Don't forget...

Need a haircut, facial, or massage? Head Games salon in Portland has you covered! You can get pampered for a great cause! They have named LymeTV Cause of the Month for the second time and, on April 9th from 4-8PM, are donating 100% of all salon service proceeds to LymeTV. LymeTV (founded by EFDM student Julian's parents) has many programs geared to tick-borne disease prevention and information. This is especially important in Maine since the state has the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the nation. 

Please call the salon at (207) 773-8393 to book a service for this benefit event! There will be complimentary food, adult beverages, and a FREE raffle entry for a Tiffany & Co. necklace!  Don't wait, book today!  See you there!

Chemists have all the solutions!

And Dr. Shane surely does too!  

Last week, Leif and Annika's grandfather, Dr. Shane, made science class a blast! He mixed solutions, made nylon, almost popped balloons, and had us all in awe of his chemistry concoctions!  

We are so grateful for his visit.  Merci, Dr. Shane!

And don't worry... thanks to a special dress up day, we had hockey helmets and called in the Fire Chief for when things got a little exciting during the chemistry demonstration!

Visit from Arnaud Mentré, Consul Général of France in Boston

from left to right:  Simon Aubert, professor des écoles; Arnaud Mentré, Consul Général of France; Willy LeBihan, Founder and Head of School with 3rd grade students of l'Ecole Française du Maine)

The Consul General of France in Boston, Arnaud Mentré, visited l' Ecole Française du Maine on last week during his first trip to Maine. Willy LeBihan, Founder and Head of School, gave the Consul a tour of the facilities and described the history and mission of the School. Mr. Arnaud Mentré met teachers and spoke in French with our students, for instance explaining the role of a Diplomat. His genuine interest for French education and the immersion approach was much appreciated by all.

Mr. Arnaud Mentré attended a reception at the Maison Française du Maine and discussed the accomplishments of the school with several parents and school alum.  The two-day trip to Maine of the Consul General of France included meetings with Governor Janet Mills and receptions in Lewiston during the celebration of Francophonie Month. Laura Piehl and Willy LeBihan attended the events.

Roll, Throw, Build, Paint and Bake!

This week our upper grade students visited Portland Pottery for some practice on the wheel!  Students created two clay objects on the wheel that they painted and will be fired in the kiln soon.  Huge thank you to Karen and Sarah at Portland Pottery for their expertise and tour of the studio. 

Portland Pottery offers a great selection of April Vacation camps as well as Summer Camps for your child.  April Vacation camp information can be found here and Summer Camp information can be found here.

Encore!

We couldn't help but to share more pictures from our show last week at the Franco Center for Performing Arts.  We are still smiling ear to ear!

Bravo les champions!

3rd Grade 2019 Read-a-thon champions!  Congratulations!

A Winter Stroll

Early Childhood students are savoring the last bits of winter...  A winter walk through the woods in the cool, crisp air was another highlight of their week.

Got mail?

The CE1/CE2/CM1 classroom will be anxiously awaiting the mail truck next week as the pen pal partnership in France continues.  This week, students from EFDM sent a response to our French friends that included pictures of our beloved pets.

C'est moi le plus fort

(photo credit: Daryn Slover Sun Journal)

We couldn't be prouder of our students who lit up the stage at the Gendron Franco Center for Performing Arts on Thursday - and we weren't the only ones who noticed! The Sun Journal covered the event- please read the article here.  Not only did our talented students show off their proficiency in French, but they also danced, sang, and performed to the delight of a large and appreciative audience.  Bravo!

This show, 'C'est moi le plus fort' is a story about a wolf who is determined to confirm he is the strongest one in all the forest. He takes a journey through the woods for confirmation. Along the way, he asks all the other creatures: "Who is the strongest?". One by one, they all respond: "You are!", until he meets what appears to be a small toad, who has an extremely large mother!

This production of  'C'est moi le plus fort' was artistically put together by our talented teaching team.  Our teachers worked together to craft costumes, props, choreography, music selections, and more.  Bravo to Marie, Dasha, Victorien, Suzie, Elodie, Simon, and Sophie for sharing their talent with us! And of course, a big thank you to the Franco American community for being so supportive of our performances year after year and being such a wonderful audience. Merci!

March 2019: Le mois de la Francophonie

La Grande Fête de la Francophonie 

Each year, as part of the world-wide celebration of Francophonie Month (a celebration of Francophone countries and the French language), the Consulate General of France in Boston, the Gendron Franco Center and l'Ecole Française du Maine organize activities celebrating the French Culture.

For the last thirteen years, the entire school has performed at the Gendron Franco Center for Heritage and Performing Arts in Lewiston.

This year's performance is the result of collaboration among every member of our staff - not just a handful of them, but ALL of them. Our dedicated teachers all helped to put this performance together, meeting on a weekly basis since the fall to figure out all aspects of the planning, scripting, choreography, and props. It is a true testament to their teamwork, and we thank them for all of their efforts to make this happen. 

We are extremely grateful for the Gendron Franco Center for Heritage and Performing Arts for its continued partnership - it is an honor for our school community to be invited here each year.

Soup du jour

Our GS/CP classroom had our mouths watering as their soup du jour simmered in the kitchen last Monday. Students followed a recipe to make the classic French soup 'soupe aux legumes'.

It was so delicious we had to beg our students to share the recipe with you all, so here it is:

And bon appetite!

Morning work...

...is so much fun!  Happy Monday!

Rehearsal fun!

We are getting ready for the big day... March 14th!  Please join us at the Franco American Heritage Center in Lewiston for the world premiere of 'C'est moi le plus fort'.  Hope to see you there at 12:30!