<< The hope of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of equality & social justice remains alive - in a world still plagued by racism. The fight for equality is far from over. Let's build on his work as we continue to strive for a better world for all.>> António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, January 16, 2023.

It's nice to have a little snow to play in at recess!

We hope you are settling into the new year and are ready for some more winter fun!

There is one remaining Ice Arena Friday coming up on January 27th. All ages are welcome, and you can bring the whole family! You can use the sign-up link below to enroll. We'd love to have you join!

Our first Sugarloaf, Friday of the year, was one for the books! We are so grateful for a large amount of interest in these trips from families this year; we needed your support to take advantage of the fantastic Outdoor Experience program Sugarloaf offers for school groups! Two more ski trips remain; read on for more info (and some awesome pics from our previous adventure!)

We are still looking for one host family to help out with our visiting interns arriving soon. If you're interested, please contact the Head of School, Willy LeBihan, wlebihan@frenchschool.me, whenever you can.

The School Council met last week and approved the 2023-2024 School Calendar.pdf, which is very similar to 2022-2023.

Please note that Summer Camp is filling up fast for all ages! If you are interested in signing your student up for a select number of all weeks offered, please do so sooner than later to ensure you aren't on the waitlist.

Our re-enrollment for 2023-2024 will start this week. Look for a special email.

As we continue into the winter season, please remember to do your part in caring for our community. Thank you for keeping your student home when sick and taking extra precautions.

Upcoming dates to keep in mind

We love having experts in our community come into the classroom to supplement IB units! A big merci beaucoup to EFDM parent Joel Moser for coming into the CP & CE1 class as they explore their unit with Elodie on Sharing the Planet. Joel shared his knowledge about clean and renewable energy with students, including an awesome model of a wind turbine!

The central idea we are studying in our current IB unit for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders is: We can take action to make a difference in our community both locally and globally. This week we learned how to format a persuasive essay to help make change happen. Students formed opinions about the school schedule and then wrote strong reasons with explanations for why it should be changed or remain the same. Some students even wrote about the schedule they have for extra-curricular activities. Ask your child about what changes they are hoping to make or stop in to read the essay.

L'Ecole Française du Maine is an official partner of the Teacher Training Institute (INSPE: Institut National Supérieur du Professorat et de l'Education) at the University of Burgundy at Dijon, France.

This coming semester, we are delighted to welcome two French graduate students pursuing Master's Degrees in Elementary Education. Completing an Internship is an essential first step in the program of study leading to the Teaching Certification of Professeur des Ecoles by the French Ministry of Education (MENJS) ). Willy LeBihan, Founder of EFDM, created this partnership with UB-Dijon ten years ago and has welcomed dozens of interns in Maine. This year, our exchange program is back after the pandemic; Willy LeBihan, Head of School, and Pascale Crispin, Professor at the Université of Burgundy, will supervise these two internships.

The French School wishes to provide French Graduate students with a safe and supportive environment during their stay, welcoming each student into a host family.

All host families must be able to provide students with the following:

The flight information has yet to be fully finalized.

The maximum possible stay is between February 6, 2023, and March 13, 2023.

If you are interested and would like to know more about the role and responsibilities of host families, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at wlebihan@frenchschool.meor(207)865-3308

Corentin Bouchoux, 23, is finishing his Master's degree in elementary education and wants to become a certified teacher in a public French primary school.

Corentin loves to discover new cultures and meet new people, and he is very excited to have the opportunity to visit Maine and the United States. As he volunteers at the University of Burgundy at Dijon to help foreign students adjust to their new environment, Corentin is fully aware of language barriers and culture shock challenges. His interests include boxing and photography. Corentin looks forward to sharing the culture and traditions of Burgundy with his host family.

Space is limited for these events, so sign-up while you can! Please use this link to enroll for our final Ice Arena Friday of the season. We hope you can join us for these memorable winter events!

We had the BEST time last week at Sugarloaf with our school group! Students 7+ got to ski together for an Outdoor Experience Program with Sugarloaf staff; this adventure includes rentals and a 90 minute clinic, plus a ticket for the remainder of the day. Adults tickets in our school group are also heavily discounted. Perhaps the most fun is had warming up and chowing down together in the King Pine Lodge!

Families of students age 7+ should have already received emails regarding Sugarloaf Fridays and the chance to enroll in the Outdoor Experience student group for the remaining dates:

Summer Camp is filling up fast for all ages, and space is limited! Please join us if you want a safe place for your kids to enjoy the summer! Mornings will include a fun French activity, and afternoons will be filled with arts & crafts, games, and plenty of time for free play. In addition, early childhood children will be offered time for rest in the afternoon. Open to children ages 3-12.

Les familles disposant de faibles revenus peuvent demander une aide à la scolarité sous forme de bourses scolaires (de la petite section de maternelle à la classe de terminale) pour leurs enfants inscrits dans les établissements relevant de l’AEFE (Agence pour l’enseignement français à l’étranger)

Les enfants de nationalité française âgés d’au moins 3 ans, inscrits avec leur famille au registre des Français établis hors de France (plus communément appelée inscription consulaire) et scolarisés ou en voie de scolarisation à l’Ecole française du Maine, homologuée par le ministère de l’Education nationale peuvent prétendre à l’attribution d’une bourse sous conditions de ressources :

Dans tous les cas, les demandes de bourses scolaires doivent être renouvelées chaque année pour chaque enfant concerné. La date limite de dépôt d’un dossier de bourse est fixée au 10 février 2023.

Mark your calendar for Monday, May 22nd, 2023

The graphic chart below indicates what you need to do if your child is exposed to or contracts COVID-19. Please keep in mind that these protocols are subject to change. We will publish updates in this newsletter should they occur.

Please let us know if you have yet to receive your family's 5 COVID at-home tests! Should your child be exposed to COVID or experience any symptoms, please test before coming to school.

Please use the email address office@frenchschool.me for general school correspondence. So that you know – questions and requests sent to this address are forwarded as needed. We do our best to respond to emails as quickly as possible; thank you for your patience.

Alternatively, please don't hesitate to call us anytime for an immediate response! School Office Phone: (207) 865-3308