E-weekly Issue 273 - 6 September 2024

Welcome

I always love the start of a new academic year, and this week has been my favourite (out of 26) so far. Once again, our corridors are filled with the sound of friendship and togetherness, our classrooms are alive with the joy of learning and creating, and Raph’s (our wellbeing centre) has opened its doors, proving to be everything we hoped for.

 Our new students have already shown themselves to be curious, interesting, and engaged, fitting into our community beautifully. Meanwhile, our established students have been delighted with the many changes brought about by our fantastic operations team over the summer, with the new set-up of the Sixth Form Centre being a particular hit (see photo of the new Common Room set up below).

I have been visiting our students in their lessons this week and have been incredibly impressed with the standard of their work and the quality of their classroom discussions. I have also enjoyed many visitors sharing stories of summer adventures, musical auditions, A Level choices, and the joy of exceeding expectations in GCSE results. I have particularly welcomed the visits from our younger students, although I suspect this has been more to do with Pippin, our family's new puppy, who has managed to gather quite a fan following.  Whatever the reason, their visits have been the highlight of my day.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our curriculum evenings coming up over the next fortnight.

Mrs Deborah Bligh, Headmistress

In the News This Week...

Arrivals Day

Gold DofE Assessed Expedition

Greta's Work Experience Success

Auditions for Mayfield's 2025 Musical

Lower School Induction

News From the Sixth Form

Chaplaincy News

Next Week's Daily Prayers

Sports News

A Message From Zimbabwe

From the School Shop

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week

Arrivals Day

Arrivals Day (Sunday 1^st September) was blessed with beautiful sunshine, welcoming our boarders back to Mayfield.  The day was enjoyed by the girls, parents and in some cases, grandparents, as they toured the school and settled into what will be their daughter's second home this year.  In the afternoon we were joined by our new and current day parents, for a scrumptious cream tea and a chance to catch up with each other.  Whilst there were some tears as the day drew to a close, parents were reassured that their daughter's safety, health and wellbeing will always be our top priority at Mayfield and we look forward to supporting them in this nurturing environment.

Mrs Jodi Stone, Head of Pastoral

Gold DofE Assessed Expedition

On the first day of the summer holidays, when most Mayfield girls were enjoying their first day off school, our super six Gold DofE participants – Abigail, Edith, Phoebe, Katie, Charlotte and Ellie - were up early to travel up to the Peak District with Mrs Saunders, Mr Partington, Mr Glazebrook and his dog Theo, for part two of their Gold DofE Expedition – The Assessed, or as girls often describe it - 'the real thing'!

There was a real buzz of excitement and anticipation in the minibus as well as some nerves with what lay ahead of them – four days of walking, following their planned routes and four nights of camping, as well as meeting their Gold DofE Expedition Assessor, Simon, for the first time.  

Dropping the girls off at Ladybower Reservoir on the first afternoon, in rather damp conditions, the girls left with big smiles on their faces, as they navigated their way successfully to their campsite, making very few navigation mistakes.

The following three days saw a mixture of weather from beautiful sunshine to heavy rain as they walked up and down steep hills and across moorland, clocking up the kilometres. They saw the sights of Lose Hill, Hollins Cross and Mam Tor on day two;  ascended Win Hill, and traversed the edge of the Kinder Plateau, taking in the great view from the Nab on the way down to Edale on day three, before their final day taking them up and over Rushup Edge and under the edge of the plateau, with the final part of the walk leading into Edale from the west.  The girls showed great resilience and remained positive throughout their expedition.  

The expedition section of a DofE expedition, whether Bronze, Silver or Gold, is designed to develop soft skills such as teamwork, problem solving, decision making, leadership, self-sufficiency, organisational skills, dealing with unexpected challenges as well as being aware of safety and recognising hazards. All the girls most definitely demonstrated all of these soft skills over the course of their expedition.

During the expedition, the team also had an aim to complete and every evening, the girls would gather as a team, after eating, to work on a scrapbook, documenting their day with photos, memories, emotions and lots of artwork.

All the girls and staff involved agreed what a fantastic experience their Gold DofE Assessed Expedition had been, as summarised by Charlotte:

"It was the best experience ever. I am very proud of myself and my wonderful teammates for completing the expedition, it wouldn't be this memorable without them. The expedition was surely tough but fun! I would definitely recommend doing a DofE Award to those who are looking for opportunities to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves, you will learn valuable life skills from every part of the award!"

Edith also commented: "Gold DofE is a great opportunity to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, make lasting memories and be part of a team you might not otherwise be a part of. The most memorable part for me was tipping out rain water from our flooded hiking boots, luckily on the last day. Even though expedition food is not something to look forward to, the feeling of accomplishment afterwards definitely makes it worth it."

Simon, their DofE assessor was very impressed with the girls. He wrote in their assessor reports that “it was a total pleasure to meet and assess the Mayfield girls’ team. The students and staff were a credit to their school and community.”

I would like to add a massive thank you to Mr Partington and Mr Glazebrook for their hard work, dedication and daily dose of jokes!  

I am very much looking forward to welcoming Year 9 (Bronze), Year 10 (Silver) and Year 12 girls (Gold), who have decided to take part in the DofE Award Programme this year.

Mrs Mary Saunders, DofE Manager

Greta's Work Experience Success

Greta in Year 13 has been commended for her impressive submission to the 'Women in Accounting: Moore Kingston Smith Work Experience' virtual programme. As a result of her hard work and dedication, and the feedback received on her activities, she has been invited to attend a presentation evening on Wednesday 18^th September. Moore Kingston Smith have said the evening is "an opportunity for us to recognise the achievements of those who performed exceptionally well in our Virtual Work Experience, and to support you in networking with industry professionals at Moore Kingston Smith."

Congratulations Greta!

Lower School Induction

This week has been a busy and joyous one for our Lower School community. On Monday, we welcomed our latest Year 7 cohort to Mayfield. They learned about the seven Cornelian Values and started building the foundations of long-lasting friendships through a range of fun icebreaker and teambuilding activities. On top of this, the girls attended the activities fair, were inducted into the library, posed for their school photos - the list goes on, and this was all before the small business of attending lessons had even begun!

On Tuesday, it was the Year 8s' turn to fill the Lower School building with joy. They've swiftly settled back into Lower School routines and it's been lovely to hear about the exciting things they've been getting up to over the course of the summer break. We have a number of new Year 8s joining us this year and it's been lovely welcoming them into our Lower School community.

Many thanks to Ms Garcia (Deputy Head of Lower School); Ms Demetriou, Mrs Parrett and Mr Walser (Year 7 form tutors); and Miss Isaac, Mrs Lewis, Mr Marshall and Miss Petty (Year 8 form tutors). They've worked tirelessly this week to induct the girls into their new year groups. Special thanks also to Nicole for making the Lower School building shine so brightly, as well as Nicky, Kerry and Sessy for ensuring the girls have been fed, on average, every two hours!

Mr Daniel Smith, Head of Lower School

News from the Sixth Form

Year 12 Induction Day
Year 12 started the year with a bang with fantastic sessions led by the Hidden Leaders team to break down barriers, build new friendships, encourage creative thinking and start to gel our tutor groups into the cohesive units that will support them throughout their Sixth Form journey. 

The new Year 12 students had to collaborate and innovate in a range of physical and mental challenges, argue persuasively for their point of view to make money, build and fire catapults and display the mental and physical composure to throw axes at a target. Our girls engaged fantastically with all they were challenged with and the feedback from Hidden Leaders was overwhelmingly positive. 

This Week in UCAS 

• Early applicants meetings to discuss summer progress.
• Oxbridge college selection discussions 
• Booking of external test centres for university admissions tests
• Reminder of early deadline 

Next week in UCAS

• Year 13 personal statement assembly - Monday 9^th September
• Year 12 Sixth Form information evening at 6:30pm, introducing UCAS to students and parents - Monday 9^th September
• In-school practice UCAT tests for Medicine applicants - Thursday 12^th September 
• Early applicants working with Tutors and Head of Sixth Form on personal statements 

Mrs Elizabeth Aherne, Head of Sixth Form

Chaplaincy News

A Prayer and an Invitation
Thank you to Mrs Lavery for finding this beautiful prayer at the beginning of a school year, which I invite you to find a few moments this weekend to pray together as a family:

Dear Lord, we humbly ask for your presence and guidance as we venture into a new school year. We pray that you grant us the wisdom to make the most of every learning opportunity and the strength to overcome any obstacles that come our way. May this year be filled with joy, knowledge, and personal growth for each and every student, teacher, and parent.

"For the beginning of the school year, may we find the courage to step out of our comfort zones and embrace new challenges. May we be open to learning and growing, and may we support and encourage one another every step of the way. Let this school year be a time of inspiration, creativity, and success."

Lord, we ask that you bless the teachers with wisdom and patience, so they may guide their students with love and understanding. Grant them the ability to ignite a passion for learning within their students, and help them create a safe and nurturing environment that fosters growth and development.

As we embark on this new school year, we place our faith in your hands, dear Lord. We trust that you will guide us on this journey and provide us with the strength and courage to face any challenges that may arise. May this year be a year of fulfillment, achievement, and blessings for all. Amen.

Parents' Prayer and Support Group
Parents and guardians are warmly invited to join our prayer and support group, which will be hosted by Mrs Stone in St Raph’s each Thursday afternoon. It’s an opportunity to pray with and for our school community, as much as it’s a chance to support each other through the highs and lows of being a Mayfield parent. And it finishes just in time to pick your daughter up from A2 activities at 6pm! We hope to see you there this Thursday, 12^th September at 5:15pm:

 All Mayfield parents, guardians and grandparents are invited to join our Parents and Staff Prayer Group.

Meeting every Thursday afternoon, from 5:15pm- 5:50pm, in the new St Raphael’s Wellbeing Centre, we will spend a short time in prayer, reflection and bible study, before having a cuppa and an informal chat about anything and everything - school related or otherwise!

We will pray together, laugh together, and support each other, as we journey with our girls through their Mayfield careers.

No experience is needed, and you don’t have to actively participate in the prayer/study either. You are very welcome to simply sit in silent reflection and companionship.

Remember: Every Thursday during term time, 5:15-5:50pm, in St Raphael’s. (We’ll provide the biscuits!) All are welcome!

Mass
Finally, Mass in the School Chapel this Sunday is at 11:30am. As usual, all members of the Mayfield Community are welcome. Due to Fr Patrick’s schedule, there will be no Tuesday evening Mass this week or next, but we will be back to normal on the 17^th September, with evening Mass at 6pm.

Mr Ronan Lavery, Lay Chaplain

Next Week's Daily Prayers

Sports News

Introducing Miss Petty - Director of Sport
"I'm delighted to be joining Mayfield School, as the new Director of Sport. In this first week I have been welcomed into such a supportive and welcoming community, and it has been great to meet so many of the staff and students. I look forward to sharing my philosophy and vision for sport, which is underpinned by the ethos, vision and Cornelian values that play such a fundamental part in school life."

Pre-Season Hockey
Last weekend saw the return of Hockey with Senior Pre-Season. This year there was fantastic attendance from the squad who all demonstrated an outstanding work rate and attitude. The weekend included a workshop with Sport Psychologist Sarah Huntley, in which the team came together to set some great targets and develop mindset awareness and tools to help them across their goals in and out of sport. Saturday night saw the return of the quiz which was as competitive as always with only one point in it at the end! On Sunday, David Gover treated them to an Injury Prevention seminar, helping the girls to improve their self awareness and begin to learn how to manage their bodies, followed by a brilliant strength and confidence training session.

The standard of hockey across the weekend was great and the PE department are excited to see this season get under way.

Upcoming Fixtures
Saturday 14^th September - Sutton Valence Block

• Mayfield 1^st XI v Sutton Valence 2^nd XI - 10:30 start at Sutton Valence
• Mayfield 2^nd XI v Sutton Valence 3^rd XI - 10:30 start at Mayfield
• Mayfield U15A v Sutton Valence U15A - 11:45 start at Sutton Valence
• Mayfield U15B v Sutton Valence U15B - 13:00 start at Sutton Valence
• Mayfield U14A v Sutton Valence U14A - 11:45 start at Mayfield
• Mayfield U14B v Sutton Valence U14B - 13:00 start at Mayfield

A Message from Zimbabwe

In the school year 2020-21, Mayfield adopted WEFA: Water and Education for Africa as our whole school charity. The money we raised contributed to the drilling of a borehole in a small rural community called Somgolo, around 50km from St Luke’s Mission Hospital in north east Zimbabwe. Over the summer our lay chaplain Ronan visited Somgolo, to see the impact your generosity has had on this community.

The borehole you can see is the sole source of water for 60 families, or around 300 people. The vegetables grown in the garden are shared across these families, providing vital nutrients to supplement their diet of sadza, or ground, dried corn. When there is a surplus of vegetables, they have managed to sell them locally, with the money used to buy the blocks and cements to build the Blair toilets visible in the background of the video. Their next target is to save enough money to replace the bush pump (incredibly hard work!) with a solar pump and gravity tank system, which should enable them to cultivate an area about five times the size of their current garden.

This borehole, which your donations helped install, has transformed and empowered this community. The gift of clean water, and nutritious food, has saved lives, and continues to do so daily. The people of Somgolo thank Mayfield school for the gift of life.

From the School Shop

Welcome back everyone! We hope you had a lovely summer vacation and an extended welcome to all our new pupils.

House Polos
If you do not have the new house polos, this is a gentle reminder that the grace period of a year is over, and you will now need to purchase one. The new houses are Assisi, Avila, Bakhita and Stein.

School Shop Hours
A reminder that school shop hours are Monday to Friday 07:30 am - 3:00 pm. If I am not working those hours we will put a notice up on the school shop door.

Lost Property
If we received named lost property over the summer holidays – you will have been emailed to collect it, please do so as soon as possible.

Wrapping Service
Our wonderful nuns, Sisters Maria and Jean, have donated some wrapping paper so while we have that in stock I am happy to wrap birthday gifts for you at no charge. Bring your items to the school shop if you would like this service.

Sister Jean's Marmalade
Sister Jean has brought some more of her home made marmalade to the shop, if you would like a jar it will cost £2.50 and all proceeds go to Mary’s Meals. Please note that this charge is cash only so we can deposit this directly into the charity account.

As many of you know Sister Jean and Sister Maria will be leaving us at the end of September, so once the existing stock is exhausted we will sadly not get replenishments. Thank you for everyone who bought a jar and donated over the years, not only have you received the best marmalade in the world, but your money goes to a much needed charity. Grab a jar while you can!

Mrs Susan Bowles, School Shop Manager

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week