E-weekly Issue 245 - 20 October 2023

Welcome

Mayfield Poetry Festival

Two award-winning poets, Jess Mookherjee and Abegail Morley, presided over our day-long Festival on Wednesday. They read some of their poems, then rehearsed and judged the Eisteddfod for Years 7 and 8.

The finalists performed a wide range of poems, impressing the judges with the sophistication and variety as well as the ‘moving performances’. The winners are named below.

Jess and Abegail also ran workshops for all pupils in Years 9 – 11 with a special session for sixth formers and scholars.

Students responded thoughtfully to the poets’ readings, as well as hearing all about the craft of writing and the editing choices a poet makes. The girls asked salient questions and did some creative writing inspired by the poems they’d heard. They remarked on how valuable it was to be able to hear and interact with contemporary poets.

EISTEDDFOD WINNERS 2023
Best Overall: Isla  (Y7) – ‘The Language of Cat’
Runner up: Saskia  (Y8) – ‘Medusa’
Honourable mentions: Nancy  - ‘Spellbound’ (Y7) and Alice - ‘Envy’ (Y7)

Best group: Nicole and Izzy – ‘Daffodils’ (Y8)
Runner up: Y8 International English Class - ‘What is Pink?’

Best performance about an animal: Gigi – ‘The Smartest Dog’ (Y8)
Runners up: Eloise and McKinley – ‘The Tortoiseshell Cat’ (Y7) and Amelia and Flo – ‘Hummingbird’ (Y8)

Best endurance: Janie  – ‘Hymn to the Belly’ (Y7)
Runner up: Christina  – ‘The Maldive Shark’ (Y7)

Best ‘Medusa’: Imogen, Izzy and Valentina (Y8)

Mrs Jane Leslie, English Teacher

Year 11 Day of Recollection

Gratitude - one of the most important things you can do for your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing - was the theme for the Year 11 Day of Recollection at Ashburnham Place on Monday. The girls reflected on the place it has in their lives, and how they are blessed and recorded what they are grateful for in their gratitude journals. A truly wholesome day rounded off with homemade soup, prepared by our girls using vegetables harvested from the kitchen garden!

Mrs Jodi Stone, Head of Middle School, & Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

Exploring the Town Planning System

On Tuesday, the Year 8s investigated the many issues surrounding the need for new housing in the local area. They spent much of the day exploring Crowborough, looking at some of the new and older housing estates as well as the town centre. They had an opportunity to carry out surveys to discover the views of residents. Unsurprisingly, they found that many of the locals did not want more houses spoiling their views and increasing congestion. On their return to school, they were given a presentation by Wealden Council's planning department, who explained how the planning system worked, why housing was being built and the issues around giving planning permission for such large housing estates.

Mrs Morris and Mr Adams

Cardboard Chair Challenge

Mrs Aherne, Mrs Davies and Mrs Stone had the difficult task of judging the Year 9 STEM cardboard chair challenge! Using only cardboard, with no glue or tape, the girls have been designing and making their incredible creations during Life Skills. The groups showed great resilience and teamwork, and the girls became budding engineers through the process. We saw an array of fantastic designs which were accompanied by sales pitches. Prizes were awarded for design, marketing campaigns and teamwork.

Mrs Rachel Davies, STEM Coordinator

Politics Trip to Parliament

On Monday, a group of Sixth Form Politics students travelled up to London to visit the Houses of Parliament. We had a nice walk along the river from Charing Cross to Parliament. Our tour was excellent and the girls impressed the guide with their prowess on the constitutional set-up of the UK. Sadly, MP Nusrat Ghani had to cancel her appointment with us, but we did receive a consolation prize of sorts; we saw Matt Hancock, who came to say a few words to the girls as they were seated in the Opposition's seats!

Mr Paul Ferguson, Head of Politics

"I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces in Parliament, especially the surprise visit from Matt Hancock! It was interesting to learn more about the journey of our democratic system and all the constructions and restorations Parliament has undergone."

Rachel (Year 13 Politics pupil)

New arrivals!

 Our new axolotls arrived in the science department this week. We had some fantastic entries to our 3D Biology Art competition and the winners were able to choose their names! Our winners included Amelie from Year 7 with her fantastic Lego axolotl; Ilaria, Eleanor and Gabby from Year 11 with their axolotl cake; and Eva in Year 9 with her polar bear. Close runner-ups were Quinn in Year 13 and Aurelie in Year 7 with her lovely handmade soft toy axolotl. The names of our new axolotls? Little Jim, Alfonso and Boba! 

Mrs Laura Lewis, Head of Biology

Year 12 Farm Club

Mrs Rachel Davies, Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Senior Mathematical Challenge

Earlier this term, Year 12 and Year 13 Mathematicians were entered for the UKMT Senior Mathematical Challenge, a 90 minute paper of challenging Maths questions. The Mathematics Department are pleased to report the following results:

Gold certificates: Charlotte C
Silver certificates: Joyce Y, Abigail R, Elizabeth VH, Sabrina Z, Sherry Z, Katherine C, Helen J, Nicole K, Pinky T
Bronze certificates: Isabella D, Evangeline M, Katie C, Francesca F, Charlotte H, Angela I, Kseniia K, Ellie K, Nikki Q, Nicole O, Coco W, Charmaine W

Charlotte also qualified for the Senior Kangaroo which takes place next term.

Well done to all who participated!

Mrs. Sally Howie, Deputy Head of Mathematics

Backpacks

In form time earlier this term, Year 7 girls explored the important topic of backpacks. They learned about the damage that heavy backpacks can do to the human spine, as well as some top tips for correctly loading their backpacks and how to carry them safely! A poster design competition then followed, with the winner earning points for her House and her poster being displayed in all Lower School form rooms. Congratulations to Janie for her winning design which was packed with useful information and draws the audience's eyes with its bright colour palette!

Mr Dan Smith, Deputy Head of Lower School

Sports Update

Hockey Success 
A successful week for Mayfield Sport with many wins to celebrate. The highlights include: 

• U12 A & B teams winning their Hockey matches against Sutton Valence. 

• The U14A team making it through to the third round of the Sisters in Sport Cup, beating Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School 13-10. 

• A fantastic set of fixtures against Brighton College and so many learning experiences for the girls to take away. A special mention to the U15s who won 5-0! 

• A 0-0 draw for our Lower School Football team against TWGGS .

Lower School – Avila 
Middle School – Stein 
Seniors - Avila 

Staff V Parents Football 
Last Friday saw the long-awaited rematch of the Staff v Parents Football, with the Staff seeking revenge after being convincingly beaten in last year's fixture. Despite the Staff lacking any real attacking intent, the game was nicely balanced at 0-0 until the Parents made a breakthrough with a good finish to take the score to 1-0 at half-time. The Parents secured the deserved win for the second year in a row with a late goal to ensure the game finished 2-0, but more importantly, go 3-2 up in the series as we head to Netball  in the Spring term.  

The biggest success is the amount of people interested in participating in these events and without them, they wouldn’t run, so a big thank you from me to everyone who signed up to play and who helped me with the logistics and running of the event. 

Mr Jordan Walser (Photos courtesy of Sophie Scriven) 

Upcoming Fixtures  
Monday 06 November: Senior Hockey Tournament  
Tuesday 07 November: Senior Netball Cup Match 
Wednesday 08 November: Cross Country Regional Round 
Friday 10 November: Mayfield Prep School Hockey Tournament 
Saturday 11 November: Snr, U15 and U14 As & Bs V Roedean 

Pastoral Updates

Refurbishment of St Gabriel's Boarding House
We are excited to share that Gab's is currently undergoing refurbishment. A large social area for the girls is being modernised and brightened for all Gabs' girls to benefit from. In addition, work is underway to second floor dorms, bathrooms and social spaces - we are all really excited to see this happen and look forward to improved facilities for the Year 9 and 10 boarders.

The Hub
The Sixth Form Enterprise Team have been inspiring in their approach to re-opening the Hub. They are busy talking decor and layout and have canvased the student body on how best the area could be used. We are looking forward to the re-opening early next term and to a whole host of student led activities taking place in the Hub. It will become student led (with staff supervision) and as such will run like a business with all profits going straight into improving student experience. The student team will therefore learn all about running a business - we wish them the very best of luck and look forward to sharing updates after half term.

The Wellbeing Centre
Another call for any parent wishing to share thoughts about the Wellbeing Centre or join the working party (please email ktowers@mayfieldgirls.org should you wish to do either of these). Mr Forster and I had a tour of the centre this week and it is developing beautifully - we cannot wait until it launches in the Spring and becomes a real 'heart space' for the Mayfield community.

Peer Mentorship
I have been so impressed by the array of pupil leadership at Mayfield - so many students are acting as big sisters, wellbeing ambassadors, friendship support and subject mentors. A lot has been planned for the second half of term, and all with the focus of 'kindness', so our students can look forward to even more fun, friendship and support in the lead up to Christmas.

Boarding Trip to London

On Sunday we had our whole boarding trip to London. It was a beautiful sunny day, although very chilly!

On Sunday, Leeds House explored Hamleys (the oldest and largest toy store in the world!), M&Ms World and the Lego Store. We then jaunted through Chinatown - obligatory bubble teas in hand - before finishing the day by taking in the London Transport Museum.

Gabs' boarders followed a bit of a walking tour around London, taking in the various sights as they went. We started off by making our way round Trafalgar Square to The Mall, and then walked up The Mall to Buckingham Palace, where we were lucky enough to watch the Changing of the Guard, with musical support from the Band of the Grenadier Guards. It was quite a sight! From here we walked through Green Park and past Fortnum and Mason across to Regent Street, before stopping at Hamleys. The girls enjoyed browsing the various toys and buying waffles and ice cream before we headed out through Soho to Chinatown and Leicester Square for lunch and a browse around the shops. The final stop of the day was Covent Garden for a bit of shopping before heading back to the coach to go home. 

The girls in Micks started off their day in London with a stroll through Victoria Embankment Gardens, and along to Somerset House. Here, we explored the beautiful architecture of the buildings and enjoyed ourselves in an interactive installation outside in the courtyard. We then took a short walk down the Strand to Covent Garden and Chinatown, where the girls divided into smaller groups, to find a nice spot for lunch and then hit the shops! A chilly but fun day was had by all.

The girls in Dunstan’s enjoyed a brisk walk in the sunshine to the Tate Modern, where they were able to freely wander the exhibitions and bask in what the modern art world has to offer. This was followed by a lovely stroll to Covent Garden, where they then had the opportunity to have lunch and enjoy a spot of shopping. The coach journey home was very quiet, which is normally a good indication of a day well spent!

This Week in Food and Nut…

This week Culinary Skills students made homemade flatbreads and tzatziki,  served alongside grilled chicken kebabs - healthy and delicious! 

Year 10 demonstrated a high level of skill in making whisked sponges, which were then decorated to create mini gateaus. 

Mrs Sue Smeaton, Head of Food and Nutrition

Library News

Last week we received a selection of books bought by two of our Year 8 librarians. Nicole and Isabelle helped organize, advertise and sell second hand books from the library in a summer term book sale. The proceeds raised were shared between the school charity and buying some titles for the lower school library.

Nicole and Isabelle searched online for titles that they thought would be enjoyed by girls in Years 7 and 8. They ordered sequels to titles already on the shelves, new titles and old favourites. Good business acumen was displayed as they swapped titles in the basket to make the most of the ‘buy 3, get 4th free’ offer, before settling on the final selection. Once the books arrived, Isabelle and Nicole came to learn how to process the books prior to taking them to the lower school library. These are now available to borrow. Thanks for your help, girls!

Jan Blagden, Librarian

Charity Sleep Out

A group of Mayfield girls are going to sleep outside with no tents on Friday 10^th November to experience a glimpse of the collective reality of the approximately 271,000 homeless people in the UK today. Without phones, access to creature comforts or the general privileges of our daily lives, we hope to create an experience that is as authentic as possible.

We are hoping to raise money for the Cardinal Hume Centre, a charity that supports homeless people in London. Please support us if you can at our JustGiving page, thank you. 

Our JustGiving page
Katie, Alexa, and Sophie 

An Invitation to a Talk on Raising Resilient Children

We are delighted that Alicia Drummond, founder of Teen Tips and The Wellebing Hub, will be joining us on Wednesday 8th November to talk to parents about raising resilient children.

Alicia’s talk will explore the four pillars of resilience, the role of risk in building resilience, and how parents can create environments which give children the qualities and skills they will need to overcome the challenges and vicissitudes of life

The talk will start at 18:30 and be followed by drinks and nibbles.

All parents and guardians are welcome.

Please RSVP here

Cornelian Lecture

Last week Dr Claire Dunican, post-doctoral research fellow at Imperial College London's Faculty of Medicine gave a fascinating talk to our girls about her career in academia and her work on Malaria. Dr Dunican gave an excellent insight into her route into university, through her Masters and PhD, giving a real flavour of what life as an academic in one of the world's leading universities is like. Please find a link to the talk below:

Watch Claire’s presentation

From the School Shop

Billing in December
Please be advised that the bills parents and guardians will receive from the school shop for purchases your daughters/ wards have made in the Autumn Term will only run to the 30^th November 2023. Any purchases made in December 2023 will appear on your Spring Term bill.

Christmas Shop
The Christmas Shop will be open after half term (picture below from last year). All the items on sale are pocket money prices (95% are under £5).

We also offer a gift wrap service where girls can leave their gifts to be wrapped and then collected at the next break (30p). We can also wrap gifts bought elsewhere – the standard charge includes a bow and tag as well as the gift wrap of your choice.

There will also be Christmas cards, a small amount of Christmas decorations and wrap and tags available to buy – again all under £5. We can take cards and cash as well as put items on account.

Mayfield Ted is back
The Mayfield Ted has arrived back in the school shop. We have the four house colours, including the new Stein colour of lilac as well as baby pink and blue hoodies. The bears all come with a bespoke Mayfield Gurnsey Jumper or Hoodie and cost £12.50 each.

Please remember to have the bill payer’s permission to put items on your school shop account.

Mrs Susan Bowles, School Shop Manager

See ‘What The Dickens!’ at Mayfield over Half Term

Buy tickets