Thursday, May 22nd 2025

Bonjour,

Months of hard work have bloomed these past two weeks as EFDM students played, painted and presented their research during the Spring Suzuki Concert and our very first Art Fest and 5th Grade Exhibition. 

Art Fest was a resounding success as the entire school was transformed into a museum! This year’s theme “Celebrating Nature”, brought artworks in floral themes across the entire school and even across the playground to La Maison whose rooms were transformed into a gallery for our deft artists!

Taking place during our annual Grandparents & Special Friends Day the Spring Suzuki Concert showcased our school’s incredible musical talent as we were serenaded by violins, pianos and even a menagerie of cellos (you had to be there). Bravo to all of our talented musicians who took the stage! Un grand merci also to all who attended! Your support means the world to us and our talented students!

Grandparent’s Day was also the Exhibition date of our 5th Graders who spent the past months conducting elaborate research into a unit on “We use our bodies to express our feelings and celebrate our culture”. During this Exhibition we learned about the research and the process and listened to a special piece chosen by each of our 5th Graders on violin and cello, before heading back to La Maison for some tea, cookies and riveting discussions on why they chose to examine the role of Hula in Hawaiian culture to see how dance is essential in both storytelling and identity. Bravo to our fantastic 5th Graders for their hard work, dedication and a fantastic Exhibition!

Please note: There will be no school tomorrow, Friday, May 23rd. All faculty and staff will participate in a full-day professional development workshop led by Marjorie Decriem, Pedagogical Advisor visiting from the French School of Toronto.

This newsletter also includes a Call for Volunteers as planning ramps up for our Carnival celebration on Saturday, June 14th, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We rely on our amazing parent volunteers to make this magical day possible—please consider signing up for a task via the link provided. The link for pre-ordering tickets for Carnival admission, raffles, and lunch is also included in this newsletter!

Finally, the 2024-2025 School Yearbook is now ready to pre-order! Books will ship in early June and be distributed shortly thereafter. Follow this link to place your order.

For any questions or further information, please feel free to contact us at office@frenchschool.me Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.

Warm regards,

Emily and Willy

Upcoming dates to keep in mind

• May 23rd: No School - Professional Day
• May 26th: Memorial Day - No School
• June 2-5: Trip to Montréal - Collège Stanislas
• June 14th: School Carnival 11 am - 2 pm
• June 17th: Last Day of School (full day of school, also carnival rain date!)
• June 22 - August 23: Bilingual Summer Camp
• August 28th: Meet and Greet with teachers, parents and students at 3PM
• September 2nd: First day of school at 8:30 AM

2024-2025 School Calendar

2024-2025 Events Calendar

We would like to thank everyone for "Celebrating Nature" with us at the first ever EFDM Art Fest! 

Students loved the change of pace from their usual classroom routine, learning from a variety of teachers, and using countless mediums and methods to create and collaborate on some stunning works of art! The school transformed into an ode to nature and art, with the museum spreading from the entire school building even to La Maison Française where the rooms were transformed into a gallery of art for this fantastic event! This marathon of creation was made possible by our dedicated teachers, assistants, parent volunteers, and special guest artists from the local community. Un grand merci to everyone who made Art Fest possible! 

The only thing which topped the beautiful artwork was the massive turnout of families who attended the gorgeously installed Vernissage at La Maison. Our school’s strength lies in its community and events such as this where we and our students are beyond thrilled to share the result of the hard work and dedication of all those who work and study at the school. To be able to share the success of this new tradition with so many of you who made the effort to share and celebrate this endeavor was a dream come true. Thank you everyone, and until next year, keep creating!

La Maison Française was transformed into a museum on the day of the vernissage, drawing many members of our community to admire the artworks created during Art Fest.

This year's Grandparents and Special Friends Day was another one for the books! Welcoming guests from near and quite far to join us in the classroom, it is always a moving occasion for both students and their grandparents and special friends, to be able to share experiences in the classroom and gather as a greater learning community. Students created some adorable projects alongside their special friends, shared in laughter and learning, and made some lasting memories.

During our special luncheon across the street, Grandparents and Special Friends were serenaded by a Le Bihan duo: Willy (Founder and Head of School) and Elise (PYP Coordinator) who played while everyone enjoyed a light lunch before the start of our first ever 5th Grade Exhibition. 

As the first audience to ever take part in an Exhibition, we would like to thank all of our guests for their participation and their wonderful questions during the Exhibition tea at La Maison! Here, cookies and queries were handed to our wonderful 5th Graders who have worked so hard these past months, and were thrilled to have the opportunity to share their work with others.

We would like to thank all of our guests for being a fantastic audience, for taking the time to visit us in the classroom and attend the Exhibition and Suzuki Concert that followed. This cherished EFDM tradition celebrates family, community, music, art, and more. We are so grateful to all of our visitors for making the effort to join us, it was a wonderful turnout!

This Spring’s Suzuki Concert was once again, a resounding success! We basked in the melodious serenade of violinists, cellists and pianists from EFDM during this annual Spring edition of our afternoon concerts.

With pieces ranging across several suzuki books, and beyond, the repertoire this year included a group skit from the cellos who brought animal sounds into the concert in a hilarious piece we will all remember for years to come. 

Congratulations once more to all of our talented musicians! Your efforts and practicing was evident when you took the stage and we are all so very proud of you! 

We would also like to thank all of the families and friends who came to support our young musicians! Events like these would not be possible without your support and we are most grateful. Merci!!



Photos by Faninda Issouf

5th Grade IB PYP Exhibition: A Milestone Moment for EFDM



We could not be more proud of Ayla and Jane, for their hard work and dedication leading up to this year’s 5th Grade Exhibition!

The Exhibition is not just an academic milestone—it reflects the values of student agency, reflection, and international-mindedness. It gives students a platform to show what they’ve learned over the course of their IB journey and how they plan to make a difference in their communities.

This year’s Exhibition fell under the theme “How We Express Ourselves” and had a central idea of “We use our bodies to express our feelings and celebrate our culture.” Using lines of inquiry of: How we use our bodies to express ourselves; The role of dance and music in storytelling; How dance and music are used around the world to celebrate culture, our 5th Graders embarked on a research journey unlike any they have conducted before; one which demanded time spent interviewing specialists, conducting research in books (and citing sources!) as well as reflection pieces. Taking all of the information they learned, they then had to write in their own words their findings in their Exhibition Journals! This endeavour was no small feat, doubly so as this was the inaugural 5th Grade Exhibition at EFDM! 

Our pioneering 5th Graders ventured into the Library with Riley, our English Teacher, and left with a research topic: The role of Hula in Hawaii’s culture and identity. Through this lens, the students researched their topic, interviewed members of the Unicorn Cove Hula Hui, and worked with mentors Katherine, Ben and Shaina to better understand not only the role of Hula in Hawaiian culture, but the role of dance and music in their own lives and their own expression of identity and culture at home. 

We are beyond proud of all of the work our 5th Graders have done towards this Exhibition, and were thrilled with their presentation in front of an entire room of Grandparents, Special Friends and Family. Having prepared a speech presenting their research, Ayla and Jane performed pieces of their choice on cello and violin for their audience, before meeting everyone across the street at La Maison for questions, cookies and tea where they were able to show everyone their hard work and their final Exhibition Journals!

We would like to thank our teachers Riley and Jenny for all of their dedication and preparation that went into putting together such a successful Exhibition, as well as the mentors who helped our students: Katherine, Elise, Shaina and Ben for their guidance, support and wisdom. Un grand Merci!!

We would also like to thank everyone who came to support our 5th Graders, who joined us after the presentation at La Maison and for your thoughtful questions and support! We hope to see you all next year as our rising 5th Graders are anxious to prepare an Exhibition of their own!

Bravo Ayla and Jane!!! And to all, un grand merci!

Our 4th and 5th grade students at L’École Française du Maine had the extraordinary opportunity to speak live on Zoom with astronaut Elaine Hyde, just weeks after her historic flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard. Students came prepared with 27 thoughtful questions—en français et en anglais—about space exploration, astronaut training, and life beyond Earth. Elaine answered each one with warmth, humor, and insight, leaving students utterly captivated for a full hour. She shared stunning visuals from her spaceflight and offered a behind-the-scenes look at her scientific work in microgravity. Most memorably, she encouraged our students to study math! and to dream boldly, reminding them that the sky is not the limit. Merci, Elaine, for bringing the stars just a little closer to our classroom!

To learn more about Elaine and her mission, visit www.spaceelaine.com and watch this video: Elaine Hyde – Blue Origin Flight

Come one and come all, to this year's Spring Carnival! Wheels are already in motion for this year's special event, a celebration of the school year that is beloved by all! This event relies heavily on our parent volunteers, without whom we would not be able to bring this magical day to life.

This year's Carnaval will take place on Saturday, June 14th, from 11 am- 2 pm, with a rain-date set for the Last Day of School Tuesday June 17th. We kindly ask parents to please sign-up for at least one duty/task in carnival preparation and implementation to ensure our students fully enjoy this wonderful day which celebrates their achievements this year.

Of course, signing up for more than one task is also encouraged and appreciated! 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to Emily, office@frenchschool.me, with any questions regarding the specific volunteer roles!

Tickets for admission, raffle, and lunch for the Carnival are also available for preorder now! Please use the following link to place your preorder.

Kids enter for $10 each and their ticket covers all games, entertainment & activities. Adults accompanying students enter for free. Lunch options are sold for $5 per person. 

Any online pre-ordered tickets (admission, raffle, or lunch) will be honored the day of, your online form will provide the school with proof of purchase. There will also be an option to purchase all tickets in person at the carnival, via cash or QR code!

The annual yearbook is a great keepsake for every student's bookshelf at home. With pictures from the classroom, playground, and various events and trips throughout the year, it's always fun to look back and see how much we've grown and all that we've learned in a year! To place an order for the 2024-2025 school yearbook, please  follow this link. A group order will be made later this month for printing, and books will be distributed in mid-June. Be sure to place your order sooner than later to ensure you receive a copy!

We are excited to offer once again this year our summer childcare/camps from June 23, 2025 to August 22, 2025.

Enrollment is now open and space is limited!

If you are looking for a safe and enriching place for your kids to enjoy the summer, please join us! Mornings filled with fun French activities, and afternoons of arts & crafts, games, and plenty of time for free play, the Bilingual Summer Camp is l’ultime Maine summer fun! (Early Childhood children will be offered time for rest in the afternoon.)

Open to children ages 3-12.

Hours: 8:30 am -3:30 pm, with extended day offered from 3:30 pm -5:30 pm.

For a detailed description of weekly themes, please read more on our website!

Welcome Back, Enola & Camille!

We’re thrilled to welcome back Enola Le Boëdec and Camille Le Siou to our summer camp team after their wonderful work last year! Both students from Brittany, France, Enola and Camille bring curiosity, kindness, and a deep appreciation for cultural exchange to our program. With backgrounds in English literature and a love of the arts, nature, and working with children, they are excited to return to L’École Française du Maine for another enriching summer full of fun and learning!Summer camp Councelors Enola and Camille are back and getting ready for camp

Listen to students tell how they’ve become stronger, more caring, and courageous in the PYP. The learner profile encourages the development of these social and emotional skills, among others. The PYP ignites curiosity and encourages learners to ask questions. In this video, PYP teachers and students explain how inquiry and critical thinking skills are used in the classroom and beyond.