September 7th, 2023

Bonjour,

What a summer-like first week of school! The sunny energy of our wonderful first day has continued through the week, making for an exciting, fun-filled, and fast-flying few days.

Within our bi-weekly newsletter, you will find reminders about upcoming events and opportunities to connect with the school community. Each classroom will also offer a peek into what they've been up to. As we move through these first months of school, we will introduce more and more ways to stay connected to your student's classroom. Please be sure to read through the newsletter to stay up-to-date!

This edition includes a reminder for tomorrow's family picnic gathering from 12-1 p.m. More info can be found below; we hope you can make it!

We also want to remind families of our drop-off and pick-up routines; this week has gone extremely well as students exercise independence. Here's to continuing on in stride!

Back-to-School Meetings will take place each afternoon next week. You are invited to attend your student's classroom meeting and welcome to attend other meetings to learn more about the years ahead!

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

Merci, beaucoup for helping make the first week of the 2023-2024 school year one to remember!

Emily and Willy

Upcoming dates to keep in mind



• Sept 8: Family Picnic at School 12 pm - 1 pm
• September 13: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• Sept 11-15: Back-to-School Presentations from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Monday, September 11: Petite Section/EC3

Tuesday, September 12: Moyenne Section/EC4

Wednesday, September 13: Grande Section/K

Thursday, September 14: CP/CE1 - 1st/2nd grades

Friday, September 15: CE2/CM1 - 3rd/4th grades

• September 13: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• September 22: Bike Trip at Wolfe Neck Farm
• September 26: EC3/PS Showcase #1 at 8:45 am 
• September 27: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• September 28: EC4/MS Showcase #1 at 8:45 am 
• September 29: K/GS Showcase #1 at 8:45 am 
• September 29: Bike Trip at Chebeague Island
• October 6: Early Release, dismissal 11:30, no lunch
• October 9-13: October Break
• October 9: Indigenous People's Day - No School
• October 17: Grade1-2 Showcase #1 at 8:45 am 
• October 18: Café et Conversation 8:30 am
• October 19: Grade 3-4 Showcase #1 at 8:45 am 
• October 20: Bike Trip at Wolfe Neck Farm
• October 31: Halloween Parade at 2 p.m. at School
• November 10: Parent Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal 11:30 am

2023-2024 School Calendar

1st Trimester Events Calendar

Family Picnic Friday September 7th, 12-1 pm

Don't parents deserve recess too? Come and take your lunch break on the playground tomorrow, Friday, September 7th!

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 a lunch. Families are welcome to dismiss students early after this event. However, regular instruction and a normal afternoon will follow for all.

This is a wonderful way to get to know other families in our community and see what your student loves to do during their favorite time of day! Petite Section families who are enrolled for the year ahead but may be starting later are also welcome to join to get a glimpse of school life.

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 13, 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 Meetings Petite Section/EC3

Monday, September 11th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meetings Moyenne Section/EC4

Tuesday, September 12th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meetings for Grande Section/K

Wednesday, September 13th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meetings CP, CE1 (1st and 2nd grades, English Language Arts)

Thursday, September 14th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Back to School Meetings CE2, CM1 (3rd and 4th grades, English Language Arts)

Friday, September 15th, 3:30-4:30 pm

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.

Emily Smith, School Director (left), Suzie Rannou, 2023 Summer Camp Activities Director (center) and Anaelle Marret, Grades 3-4 Teacher (right)

Suzie Rannou, our amazing 2023 Bilingual Summer Camp Director, made a big impact. She helped our young campers, aged 3 to 12, from different backgrounds, grow and have a great time. Suzie made the camp a warm and exciting place for everyone.

Suzie Rannou shone brightly within our school community, leaving an indelible mark. Her infectious positivity and heartfelt engagement garnered admiration and respect and made her popular with camp counselors and children. A true superstar!

What a wonderful first week in Petite Section! We have been getting to know each other and learning the routines of the day. We are also discovering our classroom and the different play corners. We are busy reading books, singing and working on being independent. Petite students have enjoyed playing in the kitchen, caring for our babies and doll house, building with blocks and finding new books in our library. 

Over in MS, students are already exploring their new classroom, completing their Septembre projects, and getting a great start on their workshops! This week, one workshop included students recreating designs with clay. The work of rolling, stretching, and shaping the dough helps with fine motor skills, while the design of lines and shapes is another great step for pre-writing skills! Bravo les enfants!

In this new year of Kindergarten, we're practicing and solidifying our knowledge from years past by using mathematics in our new play space: the tea shop! We're learning how to be a server or a customer, to pay the right amount, and to add up small numbers. Well done! 

We've also started an art project to decorate nameplates for our coat racks. It's been great fun so far! 

Students in the CP & CE1 classroom are off to a wonderful start! This week, students helped provide input into a classroom agreement project, in order that classroom rules and expectations can be agreed upon and understood by all as we enter a great year. We can't wait to see all the amazing things to come in CP / CE1!

The first week in our upper grades classroom has been full of outdoor fun! Students completed an "escape-room" game mixed with a treasure hunt. The children had to find envelopes holding puzzles that were hidden throughout the school forest. For finding the puzzle clues, they had a map with several X's to mark where they might be hidden! Teams worked through their puzzles to obtain numbers that only opened a box when put into the correct order... After lots of clues, puzzles, and teamwork, students read their secret messages and found the final maps which led them to treasure and medals for their efforts. Bravo les enfants, et merci Anaëlle for such an awesome activity!

Back in the classroom, the games continue! Students took turns for le jeux du pendu-- "hangman"!

With lots of inspiration from the long vacation, students in English Language Arts are using these fresh memories to write descriptively about summer! Brainstorming adjectives and retelling stories, the classroom was abustle with highlights from everyone's last few months. Be sure to attend the Thursday or Friday Back-to-School meeting next week to hear more from Sarah, our English Language Arts instructor, and to learn more about the 1st grade English phonics session being added to this year's schedule!

We are so excited to share the fun for another year of Music Together with Lindz Amer! All Maternelle classrooms (Petite Section, Moyenne Section, and Grande Section) will enjoy designated Music Together time each week of the school year ahead. Various opportunities for sing-alongs with Lindz and students will be shared throughout the year-- be sure to keep an eye on our Events Calendar to mark the dates!

Suzuki private instruction will also return this month, for piano, violin, and cello.

If your student is interested in learning an instrument and finding a convenient time during the school week to host their lesson, please reach out to Emily in the office (office@frenchschool.me) who will connect you with the designated instructor.

Suzuki Concerts to celebrate student achievement are also set for several days this school year, to be found within the school calendar.

Piano teacher Peter Dugas will also return this year to the upper grades classrooms to lead groups in general music instruction. Peter's lessons always include a little history, theory, and lots of fun!

Allowing mistakes in education is essential for student development. The Primary Years Programme (PYP), fosters a positive learning environment, promotes critical thinking and problem-solving, and encourages resilience and perseverance. Mistakes deepen understanding and conceptual learning, encourage reflection and metacognition, and cultivate a growth mindset. They also align with authentic, integrated assessment, where assessment is seen as a tool for growth. By embracing mistakes, students become active participants, develop resilience, and gain insights into their learning strategies. Ultimately, it prepares them for future challenges and empowers them as independent learners.

Dear parents

A new page is turning for your children, our students. We'd like to send you our warmest wishes for the new school year, a time of promise and success.

The start of the new school year is important for every child. It's the beginning of an educational journey that will guide them toward discovering knowledge and developing skills that will accompany them throughout their lives.

You have chosen to entrust our schools, focused on educational excellence, with the task of accompanying your children on their educational journey. This decision testifies to your commitment to their future and reflects your confidence in our ability to help them grow and flourish.

We share your concern for your children's well-being. Beyond the school benches, their entire learning environment contributes to their development. We are determined to create a space where they can flourish safely, finding the balance between ambition and academic achievement.

We firmly believe in the value of caring within our educational community. By encouraging our students to be considerate of their peers, we help forge strong, lasting bonds..........

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