Bonjour,
Thank you for attending parent teacher conferences last week! We hope having the chance to discuss your child's progress so far was helpful as we move into the next trimester of school. As a reminder, teachers are always available and willing to have brief outdoor check-ins upon parent request during drop-off or pick-up times.
A review of our updated travel policy in light of the coming holidays and rise of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maine is included here again for your review.
Your responses to the following quick survey would greatly help as we continue to develop policies for maintaining the wellness of our community at large through the winter. We are asking ALL CURRENT FAMILIES to please take the time to share their holiday plans and answer this survey anonymously.
The CDC strongly suggests staying within your immediate household for the holidays this year. Our updated policy reflects quarantining for 5 days after travel/potential exposure, and then testing, only returning to school upon negative COVID-19 test results.
This policy will remain in place past the Thanksgiving holiday for anyone who travels or experiences a potential exposure, and will continue to be updated as we approach December's winter break.
Please be sure to pack hats, mittens, scarves, and a warm winter jacket daily as appropriate for all students. Since we are committed to outdoor time in all weather, it is important to have a raincoat on hand at school too. For K and under students, it is time to send in a change of extra clothes that reflects the weather: we'll switch out the back-up shorts and t-shirts for long pants and sweaters. With warm breath in cold weather, students are going through face-mask changes more often. Please be sure to pack extra clean masks for your student each day, and launder used masks daily before returning them to school for next use.
Thank you and as always, please reach out to Emily in the office with any questions: office@frenchschool.me.
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Thanksgiving Travel Policy Review |
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Please take a minute to complete our EFDM community holiday travel survey: here
COVID-19 cases in Maine are taking a startling upward turn as of late. We have made several updates to our daily school guidelines following the Governor's most recent order, adding stricter masking protocols and travel updates to our daily checklist, found below.
We would like all families to be reminded of our Community Pledge. This document was drafted at the start of the school year to ensure all members of our community are aware of how they may do their part in keeping us safe.
Traveling increases risk, and it is strongly recommended that holiday celebrations take place within your immediate family this year.
If you must travel over the holiday breaks, please keep in mind that current policies exempt only a select few states deemed "safe" for travel at this time-- those being ME, NH, and VT. Massachusetts is no longer an exempt state as of Nov. 16th.
If anyone within our school community travels outside of these exempt states,
A 5-DAY QUARANTINE UPON RETURN, FOLLOWED BY A NEGATIVE TEST will be required to return to school.
For those families planning to host guests from non-exempt states, your guests should adhere to these same protocols before staying in your home.
If traveling, it is recommended you schedule travel-related testing as soon as possible. Even if traveling to exempt states, Maine is highly recommending testing upon returning home.
As the exempt states and rules regarding testing/quarantining continue to update, we will keep families informed.
We realize these protocols are very strict, but our goal is safety first. If we all take the utmost care and precaution, we have the best chance of continuing with uninterrupted in-person classes.
The purpose of this reminder is to once again provide the important information regarding holiday travel, especially for those who missed it, and also to emphasize how critical a full EFDM community buy-in is to us having a safe, healthy and In-Person three weeks between this break and the winter break.
Even if it takes an extra day or a few days for you to return safely, we all are counting on each other’s vigilance for the school community to remain healthy and for the school to remain open. We have done well so far - and we thank you for all of your efforts (students, parents and staff) the past 3 months and thank you in advance for your continued efforts during the Thanksgiving break in the face of rising cases and risk in Maine and throughout the US.
Thank you for your cooperation to ensure our community's wellness.
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Holiday Travel Guidelines |
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Freeport Community Services- FOOD DRIVE |
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Our friends at Freeport Community Services are asking for the above items to help with their Thanksgiving Food Drive. Our L'Ecole community has really come together in the past to assist those in need with an impressive amount of donations-- let's make this year no different! Boxes for your donated non-perishable items will be available within the glass entry on the parking lot side of the school starting tomorrow. (If you are interested in donating some of the perishable goods listed above, they can be brought directly to FCS in downtown Freeport). Donations will be accepted at L'Ecole through the 24th for the Thanksgiving drop-off, but we already are in communication with FCS regarding another special holiday donation challenge, so be on the lookout for more chances to do good deeds in our community! |
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Annual Appeal 2020 is Underway |
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Our Annual Appeal for 2020 is now underway. We recently sent out a Special Edition Newsletter asking for your support.
If you have already given- thank you!!
Each year we ask our friends to consider contributing L'Ecole Française du Maine in their charitable giving. Your contribution can support the Mission of the School in many ways, like direct program support, building and facility improvements, or to provide financial aid to students in need of assistance.
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All School Photos Available for Review/Purchase |
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Photos from our original picture day AND re-take day are now available on Danielle Peterson's website for your review and purchase!
Please click the button below to peruse the photos and place your orders.
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Updates from the Classrooms |
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Has your PS student read their POP book to you yet? Friends in our youngest class have been studying and creating their own colorful dinosaur books to dazzle their families! |
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The unseasonable warmth of late allowed for a lovely hike in the woods for our MS/GS and GS/CP friends! |
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Reading time! Students in Elodie's CP/CE1 class are always eager to open a book, and work in their writing notebooks. |
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Bravo les grands for continuing your class presentations and reading! |
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DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
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The 31 French Schools of the North American network MLF-America are combining their efforts to offer training sessions and resources on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to their 10,000 students and 1,000 teachers. The first training will be in January 2021 and will address discrimination, prejudice and anti-racism. The training will offer practical tools to move from theory to action in the classroom.
L'Ecole Française du Maine is forming a DEI Committee: To join, please contact the school: office@frenchschool.me. Our first meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 3rd, at 3:45 PM. This initial meeting will be either in person or on zoom - TBA. The committee will be comprised of administrators, teachers, and parents and will welcome guest speakers.
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Calendar Updates & Reminders : November |
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Calendar Updates from November:
Nov. 23rd-24th: Suzuki Concerts: POSTPONED
Nov. 25th-27th: Thanksgiving Holiday: NO SCHOOL
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Thank you for continuing to perform the daily check before coming to school. Below is the most recently updated screening survey recommended by the Maine DHHS.
Communication with the school is paramount; if you have any uncertainties regarding the checklist questions or anything that cannot be answered negatively, you must call or email the school office as soon as possible.
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Important Flu Shot Information during COVID-19 |
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It seems as though it's never been easier to get access to a flu shot. Most pharmacies have a shot available, or you can schedule a visit with your healthcare provider. Find more information about the latest flu statistics on the Maine flu website.
Keeping yourself and those around you safe from the flu includes what we are already doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please continue to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and stay on top of hand hygiene!
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This fall, we are replacing our "Café et Conversation" with "Conversations sous la Tente"! These meetings provide an extra opportunity for our school community to gather and share experiences. We hope you will mark your calendars and join us under the tent as long as the warm weather holds. 8:30 am to 9:00 am
November 24, 2020: Grades 3-4-5 with Simon
December 2, 2020: Preschool with Dasha
December 9, 2020: Grades 1-2 with Elodie
December 16, 2020: English Language Arts with Amy
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Thanks to all for providing a great supply of special cleaning products to kick off our school year! We have paper towels and hand sanitizer to enter the winter season but could use more of the following wishlist products if you happen to come across any while doing your weekly shopping:
- Adult size disposable masks
- Disinfectant wipes, any brand!
- Disinfectant spray cleaner
Merci beaucoup for keeping these items in mind and for your generous donations!
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Window to the past .... just for fun |
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November 17, 2014, Beth LeBihan helping during the school Thanksgiving meal, prepared and served by parent volunteers. In the Community Hall of the South Freeport Church,170 students and parents sat together to enjoy the delicious turkey dinner, complete with all of the fixings, including: stuffing, green bean casserole, carrots, turnip, and potatoes that were brought directly from Northern Maine by a school parent with family up in "The County". We will have to wait until November 2021 to resume this long-held tradition of l'Ecole Française du Maine. |
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99 South Freeport Road P.O. BOX 737
South Freeport, Maine 04078
(207) 865-3308
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