E-weekly Issue 269 - 14 June 2024

Today's Year 11 BBQ

Welcome

I would like to take this opportunity to let our parent community know that Sister Jean and Sister Maria (who reside onsite in Stone House) will be leaving Mayfield at the end of September to join the SHCJ community in Harrogate.

Words will never adequately express our love, gratitude and admiration for the Sisters of the SHCJ, who created the School over 150 years ago and served it for so long. Whilst we are fully assured of the SHCJ's continued interest in - and prayers for - Mayfield,  there is no doubt the absence of their physical presence will be felt by the school community.

A tribute to them is planned for Mayfield Day with several of the Sisters present.

In September, we will be having a special celebration of thanksgiving for Sister Jean and Sister Maria. More information will be shared nearer the time.

Warm regards,

Deborah Bligh, Headmistress

In the News This Week...

Senior Deputy Treat for 150 House Point Recipients

Year 12 Devised Examination Performance

Year 7 Explore Eastbourne's Coastline

Biology & Geography Trip to Greenwich Park

Bronze DofE Assessed Expedition

Teatime Concert

Chaplaincy News

Testing the Telehandler at Froghole Farm

Lower School Girls Enjoy Social

Year 8 Get Creative in Maths

OC Isabel Receives Gold DofE Award

Sweet Treats in Culinary Skills

Sports News

Mayfield Summer Production - 'Tuesday'

News From the Library

Mayfield Day Cake Competition

Mayfield School Silent Auction 2024

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week

Next Week's Menu

Senior Deputy Treat for 150 House Point Recipients

It was so lovely to use the fantastic extensive grounds of Mayfield School to host my Senior Deputy Head treat for those girls who had achieved over 150 house points last term. The girls enjoyed toasting marshmallows and cooking bananas and chocolate over a lovely campfire. A big thank you to Tim Schooley and Katie Towers for their help in organising this.

Mrs Annabel Bunce, Senior Deputy Head

Year 12 Devised Examination Performance

Last night, A Level Drama students from Year 12 performed a devised piece which they have been creating over the past two terms. The work was inspired from the play text '100' set in an afterlife space, so the audience were immersed into an otherworldly atmosphere! Congratulations to Alice, Breanna, Leni, Tabby and Valentina for rising to the challenge, and creating and performing an innovative and thought-provoking piece! Thank you also to Mr Partington for his technical support.

Ms Victoria Nash, Director of Drama and Media

Year 7 Explore Eastbourne's Coastline

Last Friday, Year 7 students spent the day in Eastbourne investigating the coastline in the sunshine. In the morning they surveyed the beach, to enable them to draw beach profiles when they returned to the classroom. They also sampled the pebbles for size and compared the height of the beach either side of the groynes. This will help them work out which direction longshore drift is operating in and whether the groynes are making a difference to the beach. We also had an opportunity to discuss other types of coastal management and erosion on the nearby cliffs. In the afternoon we ventured onto the pier and the girls spent time interviewing members of the public and exploring the facilities and environmental quality of the area.

Mr Christopher Adams, Head of Geography

Biology & Geography Trip to Greenwich Park

On Tuesday we took Year 10 students to Greenwich Park to carry out field studies for both Biology and Geography GCSE courses. This included a quadrat workshop, site observations, creating hypotheses, collection of data and evaluating their work, all under the instruction of expert ecologists. The girls also had a lovely view of Greenwich Observatory and across to Canary Wharf in the sunshine whilst they worked.

Mrs Laura Lewis, Head of Biology

Bronze DofE Assessed Expedition

Last weekend, 48 Bronze DofE participants in Year 9 took part in their assessed expedition in Ashdown Forest, after nine months of expedition training, including their practice expedition in late April.

The teams had to walk 12/14km per day with full 65L packs, carrying everything they needed for the two days, including tents, stoves, sleeping bags, food, first aid and clothes. Once back in camp, the teams cooked their evening meals, filling the air with the aroma of pasta and noodle dishes,  with many enjoying s’mores as their treat for all their hard work that day.

Throughout this challenging yet rewarding experience, all seven teams demonstrated resilience, teamwork, enthusiasm and a great spirit of adventure.

A report was sent to Mayfield News, which summed up the experience of DofE participants this year:

“Participating in a DofE expedition is not just a physical journey but a voyage of personal growth and discovery, equipping the participants with valuable life skills and memories that will last a lifetime. I have so much enjoyed teaching them on Thursdays in our A1 sessions and I hope that many of our Year 9 Bronze participants will move onto the Silver DofE Award programme in Year 10.”

Teatime Concert

We hosted our final Teatime Concert of the year yesterday in the concert hall, showcasing the brilliant talent and hard work of the girls throughout the year. 

Breanna (Year 12) kicked off the proceedings with her renditions of two George Gershwin songs, 'A Foggy Day' (which was rather apt as the rain started falling outside) and 'Nice Work if You Can Get It', followed by Millie (Year 8) performing 'Dawn' on the harp. We then heard from two flautists - Isabella (Year 8) performing 'Hedwig's Theme' and Anya (Year 8) performing 'Papageno's Aria'. Emma (Year 10) followed on the violin, superbly journeying through Tchaikovsky's 'Canzonetta' before harpist Amelie (Year 7) impressed us with 'Sound the Trumpets'. Ava (Year 8) produced a wonderful 'Study in D Major' on the flute, and Manuela (Year 7) adeptly performed her 'Minuet in G' on the piano. The concert was brought to an end with Florence (Year 8) performing 'Adagio in D Minor' on the flute, Imogen (Year 9) playing 'Prelude in Bb' on the harp and Khloe (Year 10) singing 'When Sunny Gets Blue'. Thanks must go to Mrs Crowley, Ms Schlenther and Dr Ward for accompanying the performers. 

A huge well done to all the girls who performed, and thanks as ever go to all their tutors for helping the girls prepare for their summer exams and concerts. We cannot wait for next year to see what the girls choose to delight us with in their next performance!

We will conclude the year with our Summer Concert, on Tuesday 25^th June at 7pm. All are welcome to join and enjoy the performances on offer, we would love to see you there.

BoOK YOUR PLACE

Chaplaincy News

On Tuesday, Mayfield girls had the privilege of experiencing an African Liturgy led by Dr Kasina. The focus of this liturgy was 'joy', one of the core principles upheld in the Cornelian tradition. The event was a rich cultural exchange, allowing the girls to immerse themselves in African traditions of worship and celebration.

During the liturgy, the girls enthusiastically expressed their joy through African song and dance. Dr Kasina, taught them the art of ululating—a traditional Kenyan vocal expression of joy — and led them in learning a Swahili Congolese song called "Yamba Yamba Yahweh." This song is a beautiful expression of gratitude to God for blessings received and a heartfelt plea for divine guidance in our prayers.

The atmosphere during the liturgy was vibrant and filled with positive energy. The girls actively participated, their voices blending harmoniously as they sang and moved to the rhythm of the music. Dr Kasina's leadership not only imparted cultural knowledge but also deepened the girls' understanding of how joyful praise and worship can be expressed through different cultural lenses.

Overall, the African Liturgy led by Dr Kasina was a memorable experience that fostered cultural appreciation and spiritual growth among the participants. It exemplified how music, dance, and heartfelt prayer can unite people in celebration and gratitude, transcending cultural boundaries.

Song Lyrics
Yamba yamba yamba (Bring Bring Bring to God)
Yahweh eh, (Oh Lord)
Yahweh eh, (Oh Lord)
Yamba yamba Yahweh eh. (Take this Oh Lord our offering)

And from a different part of Africa, Zimbabwe, we have an update on the work of the Sandra Jones Centre, where OC Clemmie Watson (2023) continues to live out our ‘Actions Not Words’ mission. Please keep her in your prayers.

Finally, nine of our students, along with 19 young men and women from the local deanery, will be receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Richard Moth this Sunday in the school chapel. They have spent a year preparing for this Sunday, readying themselves to take ownership of their faith, and we wish them all every happiness as they embark on this next step of their faith journey.

Due to the Confirmation Mass on Sunday, this weekend’s school Mass will be at 5pm on Sunday. Parish Mass will be Tuesday at 6pm. You are, as always, are welcome to both.

Mr Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

Testing the Telehandler at Froghole Farm

At Froghole Farm this week, the girls learnt about the Telehandler, which has revolutionised life for farmers. It is used to lift heavy objects such as bales and feed bags which would have involved a lot of manual labour. The girls even had a chance to try it out for themselves!

Mrs Rachel Davies, Deputy Head of Sixth Form

Lower School Girls Enjoy Social

On Monday evening, the Lower School girls gathered for their annual social event. Inflatable laser tag, human table football and a BBQ were enjoyed by all. The weather doesn't seem to have cottoned on to the fact that it's now mid-June, although that didn't dampen our girls' spirits! Thankfully, the sun came out at the same time as the food was ready, so the picnic blankets unrolled and the girls heartily tucked into a wonderful spread (thank you, Jennifer) and put this added fuel to good use back on the inflatables. Thanks to the Lower School pastoral team for making the event so fun!

Mr Daniel Smith, Deputy Head of Lower School

Year 8 Get Creative in Maths

This week, Year 8 have been introduced to decimal multipliers and how compound interest actually works in real life.  They paired up to put together a presentation detailing their working out, using decimal multipliers, a lot of imagination, and even taking extra jobs to be able to afford a dream house, a holiday, a designer bag or a sweet birthday present from Minnie to Mickey!

Mrs Lavinia Motoc, Teacher of Mathematics

OC Isabel Receives Gold DofE Award

I always look forward to hearing from our Gold DofE award holders and OC Isabel (2023) recently sent a photo and news about her very enjoyable day at Buckingham Palace where she received her Gold DofE certificate and badge. 

Isabel completed both her Silver and Gold DofE Awards whilst at Mayfield School and planned most of her section activities around her particular interest in Triathlon. In one of Isabel's physical assessor reports, Mrs Whitby wrote: "Isabel continues to be dedicated and motivated to train, never needing encouragement to work hard or turn up. She is an excellent example of a truly motivated and hard-working athlete. Everything she has achieved has come from hard work." 

At Isabel's Gold DofE Celebrations, the CEO of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Ruth Marvel, said: "The young people here today have achieved something exceptional and it is wonderful to see them celebrating together, sharing their experiences and hearing their aspirations for the future. DofE is all about proving to yourself just what you are capable of and the young people here today have shown the world that their potential is limitless. I can’t wait to see what they go on to do next."

We can't wait to hear about what Isabel goes on to do next. Well done Isabel on your fantastic achievement!

Mrs Saunders, DofE Manager

Sweet Treats in Culinary Skills

We have had four very talented cooks in Culinary Skills this year, this week making their "signature desserts." 

These included - matcha eclairs, classic tiramisu (including homemade sponge), summer berry tiramisu (also including homemade sponge!) and a brownie served with Chantilly cream. All their creations were beautifully presented. Fantastic (and delicious) work girls! 

Mrs Sue Smeaton, Head of Food & Nutrition

Sports News

Tennis
Last Saturday saw our annual doubles tournament in full swing, welcoming lots of schools including Roedean, Hurst, Bede's, Ardingly, Lingfield and St Andrew's Prep. The U13 tournament saw St Andrew's claim first prize, and Bede's second. In the U15 tournament, Hurst stormed to victory, whilst Lily and Eliza came in second place – a very well deserved placing for Mayfield! Well done to all our girls who took part: Kitty, Emma, Lizzie, Anya, Katya and Gigi. The sportsmanship and team spirit they portrayed throughout the day was wonderful, as well as some top tennis!

More games continued as we hosted Bede's for a fixture on Wednesday afternoon. A shout-out must go to Blanca and Marta in Year 8 who played in their first match and experienced their first win! Mayfield won the overall fixture with help from Katya, Mencia, Savannah & Frances, and drew the Aegon match. We look forward to our final few tennis fixtures next week.

 

All eyes are now on our infamous MCC fixture taking place tomorrow at Holmewood House. We are really hoping the rain will stay away for this wonderful fixture.

Athletics Reminder
Girls who are participating in Mayfield Day are more than welcome to attend extra athletics clubs next week to make sure they are ready for action! Please see Mrs Jones’ email for more details and how to sign up. The countdown is on!

Staff v Parents Cricket
Finally, we must take this moment to give a shout out to the parents who took part in the Cricket match last week, beating the staff by 33 runs. A well-deserved win, taking them to a 4-3 lead in the sporting series. Maybe the staff members will have to put in a little more practice for next year?! Thank you to everyone who came and supported, including the girls who also helped score, host, and of course gave both the staff and their parents some words of wisdom along the way! Until next time…

Mayfield Summer Production - 'Tuesday'

Mayfield School is proud to present our next drama production, 'Tuesday', which will be performed by students from Years 7-10, on Tuesday 18^th & Wednesday 19^th June at 7pm in the Concert Hall. The play is taken from the National Theatre Connections series, which are new plays written annually, specifically for youth theatres and explore contemporary and relevant themes. This play is set on a typical Tuesday lunchtime in a typical school, when suddenly a tear in the sky appears and 'The Them' drop through. How do we react when people 'other' to us join our community?....

Tickets for the show are free of charge and are available by clicking on the link below. Tickets for Wednesday's performance have now sold out, but there are still spaces available for Tuesday's performance.

Reserve your seats

There is a limited capacity in our Concert Hall so please do book early to avoid disappointment!

Ms Victoria Nash, Director of Drama and Media

News From the Library

Katherine Rundell is a successful writer of middle grade fiction, her first book Rooftoppers often appears on book lists for 10-13 year olds. Pupil librarian Mylana has written this review of Rundell's book The Explorer, winner of the Costa Children's Book Award 2017:

Just before half term, the girls in Years 9 and 10 spent part of a library lesson helping to create a future purchasing list. They read reviews of newly published teen novels and took part in small group discussions, before library staff collated their preferences. Here are some of the new titles that have now arrived:

Ms Jan Blagden, Librarian

Mayfield Day Cake Competition

Mayfield School Silent Auction 2024

Mayfield School Silent Auction 2024

Next Week's Menu

Menu w/c 17^th June