Social with Tonbridge School

Last Saturday, our Year 9 girls travelled to Tonbridge Boys’ School for a disco. Thankfully the sun was still shining when they headed off and they came home tired but full of fun stories.

Helen Lavery, Assistant Housemistress - St Gabriel’s House

Gabs’ Girls Celebrate St George’s Day with Scones

On Sunday some of our Year 10s celebrated St George’s Day in a very English way by making scones. We wanted to try something different so had a go at making 3-ingredient scones with one of the ingredients being lemonade! They turned out delicious and were enjoyed by all with tea and jam, as all good scones should be!

Helen Lavery, Assistant Housemistress - St Gabriel’s House

Welly Walking Club

The welly walkers have been out and about this week enjoying the sunshine and mud!

Mrs Gibson, International English teacher

An invitation to our Music Scholars' Evening

Join us next Thursday evening for a concert showcasing our Scholars' musical talents. Refreshments from 18.30, with the concert in Gresham from 19.00. 
Please email Rebecca Allen on rallen@mayfieldgirls.org If you would like to attend.

Ronan’s Reflection

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is known in the Church as Good Shepherd Sunday. The responsorial psalm for the Mass is the beautiful, familiar and comforting, Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff -
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that he has come to give us life, and life to the full. He promises that we ‘shall not want’, if we only place our trust in him. As the Shepherd, he promises us leadership, guidance, safety, comfort, and fulfilment. As the Gate, he promises to lead us to the safety of the Father’s embrace.

This weekend, we see in Jesus the model of how we are called to be; anyone who is entrusted with the care of others is also a shepherd. Parents, guardians, grandparents, teachers, boarding staff - indeed, anyone involved in the care of our Mayfield girls is called to be a shepherd. We have a duty to protect them, a duty to guide them, a duty to provide for them, a duty to care for them.

And perhaps most of all, we have a duty to be a good example - to lead our girls in right paths. To live Christian lives, to pray for and with our children, and to lead them to the Father. And if we can manage that, we can rest in the knowledge that ‘goodness and mercy shall follow them, and they shall dwell in the house of the Lord their whole lives long.’

Please note: There is NO Sunday Mass this weekend in the school. Mass instead will be celebrated at 11:30 on Monday morning, the Feast of St Joseph the Worker. All members of the Mayfield community are welcome to attend.

Due to Fr Patrick’s illness, there will be no Tuesday evening Mass this week.

Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

News from The Friends

Year 9 Parents and Guardians
Drinks in Tunbridge Wells on 11 May at 7.30 pm. Please contact Jo on wanjhealing@hotmail.com.