November 17, 2021
Bonjour,
We are so grateful to our school community for their kindness, understanding, and excellent communication this past week. We are thankful for our wonderful families, our incredible healthcare team, the recent approval of vaccines for 5-11-year-olds, and the brighter horizon. More efforts to make for a healthier and safer year will be shared below, including the approval of a pooled testing initiative for EFDM that could begin as early as mid-December. If you have any questions about Thanksgiving travel/gathering protocols, please feel free to reach out.
Lots of important reminders this month, be sure to mark your calendars for the remainder of November's events:
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Tomorrow, Thursday, November 18th: Café et Conversation with Catherine Caillet-Cohen, at 8:30, am in La Maison. Catherine is the former Lower School Division Head at the French American International School of Portland Oregon (FAIS). She is now a pedagogical advisor for MLF-America and a IB-PYP consultant.
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Friday, November. 19th: IB PYP Professional development day, No School for all classes
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Nov. 24-26th: Thanksgiving Break, no school for all classes
Thanks to all for making our first round of Parent-Teacher Conferences a success! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask for a follow-up conversation.
The frosty mornings and dark afternoons of late make for some bundled-up recess time! Thank you for sending your student in daily with the necessary accessories and outerwear to enjoy the outdoors. We also will remind you that cold weather and lots of running around makes for extra condensation on masks-- Please begin to pack a few additional spares in addition to your usual mask bundle. Merci!
Looking back on the past two weeks of schooling, we had many fun moments! As we packed up and sent the traveling trunk exhibit on to its next adventure, we were already brainstorming ideas for what more we could do when it comes back next time. The English students did an excellent job of "hosting" other classes as they visited the museum last week. We want to thank the Hudson Museum for providing these resources that give a hands-on experience of Ancient Indigenous Cultures and prove the "People of the Dawn" are not just historical characters. They remain as living, working, creating, and teaching people here in Maine.
We look forward to expanding our Indigenous and Racial Equity Curriculum with other great local resources and learning tools such as these from the Hudson Museum.
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.
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Café et Conversation with Catherine Caillet-Cohen |
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Please join us tomorrow at 8:30 am in La Maison this Thursday, Nov. 18th
Special Guest for Café et Conversation:
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No School Friday, Nov. 19th: Professional Day |
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Our staff will participate in professional development training for our IB accreditation process this Friday, November 19th. No School for students
The Moyenne Section class will return to in-person school Monday, November 22nd.
As you know, we are working diligently towards becoming an IB World School offering the IB PYP- Primary Years Programme, and this is no small undertaking! As an Approved Candidate School, we are on our way!
Thank you for supporting our efforts! Merci beaucoup!
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Thanksgiving Drive at FCS |
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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! |
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Each year at this time, we ask all of our parents and friends to join in supporting the school with a gift to the Annual Fund. Your support helps to enrich all aspects of the curriculum and French immersion experience - everything that benefits your child and every student. As you celebrate Thanksgiving and think of all you are grateful for, we hope EFDM makes the list. Your generosity helps the school in many ways such as, improving campus facilities and supporting our financial aid program. As always, feel free to let us know if you would like to apply your gift to one of these specific areas. |
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Pooled Testing Initiative |
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With over 10% of our student population having already received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, we are setting our sights on how to maintain a safe space in light of potentially lifting state-wide mandates in the months to come. In an effort to stay proactive, we at EFDM have received approval to join other schools across the state in a free pooled testing program. Our hopes are that with a regularly scheduled "nose tickle", our students and school community can limit the threat of the unknown.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Department of Education (DOE) has implemented a pooled PCR testing program, which is available to any K-12 school administrative unit, public or private. Pooled PCR testing is a more efficient way to test large groups of students and staff in schools on a weekly basis. Pooled testing involves collecting swabs from small groups of students, usually students in a class cohort or homeroom, placing the swabs in a common test tube, mixing several test samples together in a "batch" or "pool" and then testing the pooled sample with a PCR test for detection of SARS-CoV-2. If a pool results are positive, the individuals in that pool will need to be tested using a rapid antigen test called BinaxNOW. The positive individual(s) would then be sent home to begin their isolation period.
As logistics are finalized, we should soon be able to begin the pooled testing at EFDM as early as mid-December. Further information regarding consent forms and a plan for your student will be shared directly.
More information:
- Who will be tested?
- We will offer testing to everyone—all students and staff—even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19.
- How is the testing done?
- The COVID-19 testing is free, quick, and easy. We will receive a visiting professional to gather the NAAT/PCR samples of each pool/group of students, and post results as soon as possible. For any positive case within a pool, a follow-up anti-gen test will be distributed to those within that pool. The visiting professionals, and/or trained members of our school staff, will oversee testing with [either a NAAT/PCR or antigen] test, which includes:
- [For nasal tests] Gently swabbing the inner part of the lower nostril. This test is not painful. We do not use the longer swabs that reach higher into the nose.
- [For saliva tests:] A saliva sample.
- When is the testing done?
- We will separate classes into pools and testing will take place weekly.
- How can I be sure that my child’s information will be protected?
- Sharing of information about your child will only be done for public health purposes and in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting student privacy and the security of your child’s data. We will be sharing a link for each family to offer their consent as soon as our school's unique portal is created by the Concentric by Ginkgo support team.
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New in the hallway this week-- Kindness posters! Merci les grands for posting several beautiful reminders to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. |
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Our petites can't get enough of those Halloween activities and crafts! They are also loving their weekly sport time, including completing various obstacle courses on the playground and new group games to play. |
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The colors of fall lend themselves to such beautiful art projects! Be sure to view the recent work on colorful fall trees, and other Artsonia projects! We can't bring ourselves to take down these awesome Halloween spiders in the hallway either-- perhaps after Thanksgiving :) |
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CP and CE1 students made a captive audience during their visit to the People of the Dawn "exhibit" last week at La Maison. Back in the classroom, they have already mastered so much this trimester! Be sure to check out your student's narratives for the full download of activities covered so far this year. |
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Week old witches brew or one of Simon's science experiments? CE2, CM1, and CM2 students put their observation and data recording skills to the test last week with their activity of mixing different liquids such as water and oil. "What happens when you...?" is totally the kind of inquiry and curiosity that we are looking to hear in the classroom as an IB candidate school! |
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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 to 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 implement 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 that worked with our teachers to find a structure that would allow teachers extra 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!
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IB Coordinators of EFDM, Elise Le Bihan and FASTB, Emmy Decker, on Zoom
with Maine and Florida French Teams before the start of the class
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Please find the most recent version of our school calendar here.
Upcoming dates to keep in mind:
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Thurs. Nov. 18th: Cafe et Conversation to discuss IB with Catherine Cohen
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Friday Nov. 19th: Professional Day- No School
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Nov. 24th-26th: Thanksgiving Break- No School
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December 20-31: Holiday Break- No School
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Covid Protocols and Recommendations |
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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
- 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.
- If a staff member becomes ill during the day, they must go home.
- 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:
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
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Window to the past ... just for fun |
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Hand painting art project!! 2013 - the kids' hands were transformed into zebras, cheetahs, eagles, and more! So cool! |
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