Bonjour,

We hope everyone had a wonderful April Vacation! As we move swiftly through spring, weeks of summer camp have begun to fill up for certain age groups; if you have been holding off on enrolling for some weeks, now is the time before it's too late! The enrollment page has been updated with weeks/age groups that are at capacity.

Take a look at this week's IB corner of the newsletter: a special reading event to celebrate the different languages spoken within our school community is in the works! Read on below for more information regarding how you can come and read a story to your student's class later this spring.

In very exciting news, we are happy to announce the return of the Spring Carnival this year. We look forward to this community event on Saturday, June 4. In order to have a successful event, we need your help! To participate in the Parents Association and complete a task for the carnival preparations and implementation, please take a look at the Sign-Up link below. Thanks for helping out!

This newsletter also has information and updates to the pooled testing program for this school year. Please let us know if you have any questions!

Upcoming dates to keep in mind

2021-2022 School Calendar

We are encouraging EACH family to use this Sign-Up Link to take on a task in the preparation and implementation of this beloved event! Tasks listed vary and include shopping for supplies (full reimbursements available from the Parent Association account), setting up, breaking down, or working a fun game booth on the day of the carnival.

Did you know that you are automatically a member of the Parents Association as a parent of an enrolled student at EFDM? The Parents Association helps organize events and fosters relationships within our school community. In order to make this event the best you can be, we really need the most families possible helping out in one way or another. Merci!

The State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Department of Education have decided to wind down their K-12 pooled testing program effective May 15th. For EFDM, this means that the last date of pooled testing will be Tuesday May 10th.

We have been so thankful for this peace-of-mind program, and to all students and staff who have participated. After an awesome negative-result-run since early February, we are grateful that this change of testing policy will leave us with just 3.5 weeks of school that will likely be full of outdoor lunches and class time. Thank you for your understanding as we follow the lead of the Maine DHHS and DOE!

Please reach out if you have any questions regarding this change.

IB celebrates languages spoken both inside and outside school, and we are hosting a reading event to showcase all of the languages spoken in our community.

Those who would like to share a story, poem or excerpt in the native language(s) of their family are invited to join us Friday, May 20th at 2:30 pm. The goal is to bring languages from home to the greater school community. We are beyond excited to hear all of your stories and to work together to grow our library.

In order to build our International Library, we are also asking families to please donate a book in-home spoken language(s) so that everyone can be represented.

Please sign up here if you would like to participate and read at the event! Merci :)

Outdoor play is the name of the game this spring! With pockets of sunshine, warmer weather, and lots of mud, students have been enjoying activities in the forest and playground for the last few weeks.

A return to outdoor lunches and spring sunshine have been wonderful to enjoy!

CP/CE1 students are continuing their IB unit by exploring nutrition! There are many different ways to categorize foods.

Surprises are in the works! Be sure to add 2 pm on June 3rd to your calendar, when we will be having an outdoor performance to showcase some songs and dances all classrooms have been preparing!

On Thursday, April 28th, a NEASC re-accreditation committee visited our school. The visiting team included: Daniel Ferris, Director for Accreditation and School Improvement at NEASC and former Superintendent of Schools, William Gartside, Ed.D, former Head of School at Saint Columbkille Partnership School in Brighton MA, and Bénédicte Brouder, Head of School at The French American School of Rhode Island. The French School of Maine was initially accredited by NEASC in 2012, and every 10 years, the process is renewed. The visiting committee commended the school for its growth over the last 10 years and was pleased by the obvious "Joie de Vivre" displayed by the school community.

A globally recognized standard of excellence, NEASC Accreditation attests to a school’s high quality and integrity. Accreditation of an institution by NEASC indicates that it meets or exceeds standards and criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school is one that has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and demonstrates that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

April 28th, Willy LeBihan, Founder and Head of School at the French School of Maine, and Bénédicte Brouder, Head of School at The French American School of Rhode Island

Congratulations to Shaina's Graff's Violin Studio, Shaina's Strings, and the students of L'Ecole Française du Maine. The violin students performed a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem of Ukraine at the Maine Mariners Hockey Game. This was a combined effort with the Maine Retail Association that raised funds for Ukraine. Bravo!

Bilingual Childcare/Summer Camps at L’Ecole Française du Maine! We offer summer childcare/camps from June 20 2022-August 12, 2022. If you are looking for a safe place for your kids to enjoy the summer, please join us! Mornings will include a fun French activity, and afternoons are filled with arts & crafts, games, and plenty of time for free play. Early Childhood children will be offered time for rest in the afternoon. Hours: 8:30-3:30, with extended days offered from 3:30-5:30