E-weekly Issue 290 - 31 January 2025

Welcome

One of the great joys of being Headmistress is the opportunity to meet so many members of the Mayfield community. This week, it was a pleasure to welcome our Year 11 parents to school for their parents’ evening, and I also had inspiring discussions with students on our Diversity Forum. We were delighted to welcome back Pia Larsson (Class of 2020), who shared her experiences of university life at Bristol.

Next week, all eyes will be on The Sound of Music! This year, we have four performances across three days, from Thursday to Saturday, at the Trinity Theatre. It’s always wonderful to see the Mayfield community come together—whether it’s pupils from different year groups performing or working behind the scenes, or families and friends in the audience supporting them. With only a few tickets remaining, do visit the box office if you’d like to book.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Deborah Bligh, Headmistress

In the News This Week...

Mayfield Ski Team Shines in Flaine

The Mayfield Ski Team recently returned from an exhilarating few days in Flaine, where they competed in the prestigious British Schoolgirls' Races. The team, made up of Year 9 student Emilia and Year 10 students Charlotte, Jasmine, and Sienna, showcased their determination, and enthusiasm throughout the competition. 

The adventure began on Saturday with a dedicated training session led by an experienced ESF instructor. For Emilia, an experienced racer attending the event for the third time, this was a chance to fine-tune her skills. Meanwhile, for Charlotte, Jasmine, and Sienna—who were all new to racing—it was an invaluable introduction to the demands of competitive skiing. 

Sunday saw the team take on the thrilling parallel slalom event, a test of speed, agility, and teamwork. Emilia, Charlotte, and Jasmine put in a strong performance, making it through the first two rounds and reaching the quarter-finals. They faced fierce competition and were ultimately knocked out by the previous year's champions—a fantastic achievement in itself! Monday brought challenging weather conditions, with persistent rain making for a tricky slalom course.

The event consisted of two runs, with competitors aiming for their best combined time. Emilia delivered a standout performance, securing an impressive fifth place overall and achieving a personal best (PB). The rest of the team also demonstrated great resilience and skill despite the tough conditions. Tuesday's Giant Slalom (GS) race was further complicated by heavy snowfall, leading to the event being reduced to just one run. Emilia once again proved her racing prowess, finishing fifth overall with another PB. Charlotte and Jasmine also put in excellent performances, both completing the course in under a minute—a remarkable achievement for their first GS race. 

Throughout the trip, the Mayfield Ski Team demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship, dedication, and a willingness to learn. They were true ambassadors for the school, impressing both their coaches and fellow competitors with their positive attitude and commitment. It was a pleasure to accompany them to the races, and their achievements will no doubt inspire future Mayfield skiers. 

Congratulations to Emilia, Charlotte, Jasmine, and Sienna on their fantastic performances—we can't wait to see what they achieve next year!

Mrs Georgina Fletcher

Sports News 

Netball Victory
On Tuesday, the U14Bs were at home to Burgess Hills Girls in what was a competitive, well-balanced fixture. The girls were looking to build on their performances and tidy up their overall play. The beginning of the game was very fast paced, with Mayfield needing to slow the play down and utilise all three seconds to improve their decision making. Mayfield were providing good initial drives towards the ball, but also needed to provide dodges and double dodges when they did not receive the first pass.

Throughout the match, Mayfield improved their decision making, slowing down the play and taking time to think before their next pass. This allowed them to be more patient and work the ball into the shooting circle, rather than forcing a pass too early. The game finished with a 14-12 win for Mayfield!

Overall, Mayfield had some real positives to take into their upcoming fixtures and some areas to focus on. Flo and Ceci were awarded players of the match. Flo, for her timely interceptions and tireless work in defence and Ceci, for holding her position well under the post and strong shooting.

Well done girls!

Football in the Cup
The U15's Sisters n Sport campaign came to an end on Thursday as they travelled away to Riddlesdown Collegiate in Purley, South Croydon.

It was the worst possible start for us as we went 1-0 down within the first minute. Once the girls got to grips with the pitch and the conditions, they started competing more, playing some good football, largely down the right-hand side with Amelia and Gigi linking up very well. Unfortunately, two minutes before half time, the girls then conceded two more goals in a short space of time to leave us 3-0 down at half time.

The second half followed much of the same as the first half, with Riddlesdown scoring two within the first minute of the second half to put the game to bed. Mayfield didn't stop working and were still creating chances, but on this occasion, it just wasn't falling for them. It was nice to see the girls getting more stuck in and being more physical, however on the day, the better team won.

Girls of the game were Amelia and Gigi for causing a lot of problems down the right-hand side when attacking but also defending well as a pair.

Final score: 7-0 loss.

Upcoming Fixtures
Saturday 1^st February - Netball
U18A, B & C – Away vs Roedean School
U15A, B, C & D – Home vs Roedean School
U14A, B, C & D – Home vs Roedean School

Cornelian Lecture: Mr Henry Virgin, Zaha Hadid Architects

On Tuesday 28^th January Mr Henry Virgin, himself the Father of a Mayfield student, delivered our first Cornelian Lecture of 2025 with a fascinating talk on the work of Zaha Hadid Architects, a London architectural practice with a global reputation. Mr Virgin had assembled an overview of the many award-winning fluid, dynamic and innovative buildings created by ZHA. We learnt about Zaha Hadid's early life in Baghdad and influences on her work, together with her varied explorations of built form through paintings, models and paper reliefs.

This was particularly inspiring for sixth form students and younger pupils considering careers in architecture. For A Level History of Art students, Hadid is one of the architects specified by the examination board so this valuable survey was perfectly timed. The opportunity to ask questions was much appreciated by the audience of students, staff, parents and grandparents who were treated to a visually stunning feast of images and we are very grateful to Mr Virgin for visiting Mayfield and sharing his time and work.

Dr Joanna Weddell, Head of History of Art 

Chinese New Year 2025 - Year of the Snake

Wednesday 29^th January saw the start of the Chinese New Year, which lasts fifteen days. 

According to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Snake promises slow and steady development; those who are patient, strategic and willing to embrace the snake’s wisdom will find they can thrive by adapting to a slower pace in all aspects of their life. 

Every year, the animal changes and this is the order: 
Mouse 
Ox 
Tiger 
Rabbit 
Dragon 
Snake 
Horse 
Sheep 
Monkey 
Chicken 
Dog  
Pig 

Most animals are used but you might notice that there is no cat. Corinna, Year 10, explains why: "There is no cat because the mouse is the cheeky one. All the animals have a race and there are just 12 spots. The mouse and cat are good friends and say they will go together but the mouse didn’t wake the cat up the next day so the cat lost its place! And that is why cats don't like mice."

You can check your birth year to find your zodiac animal. So Maria, born in 2010, is a tiger and Corinna, born in 2009, is an ox. It's always fascinating hearing how girls celebrate Chinese New Year, and what each animal of the zodiac represents and what it means for the year ahead.

The girls enjoyed a Chinese supper to celebrate and will continue with celebrations this weekend in the boarding houses. 

Mrs Turner, International English Teacher 

Chinese New Year Supper
On Wednesday evening the boarding community was treated to a fantastic meal celebrating Chinese New Year, with a menu that featured coca-cola chicken wings, duck pancakes with spring onion, cucumber, and hoisin sauce, tofu and green beans, chow mein noodles, pork egg fried rice, vegetable spring rolls, fortune cookies, prawn crackers with sweet chilli sauce, chilli oil and soy sauce, and raspberry and coconut mochi balls. A special mention must go to Dan for organising such a feast, and our thanks go to the entire catering team for their monumental effort in cooking and serving the meal. 

We were also treated to a brilliant performance by Andrianna, who played her Guzheng as girls and staff were queueing for and subsequently enjoying their meal.

World Challenge Training Session

On Wednesday, 17 of our girls took part in an exciting prep session for their upcoming Sri Lanka adventure. With help from Ted at World Challenge, they covered packing tips, ethical tourism and team building - plus had plenty of fun with icebreakers!

When the time comes, they’ll be trekking the Knuckles Mountain Range, planting trees for reforestation, exploring Kandy, climbing Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak and unwinding in Galle and Negombo. We're excited to support the girls in their journey and see what they get up to during their time in Sri Lanka.

Dissection Club

Dissection Club has been a popular choice for the Year 12 Enrichment. Not for the faint hearted, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the anatomy of organisms, including worms, starfish, amphibians and rodents.

Don't worry - no gory photos featured here!

Mrs Rachel Davies, Teacher of Biology

Careers News

Unifrog Parent Account - For Year 9 to Year 13 Parents 

Have you heard your daughter talk about Unifrog and wondered what it was? 

Unifrog is the universal destinations platform and is designed to support your daughter in making the most informed decisions about her future through a range of tools such as psychometric testing, Careers and Subjects Library and Know-how Library. Parents can also access Unifrog through a Parent Account by using a parent login so that you can use Unifrog as if you were a student yourself, allowing you to truly support your daughter.

The parent code you need to sign up for the first time is SCPHparents and you can sign up here: www.unifrog.org/code 

Please note that the code expires on 28/04/25.

There are also some useful upcoming parent webinars that you can sign up for once you have signed into Unifrog:

Parents and caregivers session: Unifrog basics - Wednesday 5 February @ 17:30 GMT

Join our webinar to find out how, as a parent or caregiver, you can use Unifrog to support conversations about your child’s post-16 options and post-18 progression routes, including apprenticeships, universities, and careers. Delivered by Unifrog staff, the session will give you an overview of the key student tools for different year groups, highlight our resources, and show you where you can find out information about our upcoming events. 

Parent and caregivers session: help your child connect with top universities and employers through Unifrog Talent pool! - Thursday 13 February @ 17:30 GMT

Unifrog Talent pool is a new way for Y12-13 students to show off their interests and skills to top employers and universities, allowing your children to receive the best opportunities, courses, and apprenticeships for them. Join us to learn about how Talent pool works, and how you can support your child to create a profile that stands out! 

Parents and caregivers session: supporting the next steps of university applications - Wednesday 26 February @ 17:30 GMT

Not sure what your child’s next steps should be after submitting their university application? Join this webinar led by the universities of Warwick, Exeter and Keele to find out about the different university offers your child will receive, things to consider when choosing between these, and how to support your child if they don’t receive any offers. 

Please do email me at msaunders@mayfieldgirls.org if you have any questions about Unifrog.

Mrs Mary Saunders, Head of Careers

One Week Until 'The Sound of Music'!

We are only one week away from our fantastic production of The Sound of Music: School Edition on 6^th - 8^th February. If you still have yet to purchase your tickets, follow the link below to come along and support the girls in their performance! 

Book your seats

Sixth Form News - Prefect Applications

Hybrid Delights in Cooking Club

In Middle School Cooking Club this week girls made Jaffa Drizzle cakes - a hybrid of a Lemon Drizzle and a Jaffa cake, using fresh orange and zest for the drizzle and chocolate chips. Delicious! 

Mrs Sue Smeaton, Head of Food & Nutrition

Chaplaincy News

On Wednesday of this week, I attended the funeral of a great man- an Oblate priest for 25 years, prison chaplain and hardcore Celtic supporter, he'd been my friend for over twenty years. His name was Fr John McFadden OMI.

As we talked about John after the funeral, there were the usual funny stories and reminiscences (like the time he was hit in the face with a pasty at a Celtic-Rangers match), when I heard a story I hadn't thought about in years. It was a story John told often, and one I didn't believe the first time I heard it. It was his vocation story, and most likely the only vocation to the priesthood inspired by the hit pop group/evangelists, the Spice Girls. 

John had entered the seminary in 1994, after becoming disillusioned with the lifestyle of a Jersey-based financial broker. He felt a call to become a priest, and decided to test the strength of that call. As with everything, he had good days and bad days in seminary, sometimes sure of his path, sometimes seized by doubt and indecision. When his close friend left formation, John was very, very low. He had decided to withdraw from formation too, and return to the secular world. Then one day he turned on the radio and heard the song 'Wannabe', by the Spice Girls. The brainworm 'Tell me what you want, what you really, really want' wouldn't leave him, and he began to reflect deeply on that question. And he realised that what he wanted was to be a priest; to be a missionary; to live in community and lead people to Christ. He was at peace with his decision, and never wavered from his path again. He was ordained in November 1999, and never regretted his decision. Instead, he would speak with great joy and gratitude of his call to be a priest.

We are all called to something. And the greatest fulfilment we can ever have in life is hearing that calling, finding our purpose, and being where we are supposed to be. And I suppose it all starts with that little question: Tell me what you want, what you really, really want...

A prayer to know one's vocation: O God, Who enlightens the minds and inflames the hearts of the faithful by the Holy Spirit, grant that through the same Spirit I may know my true vocation in life, and may have the grace to follow it faithfully. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

This weekend, we have two Masses. The first, Saturday evening at 5pm, is being led by St Michael's boarding house. St Thomas' Parish will not be joining us at this Mass.

They, instead, will have a parish Mass at 11:30 Sunday morning. This is simply because of prior arrangements in the boarding community. You are invited to join us for either of those Masses.

Our first shared Mass under the new arrangements will take place next Sunday (9^th February) at 11:30am.

A quick reminder that Holy half-hour continues on Tuesday evening at 6pm. This is our way of responding to Pope Francis' call to celebrate the year of Jubilee through the promotion of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. All are welcome.

Next Week's Daily Prayers

Daily Prayers 3-7 Feb

Mr Ronan Lavery, Chaplain

Photo of the Week

We haven't had any new submissions for photo of the week this week, so Miss Tompsett has shared a photo of her Mayfield bear meeting Paddington in York, taken over the Christmas holidays. Hopefully Micah the Mayfield bear will have many more photos to share from his adventures in the future!

We would love to receive submissions for future 'photo of the week' stories. Please send your chosen photos to jtompsett@mayfieldgirls.org.

Library News

The Book of the Week in lower school has been chosen by one of our new librarians Romilly, it is the classic gothic romance 'Jane Eyre'.

In the main school library, Mylana has chosen the very popular 'A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder' for Book of the Week. The complete series is available for loan from the library, please check the shelves!

Calling all budding writers and artists!

The competitions linked below close in the next few weeks but there is still time to enter. Please read carefully all competition rules, especially the requirement for integrity, all your own creative work, no AI assistance, etc.

Ms Jan Blagden, Librarian

The Wellbeing Hub - What's On This Week