Weather and science in CM1 and CM2

Last week we got some very cold temperatures in Maine.  The thermometer was down to -22 C or -7 F so it was the perfect weather to try an experiment. We were about to study thermal expansion:





First we filled some latex balloons (16 inch diameters) with a little bit of water to give it a little shape. Then we added some food coloring, all sorts of beads, and glitter.

We added some more water until we could hardly carry them. They were pretty heavy and wiggling. We were so scared they might explode in 

the kitchen.

 We put our balloons outside in the snow and waited.


It took 1 night for the balloons to explode. We could notice that all our beads and glitter created a darker spot due to the gravity!
They looked like giant marbles.

La récré dans le Maine

we are building an igloo

  It is winter time in Maine
                and that means we get to play in the snow !!

We do some bobsledding between the hay bales.

 

We practice our snow angels skills

   

And we are building a snowman

Motricité et langage chez les petits

The goal today was to practice the colors and the prepositions: in, under, on (dans, dessous, sur). The children had to go through an obstacle course. We had fun and look forward to doing activities like one this again!

I walk on the yellow, on the red step.

I crawl under the table

Je marche sur le jaune, sur le rouge, sur le bleu.

Je rampe sous la table.



Je passe dans le cerceau jaune.

I walk through the hoop

Comme un poisson dans l'eau

 In Kindergarten, we read the book"Arc-en-ciel, le plus beau poisson des océans". 
We like this book because we know it in English too.

  
 We painted a piece a 
paper blue as the ocean. Next we punched out colorful paper for the fish's scales.  Then we made and decorated our fish to be as shiny and beautiful as "Arc en Ciel", the character in the book. You can see our lovely creations on display in the school hallway.

 

Our trip to Sugarloaf

Our first field trip to Sugarloaf for 2013 was a blast!

It was the perfect Friday for L'Ecole Française du Maine to go skiing. We had blue sky and great snow.

In the morning, we divided the group into 3 levels and took some lessons with some very nice ski instructors.

 

We ate lunch together in the lodge to regain our strength

We spent the afternoon skiing with our friends and teachers.

We cannot wait for our next trip!

CM1 et CM 2 Sound Project-Tant de temps

In Technology class we spent the last weeks learning how to use a video software. Since most of us were already familiar with the video basics, we focused this time on the sound of a video. Not allowed to use the video function, we recorded the poem “Tant de Temps” that we studied in French class. The challenge was to create an interpretation of the poetry using only our voices, sounds and sound effects of the software. Close your eyes – we hope you enjoy HEARING the different results.

Building Addition Inauguration January 31, 2013 at 2:30 pm

You are cordially invited

 Thursday, January 31 at 2:30PM

to the inauguration of the new classroom and entrance of

L’Ecole Française du Maine

Consul General of France, Fabien Fieschi will officiate the event. 

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, 

the Consul General will issue the full accreditation certificate by the 

French Ministry of Education (pre-school through grade 5).

A reception is planned by the Parents’ Association.

RSVP: (207) 865-3308

School’s raison d’être: French

A journalist came to visit L'Ecole Française du Maine last week  and wrote a great article in the Tri-Town Weekly Newspaper this week.
http://www.keepmecurrent.com/tri_town_weekly/news/school-s-raison-d-tre-french/article_5408523c-64b8-11e2-a77b-0019bb2963f4.html

2nd and 3rd graders à la découverte de Jean-François Millet et du réalisme

Students are learning about realism and Jean-François Millet 's work.

We took and printed a picture of each student doing a realistic task in the class.

(getting the mail, carrying the sport equipment, watering the plants, erasing the board, writing. .)

 

Students had to study their own picture and 

really focus on the details like the colors, the position of their body.

 




                     Then, students realized a painting, trying to figure out how to come up with the same colors and detail. 

The Art of Shadow and Light ou l'ombre et la lumière

The real key to making shadow art isn’t the shadow itself, but the light and the objects blocking the light that eventually come together to make an image in the darkness. This lesson is very important in the CE1 and CE2 's curriculum. The students had to figure out how to draw light and shadow. 

First of all, they practiced with a pencil: starting with a white shape, they gradually added some shadow until they eventually got to the darkest shade of grey.

 The second practice was to do the same exercise with paints. They mixed white paint with a solid color to create some real nice palettes. 

             

 Finally, they were ready to apply the

  shadow and light techniques

 they practiced

  to paint pictures of  fruits.                                     

              

   

They also learned the primary, 

secondary 

and  

  tertiary colors. 

 

Check out our great art work featuring apples, pears, peaches and bananas.

CM1-CM2: A la manière de Winslow Homer

So this is the last of our beautiful projects on Winslow Homer.

The students selected one piece seen at the exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art and skethed it beautifully, playing with the subtleties of the paintings, shades and light. They later painted it with a mix of watercolor and paint.

The results are absolutely amazing.

Come check them out on the walls in the hallway.

"C’est bien de…" by the CM1

The students read and studied the book by Philippe Delerm, C’est Bien, which is a great collection of short stories, all dealing with little pleasures in everyday life.

  
In class, we discussed those little things we like to do, may it be baking a cake or reading a book by the fire, or watching a movie when it is raining.

Each student chose one moment that he/she likes and wrote about it, trying to recreate on paper the feelings, the joy, the excitement that it brings to them. They also illustrated their short story.

They are on display in the classroom.

Les CP font du pain

In class, the children read the book " la petite poule rousse". At the end of the story, la petite poule rousse is making bread. The children studied the recipe and learned about the role of yeast while making bread. 

First we mixed the flower and the salt,

then we added the yeast and some hot water, then we

kneaded the dough for 20 minutes until it looked like playdough.

Finally we shaped the dough like baguettes, crowns or little men.

And if you want to know our secret for a very crusty baguette, put some water on it and put in the oven for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Le livre des couleurs par les maternelles

The children in maternelle have been working really hard to create their book of colors. They are very proud to share it with you.

Les grottes de Lascaux

In history class, the CE2 is studying prehistory and the very famous caves of Lascaux.

  Lascaux is the setting of a complex of caves in southwestern France famous for its Paleolithic cave paintings. The original caves are located near the village of Montignac, in the department of Dordogne.

 The students learned how the caves were discovered, why there are paintings on the walls and what they represent. The children worked in groups to create their own posters.

Meet Peter Dugas, Piano Teacher

L'Ecole Francaise du Maine is  thrilled to announce that Peter Dugas will be joining its faculty as piano teacher in addition to Leah Neuchiller,  now a busy graduate student in Music Education.  Peter is accepting students of various level. A meeting for prospective families has been scheduled with Peter and Leah on Thursday, January 17 at 3:00 pm in the school office. Peter Dugas has been playing and teaching classical and jazz piano professionally for over fifteen years. He has been a fixture in Portland’s music scene and has played in a variety of styles from jazz to classical to pop. He has performed throughout the northeast and in Finland, Germany and France.  He has studied classical piano with Eleanor Carter and Laura Kargul and has studied jazz with Daryl Rhodes, Craig Najjar and Tom Snow. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine in Jazz Performance and previously holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.  Peter lives in Portland, Maine with his wife and daughter. He maintains a busy teaching studio and performs throughout New England.