November 5, 2021

Bonjour,

What an "incredible" day we had for last week's Halloween Parade! The costumes were fantastic, the weather was impeccable, the treats were delicious, and it certainly would not have been half as special without all of our guests! Thank you for celebrating this tradition with us; we hope you had a happy Halloween weekend.

Congrats to our new School Council Parent Representatives! Thanks to all for casting their votes last Tuesday. We will have our first introductory School Council meeting before Thanksgiving. Your representatives are here to represent your voice and discuss your student's experience at EFDM. Feel free to reach out with any questions or on how to get in touch with the representatives.

Our traveling trunk exhibit on "People of the Dawn" has been open all this week for after school perusal. Please take a few minutes at pick-up time to walk over to La Maison with your student if you have not done so already. You'll be able to view the exhibit our English classes have been studying and have thoughtfully prepared for display before it's shipped back to the Hudson Museum this weekend.

A note to encourage all to schedule their flu shots as we enter the chilly seasons. And an extra reminder, your child must be in good health to come to school. A mild case of the sniffles does not necessitate staying home, but any strong present symptoms from a cold or illness must be improved and no longer threaten contagion. Please review our daily wellness checklist for details on what symptoms to look for and action steps to take if your child has a cold. Also, news regarding the approval for COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11!

Upcoming important reminders this month:
  • Nov. 11th: Veteran's Day, no school
  • Nov. 12th: Early Release Day (11:30 dismissal) and Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Nov. 19th: Professional development day, no school
  • Nov. 24-26th: Thanksgiving Break, no school

As always, please reach out to Emily in the office with any questions: office@frenchschool.me
Traveling Trunk Exhibit ~ Now Open
We are so excited to have received the traveling exhibit from the University of Maine Hudson Museum called, "People of the Dawn: Past and Present". This made-for-school exhibit includes display panels showcasing drawings and photographs illustrating traditional life from 1600 to the present for members of the Wabanaki tribes (the five tribes of Maine: Mik'maq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki).

Also included are many hands-on materials: examples of traditional artistry in baskets, birch bark work, and other tools. Reference books, videos, and CDs also come with this traveling trunk of knowledge. English classes have taken charge of preparing this exhibit in La Maison, and it is available for all classes to tour and explore. This temporary "gallery" is open for families during after-school hours throughout the week of Nov. 1st. We hope you'll take a minute to stop by!

You might also wish to check out more about the Hudson Museum, including their online gallery tours and contemporary artist and Wabanaki elder video interviews.
Parent Teacher Conferences- Fri. Nov. 12th
This year's first round of Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Friday November 12th via Zoom. This will be an Early Release Day for all, dismissal at 11:30am. We've arranged for you to be able to sign-up in advance for a time slot that works best for you!


Please use the buttons above to choose your slot. Teachers will be sharing zoom links for the meetings directly; you'll be able to log in at your chosen time.

Progress Reports for the first trimester will be sent home before the conferences for families to review. Merci!
Thanksgiving Drive at FCS
Once more this year, we are sharing the requested item list from Freeport Community Services for their Thanksgiving food donation program. Last year Beth was able to drop off an overflowing trunk full of items collected at L'Ecole for our community at large. As we wind our way through autumn, please feel free to begin dropping off any of the above non-perishable items into the designated boxes in the school glass entryway. We will bring our EFDM lot to FCS in mid-November. If you are able or interested in donating any perishable items listed above, feel free to reach out directly to FCS contact Michael Tausek for more information on when and how. Thanks so much for keeping this list in mind during your upcoming grocery runs! As the seasons change, we will share other holiday programs that we plan to participate in alongside Freeport Community Services. Merci!
Cold Season and Availability of COVID-19 Vaccine for Children ages 5-11
Remember to get your flu shot this year! The cold season has begun. Thank you for reviewing our wellness checklist to be reminded of our "stay home when sick" policies.

The approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 has arrived! Please check the Mid Coast Hospital page for more information and a list of available appointment times throughout November. We will be sharing more details about alternate local clinics as soon as they become available! If they have any questions, parents are encouraged to talk to their child's doctor regarding the pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.

We'd love to share this Maine Department of Education remote forum opportunity next Tuesday, Nov. 9th, from 6-7 pm for those who are interested:
Pediatricians Share: What Parents Need to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccine for Children
The CDC has recently recommended that 5 to 11-year-old children receive the COVID-19 vaccine, offering a way for parents to protect their children and families from COVID-19 infection. Join MECAP for a forum featuring Maine pediatricians as they share information about children and the COVID-19 vaccine and advise what to consider when deciding to vaccinate children against COVID-19. There will be time for questions from the audience.
Speakers: 
  • Gretchen Pianka, MD, MPH, Pediatrician at Central Maine Pediatrics
  • Jillian Gregory, DO, Pediatric Critical Care Physician at Maine Medical Center
  • Sydney Sewall, MD, MPH, Pediatrician at Maine General Health
  • Michael Ross, MD, Pediatrician at Northern Light Pediatric Primary Care
Moderator: Claire Berkowitz, President, Midcoast Maine Community Action
WHEN: Tuesday, November 9, 2021, from 6 pm--7:15 pm EST
WHERE: Via Zoom, register at mecap.org/events to receive the webinar login information.
21-22 School Council Parent Representatives
Merci to all our nominees this year for parent representatives. The election was a close one!!! Announced below are the chosen parent representatives for this school year. The first introductory meeting will occur before Thanksgiving, and minutes from all school council meetings will be posted for parents to review. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out! Congrats to the elected representatives!

Cedric Bernard
Scott Handler
Caroline Foust-Wright
Annie Ware

Peek Into the Classrooms
Busy bees in the PS room these days as children complete workshop after workshop prepared by Alison, Angelique, and Molly. They've been making patterns, and practicing the vocabulary for all the winter gear-- soon to be needed on the playground!
So much fun for the Moyenne Section as they prepared for Halloween and painted pumpkins, and shared their awesome costumes with us!
What a great parade! GS students as well as the rest of enjoyed tons of treats from our hosts the Bernard family and Brewer's Marina. Merci beaucoup!!
The haunted houses were perfect in the windows of the CP and CE1 classroom. Elodie's class had an absolute blast during the parade and are now turning their attentions to more fun crafts and games of the changing season.
CE2, CM1, and CM2 students have been creating some really marvelous artwork that decorates their classroom and the hallways these past few weeks, and they've been enjoying their various manipulative building games.
Making the PYP Happen!
As a Candidate School, a necessary step towards accreditation is ensuring that all teachers have completed a Category 1 IB Professional Development Class. This four week programme, which runs asynchronously online, breaks down key concepts of the IB philosophy and helps teachers not only implement the PYP into their classrooms and teaching styles but also allows us as a school community to share a common language. 
As the IB is an international organisation, our teachers were able to learn in their native languages. Our French staff completed Faire une réalité du programme primaire: mise en œuvre de l’agentivité which started on Oct 6th and just finished this week on November 3rd, while the English Team just embarked on their class Making the PYP Happen this week and runs until the start of December. 

Our staff was able to complete this certification alongside our sister school FASTB in Tampa Bay, Florida which allowed everyone work together as a team! This strengthed the bond between our schools and we are looking forward to more teamwork opportunities in the future as we strive to impliment the PYP.
We would like to thank all of our teachers who have given their time to this professional development as it is an essential part of our accreditation process. We would also like to thank the school who worked with our teachers to find a structure that would allow teachers time to complete the class while also being able to stay focused on the instruction of our students! 

Bravo les professeurs français! Bravo to our French teachers! 

And best of luck to the English Team as they work on their class for this upcoming month!
IB Coordinators of EFDM, Elise Le Bihan and FASTB Emmy Decker, on Zoom with the Maine and Florida French Teams before the start of the class
Upcoming Calendar Events
Please find the most recent version of our school calendar here.

Upcoming dates to keep in mind:

  • Thursday Nov. 11th: Veteran's Day: No School
  • Friday Nov. 12th: Early Release, Parent Teacher Conferences
  • Friday Nov. 19th: Professional Day: No School
  • Nov. 24th-26th: Thanksgiving Break: No School
Covid Protocols and Recommendations
To reinstate our protocols for this year, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the following presentation:
Download ==> 2021-2022 protocols and recommendations.pdf 
Here is a summary of our 2021-2022 protocols and recommendations:
  • We encourage all parents/caretakers/older siblings to get vaccinated.
  • Masks will be required for all members of our school community inside the school during operating hours (teachers and staff, students, and parents, as well as vendors, volunteers, and visitors) and are recommended outside on the school grounds.
  • Masks will be required inside regardless of vaccination status.
  • Access to the school building is limited to essential workers and students. 
  • COVID 19 PCR will not be required before school starts.
  • Domestic travel doesn't require testing either before or afterward. 
  • International travel requires testing 3-5 days after return.
Procedures if Someone Becomes Ill or Exposed to COVID-19
  1. If a child becomes ill during the day, they will be isolated in the room near the main office, and the school will notify parents to pick them up immediately.
  2. If a staff member becomes ill during the day, they must go home.
  3. If a child or staff member is diagnosed with COVID-19, the school will notify the entire school community. Possible outcomes include staying open, closing a classroom temporarily, or closing the school temporarily. Regardless, rigorous cleaning and sanitizing of the school, inside and out, will precede any return of students and staff.
Guidelines for quarantine after exposure to a person with COVID-19:
  1. Exposure to COVID is defined as having close (within 6 feet) contact with a COVID-positive person for a period of at least 15 minutes in a 24 hour during which they would be considered contagious. Persons are considered contagious, beginning 48 hours before exposure. The use of masks decreases but does not fully remove the risk of transmission and therefore is not taken into consideration when defining an exposure.
  2. If an unvaccinated parent is exposed to a person with COVID-19, the parent must quarantine for 10 days, consistent with state and federal CDC guidance. A PCR COVID test 7 days into the quarantine is recommended to help assure that an exposed person is not an asymptomatic carrier. The negative test does not shorten the quarantine period of 10 days per Maine CDC recommendations. Children of exposed parents do not need to quarantine UNLESS the parent develops symptoms or tests positive for COVID. These children would still be permitted to attend school provided they can be safely picked up and dropped off by someone, not under quarantine.
  3. If a vaccinated parent is exposed to a person with COVID-19, the parent is NOT required to quarantine but must monitor their symptoms and get tested if any symptoms develop. It is also strongly recommended that vaccinated persons exposed to COVID-19 wear a mask whenever around others for a period of 10 days.
  4. Students at EFDM who are exposed directly to someone with COVID-19 must follow the guidelines for unvaccinated parents above. As vaccinations for children are available, the school will issue updated guidance on quarantine for vaccinated students.
The school is extremely grateful to the following parents, who are medical professionals, for sharing their time, expertise and for helping us write clear protocols.
At l'Ecole Française du Maine: 
Dr. James Gallea, MD, Emergency Medicine Specialist
Dr. Lisa Lucas, DO, Primary Care Physician
At the French American School of Tampa Bay:
Dr. Gaetane Michaud, MD, Pulmonary Critical Care, Tampa General Hospital and USF Tampa
Window to the past ... just for fun
October 28, 2011, Halloween nor'easter! Our Halloween activities were affected by the storm, however, students rapidly adapted with this JACK O' SNOWMAN. This photo made the cover of the AEFE newsletter :-)