Today was a very special day as we travelled along the Tenerife coastline to visit our partner school, CEIP Maximiliano Gil.
Our visit began with a tour of the school led by Spanish pupils. Orchard pupils were impressed by the facilities and by the incredibly warm welcome they received from everyone.
Next, pupils enjoyed a fascinating presentation about ‘Silbo Gomero’, the unique whistling language of the Canary Islands. Everyone was amazed by the Spanish pupils’ ability to communicate through whistling, and many of our pupils spent the afternoon trying to imitate the sounds with some success.
After a playground snack of tortilla española sandwiches, pupils spent time playing with their new Spanish friends before working together to create a colourful Canarian alphabet mural in the corridor. It was wonderful to see pupils communicating confidently using Spanish, “Spanglish”, gestures and smiles. We also had the opportunity to learn how to play the ‘timple’, a traditional Canarian instrument similar to a ukulele. The teachers even got to join in!
Pupils feel incredibly lucky to have experienced life in a Tenerife school and we are already looking forward to returning on Thursday for our final visit.
Back in Puerto de la Cruz, we enjoyed a pizza lunch together before browsing the local shops for souvenirs and special mementos to take home. Tomorrow we visit El Teide National Park — pupils are very excited to see a real volcano and Spain’s highest mountain with their own eyes.
