News

New escoleta on Camí Vell de la Mola to open 1 June with 23 students

Thursday, 21 May 2015 01:46

escoleta nova2 The education office of the Formentera Council has published the provisional lists of admitted students at the island's two public nurseries (escoletes), Sa Miranda in Sant Francesc and the soon-to-be-opened addition along the old road to la Mola (a thoroughfare referred to commonly as 'el Camí Vell'). The Camí Vell escoleta will open its doors on 1 June as a summer school for children ages one through three. Allocating spots for all 23 of the applications received, Council offices happily announced that the centre would meet 100% of this year's demand.

As for Sa Miranda, the centre was able to accept 62 of the 80 children who applied, or 77.5%. Of those 62 infants, 54 will go to Sa Miranda (67.5%) while the remaining eight —who placed the Camí Vell site as a second option— will attend the newer of the two escoletes. The 18 children who were not given a placement have been put on a wait list.

The placements have been published on the Sa Miranda school and the Formentera Council website and there will be a three-day period (ending 22 May) during which time families can review, comment on or contest the placements.

1 June: start of operations at Camí Vell

Nearly complete is the transformation of the former Casal de l'Esport (sport centre) into the island's second nursery. This week, after new toilets are fitted and separation walls are installed to divide the space into three different classrooms, the centre will be painted. Next week, the school will be equipped with tables, chairs and other furnishings. The Formentera Council has already finished the hiring process for two of the three staff members required at the new site. Duties of the third staff member will be assumed by an employee of Sa Miranda.

Youth of the island put forward their own electoral programme

Thursday, 21 May 2015 01:43

consell infancia 200515 2 Today at midday, under the banner of a UNICEF initiative entitled “Vota por mi” ('Vote for me') and pushed across municipalities that have received the global organisation's Child Friendly City distinction, a special plenary session was held by Formentera's youth participatory council (El Consell de la Infància i la Joventut).

The measure is intended as a way to “get children and adolescents participating in shaping their community. They can't vote, but that mustn't mean they can't still play an active role”, explained Dolores Fernández.

The electoral programme was broken down and read by twenty-some representatives from the island's different primary schools and the Marc Ferrer secondary school. Before starting, the children were met and greeted by Council president Jaume Ferrer, who thanked the young participants for their participation.

Their programme is divided into different component issues, in the style of the electoral programmes being championed by political parties formed by adults.

Included on the Consell's list of demands are calls for “a youth café, a cultural space where Formentera's young people can organise theatre shows, concerts and exhibitions”, increased police presence in areas susceptible to drug trafficking, raising the motorcycle driving age to reduce accidents and a clear and categorical 'no' with respect to petroleum explorations.

Summer hours in effect for La Savina's regulated parking system

Saturday, 02 May 2015 18:40

lasavina etiqueta Next Friday, 1 May, will represent another step forward in the progressive implementation of regulated parking in La Savina. On that day meter attendants and parking meters will adopt the summer time table, which allows a maximum of 24 consecutive hours in a parking spot (in winter this increases to three days). The summer schedule will continue through the end of October.

Payment of tickets

Another important change on the 1st: anyone who has yet to affix the resident's decal must from that day pay to obtain a meter-printed ticket. Till now, during what has been an adaptive trial period, a parking meter would issue a ticket to a driver regardless of whether or not he was a resident, and this carried no cost. Starting 1 May, to obtain a free parking ticket in La Savina, a driver must possess a residents' card (demonstrating residence in either La Savina or Formentera), a card for business vehicles or one for electric vehicles. More information can be obtained on the aferraliaparca.com website.

Dissuassive car park

Yet another change on 1 May: a partial opening of the new 2,778-sq.-m. car park at the entry to La Savina, across the street from the Illes Pitiüses park. The lot will provide 103 standard size spaces and 10 spaces for large capacity vehicles up to 10 metres. The spaces at that car lot are open to any vehicle, decal or no, for three-day stays max.

Back in session this Friday: university for seniors

Thursday, 07 May 2015 18:29

mini tots The Universitat per a Majors project, backed by the Universitat de les Illes Balears, the Govern Balear, the Formentera Council and l'Obra Social de la Caixa, is returning to Formentera. This Friday, 8 May, at five p.m. in the Sant Ferran social centre, a conference entitled “Cants de tradició oral a Eivissa i Formentera” ('Orally-transmitted traditional song in Eivissa and Formentera'), imparted by Dr Jaume Escandell, will kick off the lecture series.

One of the paramount ideas behind the conference series – which will make stops in Sant Francesc, Sant Ferran and La Mola – is that learning never stops. The 5-6:30 p.m. slot will remain unchanged throughout the series, whose next appearance will come to pass 22 May at the La Mola senior centre with a conference by Dr Olga Cardona, “El que s'ha de saber de les herències” ('Understanding inheritance'). The following week, 29 May, Dr Jaume Vadell will speak in Sant Francesc on “Agricultura Ecològica”.

In June, Josep L. Joan will host a talk in Sant Ferran on “Les tradicions rurals d'ahir: llavors de futur per al camp d'Eivissa i Formentera” ('Bygone rural traditions: seeds of the future for the Eivissa-Formentera countryside') [19 June], the last conference before breaking for the summer heat. The series will start up again in September, when children head back to the classroom too. 18 September, in Sant Francesc, José M. Escalona will lead a lecture titled “El vi saludable” ('Healthy wine').

Two different talks are on the agenda in October: on the 2nd in Sant Ferran, “Els topònims de Formentera al llarg de la història de la cartografia” ('Formentera toponyms throughout the history of cartography') , led by Josep A. Prats. And then, having kicked things off in May, on 23 October Dr Jaume Escandell will be back in Sant Francesc to lead the final talk, “Músiques instrumentals de transmissió oral a les Pitiüses” ('Orally-transmitted instrumental music in the Pitiüsa islands'). All of the conferences are open to the public.

4 May, registration begins for Sa Miranda nursery school and new summer school

Thursday, 30 April 2015 21:17

Escoleta futbol 26032015 The fourth through the fourteenth of May is the period of enrolment for the 2015-2016 school year at the Sa Miranda nursery school, as well as enrolment for one to three year olds at the summer school to be held this year at the Casal de l'Esport, located on the Camí Vell de la Mola, next to the football pitch.

Applications must be submitted to the Citizen Information Office (OAC) of Sant Francesc Xavier. At present the Formentera Council is overseeing transformation of the Casal de l'Esport into a provisional school, which, in summertime, will serve as an early-childhood learning centre – or escoleta – for one to three year olds. Looking ahead to the coming school year, if both educators and families agree, the centre could continue as a provisional nursery until the new Sant Ferran escoleta is finished.