La Petite Ecole - Portland, Maine
DIRECTOR/HEAD TEACHER
Marie-Gaelle Casset-Ford
was born in Paris, France, in 1970, and moved back to the family home in Brittany in 1982. From an early age, with her young friends and family she forged a passion for sharing her love of the arts, nature and languages. In 1991, she came to Portland to pursue a degree in Fine Arts at the Maine College of Art where she received a BFA in Sculpture in 1996. She began her teaching career through Spiral Arts Inc., which offered art classes to the multicultural Portland community, focusing on three-dimensional concepts working with clay and found objects as well as two-dimensional art forms like book binding and paper making. In the pursuit of higher education, Marie-Gaelle was accepted into Lesley College’s Masters in Education program. Specializing in Creative Arts in Learning, she received a Masters degree in 2000 and continued teaching art in French-based programs throughout the greater Portland area. After spending 2002 in Brittany with her family to share her heritage with her children and broaden her experience, Marie-Gaelle returned to Maine to accept a position at L’Ecole Francaise du Maine /French School of Maine to introduce art and French to young children through a total immersion program. After 3 years working in the immersion context, Marie-Gaelle and family went to Ireland for six months. They reconnected with Europe, her husband Mark’s common roots and closer to home! She is now back in Maine and moving on to share her joy in combining language acquisition and artistic talent to all children in the Greater Portland area. With over 13 years of teaching experience, Marie-Gaelle has put all her devotion as an educator to create a Bilingual Art-venture at La Petite Ecole. Her mission is to promote learning languages-French/English- at a young age through fun hands on experiences with the fundamentals of, from and through the Arts.
Marie-Gaelle Casset-Ford
was born in Paris, France, in 1970, and moved back to the family home in Brittany in 1982. From an early age, with her young friends and family she forged a passion for sharing her love of the arts, nature and languages. In 1991, she came to Portland to pursue a degree in Fine Arts at the Maine College of Art where she received a BFA in Sculpture in 1996. She began her teaching career through Spiral Arts Inc., which offered art classes to the multicultural Portland community, focusing on three-dimensional concepts working with clay and found objects as well as two-dimensional art forms like book binding and paper making. In the pursuit of higher education, Marie-Gaelle was accepted into Lesley College’s Masters in Education program. Specializing in Creative Arts in Learning, she received a Masters degree in 2000 and continued teaching art in French-based programs throughout the greater Portland area. After spending 2002 in Brittany with her family to share her heritage with her children and broaden her experience, Marie-Gaelle returned to Maine to accept a position at L’Ecole Francaise du Maine /French School of Maine to introduce art and French to young children through a total immersion program. After 3 years working in the immersion context, Marie-Gaelle and family went to Ireland for six months. They reconnected with Europe, her husband Mark’s common roots and closer to home! She is now back in Maine and moving on to share her joy in combining language acquisition and artistic talent to all children in the Greater Portland area. With over 13 years of teaching experience, Marie-Gaelle has put all her devotion as an educator to create a Bilingual Art-venture at La Petite Ecole. Her mission is to promote learning languages-French/English- at a young age through fun hands on experiences with the fundamentals of, from and through the Arts.
ASSISTANT TEACHER:
Myriam Campbell
was born in South West of France, lived in Bordeaux area for the first 12 years then moved to the Alps for the next 10 years. After graduating from the University of Grenoble with an economy degree she went backpacking to India, Nepal and Tibet for about 6 years. In 1989, she first taught French as a foreign language to Indian businessmen at the French Ambassy of Calcutta. Coming to United States in 1992, she started tutoring French in Boston. Myriam had her first child in 1995 then moved to Maine . She had a second little one in 1997. A little while later, hired to teach French at a Montessori School, teaching K-10, is when she truly discovered that teaching was her calling. She taught at the local High School, offered classes to adults through a community program then moved back to France for a year where she taught French to engineers in a language school. From there, their family went to travel in India for 6 months. After her returned to the States she taught k-6 at White Mountain Waldorf School. From these different experiences Myriam brings, not only a great sense for the fun in rhythm acquired while teaching Waldorf, but also many wonderful traveling stories. Merci Myriam for your great addition to la Petite Ecole!
Yoga Teacher
Donnabeth Davis
Myriam Campbell
was born in South West of France, lived in Bordeaux area for the first 12 years then moved to the Alps for the next 10 years. After graduating from the University of Grenoble with an economy degree she went backpacking to India, Nepal and Tibet for about 6 years. In 1989, she first taught French as a foreign language to Indian businessmen at the French Ambassy of Calcutta. Coming to United States in 1992, she started tutoring French in Boston. Myriam had her first child in 1995 then moved to Maine . She had a second little one in 1997. A little while later, hired to teach French at a Montessori School, teaching K-10, is when she truly discovered that teaching was her calling. She taught at the local High School, offered classes to adults through a community program then moved back to France for a year where she taught French to engineers in a language school. From there, their family went to travel in India for 6 months. After her returned to the States she taught k-6 at White Mountain Waldorf School. From these different experiences Myriam brings, not only a great sense for the fun in rhythm acquired while teaching Waldorf, but also many wonderful traveling stories. Merci Myriam for your great addition to la Petite Ecole!
Yoga Teacher
Donnabeth Davis
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