June 11th, 2023

Bonjour,

A busy newsletter this week as we round the corner of the year!

Fast approaching is our Carnival on Saturday, June 17th. We ask all parents to please sign-up ASAP for a job to assist with Carnival preparations and day-of duties, as we could use some help. In this newsletter, you will also find a link for purchasing Carnival Admission, Raffle, and Lunch tickets in advance. We recommend purchasing online in advance or bringing cash to make the admission process smoother on the morning of the event!

During the Carnival, come learn African dances from Rwanda with Clarisse K, our talented instructor. Wear comfortable clothes and get ready to groove! DJ Bruuzzy will provide phenomenal music. Let's dance!

Congrats to the CP/CE1 and CE2/CM1/CM2+ classrooms on accomplishing their reading goals for the month of May during the We Love to Read Challenge! Together, our students collectively read for 20,000 minutes... that's about 1,200,000 seconds or 333.3 hours-- Bravo!!

Be sure to note the days for this year's Wacky Week, scheduled for June 12-16. Participation in this annual celebratory event always adds another level of fun and excitement to the end of the school year.

Upcoming dates to keep in mind



• June 16th: School Performance from 2 pm to 3 pm
• June 17th: Carnival from 11 am to 2 pm
• June 20th: Last Day of School until 5:30 pm
• June 26 to Aug 25 Bilingual Summer Camp
• Aug 31st: Meet new families and teachers; all are welcome at 3 pm
• Sept 5th: First Day of School at 8:30 am
• Sept 8th: Family Picnic at school 12 pm - 1 pm
• Sept 11-15: Back to School Presentations every day from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

2022-2023 School Calendar

2023-2024 Calendar

The Carnival is fast approaching!

Our school carnival is much more than a celebratory event. It plays a crucial role in our community building and creating lasting memories. We encourage families to participate and help us rally volunteers to ensure the success and significance of this beloved end-of-year celebration.

Please consider purchasing admission, raffle, and lunch tickets in advance:

We still need a few more volunteers to help make the event run as smoothly as possible!

Wednesday, June 14th

Carnival Meeting for Volunteers

8:30 am under the tent

This year the event will take place on Saturday, June 17th, from 11 am - 2 pm. Please sign-up for at least one portion of assisting with the carnival preparation and implementation. Of course, signing up for more than one task is also encouraged! Funds from the Parents Association Account will reimburse all shopping for supplies (besides donated raffle items). Example themes for raffle baskets: "Maine Made," "Movie Night," "Beach/Summer," "France," "Relaxation," etc.

Join us for an exciting and culturally enriching experience during the carnival! Learn African dances from Rwanda with Clarisse K, our talented instructor. Wear comfortable clothes and get ready to groove! DJ Bruuzzy will provide phenomenal music. Feel free to bring friends. Get ready to wear your dancing shoes and let's dance!

What's the end of the school year without a little wackiness? Please note your calendar and search your wardrobe! Students and faculty alike will be celebrating the final full week of school in style. From pajamas to favorite hats, we can't wait to see what fun everyone comes up with!

All families are invited to attend the school-wide End of Year Performance on Friday, June 16th from 2-3 pm. Last year, we hosted this celebratory show outside on the playground, but this year it will be held across the street at the South Freeport Church Community Hall. Each classroom will perform either a dance or song, as well as Chorale program. We hope to see you there, to show the students your support! Merci!

Wow, what a fantastic performance by our 10-year-old students who spoke publicly in two languages! We were blown away by the students in grades 4 and 6 performances this week. The adults were left speechless by their ability to deliver a text they wrote themselves in both French and English. In their speeches, students shared their experiences at the French School.

Mastering the art of public speaking is such a valuable skill with so many benefits. It enhances students' leadership abilities, boosts their confidence, and improves their communication skills. These qualities profoundly impact their educational and professional journeys, giving them a significant advantage. When we introduce public speaking at an early age, we empower young speakers to overcome their fears and develop self-assurance.

Placing a strong emphasis on public speaking from a young age is crucial for nurturing students' overall growth and helping them reach their full potential. By providing this opportunity, we are setting them up for success and equipping them with the tools they need to excel in all areas of life.

Bravo to all who helped their classes achieve the collective 20,000 minutes of reading for the month of May! Students celebrated with a delicious pizza party and definitely enjoyed the fruits of their labor. We are so grateful to have had the "love of reading" on display at school as well-- so many students sent in pictures of themselves in a special spot at home, or reading to their pets or stuffed animals! Merci to all for participating.

In preparations for Grande Section, the Moyenne class has been playing lots of games; most recently, they are having fun learning to recognize the numbers 1 to 10!

To take advantage of the recent beautiful summery weather, the upper grades class went on a wonderful trip to the Maine Wildlife Park and had the chance to see many cool animals quite up close! These lucky students even talked their teachers into a yummy stop before heading back to school :) We are so grateful to enjoy interesting and fun field trips so close to home, and to enjoy some fun Fridays after a busy school year with lots of hard work!

Don't forget to check in with the Choose Love calendar for June! You will be sure to find daily suggestions and inspirations for all!

We will continue our journey into the Choose Love Formula, now that we are nearing the end of the year after covering all the essential ingredients: COURAGE, GRATITUDE, FORGIVENESS and COMPASSION. 

Kudos to Eva Then for her remarkable accomplishments! She graduated from MIT with a Bachelor of Science and is now pursuing a Master's Degree in City Planning at the same prestigious institution. Eva's fluency in French and German adds an impressive linguistic dimension to her skill set. Eva started her educational journey at l'Ecole Française du Maine, where she completed her elementary school and 6th grade. Her exceptional dedication and academic prowess were recognized when she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Yarmouth High School. Eva's achievements are remarkable! Bravo!

Leela Marie Hidier was born and raised in London, UK, and now lives in a three-generational household in Maine. Changes in the Weather is her debut novel, which she wrote as part of The Telling Room’s Young Emerging Authors program. Changes in the Weather has received a Scholastic Gold Key Award and was a Silver Finalist for Hindi’s Libraries international 2022 Females of Fiction Award. Leela enjoys playing the piano and mandolin, reading historical fiction, discovering new swimming holes and beaches, baking without recipes, and writing. Leela studied at L'Ecole Française du Maine and Yarmouth High School.

Dear friends and community members,

We are currently working on an important project to provide a cozy and welcoming home for a family of French teachers relocating from La Rochelle, France to Portland this summer. They will teach at the school this fall, and their children, aged 6 and 8, will also be part of our school community. This spring, the school purchased this lovely home in North Deering, that we have now to furnish so it will be ready for August 1st!

We are looking for the following:

• House furniture
• Patio Furniture
• Kids' toys and books
• Bikes, hiking and picnic, and beach toys
• TV/Internet
• Cleaning supplies
• Kitchen supplies
• Laundry needs
• Hardware and tools for the garage
• Essential household items they will need when they arrive on August 1st.

Your generous contribution, whether in the form of a donation or by providing any of these items, will make huge difference toward their smooth arrival.

L'Ecole Française du Maine is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation,

and donations are tax-deductible.

Smaller items can be dropped at school, near the kitchen door.

For large items such as furniture, please send a photo to the office at: office@frenchschool.me.

If we can use the item, we will arrange for collection.

Merci beaucoup!!

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.

L'Ecole Française du Maine is a Candidate School* for the Primary Years Programme (PYP). This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education that EFDM believes is important for our students.

*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

Suzie Rannou (left) Camp Activities Coordinator and Emily Smith (right) School Director, are actively planning the activities for the Summer Camp.

Bilingual Summer Camp and Childcare June 26, 2023 – August 25, 2023

Summer Camp is 90% full, and space will be limited! Please join us if you want a safe place for your kids to enjoy the summer! Mornings will include a fun French activity, and afternoons will be filled with arts & crafts, games, and plenty of time for free play. In addition, early childhood children will be offered time for rest in the afternoon. Open to children ages 3-12.

Hours: 8:30 am -3:30 pm, with extended day offered from 3:30 pm -5:30 pm

If you would like to enroll, please fill out the form below.

This summer, we will welcome Léna Dahéron, 22, a certified BAFA summer camp counselor from Brittany, France to the Summer Camp staff. Léna is a graduate student preparing a Master's Degree in Adaptive Sports Management. When not studying at the university, Léna enjoys handball, track, yoga, wheelchair sports, traveling, and literature. Léna is looking forward to working at camp this summer.

Suzie Rannou, 24, comes from a family of teachers from Rosporden, Brittany, France. She holds a Master's in Social Work from the University of Lorient and worked for the Parks and Recreation Program in Quimper, France. Suzie enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music, traveling, and playing sports like tennis. Suzie was a Teacher Assistant at L'Ecole Française du Maine in 2018-2019 and has worked as a camp counselor/program director in France for many summers.

The "Journal des Français à L'étranger" reports that there are currently 567 French International Schools AEFE "établissements français à l'étranger," which is an increase of 72 compared to five years ago, with an annual growth rate of 3%. The countries of Egypt, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates are experiencing particularly dynamic growth, and there is also increasing demand in sub-Saharan Africa. The network aims to have over 400,000 students enrolled by the start of the 2023 school year, with 390,000 pupils already enrolled as of September 2022.

The network of French schools abroad AEFE attracts students by offering advantages such as language proficiency, high-quality education, international recognition, inclusion, continuity of schooling, and the opportunity to pursue higher education in France.

One of the main reasons why French schools abroad are a great choice is that they offer bilingual education, combining the French curriculum with the local curriculum, which helps develop language proficiency in both French and the host country's language. These schools also provide various extracurricular activities to promote students' overall development. Additionally, they foster a supportive community for students, parents, and teachers, creating a sense of belonging.

French President Emmanuel Macron is committed to doubling the number of students in the French education network abroad by 2030. French schools have shown resilience and continue to grow, providing high-quality education and promoting French values worldwide.

Circa June 2010, Spring Carnival at L'Ecole Française du Maine.

Teachers Laura Piehl and Valérie Legentil prepare crêpes during the carnival!

Valerie now teaches at the French Lycée Jules Verne of Johannesburg, South Africa.