Winter Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

This term students and staff were all working towards Pre-Assessments, which are our internal exams to assess where students are at in relation to the official A level exams they will be sitting in May and June.

During Enrichment  Dr. Aguiló showed them how to organise their revision time using a visual planner.

Students  are  putting  what  they  learnt  into  practice  during  free  study  periods  in the Common room and classroom. Each one finding which method of revision works best for them.

To help students manage their stress levels we had an open group talk with a guest speaker and counsellor who lead a discussion on the pressures students are faced with at school because of parents, friends and social media. The outcome of the discussion made our students aware that they are all experiencing  similar problems and that they are not alone.  They also received a relaxing session of  yoga with Earth Yoga and a workshop on Thai massage, generously delivered by a former student’s mother.

Our Upper Sixth students, who are receiving exciting University offers, had a practical class with lots of fun as they learnt about laundry symbols and what they mean, followed by a clothes folding challenge, sewing and ironing. They took on the challenges with enthusiasm and all with a varying degree of success.

     

Lower Sixth also had the opportunity to learn some valuable life skills when they attended a cooking workshop at Lonja 18 Open Kitchen. They learnt to make some simple dishes which they all shared together.

Thank you to Line from Cleanwave who talked about how and why Cleanwave movement was set up. She shared their documentary Out of Plastic and gave us tips on how to reduce single use plastic and explained that even small actions help as long as they are consistent.

Ilsba gave  our A2 students a workshop on sign language and  the  challenges deaf people face. They learnt  that every language has its own sign language,  where its taught  and the differences between between being  deaf and  mute. Our students found it in their own words a very humbling experience.

All our students had an interactive workshop with our onsite SEN expert to raise dyslexia awareness. They had the chance to feel what its like to have dyslexia and other specific learning challenges. They were taught what dyslexia is and its possible causes. The students were shown many ways to help a dyslexic brain with learning and many other neuro diverse ways of  learning that could be helpful to them.

 

Congratulations to Luke our IGCSE student who not only completed his IGCSE course in just one year but also received the highest mark in Spain for his official exam. Here he is with his Award for Excellence from the exam board.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Its an exciting time for Upper Sixth students as they receive University offers for a range of degrees at different International Universities. Click here for a list of the offers.

We celebrated reaching half term and the end of Pre Assessments with another one of our Community lunches. Always a huge success.

 

Christmas Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

It’s been a great term, thank you to all of you who have helped make learning so positive and fun.

Just be Sassi’s Sabrina came back and gave an informative workshop pushing our students out of their comfort zone so they felt real interview nerves. Afterwards she gave them tips and strategies to deal with them.

A2 Psychology students have talked about Anorexia Nervosa and tried different learning styles to present the information they studied. They explored the underlying causes, possible explanations and treatments for anorexia.

We love how supportive our students are of each other. Helping with homework and always making new students feel welcome and comfortable.

AS Art and Design students recently visited the subtle imaginary landscapes in pencil by José María Díez in the ‘Somos Paisaje’ exhibit at the MA Art Contemporaneo Gallery in Palma. There was great excitement when opening their new student packs as they get ready to start their independent portfolio work for Component 1!

We had a great afternoon out at the SRT University fair. Students had the chance to meet and speak with representatives from International Universities and find out about different courses and career paths.
Thank you to everyone who gave so generously to this year’s Radio One Mallorca Charity appeal. Toys that you donated will be given to children’s charities and the food and toiletries to Age Concern.
   

We were lucky enough to receive a visit from Dr Daniel Christian Wahl who opened an interesting discussion about why we need to go beyond sustainability and why sustainability is still very important. He tried to answer the many questions of our students and listened to their fears. The presentation was filmed and students were interviewed by Antoine Bonsorte, who is making a documentary aimed to give young people a voice on Ecological matters.

After a long term and lots of hard work from both Staff and students we has some fun at our last Enrichment of the year with silly Christmas games. Getting students to have have fun and consolidate friendships.

 

We also had plenty of Christmas cheer at our community lunch. Thanks to all of you who brought in dishes. Staff started their Christmas holiday with tapas, feeling proud of what we have achieved  and of the young people we are lucky enough to get to spend so much time with and that inspire us to do more every day.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!

 

 

Autumn Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

Autumn has been a season for visitors and getting to know each other better and forming new friendships.

Time flies when you are having fun and studying hard! All our students have been working hard, especially our Fast Track German and Spanish students who have the first component of the official exam. Their speaking exam will test their vocabulary, grammar and debating skills on topics such as travel and the environment, youth matters, lifestyle, health and fitness. Our Fast Track courses offer the students the opportunity to complete a two-year course in just one year.

Visitors have included Glynis German who gave an insightful Enrichment on who we are, how others see us, being true to ourselves and a lively discussion on what an ideal world means to each of us and how we are in control of making that vision a reality.

Some of our A2 students have already started receiving University offers and have had interview skills workshops form Sabrina from coaching just be Sassi to help them get over their interview nerves and confidently answer questions and talk about all their skills and talents.

A2 students also had a fun morning and afternoon with Ross from Luxury Taste Maker where they learnt to cook lots of dishes from just a few simple ingredients. Parents ask them to cook at home because what they made at the workshop was delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

Our Psychology teacher gave a presentation on the facts, the effects and what to do it you are faced with peer pressure on taking drugs. This was followed by a visit from Paticipación Ciudadana the Police who gave an informative talk on drugs and dispelled many myths around the drug laws in Spain.

Our AS Spanish group got to hear all about Gorka’s adventures whilst travelling in Africa. He talked to us about work in Ghana and what he gained from it. We learnt how every little action however small is useful and how we should always try to help.

CEO of Palma Pictures Mike Day talked to our AS students about his Career Path and the Film and Media industry. It provoked an interesting discussion on minorities within the industry, advertisements and if they still work. He also explained how he promotes Spain as a destination for filming given its wide and varied landscapes. For instance turning Sotogrande into looking like the Bahamas and Almería into Australia for the Netflix series The Crown.

We made the most of the beautiful October weather to do some Team building games in the park. A lighthearted way to get to know each other better through laughter. Along the same lines, we asked all our students to find their inner child and be playful in an Enrichment involving Improvisation.

 

     

 

A2 Drama delivered their first official Drama performance and were lucky enough to receive feedback from the talents of actress Lluqui Portas, Juana Maraia  Peralta and Lucia Sanches from the theatre company AsMarias. Also present was Josep Orfila who is starring in the Ib3 TV series Mai Neva Ciutat.

September 2019 Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

A new Academic Year at Palma College

Life at Palma College has been busy since we got back at the beginning of September. We are getting to know our new students and welcoming them to the Palma College Community. We are happy to be offering 3 fast track courses this year in German, Maths and Spanish, getting students through a 2-year course in just one year.

Our collaboration with Loughborough College offers the opportunity for our students to study a BTEC in Sport. They spend a day a week at the fantastic installations of Best Swim Centre in Colonia San Jordi.

 

 

 

Our student leadership team helped organise our first Community lunch, a wonderful opportunity to share our favourite dishes and chat in an informal atmosphere. Thanks to everyone who made it a success. Any leftover food was as always, donated to the homeless charity http://asociacionesrefugi.org/ We are already looking forward to the next one in December.

 

 

As part of our Enrichment programme aimed to give our students valuable life skills, we have had visits from Tineke training for a First Aid course and Renegade Martial Arts who gave an active workshop on Self-defense.

           

 

      

Upper Sixth had expert advice on personal statement writing for their UCAS applications and are now working with Coaching Palma – Just be Sassi’s Sabrina to help with interview techniques.

Lower Sixth have learnt more about their Learning styles and Keywords to help them understand exam questions. Upper Sixth has a more reflective session and used breath and visualisation to mediate on their inner thought process.

 

 

Lessons are in full swing and because of our wonderful central location, our Chemistry students had the treat of studying over coffee and ensaimadas with their teacher. Spanish students have been making visuals to learn and discuss the pros and cons of urban living and lifestyles. The AS Art and Design students have been practicing their critical analysis skills while looking at art on display in the galleries of Palma for La Nit de L’Art exhibitions. In class, they have practiced portraiture using charcoal and modelling for each other.

   

March & April 2019 Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

March was a month for solidarity. At Palma College we share a wonderful community spirit supporting each other, local and international charities that are important to us.

Drama Visitors

This month our A2 Drama students had their official performance exams. They have been rehearsing, preparing their set and costumes with the support of our Drama teacher Currusca. They were also lucky enough to have various professionals visiting them to offer advice, support and feedback.

Parents day

Palma College was delighted to see so many of our student’s families on our Parents Meetings day. We held a cake sale to raise money for https://prostatecanceruk.org/ research. A charity very close to our hearts. As always the Palma College community came together and gave generously. We raised 415.66€

Visiting Artist

On the 12th of March, the AS Art students had the opportunity to meet the artist Tia Zanoguera, who shared with them his past experiences of people who inspired him like Lucian Freud and how he ended up creating art which concentrates on the individual and the infinite possibilities that are connected to it.

His stories also were somewhat encouraging as he explained how he “develops complex ideas, full of contradictions, but well that’s art you never actually know what you are doing…”  which many art students can relate to during this critical period in their artistic careers!

Not only that, but he also shared with them valuable pieces of advice, such as the idea that art is an endless discovery of the world and oneself, as well as that  “The teacher is sometimes more important than the material”, which got a smiling reaction of agreement from the class and the Art teacher.

#fridaysforfuture

Some of students joined the march #fridaysforfuture. The marches, held in over 100 countries are the initiative of the young Swedish student Greta Thunberg to raise awareness on climate change. Over 500 students from across Mallorca took part chanting their message through the streets of Palma

Asociacion Es Refugi

Thank you for all your doantions!

Toni Llabres came in to tell us about the work he does with http://asociacionesrefugi.org/ He shared alarming statics on how and why people become homeless and encouraged our students to get involved by volunteering. He told us how the shelter is open at any time for anyone who needs their help and support.

Revision workshop

In order to support our students in their fast approaching exams we held a revision planning work shop lead by Dr Aguiló. It is designed to teach them how to plan their revision time effectively. We have already seen lots of students using their free time in the Common room to study

Careers Panel

Thursday 28th, as the last Enrichment before the grueling exam period starts, the Palma College students were visited by different professionals, who spoke about their careers and the path that lead them to where they are now.

Everything from Interior yacht training to Ecological Clothing brands, Marketing experts to AI innovations and even a Fashion & Event Photographer were in attendance. Each presenting their mixed careers in different ways, for example, Su Dodd’s presentation of her Clothing Brand, turned into a fascinating debate about global warming, as she petitioned less for her clothing brand and more for what role we play in aiding to stop climate change.

However, the presentations by these professionals were not just helpful for the students when informing them about possible career choices, but also most experts had similar answers to the question ‘What have you learned most in your career?”, as each believed that it does not necessarily matter what you study at University, you can make mistakes, change careers but the most important thing they learned was it will work out as long as you go with your gut. Which for the A2 students especially, who are entering their final months of College before entering the world of Universities and careers, gave an air of comfort on their future.

Fashion designer Eli from Sunvibes Mallorca chatted to students interested in design about her passion for what she does. The reoccurring theme that students heard from many of our visitors about how all her products are ethical is something that interests our students.

Hazel and Linda gave information on the courses that students looking to get in to the yachting industry should take. They gave them a realistic vision of what working on privates yachts is really like and also answered questions on rates of pay, tips and types of trips and crossings and the difference between charter and private yachts.

Sorvait – International Fashion and Event photographer told our students of how he unexpectedly entered the photography business. How important it is to work in something that we feel passionate about. He also told us how important it is to keep learning, experimenting and developing to find your true passion and talent.

Chris from the Innovation Lab at TUI gave us something really different to think about . He along with his team focus on digital guest experience where they drive innovation to deliver a better holiday experience for over 20 million people a year. It opened an interesting debate on virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology, its pro and cons and where it will lead us in the the future.

Julija- Expert in marketing and strategic brand management with in-house experience of such global brands as SAMSUNG, L’OREAL, KERASTASE, MARS & WRIGLEY, WHISKAS, PEDIGREE, talked to a large group of students interested in hearing her vast experience. Her lecturer and international experience allowed her to deliver an informative, practical talk. She was able to answer a wide range of questions, helping students know what to do and where to go after finishing their University degree. We are very much looking forward to welcoming her back to give a two part presentation to our Business students next month.

Thank you to Su Dodd, Linda Revill , Chris Carmichael, Eliza, Hazel, Soravit and Julija.



Preparing for the Inevitable – how to live a fulfilling life! A beautiful Enrichment lead by Glynis German where we were so proud of a students for how maturely and respectfully they thought, questioned and reflected on life and death.

We shared our last Community lunch of this Academic year with good spirits, great food and looking forward to a well deserved break!

February 2019 Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

February was mainly about Pre-Assessments. Students and a couple of our teachers felt the pressure of sitting the test under exam conditions.

Dr Aguiló revising for the A2 Maths test with is students

Our Head of Science department Dr Aguiló sat the A2 Maths exam with his students to see how they feel when sitting the test with the clock ticking.

He scored 98%! Well done Dr Aguiló and to all of our students.

Enrichment this month

Giving our students life skills to help them deal with different situations is an important part of our Enrichment programme.
To help the students relax and focus the week before exams Jay from http://www. earthyoga.es visited us. She gave them breathing techniques to help deal with pre-exam stress.

Hazel from https://vipserviceschool.com/ offered a very practical skill on how to care for shoes. She explained the importance of having clean, well kept shoes as first impressions really do count! Hazel explained tips and tricks such as cleaning with toothpaste, using a rubber on scuffs and washing trainers in the dishwasher.

After the stress of Pre-Assessments we challenged the students to an egg drop, to work team building and negotiating skills. They were divided into groups, given a selection of different materials and devised a way of making their egg land safely after being dropped from our balcony.

It was great to see the team work and community spirit among them even if some of them showed us their more competitive side.

Drama Guest speakers

Our Drama students were fortunate to receive the visit of various experts in their field. We are always grateful to these professionals who offer our students the wealth of their experience and knowledge. This month they were visited by Jonathan Holloway , currently the Artistic Director of Melbourne International Arts Festival . Jonathan told them about his career and encouraged them to work hard to achieve their dreams.

Jenny Vila – Drama Lighting Designer gave them inspiration for their sets. She also shared tips on how to write about lighting for the theory component of the Drama exam.

Palma College Instagram

Love was most definitely in the air on 14th February. Our students were given an Instagram Challenge. They were asked to reenact, design and be creative when sending Valentine Day inspired photos for our Instagram page.

The IT department got involved straight away and won the prize of a box of chocolates!

Art

Art students went out to visit our Head of Humanities and Art teacher’s installation piece at https://www.ma-artecontemporaneo.com

Her piece formed part of the Un libro dos vidas exhibition. Students had the chance to see 30 different ways of interpreting one theme.

Taster Day

On 22 February we held another Taster Day and we were delighted to welcome prospective new students and their parents to college. We also had a special guest from Loughborough College who gave a presentation on the Sports BTEC we will be offering through them. There has been a very positive response to this new venture from current and new students.

January 2019 Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

Our holidays already seem like a long time ago as we all came back knowing we have a busy term ahead and Pre-Assessment dates are fast approaching. We have all been hard at work but did find time for some fun.

Enrichment

We are a multicultural College with students and staff from over 18 different countries, but we all have living on Mallorca in common. To share some of Mallorca’s rich heritage and for San Sebastian we had some very special guests visit us- Dimonis. They shared the story of where they come from, what you need to be a Dimoni and all the customs around it.

Ian and Amy from Renegade Martial Arts came in to give us a self defence class. It was great to see the students letting off steam while learning a new skill.

Enrichment also gives our students important life skills before they go to University and start to live alone. A2 students learnt how to prepare tapas at Lonja 18. We all enjoyed the tortilla, croquetas and other snacks they shared with us .

Deep concentration
Enjoying the efforts of their hard work!

Many of our students are receiving offers from Universities and are being asked for face to face or online interviews.
We were lucky enough to benefit from the time of two excellent professionals who gave our students some final interview practice. Feedback has been great!

And for our students who are thinking of a Gap Year. Theresa from Rustic Pathways came in and told us all about the Adventure sports and Community service trips they organise.

On College Wednesdays our staff get together to work on various CPD projects. Here the Humanities department are working on cross curricular links.

On the 22 February we will be holding another popular Taster Day. A chance for prospective students and parents to come in and meet us and find out about who we are and what we offer. We are excited to have Loughborough College joining us to talk about our new collaboration offering a BTEC qualification in Sport as of next Academic Year.

December Newsletter

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

We all can’t believe how quickly this term has flashed by, it must be because we were having fun as well as working hard.

Although we have only had 11 school days this month, we have made the most of all of them! December started with one of our students sitting his IELTS test. IELTS is the world´s most widely recognised language test and although it is an external exam, Palma College offers full support and preparation to our students who are required to take the test to enter UK Universities.

We have all been getting very excited about the University offers that are coming in daily. For more information and to see the broad range of degree offers and Universities that our students are receiving see the post on University offers in our News section on our website

Business

In October four of our A2 Business Studies students won Golden tickets to visit the Globe Business College Munich to attend a practical workshop.

Here is what one of them had to say:

On the weekend, Friday 7th December  until Sunday 9th December I attended the Golden Globe Workshop  which was run by the Globe Business College in Munich, Germany.
I did not know what to expect, after the first night I already loved it. The atmosphere of the College, the Teachers as well as the Students were all adding to this family- like feel. We were given a job to market a product and give a presentation in our set team. This might sound easy and vague but there were many challenges, that by working together and the right communication had to be solved and were solved. I learnt about budgeting and about time-management skills. I was also taught how to present professionally in front of an audience. At first I had difficulties standing in front of people, talking or presenting a project but with the help of vocal training I got more confidence and courage.  In conclusion the weekend was amazing. There was so much variety of international students and everyone was kind and open minded.

Drama

Our AS Drama students performed their version of Henrik Ibsen’s The Dolls House. They were lucky enough to have the support from professional actress and Theatre Director Vicka Duran during rehearsal for feedback.

All the Drama students went to the Auditorium to see A Christmas Carol performed by  Isla Theatre. It was especially popular this year as two Palma College students were performing. Duncan Hodkinson Legoux a Palma College alumni, who after finishing his degree at East 15 Acting School  set up his own theatre company, came into class and talked about his acting career and gave his advice on following impulses whilst on stage.

Spanish

Our Fast Track Modern Foreign Language students sat the oral component of their exam, and they will be studying hard for the exams that start as soon as we come back in the New Year.

IGCSE Spanish students have been having fun  improving  their vocabulary and almost beating their Spanish teacher at Spanish scrabble.

Taster Day

On 17th December we held a very popular Taster Day. We opened our doors and welcome prospective parents and students with tea and coffee. Our guests had an informal chat to our staff  and a tour of both our premises. The prospective students were also able to drop in to the different subject classes to get a feel for our teaching style. Thanks to all our Student Ambassadors, as always you did a great job representing the College, we are very proud of you. We are already looking forward to the next one early next year.

Palma College Community

The Palma College community’s generosity has once again been very apparent this month, we have  supported Radio One Mallorca’s Christmas Campaign. Staff, students and their families were asked  to bring in non-perishable food items for the Age Concern Hampers and toys for the children from Son Espases and the Nazaret charity.

    

On our last day of term we all enjoyed our community Christmas lunch. We all brought in something typical for this time of year to share. Once again our table were laden and we all tried something new. We had a special awards ceremony, with  our own Christmas fairy who gave prizes to students with the best attendance, least late and the most helpful.

      

We wish you and your loved ones a peaceful, joyous holiday and look forward to seeing you on 8th January.

University Offers News

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

As always at this time of year, the students are very excited as they are receiving offers of places on degree courses from universities, firstly from the UK but also from further afield.

‘This year has demonstrated to me how the world of work is changing and the degree courses on offer have developed to reflect this change in society.  One of our young students has been offered an unconditional place at university in the UK to study Cyber Security.  This is an obvious reflection of the diversity of long term changes that lie ahead for young people.’

Other offers are for courses such as: Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Science; Business Management and Finance; English & Creative Writing; English Literature & Psychology; Computer Game Applications; Fashion Design; Hospitality and Film Production.  Three students have received unconditional offers based on their personal statements and AS grades.

Applications are also in progress for universities in France, Italy and Holland as well as Spain.  The depth and breadth of the knowledge of the staff ensures that each student is appointed a teacher who is familiar with the application process of specific countries.  The Head of UCAS, Jill Conway, regularly attends training in the UK to ensure she is up to date with procedures and new developments and can assist each student in their research and application process.

As the Head teacher states ‘Here at Palma College we work closely with each student and their families to find the best next steps for them, whether it is in Higher Education, a GAP year or the world of work.  Each student is unique and travels their own pathway, but we are proud of all of their achievements.’

12th December 2018

 

WELL DONE TO ALL U6 STUDENTS –

LOTS OF GREAT OFFERS ARRIVING DAILY

 

We are delighted that the UK University offers are arriving thick and fast! To date:

University of Bolton                      Biomedical Engineering

Manchester Met University         Biomedical Science

Anglia Ruskin University             Business Management and Finance (with Placement Year)

University of Brighton                  Business Management with Finance (with placement year)

University of Hertfordshire         Business and Finance

University of Salford                     Business & Financial Manageme (with Professional Experience Year)

University of Salford                     English & Creative Writing

St Mary’s University                      English Literature & Psychology

Abertay University                         Computer Game Applications Development

Abertay University                         Game Design and Production

Abertay University                         Biomedical Science

London Met University                 Medical Bioscience

London South Bank                       Bioscience

University for the Creative Arts  Fashion Design

University for the Creative Arts  Film Production

Glasgow Caledonian                      Computer Game Design

Kingston University                       English and Creative Writing

London South Bank                       Tourism and Hospitality

University of Westminster           Tourism and Event Management

University of Westminster           Business Management

Nottingham Trent University      Cyber Security

 

Student Newsletter – November 2018

Written by Palma College. Posted in Newsletters

After a well-deserved half term break and all still feeling positive and motivated after our Diversity Day, we returned to College knowing that November would be a very busy month. Especially for our A2 Drama students who had one of their official Performance examinations.

Palma College doors are always open, and we are always happy to receive visitors who give up their time to share their knowledge and experience with us. This month has been a busy one!

Ged Kennedy from Easyjet came in and had our Business students building a package holiday. They proposed and designed a Hawaiian holiday with tree house accommodation for us!

They also received a visit from Paloma Garcia from Inturea who specialises in Digital Marketing. She gave a talk on social media for brands. Paloma has been kind enough to invite our Business students to Inturea offices for a tour and a firsthand view of a Marketing office environment.

We have had some exciting Enrichment projects this month. The Hummingbird Project where Rosalinda came in to share the project with our A2 students. Students were asked to think where they see themselves in 10 years, what small steps they can take to get there and to come up with ideas and prototypes to deal with mental health issues amongst adolescents given the shocking statistics from the WHO.

Our U6 students have been following an Interview Skills programme with Life Coach Sabrina from Just be Sassi

Over the past few months our students participated in a variety of different activities with Sabrina to help them prepare for their upcoming University interviews. After spending time going over their personal statements with them to get a feel for who they are and what they plan to do in the future, she set about researching their University and career choices to offer them a tailored interview. The sessions culminated in a mock interview. Students came dressed for the occasion and with a suitable amount of nerves that made the experience very realistic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They all learnt a great deal including the importance of pre-interview nerves and how to deal with them. Students went into the interviews in small groups to observe peers and get feedback.

When the interviews had finished students came together to talk about how they felt about the experience and how it went. They also had the opportunity to ask how to handle different questions and how to answer the most difficult question of all. “Who are you?”

 

The feedback from both Sabrina and our students was very positive and we will see how far they have come when they come face to face with our external interview panel early next year to consolidate their interview skills.

Our AS students visited  Lonja18 for one of our favourite Enrichments – Cooking classes. We learnt to make all kinds of Mexican dishes such as tacos, quesadillas, nachos and guacamole. Students were really hands on, learnt how to chop, peel, fry and mash. A couple of them even volunteered to wash up!  When they finished, we all sat down together and enjoyed a delicious lunch. It was great to see students so engaged and learning not only new skills but also trying new flavours and foods.

The students were really proud of themselves!

 

 

 

 

The last Enrichment for this month was a fun Practical Finance lesson lead by the Headteacher. All our sixth-form students came together to learn how to balance accounts and were challenged to find the best option to book a flight and train tickets online within a specific time frame.

For the second part of the lesson they were put into teams and learnt how to calculate interest rates, make decisions on how to budget to cover living costs and how to work out tax bills. The team with the healthiest budget at the end of the year won a prize.

 

 

In our Estudi General building our Maths and Science students have been hard at work sitting assessments. Dr. Aguiló and all the other members of staff are very proud of how they have been studying to try and achieve good grades.

 

 

And our College dog Rubiol is always on hand for a cuddle.

 

 

The A2 Drama students have had important deadlines this month, as well as their Performance  Exam, but still found time to visit Palma’s beautiful Theatre Principal  to see La Omisión de la familia Coleman about an everyday family. It originates from Teatro Timbre 4, an Argentinian theatre company and has travelled around 22 different countries. The visit forms an important part of the Drama course as students practise their critiquing skills.

Nerves and stress were tangible amongst them ahead of their examination performance, but with the generous feedback and guidance from Drew Donovan and Jenny Whiffen from Isla Theatre Project they felt confident and we were all very impressed with what they achieved.

 

A2 Art students have worked on their third outcome of their Art piece for Component 1.  Here students are cutting and sawing different materials for their structures. One to form a cube which will be the central part of their piece and the other is working on a frame for the illustration that he plans to lay out in a box.

 

 

 

 

 

Spanish students have been out and about in our neighbourhood, looking for examples of how Palma supports recycling and other environmental related issues and the work EMAYA does. Students have been preparing a Powerpoint presentation in class on their findings.

Staff have talked about a range of subjects and shared lots of ideas in their Inset afternoons, which we hold every Wednesday. They have shared digital resources to use in the classroom, report writing tips, and had a special session on SEN (Special Educational Needs).

That was just a snapshot of our November. We are busy preparing for our Open Day on 17th December and lots of other Christmas treats. While students who are taking their exams in January will be making the most of their last classes before their exams.

 

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