Today at noon Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer offered a token of thanks to Athletic Club chief Josu Urrutia for the team's visit to the island. The team will go up against Formentera's football squad, SD Formentera, this afternoon as part of the King's Cup. The tin piece bears iconic local sites like a lighthouse, church, fig tree, cactus and Es Vedrà as seen from Formentera, along with an engraving on a wooden base that reads “From the island of Formentera to Athletic Club. Formentera Council. October 25, 2017”. Local craftworker Sandra Tarrago was commissioned to make the piece, which will take its place today among other items in the Basque club's collection.

The heads of SD Formentera and the Balearic Islands' federation of football teams, Xicu Ferrer and Vicent Bufí, also presented Urrutia with a commemorative plaque for his club. Later, both teams' management, Jaume Ferrer and CiF sports secretary Jordi Vidal sat down for a meal at Restaurant Es Caló.

The education department of the Formentera Council has reported that the list of zero- to one-year-olds waiting to enter the island's two nursery schools, or escoletes, consists of just two names. The current number of children on the waiting lists for one- and two-year-olds and two- and three-year-olds? Zero.

So said Formentera's education secretary, Susana Labrador, who also assured that “the completion of Sant Ferran's new escoleta will mean that not a single child” goes without the service. In Labrador's words, the Council's objective is “zero wait list,” though she pointed out that enrolment stays open through the year, and the schools are able to quickly fill spots left empty at any point. At the moment, space is available for one- and two-year-olds and two- and three-year-olds and recently, late registration was requested for five newborns.

September 18 marked the start of the nursery school calendar. One hundred six children are enrolled across the island's two escoletes; 79 in sa Miranda and 27 at Escoleta des Camí Vell.

Vanessa Parellada, Jordi Vidal and Mónica Rey sat down today to announce details about the programme of events for Universal Children's Day. The island's secretaries of social welfare and sports and the Office of Youth Services' staff specialist gave a sense of what to expect on 20 November. For the past two years, the day has entailed a range of activities for children and teens on the island. It bears remembering that Formentera has been designated a Child Friendly City since 2014.

Sports-related activities
First up, on Saturday, the Council will invite years five and six of the island's primary schools and local highschoolers to watch SD Formentera and RCD Mallorca face off from a youth area set up in the stands of the municipal football pitch. Secretary Vidal reminded residents that admission to the match will be free for youth under 12 and encouraged them to come out for the event. The sports don't stop there. Sunday, November 5, a family sports day will be put on at the Antoni Blanc fitness centre so residents can learn about the centre's programme and facilities. Then, the municipal pitch will host another round of sports days, this time during school hours, and November 27 an aerial acrobatics show will be staged from 4.00pm to 6.00pm at the sports facilities of Marc Ferrer secondary school (Poliesportiu Vell).

Children's parliament
On November 20, representatives of Formentera's youth participatory council, or CPIJF, will take part in a session of parliament designed for children and titled “What kind of world do we want to live in? Looking at the Agenda 2030”. The day's session is presented by UNICEF with additional support from the Balearic Islands' office for the defence of the rights of minors. Then, November 29, the CPIJF will hold its own plenary session.

Theatre and shows
The first stage production will take place October 30. The Camut Band's “Big Drums” is for the student body of Marc Ferrer high school. Another theatre group, Xoc, will arrive on November 17 ready to present Formentera crowds with two shows: “Improaventures” will unfold in the Marià Villangómez library at 6.00pm and “Improxoc” in the Casal de Joves at 7.30pm. November 24 will be marked by a stage production dubbed “El molinet màgic” (The magic mill) in Formentera's cinema. The very next day at 6.00pm, cinema audiences can see Engruna Teatre's “Codi Postal 00,” part of the island's ninth festival of children's theatre.

Organised talks
Two talks for parents and teachers have also been included on the Universal Children's Day programme. The first, Una altra forma de relacionar-nos és possible (“Another way of communicating is possible”), will be led by Elena Sorribes from el Sol free school at 7.00pm in the Casal de Joves. The second is called Ciberassetjament (“Cyberbullying”), and will be given by IB Jove's Ajo Monzó at the same time and place.

Then, from 5.00pm to 7.00pm on November 9, a gymkhana has been organised to educate Formentera residents about issues facing minors with disabilities. More gymkhanas, including sports activities and fitness drills, are also scheduled for 5.00pm on November 16, 23 and 30. The activities will play out in the courtyard of Sant Ferran's primary school with the help of Formentera's youth counsellors.

Saturday, November 11 at 6.00pm, Íker Reyes will lead a cooking workshop in the Casal de Joves. On November 25, youngsters of the island are invited to come out for a bike ride aimed at promoting healthy habits. Register in advance at the Casal de Joves.

All November long, children of the island will have an opportunity to engage with patients of Formentera's elderly care centre in an intergenerational space.

The Formentera Council's Office of Culture and Festivities presents “Vola Ploma,” a puppet show for children four and up that department head Susana Labrador described as “an international headline grabber ready to take Formentera's youngsters along for the ride”.

The 50-minute show will open on Formentera this Saturday, October 28, at 5.30pm in the municipal cinema (Sala de Cultura). Admission is three euros and tickets can be purchased the day of the show at the box office. The act is part of the island's Illa a Escena performing arts programme that will ultimately bring seven stage productions to Formentera from September to December.

Story
“Vola Ploma” (literally, fly feather in Catalan) is a story about the dream of flying, freedom and being true to ourselves as living things. The three issues will be essential to the main character realising her dream in the course of the show. The audience, for its part, gets to join her in flight.

“Vola Ploma” comes to Formentera as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport's PLATEA programme, started in 2014 by the national institute of performing arts and music (INAEM) as a way to bring world-class show's to island audiences.

History
Since 1989, Periferia Teatro has supported research and education about puppet theatre. With a string of productions and national and international festivals under their belts, the theatre group has nabbed a range of accolades. Among them was the Tolosa puppetry festival's award for best production of 2015, for “Vola Ploma”.