E-weekly Issue 266 - 17 May 2024

Welcome

It has been wonderful meeting so many parents over the past few weeks. This morning, it was an absolute pleasure to invite the year group representatives and Friends of Mayfield in for breakfast. Our discussion was not only productive but also filled with fantastic ideas for the future.

Last weekend, our community gathered for the Mayfair village festival, where our girls delighted everyone with their Maypole dance. They had fun running stalls too, and our art and ceramic work, proudly displayed in a local shop, received numerous compliments.

Last night, the Magic of Mayfield show was truly captivating, featuring a variety of dance and vocal performances from both students and staff. A special shoutout to Mr Doy, Mr Meek, and Mrs Motoc - take a well-deserved bow!

Warm regards,

Deborah Bligh, Headmistress

In the News This Week...

Year 13 Celebration

Performing Shakespeare Competition

Model United Nations at Royal Hospital School

Wealden Schools Partnership Quiz

Mental Health Awareness Week

OC Receives Gold DofE Award at Buckingham Palace

Leeds Boarders Shine at Mayfair

Boarders Create Optical Illusions

St Gabriel's House Organise Marian Procession and Mass

Magic of Mayfield

Women's FA Cup Final

Actions Not Words, in Action!

Sports News

'We Walk Together' Challenge Update

News from the Library

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week

Calling all Year 11 Parents...

Year 13 Celebration

Following in the footsteps of previous years, our Year 13 students went out with a bang last week. There was an array of fancy dress throughout the week with themed days, including dressing up as their favourite teachers, role models and as someone whose name starts with their own initials. A big thank you must go to our chefs for the delicious barbeque they cooked to mark the start of study leave. We wish the Leavers 2024 well as they embark on their A Level exams.

Mrs Rachel Davies, Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Performing Shakespeare Competition

Aurelie and Isla gave another brilliant performance of their scene from ‘Twelfth Night’ at the regional finals of this national competition, which was held at Skippers Hill Preparatory School on Tuesday evening.

Aurelie was agile and compelling as the vivacious Viola – disguised as Cesario – and Isla was elegant and convincing as Olivia, increasingly intrigued by the ‘young man’ before her. The scene was full of energy and commitment, and they brought the Bard’s words to life beautifully.

It is really impressive that two Year 7 pupils shone among much older performers and got this far in such a prestigious competition. They were narrowly pipped to the post by another pair and so won’t be going to the national final at the Globe this time. There’s always next year though...!

Mrs Jane Leslie, Teacher of English

Model United Nations at Royal Hospital School

Last weekend we had an exciting time at Royal Hospital School, where 14 of our MUNers represented Slovenia and DPRK in fascinating debates on seven different committees such as security council, environment, education and more. There was also a special Harry Potter committee where two delegates represented Lord Voldemort and Luna Lovegood.  

"I thought the conference itself was an amazing experience and a good opportunity to develop my confidence. I also really enjoyed the 4 course dinner as it allowed me to socialise with delegates from other schools while participating in an engaging debate. Thank you so much to Mrs Kilvington and Miss Rakovska for organising this trip." - Annette, Year 9 

"I really enjoyed our MUN trip to Royal Hospital School as a delegate of North Korea. Not only did we get a chance to debate with delegates from other schools, we also got a chance to socialise during the formal dinner and Eurovision party. I was on the Political committee and had a fantastic time debating on the current global issues, particularly on the Question of Secularism. Thank you Mrs Kilvington and Miss Rakovska for organising this wonderful trip!" - Frances, Year 9 

"I had a fantastic time debating in the conservation committee at RoyMUN - It was a great opportunity to not only further my debating skills, but also to broaden my knowledge of deforestation and the current global issues surrounding it. I also had fun with the crisis about dinosaurs!" – Emma, Year 9 

"The RoyMUN conference was one full of intense debate where, in the education committee, we passed some quality resolutions and other more questionable ones. In response to the crisis, the invasion of dinosaurs on earth, one of the suggested amendments was to 'use a giant magnet to attract a comet to hit earth' because 'it has worked before'. Other than the in-committee discourse, I also enjoyed the opportunity to socialise with a range of people and even got to see delegates from previous conferences." - Iulia, Year 12 

"On the first night we enjoyed a formal dinner with a little starting debate. On Saturday I was taking part in various discussions on topics such as “Sales of arms to aggressive states” and “Personal protection and security” in the Disarmament committee I was a part of. We managed to vote for 2 resolutions during the day, that aimed to tackle the discussed issues. Then in the evening we had a Eurovision party, where we had some great fun. On the last day we were debating on the crisis topic in our committees, where everyone could contribute to form a resolution. At the end of the day we were at the awards giving, where Mayfield girls were awarded multiple times. To sum up, it was a great experience and a fun trip, where I improved my debating and public speaking skills and met many new people and additional thanks to Mrs Kilvington and Mrs Rakowska who made this trip possible. " - Kseniia, Year 12 

Mrs Kasia Kilvington, Head of International English

Wealden Schools Partnership Quiz

On Tuesday, we welcomed nine teams to Mayfield for the annual Wealden Partnerships Schools quiz. The Wealden Schools Partnership (WSP) was set up in 2022 and is constituted as a partnership of equals among schools in the maintained and independent schools in the Wealden area, working for the mutual benefit of all parties involved. The shared aim is the educational benefit of children based on a core belief that children in the Wealden area will be better served through cooperation and a recognition of the similarities of our objectives.  

This year the quiz was hosted by Mayfield school and delivered by quizmasters from the English department at Bede's senior school. Nine teams with pupils from Year 7 & 8 competed in an eight-round quiz featuring a variety of topics from science to dog breeds, music to literature. Mayfield's team, consisting of nine girls from Year 7, came an impressive second place in a very closely fought contest! They really worked together as a team, identifying each other's strengths and using this to their advantage to make sure they scored well across all rounds.  

Most importantly it was a great opportunity to bring a variety of pupils from different schools together from the Wealden area. The quiz was very close throughout and the varied content of the rounds ensured that everyone was able to contribute. It was a fun and enriching occasion that we look forward to repeating next year! 

“Thank you for organising the day. The students thoroughly enjoyed it and were asking if there were any more planned in the future. They loved the mix of schools and architecture of the buildings. They were disappointed not to return with a medal but we set this as a challenge for next time. Many thanks!”  - staff and students from Heathfield Community College.

Mrs Georgina Fletcher, Director of Partnerships and Outreach

Mental Health Awareness Week

This year, the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week was 'movement for mental health', which we reflected in activities throughout the week including walks through the countryside in Personal Development lessons, staff yoga sessions in the sunshine, and dressing in green colours to show unity for mental health awareness. Our mental health ambassadors made themselves visible by wearing green ribbons in their hair or on their wrists, and our athletes sported green ribbons when they were competing in their fixtures. 

We believe in the importance of everyone coming together to build a community where everyone can thrive; a community where good mental health is at the heart of what we do, creating an environment of support, encouragement and care.

OC Receives DofE Gold Award at Buckingham Palace

Congratulations to OC Maddie Bowles (2023), who went to Buckingham Palace on Monday 13^th May to receive her DofE Gold Award from HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.

"The weather was kind, and the event was full of young people from all walks of life making it a very happy and chatty morning. All the attendees were allowed to wander the grounds of the palace and there were three satellite stages set up for inspirational speakers who gave an insight into their world and what motivates them, with an opportunity for us to ask questions after.  Among the speakers this year were Tim Peake, the First British ESA to go into space; Cherish Finden, a judge on Bake Off: The Professionals; Harry Judd, the drummer of British boyband McFly; and Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, the youngest fire chief in the UK overseeing West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, who also has a PhD in behavioural neuroscience.

There was a tea and cake tent with complimentary bamboo recyclable travel mugs to take away and keep as a memento along with a lovely programme and plenty of time to chat to other fellow Gold Award recipients. After the speeches there was a walkabout and I was lucky enough to have a brief chat with the Duke.

If you are thinking of doing the DofE or have completed it – the trip to Buckingham Palace is well worth it and a fitting finale to the hard work you put into achieving your DofE Gold!"

It always makes Mayfield feel very proud when we hear back from our Gold DofE Award Holders and their special day at Buckingham Palace. Thank you, Maddie, for sending us your account of your Gold DofE award celebration.

Mrs Saunders, DofE Manager

Leeds Boarders Shine at Mayfair

The boarders in Leeds House put on a brilliant Maypole dance performance last Saturday for the Mayfair. They danced incredibly well after weeks of rehearsing and made the afternoon a success. It was a fantastic way to preserve and uphold a longstanding tradition for Mayfield.

A massive thank you to all the girls who danced and helped on the stall. It was fantastic seeing some great sales skills on display!

Miss Adel, Leeds Houseparent

Boarders Create Optical Illusions

On Saturday Year 9 and Year 10 boarders took advantage of the beautiful afternoon to design and take some optical illusion photographs. Using several props and their own hands they discovered the importance of distance and perspective in creating their images. Remember you may be fooled by what the eye sees!

Miss Noyes and Miss Collier Baggs

Magic of Mayfield

On Thursday, the Year 12 Events Management enrichment group hosted the first 'Magic of Mayfield' show. As part of their enrichment programme, they chose to hold a variety show for the girls to showcase their talents. The aim of the show was to raise money for Maggie’s, our school charity.

Pinky in Year 12 started the evening by singing ‘Fly Me to the Moon’, followed by another vocal performance of ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ by Izzy in Year 8.

Breanna brought a funny and marvellously well-acted monologue of ‘Wonder Boy’. We then heard from the first member of staff, when Miss Vardon sang ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’ accompanied by Nicole K in Year 12 on piano. The audience were then treated to Andrianna in Year 10 performing a modern pop melody with Beijing Opera singing, which was based on an opera singer forced to go onto the stage during a war. This feeling of sadness is expressed by the sad undertone in the music. This was a fantastic showcase of our girls wonderful and varied talents.

Alice in Year 7 followed this up with a beautiful rendition of ‘Not About Angels’ and our last vocal performance was ‘Part of Your World’ by Nicole O in Year 12, who brought us her inner mermaid!

Another highlight of the evening was a great piece of choreography by three of our Year 12 dancers, Charlene, Isabel and Aina with a K-Pop mash up. Finally the end of the evening was summed up by the School of Rock, the debut of the Mayfield Staff Band, comprising of Mr Doy, Mrs Motoc and Mr Meek – I’m sure they would love to grow the staff band in the future, so watch this space!

All of this was compared beautifully by Sophie and Francesca in Year 12 and the evening was well received by all.

As well as a fabulous evening, the girls have raised almost £300 for Maggie's!

Well done to the girls in the events team: Maddie T, Alice, Georgie, Freya, Chloe, Hannah, Maddie G, and Rikki.

Mrs Le Riche, Teacher of Music 

Women's FA Cup Final

On Sunday, we took 22 girls to Wembley for the Women’s FA Cup Final. The girls were treated to plenty of goals as Manchester United ran away to a brilliant 4-0 victory against Tottenham. 

"The trip to the FA Cup Final at Wembley was once again incredible and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It was great to see a new club win the title, and what made it even greater was the Spurs loss (sorry, not sorry!). Being able to go on these trips as a wind down and as some fun is always a lovely experience and well needed. Thank you to Mr Walser for organising it and to Miss Starr and Miss Auer for being our drivers!" - Emma, Year 13 

Actions Not Words, in Action!

On Sunday 28^th April, OC Clemmie Watson (2023) boarded a plane from London, bound for Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. She is spending three months living and working in the Sandra Jones Centre, a home for children in crisis, and Malibongwe primary school.

To say that Clemmie has hit the ground running would be an understatement! She has thrown herself into the life of the centre, and in just two weeks has become indispensable. She’s taking girls to horse riding and swimming lessons, running art lessons, supporting older girls with homework and, most importantly, has set up a toddler group, for the little ones too young to go the primary school. Every day she keeps them busy, and squealing with laughter.

Carol Smith, headteacher at Malibongwe, could not praise Clemmie enough. “She hasn’t complained once, not even about the terrible food!” Carol laughed in shock. She was amazed at Clemmie’s work ethic, her enthusiasm, her compassion and warmth, and her gentle humour. She’s already threatening to extend Clemmie’s stay at the Sandra Jones Centre!

Clemmie is 'Actions Not Words' in action. We are all incredibly proud of her, and cannot wait to hear more about her adventures in the SJC.

Learn more about the work of the centre and the primary school

If you are interested to hear about the work of the centre in person, then just wait until the next academic year when Carol and Debbie will be returning once again to Mayfield, from 14^th - 19^th September, to raise more vital funds for the SJC. 

Clemmie did not go out to Zimbabwe empty handed. We now have some little Steins, Assisis, Avilas and Bakhitas running round Bulawayo and, as you can see - a couple of very new and very excited Mayfield boys! 

Mr Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

Sports News

English Schools Athletics
On Tuesday, 26 junior and inter athletes went to the annual English Schools Competition at K2 in Crawley.  

It was a really positive day and the team camaraderie was at an all time high. There was a little bit of apprehension around the event, as for some athletes (especially the juniors) it was their first time competing. Needless to say the experienced athletes stepped up and rallied around them to give them the support to successfully participate in their event. We are so proud of all the athletes and cannot believe how many personal bests were achieved throughout the day.  

A huge congratulations to every athlete that represented Mayfield, however, a special mention to both our junior and inter relay teams for coming first across all the heats as having both teams win this part of the competition is no small feat. Finally, a huge well done and thank you to Sofia and Alex who have co-captained the squad brilliantly and led by example in every aspect imaginable. They summed up the event nicely:

"It was a great way to end the season! Spirits were high despite the early start courtesy of some bus bangers. Well done to the juniors, especially for their performance in track events, and to the inters for keeping the fields steady and the track quality top notch. Special mention to the relay teams for ending the day with a high. Thanks to everyone, the joy and support from the team was second to none and thank you teachers for making this all possible and keeping us all down to earth, with our heads in the game."

Overall standings 
Juniors - 6^th place  
Inters - 4^th place  

Diamond League Finals 
Emily in Year 7 is going to represent Mayfield's U15s at the Diamond League Final on Saturday. She is currently sitting in 3^rd place with her latest Diamond League time being 5:43.49. Nevertheless, after running a PB at English Schools of 5:35.00 she has demonstrated that she can run this distance faster than the athlete in 2^nd place. Good luck Emily, we are rooting for you!

Cricket

Block Fixture v Kent College
U13A
Despite the team not having played soft ball cricket in some time, the girls had a great game against Kent College. They played with freedom and attacked the game with grit and determination. They scored 281-3 v Kent College's 260-5. 

U13B 
The U13B team continued their 100% record in this cricket season with an impressive victory over Kent College by 43 runs. After winning the toss and choosing to field first, the girls showed the fruits of their hard work by bowling brilliantly and fielding with great intent.  

Batter of the game - Brianna 
Bowler of the game - Katya  

U13C
The team were in good spirits for their game against Kent College. They batted well, setting a positive tone for the match. Lucia hit a decisive six and Ari hit four 4s! It was a very exciting innings, with the run count constantly ticking over.  

Sadly, the power of KC's batting meant that they were able to capitalise on the accurate bowling and sneak ahead in the end. A fantastic game played by all. 

Batter of the game - Ari 
Bowler of the game - Edie 

U13D
The U13D had a very close game against Kent College that saw them take four early wickets courtesy of some impressive bowling by Dilys, Nicole, Mylana and Amaya and some great running when in bat. A big well done to Amaya and Amelia, scoring 20 runs in an impressive partnership, however, unfortunately Mayfield lost by 18 runs.  

Player of the match - Manuela  

U14 v U15 Internal T20 
Saturday saw us host a highly competitive and closely contested game as the U15s took on the U14s in an internal training game. 

The U15s finished their innings on 140-2 from their 20 overs.  
The U14s finished their innings on 141-6 from their 17.3 overs. 
The U14s won by 4 wickets. 

U14B v Brighton College  
The U14B team hosted Brighton College on Tuesday in a hardball pairs game. After losing the toss, Mayfield were put into bat first and started well. They were keeping the scoreboard ticking over, and after losing five wickets in their 15 overs, were able to finish on 67. 

The girls started brilliantly with the ball and in the field, and were able to take wickets at a consistent rate to keep the pressure on the Brighton College batters, eventually winning by an impressive 43 runs.  

U13 A-D v Sevenoaks  

U13A  
The U13A team continued their blistering form this season and beat Sevenoaks with a convincing 10 wicket win. 

Bowler of the Match - Saskia
Batter of the Match - Emilia 
Coaches Player - Flo

U13B 
The U13B team tasted defeat for the first time this season as they were defeated by 51 runs. The Mayfield run chase didn't go to plan, as after the first eight overs, we found ourselves on 0 (pairs rules where you lose five runs for a wicket). We then picked up much momentum, but left our final two pairs with too much to do, finishing our innings on 70. 

Batter of the game - Amenze E 
Bowler of the game - Katya B 

U13C  
A great afternoon of cricket for the U13C team. They have been working on attacking the ball when they are in bat, and it was lovely to see them moving positively towards the ball. Unfortunately, Sevenoaks had some strong batters that were hitting big 6s and they eventually ran out winners by 30 runs.  

Batter of the game - Ari  
Bowler of the game - Lucia

U13D 
What a fantastic afternoon of Cricket for our D team. It was a pleasure to watch them in action, seeing how well they were bowling, fielding and backing each other up. Well done to Fannie for the great bowling display.  

Batter of the game - Daniela  
Bowler of the game - Nicole

Upcoming Fixtures
Saturday 18th May - Diamond League athletics at Withdean Sports Complex
Saturday 18th May - U15A&B, U13A&B cricket v Benenden
Thursday 23rd May - U15A cricket v Worth School
Thursday 23rd May - U15A & U13A tennis v Uckfield Community Technology College

'We Walk Together' Challenge Update

News From the Library

The student librarians have been busy reading and reviewing books this week.

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week