The sight of Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster and Zoe thrilled kindergarten students at Enid Capron Primary School recently as volunteers from Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort, Villages and Spa greeted the community in a most fitting welcome celebration for the new academic year. 

The visit, organized by the resort’s philanthropic arm – Sandals Foundation formed part of its longstanding support of the islands’ schools with the team distributing some 30 backpacks stocked with school supplies and the Sesame characters bringing hugs, smiles and cheer.

Sophia Garland, principal of Enid Capron Primary School expressed gratitude for the visit noting, “There are no words that can explain the joy that ignites the eyes or a child when they see or are able to engage, touch and play with the beloved Sesame characters. We are truly grateful to the Beaches Resorts team for partnering with us in our ‘Return to Happiness’ initiative to get our students back to some sort of the normalcy after the events that took place in the community.”

Newly appointed Vice Principal, Ms. Nelene Swan facilitated the tour with the Sesame Street Characters at the Infant classes, fueling an unmatched energy amongst students.

General Manager of Beaches Turks & Caicos Resorts, James McAnally commented, “The team and I had a wonderful time with the students.  The return to physical classes presents opportunities for our young ones to learn through so many interpersonal experiences, making memories and helping in their holistic development. We are happy we could help create for them what could potentially be lifelong memories while at school and hope that the resources we have shared will support their day-to-day needs.”

The Sandals Foundation has been a longstanding partner of the island’s education sector, facilitating workshops to support the needs of students, teachers and parents. Earlier this month, the philanthropic organization supported a two-week professional development workshop for teachers at the school to strengthen their capacity in areas including work ethics, preparing for intruders, general planning, and work plan development.