E-weekly Issue 188

Message from Mrs Green 

A warm welcome back to everyone in the Mayfield Community. It has been an eventful week, beginning with Storm Eunice and ending in glorious sunshine for our High 5 Netball Tournament, involving nine local prep and primary schools.

We’ve lots to look forward to in the coming weeks. Highlights include the Annual Dance Show (17^th/18^th March), the Spring Music Concert (29^th March), the Inter-House Drama Competition, as well as trips to the theatre, Science Live Expo and the British Museum.

Finally, good luck to the girls taking part in the Model United Nations Conference hosted by Felsted School this weekend. And a big thank you to everyone who helped to make the Year 11 Pyjama Party Charity Day a great success, raising £456 for the School’s current charity, Young Minds.

'Pyjama Party' Charity Day

On Friday 11th February, the Year 11 girls did themselves proud by raising £456 for our school charity, Young Minds. They designed and planned a really fun 'Pyjama party' themed day. Many of the girls (and some brave staff!) came dressed in pyjamas or onesies and enjoyed taking part in the activities and contributing to this great cause.

Yaa and Rachel organised a teddy bear competition for Lower School, which was won by Martha in Year 7 for her bright blue penguin and the teddy that was passed on from generations in the family. They also organised a 'teddy bear lucky dip' at lunchtime where girls could pay to win the prize hidden under the teddy bears, which was a very creative idea and a great hit.

Camellia, Mai and Scarlett, among other helpers, organised a luxury hot chocolate sale in the Hub at lunchtime, and a group of budding bakers made or brought in cakes to sell at lunchtime. Another group of helpers showed a film and sold popcorn and other treats to the Lower School girls at lunchtime.

I would like to thank all the Year 11 girls for stepping up during a very busy time to organise such a fun, varied and original day for the school. It was a fabulous way to end the half-term and I am sure that Young Minds will be very grateful for all their hard work.

Mrs Anna Maimi, Head of Year 11, Teacher of Spanish and International English

Year 9 Cross-Curricular Day

The theme for the recent Year 9 Cross-Curricular Day was ‘Fusion and Diversity in Britain Today’ and pupils attended sessions on People Power, Festival Fusion, Food Glorious Food and Words, Words, Words. The idea was to encourage them to reflect on how diverse cultures have enriched all aspects of our lives.

The sessions ranged from cooking food from cultures represented in British society to making maps with immigration at their heart. The girls produced posters about festivals from different cultures and wrote poems inspired by those from across the ages and cultures.

The day ended in a quiz, asking questions relevant to the day. During this, they ate the pierogi, pizza, samosas and Victoria sponges they had made earlier.

This is a sample of what the pupils had to say about the day:
"I enjoyed it, it made immigration seem much more positive and changed my perspective." (On People Power)
"I liked the creative aspect of the poster making and the information about the culture of international festivals." (On Festival Fusion)
"I really liked the cooking and we got to work in groups with our friends so we had a lot of fun." (On Food Glorious Food)
“I thought this was an in-depth and interesting mind-changing session that made you think differently.” (On Words, Words, Words).

One of the many wonderful poems written is this by Sarah (try reading it aloud):

My name is Sarah Elizabeth 
Named like the Queen?
No, like ALL the greats that came before me
Not the fame not the big names, but individuality.
Eliza, Elissa, Elsie and Elise
Lisette, Lizzy, Lib and Libby
The girls that stood behind their man,
And the girls that stood up and thought of the next great plan
But that’s just the middle, a small part of what makes me, me.
My religion stands represented whenever my name is remarked
And I can say with a smile, that ‘Sarah’ is now a part,
Of the Welsh community and fellow British company.
The Indian dish that stands for English nationality
Is my favourite which suits my love for diversity.
So I’ll wave my flag – a red cross not a first aid sign
And watch as English, Welsh and every other part of me combine.

Mrs Jane Leslie, English Teacher

Jazz Improvisation Workshop

Just before half-term we held a music improvisation workshop for the Jazz Collective, Mayfield's music ensemble, and for our Scholars and GCSE pupils, led by Mr Simpson. It was a fantastic opportunity for the girls to experience an important aspect of Jazz and Blues performance. As well as learning some of the principles behind this intricate art, they all improvised together on their instruments or by singing. All seemed to have a great time performing amidst all the spontaneous melodies they created.

 

Year 11 Cross-Curricular Session on Pride & Prejudice

Wednesday 9 February saw all Year 11 English pupils in Gresham Common Room for a cross-curricular session organised by Dr Weddell, Head of History of Art, that challenged them to understand Jane Austen's 'Pride & Prejudice' from the perspective of its historical context. Pupils studied the front page of The Times newspaper from 1797, when Austen began the novel, to discover how contemporary life might be reflected in the plot. They found advertisements for renting mansions like Netherfield Park, for 'fashionable dress' and schools offering young ladies, such as Miss Bingley, 'polite accomplishments'. The early draft had the title 'First Impressions' and this was the springboard for an analysis of Regency portraiture, comparing different formats from an elegant engraving, a miniature painted on ivory, to a scurrilous caricature. Next pupils examined the houses of Austen's family to see how the range of wealth and status she experienced might relate to various figures from the story. Fortunes and incomes had to be matched to characters in the next exercise with a focus on the importance of marriage for young women in the Regency period - some groups scoring an outstanding 10/10. Our final portrait of the Duchess of Leeds revealed Mayfield's own 'Darcy' connection, as our benefactor was married to the Duke of Leeds, Francis Darcy-Osborne, also Lord Darcy de Knayth.

Dr Joanna Weddell, Head of History of Art Department

Sports Update

Congratulations to Miss Auer who passed her Netball Umpiring C award this week! She has been working hard on this for the last two terms behind the scenes umpiring evening league matches down in Brighton!  

The challenging weather has led to a lighter programme of matches than planned this week. Despite this, the Year 9 A and B teams still managed a competitive match against Burgess Hill on Tuesday evening. Mayfield had a slow start, giving away the lead in the first quarter, but fought back well and matched the visiting team for the middle part of the match. Unfortunately Mayfield couldn't get back into either game, with the As losing 21-11 and the Bs losing 12-6. Well done to Mia and Erin for being voted players of the match. The U14s now turn their focus to their next game on Tuesday against TWGGS. 

Sadly, Burgess Hill were unable to make Thursday’s scheduled senior matches so instead the U16 team took on the 1st Netball team in a re-match after a narrow defeat earlier on in the term. The girls all showed great spirit and resilience playing through hail and freezing winds and once again it was a closely fought competitive match. However in the last quarter the seniors edged ahead to emerge victorious! 

Today Mayfield School hosted 10 primary schools for our annual High-5 tournament. This is a fantastic event, allowing our senior netballers and young leaders the opportunity to organise and run netball workshops for all the visiting schools, followed by a tournament. A huge thank you to the staff and girls who have worked hard to get this up and running and we will provide a full report next week on how the day went! 

World Book Day activities

Poetry Please

Poetry Please was launched in January to encourage the writing of poetry throughout Mayfield School.  The first half-term was on the theme of ‘Words and Me’. We are delighted to publish below one of the entries, from Chloe in Year 10, with more to follow over the next few weeks:

Fringe 
I wander these chartered streets deprived from love
a huge empty nothing we fear.
But yet the centre of everything that I myself know.
Empty is: my stomach, my heart, my city
and most of all my people.
Their bodies lay bare.
My city hiding amongst the colossal wreck that is the Fringe
the place I, we
used to call our home.
Now it is the fringe, boneless and bare.
The lone and level sands stretched far
what was once a place of life,
is now history.
Its identity carved out
And
its love burned by despair and hate.
I stare impassively and listen,
imagining that I can hear their voices catching on the wind,
their infectious laughter and mesmerising songs.
I hear a low whistle as the wind brushes
abruptly through the abandoned villages,
the flapping cloths and cottons
of the fabrics still tasselled round their previous owners;
clinging desperately to them
fighting to not let go of the past,
knowing that if they fail
their memories will be lost forever in the sand.
We must not let their honour fade in the absence of words.
Albeit I cannot oppose my hapless fortune. I can fight
for some form of justice through remembrance by
the power
of
my words.

News from the Chaplaincy

Short prayer for the people of Ukraine
Given the rapid escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, the girls and staff were yesterday invited to a short service of prayer. You might like to take a moment to say this prayer- alone, or with family or friends:

God of Compassion,
Hear the cries of the people of Ukraine.
Bring comfort to those living in fear,
and bring healing to those suffering from the violence.
Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms,
And protect those committed to peace.

God of Hope,
Inspire our leaders to work hard toward reconciliation,
Grant them humility and a desire for peace.
Inspire the world with compassion for the people of Ukraine
And  give us hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

Ronan Lavery, Lay Chaplain

Gospel reflection Sunday 27th February
Luke 6:39-45

This Sunday’s gospel is a warning to us not to be judgemental of those around us. It is easy in life to criticise and find faults in others – perhaps those very same faults we share but fail to recognise. Jesus’ language in the gospel is clear and uncompromising – we spy the splinter in another’s eye but fail to notice the plank in our own! Hypocrites indeed!

The words chosen by Jesus, a splinter/speck (κάρφος) on the one hand, and a plank/beam (δοκός), are obviously absurd and humorous – no person could ever have a timber beam in his eye without realising! But the exaggerated and amusing metaphor points to a deeper truth, that we are often far more conscious of the faults of others than our own.

But does this mean that we should never tell others when we think they are doing wrong? Should we stand aside, telling ourselves it is not our place to say anything? No, but we should be patient with others, aware that we may risk having a plank in our own eye while they have only a speck! “Take the plank out of your own eye first,” says Jesus, “and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye.”

This Sunday, therefore, let us not look outwards, seeking to criticise those around us. Let us look towards our self, examining our own conscience. Have we been kind to others? Have we listened? Have we respected the thoughts and feelings of those near to us? Before we seek to correct others, we must first have sought to improve ourselves, to learn from our mistakes and to try and do better. As Jesus is our guide and our example, let us too be guides and examples to those around us.

Miss Kathleen McCulloch, St Dunstan’s Assistant Housemistress

Dates for the Diary

We have just 5 tickets remaining as of Thursday afternoon - to buy a ticket please go to  https://buytickets.at/thefriendsofmayfield
For those of you attending, please pre-order your drinks through the same link. This helps us to manage supplies. 
See you there for a fun evening.
Susie Pepper

Year 7 Lunch for Parents - update
Friday 25 March: Parent lunch, 1.00pm, Middle House, Mayfield.
Please RSVP to Caron Williamson, Year 7 rep, on caron77@hotmail.co.uk

World Book Day - 3rd March

Mayfield Careers Information Evening – Monday 7^th March

Dance Show - 17th & 18th March @ 7.15pm

Spring Music Concert - 29th March @ 7pm