Head's Weekly Message — Dec. 10, 2021

Dear Mayfield Senior School Community,

 

The Christmas season is the most wonderful time of the year at Mayfield! With beautiful music in the air, warming fires in the fireplaces, our gorgeous twinkling Christmas trees, and stunning Nativity scene, the spirit of our special holiday is everywhere. 

As our students, faculty, and staff rejoice in Christmas at Mayfield, it has been so lovely to welcome community members to campus to experience the magic for themselves. 

 

Open House last Sunday was a spectacular success. We were so blessed by the weather and by the enthusiasm of our guests. It was such fun to see the expressions on the faces of our prospective students and their parents as they entered Strub Hall for the first time—guided by our welcoming students. Heartfelt thanks go out to all who supported this wonderful event, and especially to Merilisa Ramirez and Jade Stewart ’09 for their fantastic leadership and vision.

 

On Wednesday we were so blessed to introduce Father Albert Bahhuth, the new pastor at Holy Family Church, to our school. After Fr. Albert celebrated an inspiring Mass honoring the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, he stayed for lunch with a group of Holy Family School alums. I was so proud of all our students in the special ways that they made Fr. Albert welcome—it was such a lovely day.

 

Yesterday was also a particularly lovely day as we invited all our senior moms to campus for one of our favorite traditions—the Mother-Daughter Christmas Luncheon. It was just so incredible to be able to join together in community and friendship in our beautiful home once more. Huge thanks go to the amazing team of Amanda Georgino and Karen Limongelli who, with the help of Lisa Hernandez, planned and hosted this beautiful event. Thanks also go to the wonderful Parents Board Hospitality Team, led by Joanne DeFilippo, for their generous service. I think all our hearts were filled with joy and gratitude.

I was so happy to be able to join the Campus Ministry “elves” for a few minutes yesterday as well, as they collected donations for the LAMP Toy Drive. Thank you for those who have already given gifts. Monday, Dec. 13 is the last day to drop off new and unwrapped toys on campus, bringing a little joy into the lives of the children at South Central LAMP, a sister Holy Child ministry in South Los Angeles.

 

This coming week will also be filled with Christmas cheer. Tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 11, our amazing Mayfield Women’s Vocal Ensemble will be caroling in the Santa Anita Mall (near Macy’s on the ground floor) starting at 1:00 p.m. The acoustics at the Mall work particularly well with the voices of our talented singers, and it is so fun to watch the shoppers enjoy the beautiful music. 

 

Even more wonderful will be our annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 12, held this year at St. Philip the Apostle Church from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. I missed this event so much last year—I anticipate that some of us might get a little emotional as we thank God for the opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Lord with exquisite music in such a beautiful and sacred space.

 

Then, the culmination of our musical celebrations—Carol Night! We welcome everyone to campus on Wednesday evening, Dec. 15, at 7:00 p.m. for a magnificent instrumental concert followed by singing in Strub Hall—and, of course, cookies and punch on the porch. I can’t wait to see you there and wish you a very Merry Christmas in person!

 

And now, just a few items of business in this busy season. In an attempt to streamline our attendance procedures, we have created a new dedicated attendance phone line—(626) 799-0267 and email address studentabsences@mayfieldsenior.org for parents to use in order to report a student’s absence or request an early dismissal.  We ask that you begin using these contacts starting this Monday.

 

Finally, we have been strongly encouraged by the Pasadena Department of Health to require all students, faculty and staff to be tested for COVID-19 after the Christmas Holiday. To make this very easy for everyone—we have extended our regular weekly testing time to allow everyone to be tested on campus on Wednesday, Jan. 5  during a free period or lunch. If you have not already done so—please complete the required forms (scroll down for more details). Thank you for helping to keep our community safe and healthy!

 

With Love and Gratitude,

 

Kate Morin