September 21st, 2024

Bonjour,

September sure is flying by! Our first community event of the year, the Family Picnic, was a blast! Students were, as always, thrilled to show off their forest village, swinging skills, and enjoy extra play-time with parents, grandparents, siblings, and friends. It was the perfect way to ease into the school year and celebrate our fantastic school community. Thank you to all who made the experience possible!

As mentioned in the Back-To-School Meetings for families last week, we will continue to use two wonderful app's this year to maintain a strong connection at home and at school. More information about both Seesaw and Artsonia can be found in the articles below. Progress is being made on the updated 2024-2025 School Directory which will be shared directly to families in the coming weeks!

In this newsletter we are highlighting details from our first Bike Trip for grades 1+ at Wolfe Neck Center, with another one coming up later this week on Friday the 27th, weather permitting! We also want to invite you to the classroom Showcases coming up soon! These small presentations of what's happening inside the classroom are a favorite of both parents and students so please mark your calendars! Details for these events and others can be found in our Events Calendar.

As a reminder, Afterschool Clubs begin this week! Enrollment for current clubs is full at this time, but please reach out if you would like to be added to the waitlist for a specific club. Once on the waitlist, we may be able to open another session, or at least grant priority enrollment the next time we offer the club.

As always, please contact the office with any questions at office@frenchschool.me

Merci beaucoup!

Emily and Willy

Upcoming dates to keep in mind



• Sept 23rd: Apple Picking Field Trip for Petite & Moyenne
• Sept 24th: EC3/PS Showcase #1 2:45 pm
• Sept 25th: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• Sept 26th: CP/Ce1 Showcase #1 8:45am
• Sept 27th: K/GS Showcase #1 8:45am
• Sept 27th: Bike Trip for grades 1-5
• October 11th: School Picture Day! *DATE CHANGE*
• October 11th: Early Release, dismissal 11:30 am
• October 14th: Indigenous People's Day - No School
• October 14-18: October Break - No School

2024-2025 School Calendar

2024-2025 Events Calendar

We were so impressed with the wonderful turnout from families of all classrooms at our Family Picnic gathering last week. It was a pure delight to share the sunny playground and cool forest with you all!

We look forward to offering more community get-togethers like this in the future. Thank you to everyone who helped carry out this successful event!

The Café et Conversation is a regular event at La Maison.

A revolving presence of school staff attends cafés. You are always welcome to participate in any gathering, even if your child is not in the classroom featured on a particular day. Attending other classrooms' cafés is a great way to meet school families and staff and learn how your child's experience will develop throughout the years.

Coming up Next Week:

Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 8:30 to 9:00

Location: "La Maison" adjacent to the school

Come on over after drop-off; we look forward to seeing you!

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 Seesaw, please read on!

Seesaw allows teachers to upload images frequently from classwork, projects, and assignments that will appear on your student's profile within Seesaw. Of course, you'll only have access to the posts your teacher created and applied to your student's profile. In addition, parents will have access to snapshots from the day in the classroom that will help spark conversations at home and with teachers!

If you have yet to connect, please reach out to Emily in the office, who will share a direct link to your teacher's account. After this, teachers will approve and verify your connection, and the sharing will begin!

If you already have an account from previous years or 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 signing up, download the free Seesaw Family app and check in anytime!

Please reach out to Emily office@frenchschool.me with any questions.

Students who are new to EFDM will need parent approval for their Artsonia account. New families should watch for an email directly from Artsonia with instructions on how to set your preferred privacy settings for your student.

Teachers will begin uploading artwork for the year onto each student's profile. Artsonia is a win-win for all! For every keepsake purchased through the Artsonia website with a student's artwork, the school gets further funds to supply future art projects!

We had a fantastic time on our first Wolfe Neck Center Bike Trip of the 2024-2025 school year for students grades 1+ last Friday. Thank you to all who chaperoned and made this day possible! We greatly appreciate your help!

If you are interested in chaperoning one of our next bike trips and spending the day with your students' class, please let us know.

The next trip on the schedule is Friday, September 27th. As fall is officially upon us, we will be keeping an eye on the weather, and let families know by Thursday evening if we need to cancel due to rain.

Thank you again for helping make this event possible!

Enrollment is now open for our DELF continuing education program for middle/high schoolers and Adult Education classes for the 2024-2025 school year!

Information for DELF, including schedules and enrollment opportunities, can be found via the link below. Payment forms will be shared separately!

DELF

This week, both Riley, our English Language Arts Teacher, and Jenny, our CE2/CM1/CM2 Teacher, asked their students to explain what exactly is going on in the forest during recess.

For those who haven't seen the impressive wooden structures or witnessed first hand the complex and thriving forest economy at the edge of the playground, students have shared the following explanations to those wishing to visit their domain.

These insights are bubbling with excitement and creativity! Be sure to ask your student about their "role" in the community they've built during outside play time.

What an adventure!

In French Class, students also wrote a blurb about the latest scoop within their forest adventures.

Oscar: Dans la forêt, il y a notre château fort. Nous l'avons construt pour protèger les jeux et les animaux!

In the forest, there is our castle. We have made it to protect the games and the animals!

Sawyer: Pour construire une cabane, il faut deux bâtons que tu mets presque en angle droit, comme un Y. C'est la base.

To build a cabin, you need two sticks that you put almost in a right angle, like a Y. That's the basics.

Albane et Fiona. "Dans la forêt": Fiona et moi, nous voulions faire une forteresse, mais nous n'avions pas assez de bâtons. On peut en chercher nous-mêmes ou en acheter au magasin.

"In the forest": Fiona and I, we wanted to make a fortress, but we didn't have enough sticks. We can get some ourselves or buy some in the store.

George. "Willy". Nous avons trouvé Willy sur une feuille dans la forêt. On l'a prise et on a nommé Willy présidente de la cabane et de l'hôtel que nous avons construit. On a huit marrons pour acheter des choses pour notre hôtel. -

We found "Willy" on a leaf in the forest. We took it and named Willy president of the cabin and of the hotel we built. We have eight chestnuts to buy things for the hotel.

Ella. "Willy Bear." Nous avons une cabane qui s'appelle Willy Bear. Nous avons donné ce nom parce qu'on a trouvé une chenille et le type de la chenille, c'est le Wooly Bear.

We have a cabin called Willy Bear. We gave it this name because we found a caterpillar and the type of caterpillar was the Wooly Bear.

Jane. "Le J-CAT." Dans les bois, nous avons construit notre magasin: celui d'Ella et moi qui s'appelle le J-Cat. J-Cat comme Jen, Cora, Ella et Tessa. Nous sommes meilleures amies Nous vendons des feuilles rouges et jaunes, des petits bâtons et des cailloux minuscules. Nous avons un restaurant qui s'appelle le J-A's Cuisine. J-A comme Jen et Ella. Tu peux avoir des burgers, des hot dogs et des cupcakes. On utilise des glands et des marrons comme monnaie. Un marron vaut 35 glands. On utilise notre cabane pour le magasin. Le restaurant est en forme de pentagone. 

In the forest, we built our store: Elle and mine is called the J-Cat, like Jen, Cora, Ella and Tessa. We are best friends. We sell red and yellow leaves, small sticks and tiny rocks. We have a restaurant called the J-A's Kitchen. J-A like Jen and Ella. You can have burgers, hotdogs and cupcakes. We use acorns and chestnuts as money. A chestnut is worth 35 acorns. We use our cabin for the store. The restaurant is in the forme of a pentagon.

Lucie. "L'hôtel" Dans la forêt, il y a un hôtel. Dans notre hôtel, il y a six personnes qui travaillent. Les noms des six personnes sont Lucie, Georges, Liam, Sawyer, Théo et Ella. Le nom de l'hôtel, c'est Willy Bear. 

In the forest there is a hotel. In the hotel there are six people who work. The names of these six people are Lucie, Georges, Liam, Sawer, Théo and Ella. The name of the hotel is the Willy Bear.

As a member of our EFDM school community, you are eligible for a special advantageous rate of the French Max Book Club by École des Loisirs. The MAX subscription offers eight French books a year each with audiobook accompaniment and fun activities. This bookclub, which runs from November to June, allows students to build French books into their home library, specially curated to match both reading level and age group. Max books will be distributed to every participating child, at school, every month.

Please review the paper brochure provided by your classroom teacher to discover more about this amazing offer. (You can also find a complete English presentation online at : https://www.ecoledesmax.com/en-version.php)

If you are interested in enrolling, please fill out the GROUP form (discounted rate) at the end of the brochure. Once you have completed the group form, please hand it to your child’s teacher along with your payment by check to l'école des loisirs- or proof of payment online made on this site.

If you have a question regarding the level/age group most appropriate for your student, classroom teachers will have the answer!

A new exciting unit is starting in Grande Section, where students will be examining what it means to be a Risk Taker. Through the Transdisciplinary Theme, Who We Are, la Grande Section is conducting research through the unit’s Central Idea: In order to grow and progress, we must be willing to take risks, using the following lines of inquiry: 

• What is a risk/an error?
• Why it is difficult to take risks.
• Is it bad to make mistakes?

As they build upon their skills and knowledge in order to enter elementary school next year, La Grande Section is using the learner profile attributes of Risk Takers, Caring and Reflective to remind us all that making mistakes is part of learning and that taking risks and stepping out of our comfort zones allows us to grow. 

But what is the Learner Profile?

The Learner Profile is one of the principal elements of the IB Primary Years Program. These ten attributes, taught in all IB World Schools, allow children to grow into adults who are aware of their impact on their community locally and globally while also understanding their role in the creation of a better and more peaceful world.

The Learner Profile supports students in developing international-mindedness and in taking action for positive change. Exercising their agency, students take ownership of their learning, express their ideas and opinions, and reflect on their development of the learner profile attributes." - The Learner

Calling all Experts: La Grande Section is looking for “expert” Risk Takers, to come into their classroom and discuss how stepping out of your comfort zone helps you grow. If you would like to become an expert for this unit, please contact us to schedule a time to come in to talk to our Grande Section.

For more information more about the ins and outs of the IB PYP Programme Concepts and Philosophy, please check out our Curriculum Guide where you can take a deep dive into how we teach the French National Curriculum through the international PYP framework. 

Kicking off the year with gusto! Our Art, Music, and Sport Sessions have been a wonderful addition to the afternoons of the upper grade students! Students look forward to these sessions of movement and expression, several times a week, to create and express themselves among friends.

Music Together for the Maternelle Program will begin next week, and we can't wait to sing and play again with Lindz!

Don't miss all the fun taking place at the Kids' Lit Bookfair during the Maine Lit Fest in Portland, Saturday October 12th! We highly recommend this outing to all EFDM families who love books, reading and most of all, stories.

"The Kids’ Lit Bookfair at the Maine Lit Fest is an opportunity for kids and families to celebrate the diversity of children’s, middle grade, and young adult books coming out of Maine and New England. Family-friendly & Free. Featuring 20+ Children's Authors and Illustrators." - Maine Lit Festival

For full details of the event, as well as full schedule of the Maine Lit Fest, please follow this link!

Bonjour,

My name is Claudia Scherer-Effosse, and I'm the new Director General of the AEFE.

A diplomat since 1990, I have held various positions in France and abroad: China, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka, the United States, and Argentina, before being appointed Ambassador to Estonia in 2016, then to Argentina in 2019, in Buenos Aires, a city that is home to two very fine approved schools.

During my career, I've been lucky enough to visit, follow, and accompany several French international lycées and discover the beauty of this unique network. I've been able to observe the richness of human relations within these establishments, to see the solidarity that exists, and to marvel at the dynamism of each and every one of you.

As the mother of two children who spent most of their schooling in the network, I am indebted to AEFE for providing them with an education that has helped them succeed in their studies and their entry into professional life.

.... Read More ....

Sandrine Hulot, center, with the staff of l'Ecole Française du Maine, in front of La Maison Française du Maine, South Freeport Maine.

We were delighted to welcome Sandrine Hulot, PhD, to our school recently. Dr. Hulot, a distinguished expert in biotechnology and international collaboration, visited us to extend her best wishes for a successful school year. Her kind words to our staff and school community were greatly appreciated. In a heartfelt message to Willy LeBihan, she praised the welcoming atmosphere and enriching environment we offer to our students and families. We are thankful for her visit and look forward to continuing our conversations with her as we embark on another exciting academic year.

As a Conseiller des Français de l’Étranger at the Assembly for French Nationals Abroad, Sandrine Hulot plays a crucial role in representing the interests of French citizens living abroad, particularly in the United States. Elected for a five-year term, she is part of a network of representatives advocating for the French community on issues such as security, education, finance, foreign trade, and social affairs.

Dr. Hulot also serves on the Committee of Security and Health Risks, where she contributes to policy development and votes on resolutions concerning the protection and well-being of French nationals. As President of the Council at the Consulate General of France in Boston, she works closely with diplomatic teams and government officials to address the concerns of French expatriates, ensuring their rights and needs are met across areas like economic and social affairs, education, and culture. Her role also involves building connections between French nationals in New England and government bodies in France, fostering strong ties between the two.

The Mission Laïque Française (MLF) is a non-profit organization recognized for its public service, overseeing a global network of 112 French educational institutions in 39 countries, educating over 60,000 students. MLF promotes French-language education and also collaborates with the French government and businesses on educational cooperation initiatives. MLF America, a regional branch, manages activities in the United States, Canada, and Haiti, acting as a direct link to the headquarters in Paris. Its goals include strengthening support for member schools, building partnerships with the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and the French Ministry of Education, and developing professional development programs to help schools with innovative projects. The French School of Maine benefits from the support of MLF America's pedagogical advisors, Catherine Caillet and Ellen Burdge.

These schools below are part of the MLF America's network, which supports French-language education in North America.

United States:

Atlanta International School (AIS) - Atlanta, GA

Austin International School (AIS) - Austin, TX

AWTY International School (AWTY) - Houston, TX

Ecole Bilingue de Berkeley (EB) - Berkeley, CA

Ecole Bilingue de la Nouvelle-Orléans (EBNOLA) - New Orleans, LA

Ecole Franco-Américaine de Chicago (EFAC) - Chicago, IL

Ecole Franco-Américaine de Norfolk (EFAN) - Norfolk, VA

Ecole Franco-Américaine de San Diego (SDFAS) - La Jolla, CA

Ecole Internationale de New York (The École) - New York, NY

Ecole Française de l’Etat de Washington (FISW) - Bellevue, WA

Ecole Française du Maine (EFDM) - South Freeport, ME

French American School of Puget Sound (FASPS) - Mercer Island, WA

French American School of Rhode Island (FASRI) - Providence, RI

French American School of Silicon Valley (FASSV) - Sunnyvale, CA

French American School of Tampa Bay (FASTB) - St. Petersburg, FL

International School of Boston (ISBOS) - Cambridge, MA

International School of Brooklyn (ISB) - Brooklyn, NY

International School of Denver (ISD) - Denver, CO

International School of San Francisco (INTL SF) - San Francisco, CA

Les Lilas French Bilingual Community School (LES LILAS) - Kirkland, WA

Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA) - Los Angeles, CA

North Seattle French School (NSFS) - Shoreline, WA

Orange County International School (ISOC) - Orange, CA

Rochambeau French International School (Roch) - Bethesda, MD

Silicon Valley International School (SVINTL) - Palo Alto, CA

TESSA International School (TESSA) - Hoboken, NJ

The French Académie – Minneapolis (FASMPLS) - Minnetonka, MN

The French School of Boca Raton (Petit Prince) - Boca Raton, FL

United Nations International School (UNIS) - New York, NY

Canada:

Cousteau School - Vancouver, BC

Edu2 - Montreal, QC

TFS – Canada’s International School (TFS) - Toronto, Ontario