Administration

Emily Smith

School Director

Emily joined L’Ecole Française du Maine in 2018 and became its Director in 2020. In January 2024, she earned her Director's Credential from the Maine Roads to Quality Network, highlighting her leadership skills and commitment to providing quality education for Maine's children. As the Director, Emily oversees day-to-day operations, communications, protocols, school records, and licensing compliance. She also handles scheduling, organizing special events, and admission inquiries, and is always ready to offer a band-aid and a smile to any child in need. Emily graduated from New York University with an individualized degree in wellness and also studied French. Her internships in office management at various healthcare and childcare facilities in NYC honed her communication and business management skills. Outside of school, Emily enjoys raising chickens with her husband and son on their 10-acre woodland property. Her hobbies include hiking, baking, yoga, and dance. Emily looks forward to continuing her journey with L'Ecole Française du Maine and serving its community for years to come.

Elizabeth LeBihan

Founder and Director of Admissions

Elizabeth grew up in Maine and earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maine at Farmington. As an exchange student, she also studied at University College Galway in Ireland. During college, Beth pursued her interest in modern dance and choreography and was a member of The UMF Dancers for four years.

She began her career teaching grades 5, 6, and 7 in Maine public schools. While teaching, Beth earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education through the University of Phoenix. Over her 35-year career in education, she has held a variety of teaching and leadership positions.

In her first year as a classroom teacher, Elizabeth received national recognition as “One of the Nation’s 100 Best First-Year Teachers”—an honor awarded to only one educator in Maine. In 2009, she was named a Chevalier des Palmes Académiques, a distinguished French order recognizing contributions to education and culture.

Fluent in French, Beth has raised her children in a bilingual home. Outside of school, she enjoys reading (with a cat on her lap and a dog at her feet), gardening, knitting, boating, walking in the woods and on the beach, and spending time with her family.

Elise Le Bihan 

Curriculum Coordinator IB PYP, French and English Programs

Elise grew up in Maine and received a Bachelors Degree in Creative Writing, English and French Literature, and Violin Performance from Sarah Lawrence College in 2019. She spent her junior year in Paris, studying French Literature at Reid Hall (Columbia Centre), and violin at the conservatory L’École Normale de Musique in their professional division. After graduation, Elise joined the English Classroom at EFDM where she worked as an assistant before pursuing a Master’s in Creative Writing from University of Edinburgh in 2020. Elise returned to EFDM’s staff in 2021 as our PYP Coordinator, where worked to guide the school staff and community through the two-year complex accreditation process from Candidate to Authorized IB World School. Since EFDM received its authorisation on its first attempt in May 2023, Elise continues to work with teachers, inform the school community on the PYP practices and philosophy, as well as liaise with the IB Organisation on behalf of the school. Elise is also the author of our comprehensive Curriculum Guide which breaks down different aspects of the French Curriculum as well as the PYP Curriculum Framework. During her masters in Edinburgh, Elise also pursued a ESL/ELL certificate from Cambridge English: Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and has taught English to students of all ages in Paris, and around the world online. As a fully bilingual member of EFDM’s staff, holding the highest French DELF certification Level: C2, Elise also provides private tutoring in French from secondary school to adults, preparing students for exams like AP French or DELF or to brush up their language skills before going on holiday to La Côte D’Azur, or Paris. Elise is a remote member of staff and returns to our South Freeport Campus often, from Paris, where she lives with her tuxedo cat, Barnaby, (also from Maine). Outside of her work at school, Elise is Fiction Editor at Orion’s Belt, a literary science fiction/fantasy magazine and enjoys traveling, reading, writing, baking and learning new languages. Fun Fact: Elise is the oldest EFDM's alum, having started in the schools first Grande Section in Winthrop - Maine in 2002!