E-weekly Issue 189

Message from Mrs Green 

This week our attention has of course been focussed on the distressing situation in Ukraine. One is reminded at times like this that we must come together as a community in service of those caught up in the conflict. In true Mayfield spirit the girls are coming up with different initiatives for how we as a community can help, recognising the importance of supporting those in great need. The first of these initiatives is a fund raiser. Next Friday will now be Mufti day and the girls can come to school in casual clothes in return for a small donation. I'm also delighted to say that The Friends will be donating the proceeds of the Quiz and Curry night, which takes place at School tomorrow evening, to UNICEF. We will also be taking donations at our annual Dance Show on the 17th & 18th March (booking details below).

Finally, as we continue life as normal over the weekend, please do hold the people of Ukraine in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Book tickets for Mayfield Dance Show 2022!

We are pleased to announce bookings are now open for our Dance Show on Thursday 17th & Friday 18th March at 19.15. It promises to be an entertaining evening, so please do come along and support the girls.

Book Dance Show tickets

Friends’ Quiz & Curry Night 

We can’t wait to see you all at the Quiz & Curry Night this Saturday.  Drinks from 6.30, seating at 7.15 for a 7.30 start!  We have decided to give any profit and kind donations to the crisis in Ukraine. Along with our thoughts and prayers we would like to support UNICEF who are working tirelessly to provide food and water to children and families in Ukraine.

There will be signs out - please enter through Gresham. Drinks are upstairs in Gresham and the curry/quiz in the dining room next door. Drinks can still be pre-ordered using the link below or bought from our bar on the night using card payment. Please do bring some cash for tipping our sixth form waitresses and for the table games.

Pre-order drinks

Model United Nations 2022 

Last weekend, Year 12s Charlotte, Gabriella and Angela attended the 2022 Felsted Model United Nations conference as delegates for Pakistan on the committees for Ecology and Environment, ECOSOC, and Human Rights. We were one of sixteen schools in attendance representing one of forty-three countries. Over two days the girls debated issues including investment in space travel, closing the gap for sustainable energy, and the right for all to procreate and foster human life. There was some very lively argument with the issue of transgender rights cutting across this last topic. The girls were also treated to talks by two excellent external speakers – one described by Felsted’s headmaster as ‘the most serious clown I’ve ever met’ – Ash Perrin, founder of the Flying Seagulls charity, and Thomas Sparrow, correspondent for the German news channel Deutsche Welle, who was able to offer lots of insights into the current situation in Ukraine. The overall theme of the conference was ‘Striving for greater global cooperation and unity’, which was very apt for the current times and gave us lots of food for thought. Our next conference is at Magdalen College Oxford this weekend.  

Mrs Kasia Kilvington, Head of International English, Gifted and Talented Coordinator

Chemistry Olympiad

We have just received the results of the first round of the Chemistry Olympiad. Congratulations to the girls who took part, with some notable achievements as follows:
Gold award - Victoria D, Victoria B, Valeria, Janna 
Silver award - Ewa
Bronze award - Jemima

David Turner, Teacher of Chemistry

STEM Hero

Pinch, Punch, first of the month and a new STEM Hero! Thank you to Mrs McFadyean for suggesting Mary Anning. As we think about International Women's Day next week with a theme of "break the bias", it is fitting that we should think about women who were not recognised for their work because of their gender. In fact, George Cuvier, considered to be the father of palaeontology claimed that some of Mary's fossils were fake and gathered a meeting of leading scientists, which did not include Mary, to debate the issue and had to admit his mistake.

For further information about Mary's life and discoveries, please follow this link:Mary Anning
Mrs Davies, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, Teacher of Biology and STEM Coordinator

World Book Day

Today we held our annual World Book Day Parade for Years 7 and 8. There were some amazing costumes on display!

Author Paul Dowswell visits Mayfield

Yesterday, on World Book Day,  award-winning historical fiction author Paul Dowswell visited School. He spoke to all the girls in Years 7 to 9 in the Concert Hall, and in the afternoon held a creative writing workshop with our 500 words competition winners. A literary treat!

Southern Schools Book awards

Last Friday Mrs Gabriel accompanied girls from the Carnegie Book Club to the presentation ceremony for the Southern Schools Book Award at Hurst School. The Southern Schools Book Award is presented annually to the author of the book judged by students to have been the best book published for 13-14 year-olds during the year. More than 20 schools in the region take part in the award every year. The girls met all of the shortlisted authors - Frances Hardinge, Julian Sedgwick, Chie Kutsuwada, Vincent Ralph, Patrice Lawrence and Kevin Wignall - together with last year’s winner Bex Hogan and illustrator Chris Riddell. Vincent Ralph was the winning author, with his book 'Lock the doors', an engrossing thriller, whilst Kevin Wignall received the 'highly commended' award for his title 'When we were lost'. We have copies of all of the winning titles in the Library. You can read more about the Southern Schools Book Award below:

Southern Schools Book Award

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’. Last week we published a poem from Chloe in Year 10. This week it's the turn of John Doy, Head of Sixth Form:

Do you want to know a word?

Do you want to know a word?
The word is smeuse.
It’s the hole in a hedge that a hedgehog hops through.
Foxes use them to flick between fields like stations on a radio,
Or channels on a TV,
Or apps on a phone.

While we sit in our blue lit darkness,
Slouched round at our machines,
They scroll through holes,
Ooze through smeuses:
Badger gates;
Squirrel portals;
Doors for dormice.

I like words you didn’t know you needed
Until you know them,
Then you need them all the time.

I never saw a smeuse until I saw the word.
Now I see them everywhere.

Words help us to bring the world into focus:
To know what we are seeing
And sing the world into being.

Sonnet writing
For the second half of term we are encouraging pupils and staff to have a go at writing a sonnet - more details below:Sonnet writing competition

Dr Joanna Weddell, Head of History of Art

Sports Update

Mayfield High 5 Netball Workshop and Tournament 2022

Last Friday the sun shone down on Mayfield's Netball courts; the posts were lowered to 9ft, the Gazebos were set up, and 10 excited Senior Netballers were ready to run their first Enrichment event, in the shape of a Primary School High 5 Netball Workshop and Tournament.

As part of the Year 12 Enrichment programme, the PE Department offer the opportunity to do the Nationally recognised Level 3 Sports Leaders Award. This not only gives the pupils an opportunity to learn new skills needed to plan and deliver sports sessions, it also earns them UCAS points. As part of this programme, the pupils are required to organise at least 2 sporting events for specialist community groups and schools, which helps them develop their knowledge on coaching.

This year the girls were lucky enough to assist Miss Auer with the Annual High 5 Netball Tournament, which is open to Local Prep and Primary schools. The girls delivered a rotational workshop that was aimed at three core elements of the game (shooting, footwork and decision making). After this workshop the Sports Leaders were then responsible for a school each, where they either coached and officiated, or oversaw the running of the score table and timing of the tournament.

Thank you to the following Prep and Primary Schools for attending. Parkside Community Primary, Frant C of E Primary, Mayfield C of E Primary , Blackboys CE Primary, St Phillips RC Primary, Sacred Heart School (runners up) and the winners Weald Community Primary.

A huge congratulations and well done to our Year 12 Sports Leaders - Freya, Evie, Tilly and Sophie - for all their organisation of this event and also to the senior squad Netballers - Amelie, Lottie, Anabelle, Molly, Poppy, and Alex - for their outstanding contribution to coaching and officiating.

U12 Indoor Hockey Tournament
On Monday, the U12A Hockey Team had their first experience of playing in an indoor competition. They learnt a tremendous amount, and the progress from the first game to the last was brilliant. Everyone worked incredibly hard all day, however player of the Tournament must go to Lola T, who adapted to the conditions well, developed her footwork and had the courage run out on short corners - making excellent saves throughout the day. It was a pleasure seeing the girls develop the skills they've learnt in training and adjust to the rules quickly. Well Done! 

U14 Netball vs TWGSS
On Tuesday the U14A took the short journey to Tunbridge Wells to play TWGGS. The girls took a while to get used to the indoor conditions but soon started to dominate the court. TWGSS fought back hard and took the lead as they entered the last quarter. The girls fought hard and managed to come back to win the game 23-22, with a winning shot from Ines in the last two seconds. I would like to commend the girls on their positioning defensively, their fight and shooting under extreme pressure. Player of the match went to Mia.

Netball 2nds and 3rds vs Kent College Pembury
The sun shone for us last Saturday as we hosted two senior fixtures against Kent College. The 2nds beat KC’s first team by one goal, winning 24-23. A well fought match, with some great centre court movement by Annabel and a great shooting display by Grace. The 3rds also had a close game against KC 2nds but eventually lost 20-16. Some great defensive work by Lucia and attacking play by Manon. Well done to our players of the match who were Phoebe and Valeria.

U12 & U13 SISNA
Our U12s and U13s had a great day at SISNA on Wednesday, despite the grey and windy weather at Roedean. The U12s had a slow start to the day and took some time to get themselves into the tournament. They soon warmed up and started to play some lovely Netball. Charlotte, Lily and Sophia were a force to be reckoned with in defence, turning over many interceptions in which Lucie, Frances, Valeria and Marta worked hard to bring the ball up court. Emma and Erin were quite the duo, linking up nicely to get the ball into our shooter Emilia. The team loved their day out, and it was thoroughly enjoyable to watch them progress throughout the day. The girls won two of their six matches, coming out on top against Burgess Hill and Windelsham House. Well done to Lily for captaining the team, and Emma, who was our player of the tournament. 

The U13s had a tough afternoon as they were drawn in a pool group that included some well-established Prep school teams. The team played with fire and determination in each of their 7 games and demonstrated some lovely patterns of play. Sadly, they did not come out victorious in any of their games, however, they showed great mental strength, and knew that our focus was not on the scoreline but their improvement as a versatile team from game to game. With this mentality they made fantastic improvement, paying particular attention to their spacing on court and their defensive structure.  The courage and team spirit they showed throughout the afternoon was inspiring and they should be so proud of themselves. Onwards and upwards.

Swimming
Last week our Inter and Senior swimming teams travelled to Eastbourne College for the first time in a while. It was exciting to be in their new pool with a touch pad timing system. Our team was a little depleted, but this provided a great opportunity for some of our Year 7 and 8 girls to step up and swim in the Inter age group, competing against girls in Years 9-11. The gala kicked off with a resounding win for Year 7 Kitty in the IM - swimming against much older girls, the team were delighted! The whole squad had a brilliant evening, recording many PBs. Congratulations to two of the younger swimmers in the squad; Maria (Year 8) who won her 50m Freestyle race and Erin (Year 7) who won her 50m Butterfly race. Although we did not win overall it was some of the best swimming I have seen this season and the girls should be very proud of not only their skills and determination but also their ability to pull together as a team. 

Newspaper Fashion Show

On Sunday, Leeds House boarders ran 'The Newspaper Fashion Show'. The girls' enthusiasm was only matched by their creativity, which was really amazing. From headdresses through to handbags and shoes to stylish garments - they were able to make it all with just newspapers, tape and staples. 

Petra Kotesovska, Housemistress, Leeds House

News from the Chaplaincy

Gospel reflection Sunday 6th March
Luke 1:1-13

This Sunday, the First Sunday of Lent, we hear the story of the temptation of Christ in the desert. Jesus, having abstained from food and drink for forty days, is tempted by the devil; he is told to acknowledge the devil as Lord and in return he will be given “all the kingdoms of the world”. Jesus refuses.

When we think of Lent, the question that is most commonly asked is: What are you giving up? And the answer is usually along the lines of chocolate/sweets/cake etc. When we think of temptation during Lent, we might think it is the choice to have, or not to have, a Kitkat or a slice of cake. But not giving into temptation is far greater than that. We face temptations each and every day of our lives; we are tempted to gossip, to lie, to be lazy, to be unkind. Throughout Lent, and throughout the whole year, we are called to say No to such temptation, to choose instead to be good and honest and faithful.

This Lent, instead of thinking about what we are giving up, we should think about what we are taking up. We might give up chocolate and sweets, but we might also take up praying the rosary or reading Scripture or doing volunteer work. Rather than spending Lent thinking about what we cannot do, let us think instead about what we can do – the many acts of kindness and charity we can show to those around us.

Lent should not be thought of as a time of unhappiness – something to be endured – but rather as an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Christ and to have the strength, as He did, to say No to the temptations we face and to say Yes to His example of faith, hope and love.

Miss Kathleen McCulloch, St Dunstan’s Assistant Housemistress

Dates for the Diary

Spring Music Concert - 29th March @ 7pm