February 16, 2023
Bonjour,

We're wrapping up another fun-filled week and looking forward to February vacation next week. These past weeks, we've had lots of snow to play in at recess and many special classroom activities. We were thrilled to welcome a guest speaker who brought in all sorts of live animals; we crowned our royalty in Moyenne Section with the "galette des rois," and we did some experimenting in science class, to name a few highlights.

Looking ahead to 2023-2024: Re-enrollment is underway with our new online system. We thank families for their patience as we sort out any glitches during this transition- it is a fantastic tool for our Admissions Office, but there is a learning curve! Thank you for being so understanding as we adapt.
We have already received many applications, and more are coming daily. Current families and siblings do get priority admission, so please let us know your plans ASAP so we can save space for your child. Waiting lists are anticipated in many classrooms.

Summer Camp is also filling quickly, so sign up soon if you plan for your child to attend. We're happy to announce that a very special person will be returning to lead Summer Camp this year- read on to find out who that is :-)

Have a great Winter Break!
Upcoming dates to keep in mind

  • Friday, February 17th: Early Release, Dismissal at 11:30 am
  • February 17-24: Winter Vacation
  • Monday, February 27th: Classes Resume at 8:30 am
  • Friday, March 3rd: Sugarloaf Friday Outdoor Ski Experience
  • Friday, March 10th: Parent-Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal
  • April 17-21: April Vacation
  • Monday, May 22nd: Grandparents and Special Friends Day, 11 am to 2 pm
  • Monday, May 22nd: Suzuki Music Concert 2 pm to 3 pm


Strong Start to the Enrollment Season
With daily tours at the school and 75% of Summer Camp already full, the enrollment season is one of the strongest the school has ever experienced; we anticipate a jump in student enrollment for 2023-2024 and waiting lists. Families from across the country and internationally inquire about admission for all grade levels, which is terrific news for the school. The French School of Maine continues to grow, and our successes have been noticed! We are incredibly proud of our approval and work as an IB Candidate School offering the PYP Programme and full accreditation for all grade levels by The French Ministry of Education.

Pdf brochures:
Mending a Broken Heart with Forgiveness
We have almost reached February vacation, and the students have been active participants as we discussed the third element of our magic formula: FORGIVENESS.

February allows us to review the other components: COURAGE and GRATITUDE, each woven into the fabric of daily life at L'Ecole.

Students in Grades 1 and 2 worked in small groups to "mend a broken heart " with forgiveness, a powerful physical and visual activity. It seemed easy, but it was not; they succeeded in the end! Students in Grades 3 and 4 worked in small groups to form as many words as they could related to our magic formula.

On Valentine's Day, students decorated big hearts with smaller ones. Each student was given a heart with another student's name on it. This activity challenged them to view and think of qualities in their classmates. The younger students then decorated the hearts as they thought of the qualities of each student, and the older students wrote words that described them, i.e., courage, gratitude, forgiveness, etc...
These beautiful hearts are displayed for all to read, reflect upon, and enjoy.

How is your student talking about "Kindness Thursday" at home? Though it is Thursday, Kindness is part of the school fabric daily!
La galette des rois, a very French tradition!
With crowns on their heads, the Moyenne Section class cooked a delicious galette des rois. Like every year, we continued this French tradition by making paper crowns and cooking a galette a la frangipane. Frangipane is a traditional recipe made with almond paste and butter. The tradition is that the youngest person in the room hides under the table and chooses, eyes hidden, who gets each slice of cake. But beware, there are surprises in this cake; whoever finds the "la fève" is named King or Queen. Riley and Rosalie were the queens of the day this year - noblesse oblige!
News from the Classrooms
Elodie and Sarah's first and second-graders have been studying the changes we see in the natural world and how animals adapt to these changes. On Tuesday, Spark's Ark brought in some special guests! Students could see firsthand (and sometimes even pet) a boa constrictor, a sugar glider, a barred owl, a hedgehog, a bearded dragon, a chinchilla, and a tortoise. Students learned about how these animals and their relatives survive seasonal changes. Ask your child which animal was their favorite! 
The CP CE1 students also read together the documentary book L'Ours / The Bear by Delphine Tendron to discover this animal's life over the seasons.
In groups, they observed how this animal adapts to its environment. The students shared ideas in the group and as a class. They also reflected on how they adapt themselves to the seasons and environment.

The book's photos are beautiful, and the layout highlights the bear's life in the four seasons with its four colors; the text is simple and to the point, and the students had no trouble deciphering the new words or memorizing the keywords.
Students are learning to question: Who? When? What? Where?
Paper Helicopter Pinwheel
CE2 and CM1, we worked on air, first through experiments to prove the existence of air all around us. Then we worked on the movement of air and the fact that air can be used as a force. In conclusion, we made windmills that work with the force of air!
In third grade, we worked on 3D geometric figures (cubes, pyramids, cones...). We used construction materials to build solids in geometry and recognize the characteristics of each. Learning 3D shapes at a young age boosts creativity and helps artistic development. While it improves visual skills, it allows students to form mental images of 3D shapes in multiple perspectives to help them realize that 2D drawings are simple cross sections of 3D volumes, i.e., a circle is the base of a cone, the foundation of Calculus.
Mental Engagement: 2nd-grade students use squares to identify right angles in geometry. They made beautiful rectangles and squares. Handwriting experts demonstrated a strong argument for setting aside time for cursive instruction and creating geometrical shapes. “It has a physiological/psychological link in the brain,” This link is so strong that nothing else done in the classroom can compare with the powerful impact that repetitively manipulating the thumb and fingers over time has on the young brain.” Jeannette Farmer, 2023, Has Neglecting Penmanship Contributed to the Dumbing Down of America?

Kinesthetic benefits:
When students learn to write in cursive and draw precise geometrical forms, they must coordinate fine motor skills with visual and tactile processing abilities.
In French Immersion programs, French is the main language of instruction for a large part of the school day. Everything is taught in French (except the formal study of English.) The goal is to be completely fluent in English, to be able to get things done in French and to understand and appreciate French culture. 
There's no need to speak French before attending! 
The program is designed for students whose parents don't usually speak French, and the language used at parent-teacher conferences and on report cards is always English. Most immersion parents only know a little French or don't know how to speak it. Parents can help at home by reading to their child in English, going to the public library, going on family trips, talking openly with the child and the school, and giving the child the encouragement and support that all students need.
French Immersion Works! It has been very successful for the last century in Canada, Switzerland, and many more countries around the world!
National Anthem at Mariner's Ice Hockey Game
Congratulations to Shaina Graff's Suzuki Violin students (many of whom are EFDM students and alumni), who played the National Anthem at Cross Arena before last Mariner's Hockey Game.
In Suzuki tradition, the teacher, student, and parent work together like a coach does with athletes and their families. They form a triangle: parent, student, teacher, all equally important and striving to help the student master their instrument. Playing in public is another aspect of the Suzuki Method. Performance for an audience means getting used to being in the spotlight, and that takes practice to be at ease. "Suzuki kids" play publicly from a young age as part of the training so they gain confidence and are comfortable on stage. Playing in front of other people? No problem! A side benefit of playing in front of a large audience is that it helps improve focus- a needed skill in playing music and in many aspects of life! Well done!
Looking for a Host Family
L'Ecole Française du Maine is an official partner of the Teacher Training Institute (INSPE: Institut National Supérieur du Professorat et de l'Education) at the University of Burgundy at Dijon, France.
This month we welcome two French graduate students pursuing Master's Degrees in Elementary Education, Clara, and Corentin. Completing an Internship is an essential first step in the program of study leading to the Teaching Certification of Professeur des Ecoles by the French Ministry of Education (MENJS) ).
A big thanks to our two host families; unfortunately, they cannot host the interns during the February vacation and some weekends until March 3rd.
If you can help and would like to know more about the role and responsibilities of host families, don't hesitate to get in touch with us at: wlebihan@frenchschool.me or (207)865-3308
Students are Knowledgeable!
February’s IB learner profile attribute of the month is ‘knowledgeable / Informé’! Many students at l'Ecole Française du Maine exemplified this attribute as they explored knowledge across a range of disciplines or engaged with issues and ideas that have local and global significance. We are very proud of our multilingual and multicultural learning community. Our school represents a shared total of 12 mother tongues, the statistically largest group being English at 100%, French 19%, Ukrainian /Russian 3%, Swahili 2%, Lingala 1%, Hebrew 1%, Spanish 1%, Italian 1%, German 1%, Armenian 1%, and Greek 1%. 
Sugarloaf Fridays, a huge success !
We had the BEST time at Sugarloaf with our school group! Students 7+ got to ski together for an Outdoor Experience Program with Sugarloaf staff; this adventure includes rentals, a 90-minute clinic, and a ticket for the remainder of the day. Adults tickets in our school group are also heavily discounted. Perhaps the most fun is warming up and chowing down together in King Pine Lodge! Happy Trails!
Next Sugarloaf Friday: March 3rd

Don't hesitate to contact us
(207) 865-3308 office@frenchschool.me
Alumni News
Congratulations to William Elles Krieckhaus, who was inducted into the Société Honoraire de Français, the National French Honor Society. The Société Honoraire de Français is an organization whose intent is to recognize high school students in the United States who have maintained excellent grades in at least three semesters of French language courses. Elles is a student at Millennium High School in Piedmont, California. Bravo!
2023 Bilingual Summer Camp !
Bilingual Summer Camp and Childcare June 26, 2023 – August 25, 2023

Summer Camp is 80% 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.
Guess who is coming back from France for Summer Camp 2023?
Concert and Grandparents/Special Friends Day
Mark your calendar for Monday, May 22nd, 2023
Grandparents and Special Friends Day will be on May 22nd, 2023, from 11 am to 3 pm. Invitations will be mailed this winter; thank you for providing addresses so we can invite your child's special someone. On Monday, May 22nd, our guests will tour the school, visit the classrooms with their special child, and then be invited for a presentation and luncheon.  After the luncheon, the students will perform during our spring Suzuki Concert (Violin, Cello, and Piano) at the Community Hall of South Freeport to conclude the day in music! We expect a large turnout and are looking forward to a great day! 
COVID-19 Protocols - UPDATED 09/05/22
The graphic chart below indicates what you need to do if your child is exposed to or contracts COVID-19. Please keep in mind that these protocols are subject to change. We will publish updates in this newsletter should they occur.

To help keep our community healthy:
Please let us know if you have yet to receive your family's 5 COVID at-home tests! Should your child be exposed to COVID or experience any symptoms, please test before coming to school.
Thank you for keeping your student home when they are sick!
Got a question? Let us help!
Please use the email address office@frenchschool.me for general school correspondence. So that you know – questions and requests sent to this address are forwarded as needed. We do our best to respond to emails as quickly as possible; thank you for your patience.
Alternatively, please don't hesitate to call us anytime for an immediate response! School Office Phone: (207) 865-3308
Window into the past ... just for fun!
Twenty years ago in Winthrop, Maine, on November 3rd, 2003, L'Ecole Française du Maine Teaching Staff, from left to right: Catherine Ung, Chiharu Naruse, Mathilde Hivert, Hortense Mimbang, Elizabeth and Willy LeBihan: 6 teachers from 5 different countries! This was the second academic year of the school!
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