Countess shares a laugh with special-needs students

Principal Dr. Dean Butterfield-Lister guided Her Royal Highness as she visited facilities such as the hydrotherapy rooms, kitchen and classrooms.

Dressed in a green, ivory and beige dress, taupe jacket and nude pumps and carrying a green and brown snakeskin bag, she happily chatted to the students.

Elijah Aguiar, eight, lit up as his therapy room filled with people and said: “You guys are cracking me up.”

The Countess responded: “You are the one cracking us up.”

Joining Her Royal Highness on the tour was Dame Jennifer Smith, Minister of Education; Warren Jones, the Ministry’s permanent secretary; Joze Lopes, president of the school’s PTA, and Ifor Hughes, president of the school’s charity, Friends of Hope Academy.

Dr. Butterfield-Lister also introduced the Countess to students and she helped them with their projects.  He said: “Let me share with you our school — a school for students with severe needs.

“We have 23 students. The maximum is 24. We have 22 staff members.”

The Countess visited one room where students were learning how to create a garden, which will be on display at the Agricultural Exhibition next month.

In another room, she stacked blocks with a young boy before leaving at about 1pm to go to Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.