Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer was joined today by the regional minister of education and universities, Martí March, in unveiling provisional plans for a new Sant Ferran primary school. The 2.00pm demo took place in the town's retirees' club and included CiF education councillor Susana Labrador, chief of planning, land use and centres in the Balearics, Antoni Morante, and affiliates of IBISEC, the regional agency in charge of infrastructure and educational services.

President Ferrer spoke enthusiastically about the Palma officials' visit, calling it “the welcome start of a project Formentera residents have long lobbied for”. He voiced satisfaction that the educational community was getting its opportunity to appraise the plans, “an important element to reaching consensus”. Ferrer pointed to a May vote on changes to municipal code as the next step be critical to making sure permits are delivered in time for a summer start to building.

After visiting the existing classrooms this morning, the regional minister reaffirmed the proposed changes represented “a very real necessity”. According to March, IBISEC's planned rebuild involves linking the remodeled school with a new early-learning centre, or “escoleta,” promised by the Council. The project—“a combined effort” that March predicted could be finished by late 2018—“is not only ambitious, but it's also extremely necessary”. March extended his thanks to the Council for its instrumental work in making the project a reality.

The aim of the presentation was to communicate the main features of the plans and ensure input from families, pupils, teachers and neighbours was included in the final product.

Sant Ferran's primary school, with its 284 pupils, occupies a plot of land that doesn't allow for further expansion. Hence the bid to draw up the new plans, which the department of education flagged for priority treatment in its 2016-2023 plan for educational infrastructure.

Characteristics of the school
The draft plans envision a school equipped for two groups of every class ("two-line") and 450 pupils total. Children would be spread across six pre-primary groups (ages three to six) and 12 sections of primary students (six to 12). The 11,037m² lot, handed over by the Formentera Council, is located on Sant Ferran's outer edges. The administration will build the new escoleta on the adjoining lot, another “two-line” centre with 74 children aged zero to three.

The school, shaped like a hair comb, will be linked to another building housing offices of the administration and the school's canteen. That building, with street access, can also be used to receive pupils in the morning and as a gathering space.

The primary school section of the proposed building is divided into three pavilions, the first of which includes shared spaces like a library, computer lab, teachers' lounge and multipurpose room as well as rooms for one-on-one learning and small groups. The other two pavilions, with central hallways flanked by classrooms on either side, will house the school's 12 groups.

Pre-primary and nursery children will have use of their own play area, a patio that will be separate from primary pupils' playground. The patio will also be a hub for communication between the nursery and pre-primary classrooms. The primary school gymnasium will be located behind these units.

The pre-primary/primary school buildings and the municipal escoleta are €5,810,100.06 and €1,090,345.31 investments, respectively. According to the education department, once under way, the project will be locked into a 14-month time frame.

Formentera Council's Office of Heritage has announced that workers at Cap de Barbaria II will soon begin consolidating and restoring sections two and eight of the archaeological site. The crew's roster of restorers and archaeologists includes Margalida Munar, Bernat Burganya, Antoni Puig and Pau Surera. The group is led by Munar and Burganya.

From 2014 to 2016 various portions of the site were restored and consolidated—area nine in 2014, six and seven in 2015 and one and three in 2016. That work occurred alongside the respective digs underpinning a research project into the archaeology, heritage and society of Formentera's prehistoric communities. The project ran from 2012 to 2016 and was co-directed coordinated by Sureda.

According to CiF heritage councillor Susana Labrador, the years-long efforts already carried out to restore Cap de Barbaria II mean there is all the more reason to continue. With roughly one third of the site already covered, Labrador estimates full restoration is not far off.

Efforts to consolidate and restore are considered preventive archaeology. A piece of legislation titled “decret 14/2011” establishes a framework for archaeological and paleontological work in the Balearics, and the Cap de Barbaria II initiative has already received the favourable opinion of a related archaeological commission.

Open day
This Saturday an open day gathering and cleanup will take place at the Cap de Barbaria II site from 9.00am to 1.00pm. Organisers have reached out to local residents to ask for help clearing the area of overgrowth. Together with a snack, volunteers will be treated to explanations on the project by the ArqueoBarbaria team.

This Saturday the island welcomes the Formentera All Round Trail and, as CiF sports councillor Jordi Vidal pointed out, the event is expected to draw more than four hundred to the island. At 8.00am runners will set out from la Savina on a 72.5K circuit snaking along the Formentera coastline. Starting out at es Arenals beach, a 41K half run takes place at 11.30am and the 21K Tros de Fart at 1.00pm

Participants in the day's second run, a half circuit cutting out from els Arenals beach, will set off at 11.30am. The shortest trail—Tros de FART—is 21K and will have runners hitting the pavement at 1.00pm. The three circuits share a finish line in la Savina's port and respective time limits of 13, 9 and 4 hours have been established. Another feature of the event, co-sponsored by Elitechip and Formentera Island Council, are the five refreshment points that runners will find along the trails.

Athletes can sign up through Thursday at 10.00pm at www.elitechip.net and pick up their numbers between 5.00 and 9.00pm at the event tent in la Savina. Numbers can also be picked up Saturday morning for runners on the two shorter circuits, and shuttles will take people to els Arenals (Half Round) and es Caló (Tros de FART).

Councillor Vidal described the competition as “the starting shot for a pre-season period full of popular sports meets” and shared his hope runners would be blessed with good weather. Wishing participants a pleasant run, he encouraged them to be respectful of their natural surroundings and uphold the environmental protections in place.

Vidal, who thanked agencies like the Balearic Islands' port and coastal authorities and the regional department of environment for helping ensure the event's continued growth over the years, also commended Formentera local police, civil guard agents, members of the civil protection service and volunteers for assuring safe conditions.

Cycling and other events
Also this weekend is the fourth Trofeu Illa road race, a gathering of more than seventy cyclists, taking to the road this Sunday at 10.00am in la Mola before descending the hill and embarking on a quintuple loop around Estany Pudent. In the process they will pass Sant Ferran, es Pujols, la Savina and Sant Francesc before finally heading back up the hill for a 12 noon arrival in la Mola.

Trofeu Illa is organised jointly by Grup Esportiu Espalmador and the Council. Road traffic will be cut during the event and in the interest of everyone's safety, the councillor encouraged residents to heed indications of traffic officers, civil protection services and volunteers throughout the event.

Motorcycle buffs have also got something to look forward to too, this Sunday from 10.00am to 2.00pm, when the Balearic championship of motorcycle trials arrives in Cala Saona. The event, hosted by Motoclub Illa de Formentera and the Balearic federation of motorcycling, will see roughly sixty athletes from all four Balearic Islands taking part in eight categories.

The Formentera Council's Office of Social Welfare unveiled plans for the 15th Festa Intercultural. At the presentation were social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada, festival organiser Maribel Jiménez and, chair of the island's Associació Intercultural, Serena Amaduzzi.

Sunday, April 2, Sant Francesc's Mestre Lluís Andreu primary school will play host to a gala showcasing the diverse countries and Spanish regions represented on Formentera. “The event,” said Councillor Parellada, “is about experiencing—living and loving—the other cultures that enrich our island.”

Children's games
The cost of admission, four euros, is waived for children under 12. Doors open at 12.30pm and from 1.00pm kids activities include a mask-making workshop, Twister, can toss, a recycling workshop, a lesson writing their name in Arabic or the chance to decorate a bookmark. The children's corner of the festival will also feature bouncy castles and other activities until 5.30pm.

Musical theatre
New this year is the festival's musical theatre segment at 1.00pm. The Formentera band, with students from the school of music, and s'Esglai theatre troupe, have partnered to present “el Viatge Músic,” a production Jiménez called “a very special combination of music, theatre and dance”.

Fine dining
From 2.00 to 3.30pm, locals will have their chance to taste all the fine-dining flavour of Formentera's immigrant communities. Moroccan couscous, Ecuadorian meat sauté, Indonesian nasi goreng are just some of the dishes food fest attendees will be able to sample. “A show for the senses,” promised Jiménez.

In the words of Festa Intercultural's organiser, the day's roster of culinary ombudsmen—Cuba, Chile, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Argentina, Colombia, Indonesia, Brazil, Italy, Equator, Morocco, Germany, Paraguay, Andalucía, Galicia, València, Catalunya and Formentera—“will give us a backdoor into the kitchens of a good part of the world”.

Performances
The day's entertainment will entail music and other performances from communities there taking part. Festivalgoers will hear the sounds of the traditional Galician gaita, see dancers do hometown dance steps (ball pagès) and bump to the beat of everything from Cuban salsa to Brazilian music and Dominican bachata. Supercumbia y la Liga de la Alegría headline the day's musical programme. Communiqués were issued to all the day's participating associations and who pledged to shun songs with lyrics disparaging to women and other disadvantaged groups.

Commitment to the environment
Organisers of this year's culture fest wanted to spotlight environmental awareness. Amaduzzi reminded everyone to bring reusable plates and glasses from home and announced that recycling bins, as well as ashtrays, would be set up around the event to keep litter and cigarette butts from turning up on the school's playground.

Councillor Parellada gave special thanks to the one hundred volunteers making this year's Festa Intercultural possible.