September 16th, 2021
Bonjour,
We said goodbye to our Monarch friends this week as they emerged from their chrysalises and took to a long flight!
Reminder for all in grades 1-5, this year's first Wolfe's Neck Bike trip is tomorrow, Friday, September 17th! For drop-off times and locations, please see the article below. Rentals have been reserved for those who requested. Thanks so much to those who volunteered to chaperone-- It should be a fun day!
For those interested, we are still accepting enrollments for the group subscription of L'Ecole des Loisirs book club subscription. Those who sign up will take home a new French book each month to build their at-home library. Brochures for your child's age group are available for you if you have yet to receive one. Online versions of the same brochures/order form are linked below.
If you have yet to connect, all links for SeeSaw classroom communications are included in this issue. We had some awesome Music classes with Maggie this week in Music Together and Music Mind Games, as well as the return of Shaina, Peter, and Ben for Suzuki lessons! Read on for some helpful details about our English Language Arts program this year. Updates and reminders for upcoming calendar events can be found below too!
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What a pleasure to welcome back to L'Ecole our beloved Music Together teacher, Maggie! Students in PS, MS, and GS were delighted to participate in their first fun Music Together class this past Tuesday. New this year, older students in CP/CE1 as well as CE2, CM1, and CM2 also got their time with Maggie, learning music and theory through the interactive curriculum of Music Mind Games. |
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Maggie grew up in Granville, Ohio and earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Ohio University. She has spent the last twenty years in New England with her husband and their three children. Maggie was an active and joyful participant in Music Together during her children’s early childhood years, and was happy to complete her Music Together teacher training in 2016. Music has always been at the center of Maggie’s life, and she is thrilled to be sharing her love of music with the children of L’Ecole Francaise du Maine. |
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Wolfe's Neck Bike Trip- Tomorrow! |
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Are you ready for our first Wolfe Neck Center Bike Trip of the 2021-2022 school year for students grades 1+? We'll see all 1st+ graders there tomorrow, Friday, September 17th.
Your 1st grade and up student(s) will need to be dropped off between 9:00 and 9:30 am at Wolfe's Neck Center instead of at EFDM, so those with younger students at EFDM can drop off at the school first.
The drop off location: Recreation Field of West Bay
Pick-up for grades 1-5 will also take place at Recreation Field of West Bay between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm, so those with younger siblings to pick up can get to EFDM between 3:00-3:30 pm.
Rentals have been arranged for those who requested!
Please pack extra masks and a lunch for your child as usual. Teachers and chaperones will be equipped with first aid kits, extra sanitizer, wipes, and other essentials to make this trip safe for all. Children attending the trip will be masked as appropriate and keep their distance from other Wolfe's Neck guests throughout the expansive bayside area and farm. Lunch will be a packed picnic lunch from home to eat with their class.
Thanks to our volunteer chaperones for making this possible!
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English Language Arts at L'Ecole |
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For those who may have missed the Back to School Meeting with Amy, we wanted to be sure to communicate the plan for English Language Arts classes this year at L'Ecole.
So that all students receive the attention and support they need in English Language Arts, we will be separating classes into groups. Grades 2-3 will take English class together, during which time Alex will be accompanying Amy as an assistant and a go-to for tailoring to individual needs. Grades 4-5 will have English together, making for a much smaller class than usual. Grades 2-3 will meet with Amy for 3.5 hours a week, and Grades 4-5 will have 4 hours of English with Amy each week.
As an essential key to our school's mission, we believe students learn best by practicing a little bit each day. Therefore, our core standards of daily repetition, healthy learning habits, and tailored instruction will continue to be of the utmost value in our English language Arts program. Classes each week will range in time from 30 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, making for plenty of chances to fit in pockets of practice in reading, creative writing, speaking and listening, and social studies standards.
So far this year, classes have begun by building community and talking about the kinds of people we want to be and how we can work together to help each other succeed. Students have started reading fantasy stories and using these to talk about the story's elements and identify the themes in the stories or the lessons about life that the author wants us to learn. The third, fourth, and fifth-grade classes have begun a writing project called “The Best Part of Me,” modeled after the book “The Best Part of Me” by Wendy Ewald.
For those interested in learning more about our new assistant Alex (who is helping out in the French immersion classrooms as well as English this year):
Alex recently completed an AmeriCorps volunteer term at an elementary school in Portland, focusing on supporting English language learners and students navigating hybrid classes during the pandemic. Previously he taught in Orléans, France in the Teaching Assistant Program in France, administered by the French Ministry of Education. Alex holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in environmental studies and philosophy. As a result of multiple enriching teaching experiences, he is now working in education and aspiring to study pedagogy for certification in elementary education.
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L'Ecole des loisirs- book club subscription |
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Being a member of our school community, you benefit from the most advantageous rate for the French Max Book Club. The MAX subscription offers 8 books a year from November to June with audios to listen to the stories, and activities.
You will have received a paper copy brochure (as well as an online link below) for your review. If you are interested in enrolling, please fill the GROUP form (discounted rate) at the end of the brochure and give it back to your child’s teacher with your payment- check in order to l'école des loisirs- or proof of payment online made on www.regroupmax.com
The books will arrive at school each month and will be given to your child.
CHOSE YOUR LEVEL, HAVE A LOOK AT THE BROCHURES with a click :
BEBEMAX preschool, very easy words, nice to start
TITOUMAX great for kindergarten, easy stories that use familiar words and humor
MINIMAX slightly longer stories, heroes for big adventures. Great for GRADE 1 and maybe 2
KILIMAX more complex storytelling where images and text are strongly linked. That helps to understand. GRADE 2 to 4
ANIMAX illustrated novels, albums, and comics built around funny and fantastic worlds GRADE 3 to 5
MAXIMAX For those who love adventure and world discovery. GRADE 5 to 7
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"Café et Conversation" sous la tente |
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This fall, our "Café et Conversation" resumes "sous la tente" each Wednesday morning from 8:30-9:00, and as long as the weather is cooperative! These meetings provide an extra opportunity for our school community to gather and share experiences. We hope you will mark your calendars and try to attend. As before, a theme each week but no real agenda, and last-minute drop-ins are welcome :-)
Wednesday morning from 8:30-9:00
September 22: Petite Section ~ EC3 with Alison and Angélique
September 29: Moyenne Section ~ EC4 with Marie and Martine
October 6: Grande Section ~ Kindergarten with Victorien
October 20: Grades 1-2 with Elodie and Raphaël
October 27: Grade 3-4-5 with Simon and Alex and Raphaël
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Our Petits are perfectly at home now in their classroom, transitions are becoming easier and easier, and daily French songs are getting louder and louder!
Bravo les petits!
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MS students continue their creative projects, getting messy both in and out of the classroom!
Fun and learning abound whether they're busy painting or playing with the new trucks on the playground!
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This week in GS, students tried their hand at gardening! This thoughtfully prepared activity brings with it lots of processes to carry the students through their days, and touches upon learning in math, language, and science. |
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Elodie's CP and CE1 friends were having a blast at their art project, hammering paint onto the page outside on the sidewalk! The fun doesn't stop there, equally as interested and hands-in activities can be found during math time too. |
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Another hilariously fun time with Raphael in Sport this week, and as usual lots of busy bees in the classroom as students complete their independent work. |
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During the next six weeks, l'Ecole Française du Maine's teachers will be taking an IB course online: Making the PYP Happen. This course is offered in French and in English, which is ideal for our school community. Congratulations to our staff on this essential first step towards the implementation of the IB Primary Years Programme. |
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Please find the most recent version of our school calendar here.
Upcoming dates to keep in mind:
- Grandparents Day previously scheduled for Oct. 4th has been postponed at this time.
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Fri. October 8th: Early Release, dismissal at 11:30
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Mon. October 11th: Indigenous People's Day (no school)
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Mon. Oct. 11-Fri. Oct. 15th: October Vacation (no school)
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Friday Oct. 29th: Halloween Parade!
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Merci, for returning your contact information release forms!
The collected School Directory for 2021-2022 will be shared to just current families in a separate special edition newsletter.
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Suzuki music lessons began this week for piano and violin. Guitar and cello are also to come!
Please reach out to Emily in the office with interest, or reach out to one of our teachers below! We'll work to get your student into the music lesson scheduled during a weekday slot.
guitar teacher TBD, with enough interest!
cello teacher
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Seesaw Links- Connect with your student's teacher |
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You may have already been able to connect to this year's Seesaw classroom-- for those who have not yet, or are new to L'Ecole or unfamiliar with Seesaw, the idea is that teachers can upload images frequently from classwork, projects, and assignments that appear on student's profiles within Seesaw. You'll only have access to the posts created by your student's teacher for your student's profile. Parents will have access to snapshots from their students' day to spark conversations at home and with teachers.
Below please find links provided by your classroom teacher. Choose your child from the class list and create your account, if you do not already have one. After this, teachers will approve and verify your account and sharing will begin!
If you already have an account from last year, or you have more than one child (or teacher!) using Seesaw, click the 'Sign in' tab at the top of the screen. You will not need to create a new account.
After you sign up, download the free Seesaw Family app and sign in anytime!
Amy - English
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Allergy Alerts for 2021-2022 |
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Thank you for returning health forms and emergency forms! After a thorough review of each student's forms, please be sure to take note of the following allergies:
We remain a TREE NUT FREE FACILITY. There is a severe allergy to Tree Nuts within our school community. Despite extra efforts of cleaning and assuring no sharing of food this year more than ever, we are asking all classes to refrain from packing a lunch with any "trace of tree nuts". Almonds specifically are OK, as are peanuts.
Teachers (and older students!) are already in the habit of checking ingredient lists, but please be aware that many granola bars and similar snacks often contain traces of tree nuts. Refrain from packing these kinds of snacks. These snacks will not be allowed to be opened at school. Please only pack snacks that have clearly listed ingredient labels, or are made up of or from obviously tree-nut free ingredients.
There are no other serious allergies that families need to be cognizant of this year.
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Covid Protocols and Recommendations |
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To reinstate our protocols for this year, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the following presentation:
Download ==> 2021-2022 protocols and recommendations.pdf
Here is a summary of our 2021-2022 protocols and recommendations:
- We encourage all parents/caretakers/older siblings to get vaccinated.
- Masks will be required for all members of our school community inside the school during operating hours (teachers and staff, students, and parents, as well as vendors, volunteers, and visitors) and are recommended outside on the school grounds.
- Masks will be required inside regardless of vaccination status.
- Access to the school building is limited to essential workers and students.
- COVID 19 PCR will not be required before school starts.
- Domestic travel doesn't require testing either before or afterward.
- International travel requires testing 3-5 days after return.
Procedures if Someone Becomes Ill or Exposed to COVID-19
- If a child becomes ill during the day, they will be isolated in the room near the main office, and the school will notify parents to pick them up immediately.
- If a staff member becomes ill during the day, they must go home.
- If a child or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, the school will notify the entire school community. Possible outcomes include staying open, closing a classroom temporarily, or closing the school temporarily. Regardless, rigorous cleaning and sanitizing of the school, inside and out, will precede any return of students and staff.
Guidelines for quarantine after exposure to a person with COVID-19:
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Exposure to COVID is defined as having close (within 6 feet) contact with a COVID-positive person for a period of at least 15 minutes in a 24 hour during which they would be considered contagious. Persons are considered contagious, beginning 48 hours before exposure. The use of masks decreases but does not fully remove the risk of transmission and therefore is not taken into consideration when defining an exposure.
- If an unvaccinated parent is exposed to a person with COVID-19, the parent must quarantine for 10 days, consistent with state and federal CDC guidance. A PCR COVID test 7 days into the quarantine is recommended to help assure that an exposed person is not an asymptomatic carrier. The negative test does not shorten the quarantine period of 10 days per Maine CDC recommendations. Children of exposed parents do not need to quarantine UNLESS the parent develops symptoms or tests positive for COVID. These children would still be permitted to attend school provided they can be safely picked up and dropped off by someone, not under quarantine.
- If a vaccinated parent is exposed to a person with COVID-19, the parent is NOT required to quarantine but must monitor their symptoms and get tested if any symptoms develop. It is also strongly recommended that vaccinated persons exposed to COVID-19 wear a mask whenever around others for a period of 10 days.
- Students at EFDM who are exposed directly to someone with COVID-19 must follow the guidelines for unvaccinated parents above. As vaccinations for children are available, the school will issue updated guidance on quarantine for vaccinated students.
The school is extremely grateful to the following parents, who are medical professionals, for sharing their time, expertise and for helping us write clear protocols.
At l'Ecole Française du Maine:
Dr. James Gallea, MD, Emergency Medicine Specialist
Dr. Lisa Lucas, DO, Primary Care Physician
At the French American School of Tampa Bay:
Dr. Gaetane Michaud, MD, Pulmonary Critical Care, Tampa General Hospital and USF Tampa
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Window to the past ... just for fun |
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June 16, 2006, Last day of school for teachers: from the left: Elodie Le Nezet (now at International School of Amsterdam), Emilie Drouard (now at French School of Barcelona), Mathilde Robert (now an Elementary Teacher in France), and Elodie Chancelier, at EFDM :-)
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