September 4th, 2025

Bonjour,

We’ve had such a joyful start to the school year! A big thank you to our new families for joining us with such excitement, and to our returning families for bringing back their warmth and wonderful energy.

This school newsletter, to be shared about once every two weeks, is your go-to place for updates, reminders, and opportunities to be part of our EFDM community. In the weeks ahead, we’ll continue rolling out new ways for you to stay connected with your child’s classroom experience. Be sure to read through each edition so you don’t miss a thing!

Please note tomorrow’s Family Picnic, which will take place from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m, is sure to be a blast! You’ll find additional details below—we hope to see you there.

We’d also like to remind everyone about our drop-off and pick-up procedures. This week has gone exceptionally well, with students showing great independence. Let’s keep up the momentum!

Next week, we’ll be hosting our Back-to-School meetings with some scheduled for the afternoon, and some in the morning. You are invited to attend your student’s classroom session, and you’re also welcome to join other classroom meetings if you’d like to learn more about the years ahead. Please note that the Petite Section and Grande Section meetings are at the same time and day-- if you have siblings in each of those classes plan accordingly to gather notes from a friend or have one parent attend each!

Almost all of our clubs for the fall semester now have a full roster! As a reminder, clubs are set to begin the week of September 15th. There is still time to sign-up for Suzuki Music Lessons, Goldfish Swim or the Village Market Lunch program, if your family is interested. Also included in this newsletter is a survey to gather interest and need for Vacation Camps. Based on results from the survey, we’ll notify families as soon as possible if there’s enough demand to run the program(s) during the scheduled weeks off of school.

As always, feel free to reach out to the office with any questions at office@frenchschool.me.

Thank you for making the start of the 2025-2026 school year another to remember!

Warmly,

Emily and Willy

Upcoming dates to keep in mind



• Friday, Sept 5: Family Picnic at School 12 pm - 1 pm
• Wednesday, Sept 10: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• Monday, Sept 8: Petite Section/EC3 at 3:30-4:30 pm
• Monday, Sept. 8: Grande Section/K at 3:30-4:30 pm
• Tuesday, Sept 9: Moyenne Section/EC4 3:30-4:30 pm
• Wednesday, Sept 10: CP/ 1st grade 3:30-4:30 pm
• Wednesday, Sept 10: CM1/4th grade at 8:30-9:30 am
• Thursday, Sept 11: CE1-CE2 - 2nd/3rd grades at 8:30-9:30 am
• Friday, Sept 12: CM2/6ième - 5th/6th grades at 8:30-9:30 am
• Friday, Sept 19: Bike Trip at Wolfe's Neck for grades 1-6
• Monday, Sept 22: EC3/PS Showcase #1 2:45 pm
• Tuesday, Sept 23: EC4/MS Showcase #1 2:45 pm
• Wednesday, Sept 24: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• Thursday, Sept 25: CP/Grade 1 Showcase French #1 8:45am
• Friday, Sept 26: K/GS Showcase #1 2:45 pm
• Friday, Sept 26: Bike Trip for grades 1-6
• Tuesday, Sept 30: Grade 2-3 Showcase #1 French 8:45 am

2025-2026 School Calendar

2025-2026 Events Calendar

Family Picnic this Friday September 5th, 12-1 pm

Don't parents deserve recess too? Come and take your lunch break on the playground tomorrow, Friday, September 5th!

Join students and teachers as they enjoy lunch and recess on various parts of our playground, the tent, and the forest. The school will offer celebratory watermelon and popsicles, but adults must bring their own lunch. Families are welcome to dismiss students early after this event. However, regular instruction and a normal afternoon will follow for all who remain.

This is a wonderful way to get to know other families in our community and see what your student loves to do during this favorite time of day!

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 10, 2023, 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!

Back-to-school meetings foster parent-teacher collaboration, understanding roles, student support, and consistent expectations. They engage parents, create a supportive environment, build trust, and share resources.

Feel free to attend your student's classroom meeting and any others that may interest your family. Teachers will present their classroom routines, expectations, and plans for the year ahead. Parents will have plenty of opportunities for Q&A! Students are welcome to remain on the playground for the duration of each meeting.

Back to School Meeting Petite Section/EC3

Monday, September 8th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meeting Moyenne Section/EC4

Tuesday, September 9th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meeting for Grande Section/Kindergarten

Monday, September 8th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meeting for CP (1st grade)

Wednesday, September 10th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meeting for CE1 & CE2 (2nd and 3rd grades)

Thursday, September 11th, 8:30-9:30 am

Back to School Meeting for CM1 (4th grade)

Wednesday, September 10th, 8:30-9:30am

Back to School Meeting for CM2, and 6ième (5th and 6th grades)

Friday, September 12th, 8:30-9:30 am

The drop-off procedure becomes increasingly more efficient as the year gets into full swing, but establishing routines from the beginning will help. To make a smooth start to the day, we ask you to please arrive on time, but not too early- around 8:20 is ideal for an 8:30 start. Drop-off should be quick and safe. Please remember to drive slowly. Also, cell phone use in the parking lot is prohibited. Thank you!

Elementary students will come up the walkway of the drop-off circle and enter the playground gate. All students will enter the building with their class when directed to do so by their teacher.

Preschool students will say goodbye to parents at the gate, and will be guided into the school individually by a staff member and shown their cubbies. They will then enter the classroom, where they can play freely and explore their new surroundings until all their little friends trickle in.

When dropping off the wee ones, especially those who have never been through drop-off before at pre-k or daycare, please remember that your enthusiasm and confidence will reassure them. A confident smile and a kiss show your child all is ok. Your child is looking to you for cues, so show them how happy and excited you are about their new experience. If there are tears in the first days, remember that this is normal and will pass. Your child is about to take a huge step towards independence, and rest assured, all will be well!

The pick-up procedure is basically drop-off in reverse. Instruction ends at 3:00, and the school day ends promptly at 3:30 pm. Children remaining after 3:30 will be considered part of the after-care program.

Shortly after 3:00, the children are on the playground, ready for you to pick them up.

During pick-up, we divide the playground into two zones, one for pre-K (near the gate) and one for elementary (near the woods). 

Please let a staff member know you have arrived, and we will send your child to meet you at the gate. Your child is now your responsibility. Please move swiftly and carefully to your car, taking small children by the hand.

Pre-order Lunch Program offered by the Village Market

We are pleased to announce that our optional prepared lunch program will continue for the 2025–2026 academic year! The South Freeport Village Market will again offer this convenient lunch program to support busy families by providing balanced, ready-to-eat meals for enrolled students. Families can enroll annually or monthly, with delivery available either five days a week or on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule. A 2% discount will be applied to annual plans. Each professionally prepared lunch is delivered in a ‘bento box’ style and includes a protein, a vegetable or fruit, a whole grain, and a special treat.

For more information or to enroll, please use this link.

Goldfish Swim Program for EC4/MS, K/GS, & Grade1/CP

We are pleased to announce that we will be offering a swim program during the 2025–2026 academic year for students entering Moyenne Section (EC4), Grande Section (Kindergarten), and CP (First Grade), in partnership with Goldfish Swim School in Portland. This year, we are planning to host a swim offering of 10-weeks, from October through December, and reassess interest for a possible second session in the spring. If interested, please enroll by Friday Sept. 12th, using this link.

We understand the importance of a well-rounded education. That’s why we offer a wide range of after-school activities designed to match students’ diverse interests and talents. From clubs to aftercare, there’s something for all children to enrich their learning experience beyond the classroom. Enroll your child today to reserve a spot in these fun and engaging extracurricular opportunities!

For those who require aftercare regularly, we offer the option to enroll and prepay for the entire year with a 25% discount. Please use this link to sign up for the days/times your family needs!



The first Session of Afterschool Clubs will begin in September and run through December. Please note, Afterschool Clubs tend to fill up quickly: we create a waitlist and give priority to the waitlist during the next round of clubs later in the school year.

Please use this link to sign up for the club(s) of your choice, taking note of age group, day of week, and duration/number of weeks for each!

Unlike holiday vacations, October, February, and April breaks differ in that many parents will likely still be working through the week.

We are working to potentially host a "camp" (purely childcare, no followed curriculum/school work) from: 8:30am-3:30pm Tuesday-Friday October 14th-17th (does not include Indigenous People's Day, Monday October 13th).

If you have a need for any of the vacation camps, please use the linked form here to reply! Based on the needs of the community, we will keep everyone informed of it these camps are a go. Merci!

We invite parents to connect directly with our instructors for Suzuki Violin, Piano, and Suzuki Cello lessons. The Suzuki approach is ideal for children aged 3 to 12, especially within a French immersion school. Dr. Suzuki’s “Mother Tongue Approach” mirrors the way children learn language naturally and intuitively, just as they do in our immersive French environment. This method emphasizes listening, repetition, and encouragement, making it a perfect fit for young learners who are already acquiring language skills through immersion.

Please reach out to the school office or directly to:

Peter Dugas for Piano at dugas3@gmail.com

Mary Furth for Piano at mainekeypiano@gmail.com

Shaina Graff for Suzuki Violin at shainastrings@gmail.com

Ben Noyes for Suzuki Cello at b9noisy1@me.com