E-weekly Issue 247 - 17 November 2023

Welcome

This week we welcomed record numbers of prospective pupils to Mayfield for our 11+, 13+ and 16+ assessments. It has been a pleasure to meet the girls taking the assessments, and their families, and I look forward to seeing them start at Mayfield next September.

Congratulations to Mayfield’s Justice and Peace Group, who raised almost £2,500 for the Cardinal Hume Centre with their ‘Sleep Out’ last Friday. A spectacular success!

Last night was one of the highlights of our musical year, with fantastic performances from our talented musicians, as we celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music.

Finally, a date for the diary. In December we will be hosting Live Crib, one of Mayfield School's oldest, and proudest traditions. Each year for over 60 years, the students have recreated the timeless story of Mary and Joseph, being turned away from the inn, and finding shelter in the stable - otherwise known as Mayfield's 14th Century Chapel. You are warmly invited to attend Live Crib on Monday 11^th December, Tuesday 12^th December and Thursday 14^th December. No booking is required. We hope to see you there!

With very best wishes,

Jonathan

Sleep Out

Last Friday night, 18 girls from Year 11 and 12 slept out on what turned out to be a cold but dry night in order to raise awareness and funds for the Cardinal Hume Centre in London, which supports people who are homeless.

We began our evening by reflecting on what a home is and what it provides us with and shared our thoughts with each other. Then we set up the area where we would be sleeping by raiding the recycling for cardboard and laying it down for warmth in front of the Mayfield Chapel, where we hoped we would not get rained on. Once everything was set up we went to the school dining room at the end of supper time to see what was left over that we could eat. The girls had no choice over the food that was offered – thankfully it was pizza night! The girls then went on a hunt for firewood for the fire pit that we were very kindly able to borrow, which kept everyone warm. At that point we had two very welcome visitors from the Upper Sixth who led us in some karaoke with their portable speaker, thoroughly entertaining us. Card games were played, and we kept moving as much as possible to keep warm.

At about 11pm we did some fun exercises to warm up enough to get into our sleeping bags and try to get some sleep. Luckily the weather was kind to us, and it stayed dry, and we did manage to sleep a little... despite the cold. The girls were incredibly resilient and positive throughout. We were very pleased the next morning to enjoy a full English breakfast thanks to our wonderful catering staff here at Mayfield, and of course our own homes and warm beds on Saturday night.

Thank you to all those generous supporters of the event, which raised £2,435 in total. Thank you also to Harriet, Rachel, Mr Doy, Miss Starr and Miss Staunton who visited us throughout the evening to keep our spirits up.

Mrs Gaelle McGovern, Head of Religious Studies

Anti-Bullying Week

We have 14 Anti-Bullying Ambassadors that span Years 9-13 who are a unique and brilliant group of individuals that share the same vision. They have discussed the matter of wanting the whole community to feel safe in our school environment so that everyone can flourish. All our Ambassadors have attended the training provided by The Diana Award and are all very passionate about empowering the community with the knowledge and skills to work towards eradicating bullying behaviour and providing support for their peers.

The Ambassadors kicked off Anti-Bullying Week by joining Andy's Odd Socks Day, and managed to transform this into Odd Socks Week. This is because the ambassadors believe that every pupil should have intrinsic value and worth in who they are and should embrace their uniqueness and autonomy. They then made it into a whole school game of 'spot the ambassador' in a bid to encourage the community to approach them so they could reveal their identity. The pupil who collects the most names wins a prize.

In short, the girls have certainly spent the week practising what they preach and have been brilliant at celebrating what makes them unique. The Ambassadors have been working incredibly hard to spread the work about 'spotting bullying behaviour' and have also guided the community on how to be an 'upstander'.

Here is a list of just some of the things they have been up to behind the scenes:

• Introduction of 'Feel Good Fridays' - The Ambassadors’ 'Feel Good Friday' playlist will fill the lunch halls
• Creation of whole school games
• Creation of information posters
• Crafting 'Kindness Cards'
• Working with the IT department to get their own email address set up (antibullying@mayfieldgirls.org)

To finish the week off they organised for the whole school to join them today for a 'whole school odd socks day'.

Sophie Auer

Singing Workshop for cast of The Addams Family

On Thursday the cast of The Addams Family school production, students from Years 7-13, were treated to a singing workshop with Dr. Ward, who heroically stepped in at the last moment when the West End Musical Director we had booked had to pull out. The students are progressing well with their harmonious and creepy vocals. Performances are being taken to Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Well on Thursday 1^st February and Friday 2^nd February. Tickets will be going on sale very soon!

Ms Victoria Nash, Director of Drama and Media

Inter-House Debating

On Wednesday morning, the Sixth form gathered in the Concert Hall for the Inter-House Debating finals between Avila and Bakhita. 

Students: Francesca W, Ayo and Imogen (Bakhita) and Sophie against Charlotte H, Charlene and Greta (Avila)

The motion was: "This house believes that the world would be better if run by women."

Very challenging as it was a "scratch debate" which means the motion was revealed only minutes before the exam. The candidates were impressive, showcasing their speaking and thinking ability. The result was a passionate and successful debate.

Charlene (Avila) commented: "Inter-House debating has been my first ever experience in formal and competitive public speaking. By standing in front of a crowd of people and being able to perform my speech, I already am proud of myself by stepping out of my comfort zone. Inter-House debating has helped me regain my confidence and let me try a difficult challenge."

Congratulations to Bakhita for their win.

Mr Paul Ferguson, Head of Politics

Sports News

Hockey Results
Saturday provided mixed results, but nevertheless, it is always a pleasure to play Roedean and there is much to celebrate in the progression and performances of all the teams.

1st- 0-1 Loss
A shout-out to the coaches' player of the game, Flo B (Year 12), who only returned to Hockey a few weeks ago. Her decision-making in attacking play was outstanding. Another star player shout-out to the 1st Team Captain, Rachel S (Year 13), for her agile performance in goal. There is no shot that she is afraid to save; she takes putting your body on the line to the next level.

2nd- 1-0 Win
A great performance from Mayfield's 2nds, with the winning goal a sweet shot from the top of the D. Congratulations to Emma N (Year 13) for finding the backboard. A star player mention must be given to Heidi B (Year 11), who worked relentlessly all over the pitch.

U15A- 1-1 Draw
The U15s are having a fantastic season, and should all be so proud of the progress they are making. With no time left on the clock, Mayfield had one last chance to score, after they were awarded a short corner. With Roedean fighting for the win, and Mayfield fighting for the draw, Alex H (Year 10) took a strong slap hit to goal from the top of the D. The defenders tried to stop it, but with the pace Alex created, the ball deflected off their stick and Mayfield were able to finish the game level. 

U14A- 0-6 Loss
This scoreline does not reflect the game, and the girls showed significant improvement between the halves. The score at half time was 5-0, and then to return and only have a 1-0 second half was fantastic. This is testament to the progression in positional organisation, and their tenacity in working together to hunt the ball down.

Netball U18A - Sisters n Sport Shield
This is the first year we have entered an u18 team into the Sisters n Sport Shield competition and despite losing in the 3rd Round, the squad have played some outstanding Netball.

The competition started on 26th September with the girls beating Burgess Hill (25-15). On 7th November we then travelled to Howard of Effingham and beat them (26-21). Earlier this week we faced The Canterbury Academy in the 3rd round.

It was a fiercely fought, well-matched game, one that saw an incredible comeback from Mayfield to almost claw it back. Unfortunately Canterbury gained control of the game halfway through the 3rd quarter and took the overall win.

A special mention must go to the 1st Team Captain Maria U (Year 13), who has not only been awarded coaches' player in two out of the three games, but also holds the distinction of being awarded opposition’s player of the match across all three fixtures. A well-deserved result for her outstanding work both on and off the court.

To say we are proud of them is an understatement. Bring on the Netball term!

Important Fixture Update

Saturday 18th November 2023
ALL fixtures against Cranbrook have been cancelled. Please check parent/guardian emails for more details.

Hockey Tournament

Last Friday, the PE department welcomed local U12 Hockey teams for our annual tournament. 

First up was a workshop covering attacking play, defending, ball manipulation and a goalkeeper station. All the players worked hard in less-than-ideal weather conditions and made great progress. These new skills were demonstrated in the round robin tournament, where some excellent hockey was played. Cumnor House came out winners, with Mayfield second, Skippers Hill third and Bromley High fourth. 

The PE department would like to thank the students taking Sports Leadership as their enrichment. All of them showed great enthusiasm, interacted wonderfully with the students, and were brilliantly helpful all afternoon - well done girls! 

Mrs Nixon

Remembrance Sunday

It was an honour to take boarding representatives from all year groups to lay a wreath on behalf of Mayfield School at the village remembrance service last Sunday. The students observed the two-minute silence and we were all moved by reflective readings and the playing of the last post. The rest of the boarding community also held reflective moments for remembrance in their own houses. 

Deborah Bligh, Senior Deputy Head

MESSy News

In MESSy this week, we focused on learning more about companies who campaign for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly world. Two companies we wanted to share more information about are 4Ocean and Surfers Against Sewage.

4Ocean is a company that sells products with the aim of replacing single-use plastic with alternatives such as reusable bags and water bottles. The profits made from selling products go towards the expense of collecting plastic from the ocean, to help both the inhabitants of the ocean, and indirectly, help us. These plastics are then reused to create eco-friendly bracelets and other jewellery. This is an appealing way to help solve a dire issue, with nearly 10 million pieces of plastic entering the ocean per year, leaving microplastics in our food and drinks.

Learn more about 4Ocean

A similar company that helps clean up the ocean is Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). They are a UK-based charity aiming to rid the oceans of plastic. SAS are also creating educational programmes and campaigns to educate communities about the dangers of plastic to ocean wildlife. SAS also has a shop which sells products from hoodies to reusable tote bags, and all proceeds go towards their mission.

Learn more about Surfers Against Sewage (SAS)

Lucy, Year 13

News from the Swim Squad

The Swimming Squad swam well against Lingfield and Sevenoaks this week. Despite races being shorter than expected due to some time constraints, I am hopeful that when we receive the full results there will be new PBs for some of the swimmers. The squad are now looking forward to hosting Burgess Hill School in their next gala on Monday 27^th Nov.

Mrs Pippa Whitby

Information Regarding Upcoming 'Brain Day' Lecture

The Year 12 Psychology students and Year 13 Psychology and Biology students are looking forward to the upcoming Brain Day lectures on Tuesday 21st November. Dr Guy Sutton will also be presenting his lecture on 'Inside the Teenage Brain' at 4:45pm in the Sixth Form Lecture Room. All Mayfield parents, guardians and staff are invited to attend what promises to be a very insightful talk. If you have not already done so, please click on the link below to confirm your attendance.

RSVP - Brain Day Lecture

We look forward to seeing you there!

Miss Charmaine Noyes, Head of Psychology

SHCJ Conference

Mrs Bligh has spent the last three days at the Society of the Holy Child Jesus education conference in Dublin. This was a rich opportunity to spend time with sisters from the order and members of staff from our sister schools discussing the legacy of our founder Cornelia Connelly, and how we continue to celebrate this in our schools through our unique ethos of 'Actions Not Words' and preparing to meet the needs of the age.

A highlight was attending a special service of remembrance at the Holy Child Kiliney school, where the mass intention was for Antonia Beary and the Mayfield School community. 

All conference delegates left with a shared hope of forging stronger links across all SHJC schools throughout the world, with more opportunities for staff and pupil exchange trips. 

Weekend Activities in Gabs

We had a super busy weekend in St Gabriel’s. On Friday evening all our Year 9 boarders made a chocolate dipped apple, decorated with either sprinkles or pretzels, to have as a snack on Saturday. Not wanting to waste any chocolate, they went on to make rice krispie buns as well!

On Saturday evening, many of our Year 10 students headed off to their social at Tonbridge School. Those of us remaining joined the other boarding houses in watching the village fireworks display. Many got into the spirit with face paints, glo stick headbands and lots more snacks! We returned to St Gabriel’s and enjoyed some sparklers, where obviously everybody tried to write their names!

On Sunday, 20 of our Year 9 girls went to Tunbridge Wells to enjoy a spot of shopping. Meanwhile back at Gabs, some Year 10 girls made a delicious sticky toffee pudding, which was the perfect way to warm up from the cold weather we are now experiencing.

Mrs Helen Lavery, St Gabriel's Assistant Housemistress

Making Poppies

Saturday was the 11th day of the 11th month when we honour the sacrifice of those who have died in war. Boarders from Gabs and Leeds spent the afternoon making poppies to mark the occasion, using both felt and stitching, and paper, paint and glue. We then took our poppies to the Chapel for quiet contemplation and to listen to a range of war poems written about the experiences of World War I, in honour of the dead.

We read a range of war poetry from the very well-known, 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon and Rupert Brooke's 'The Soldier', to the less familiar, 'I Sit and Sew' by Alice Dunbar Nelson, reflecting a female experience of the Great War, and Imtiaz Dharker's 'A Century Later (2014)', which explores the "battle" undertaken by female education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

Dr Joanna Weddell & Joanna Staunton

Library News

November is Empathy Action Month, an initiative led by EmpathyLab UK, a charity that promotes taking action to improve understanding and wellbeing, especially for young people.

A growing body of research shows that reading can help to develop deeper empathy and understanding.

Find out more
The library is supporting this by promoting some of our wonderful books that explore issues and experiences through fiction. Our pupil librarians have designed reading well and empathy bookmarks, if you need some ideas of titles to read, or borrow something from the display in the main library.

Live Crib

Next Week's Menu

Menu w/c 20th Nov