Cedar Grove Private School celebrates with A Christmas to Remember

Cedar Grove Private School’s 2025 Christmas concert truly lived up to its name – A Christmas to Remember – leaving hearts warmed and spirits lifted as the school community came together to celebrate the season and the close of the academic year.

Held on December 9 at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), the concert unfolded as a joyful showcase of talent, featuring performances from every level of the school. From wide-eyed and some yawning preschoolers taking their first steps on stage – to confident fifth graders marking their final bow at Cedar Grove.

Family and friends filled the auditorium as students celebrated the birth of Christ through a charming blend of traditional and modern music, dance and drama. The evening flowed effortlessly, reflecting the school’s long-standing commitment to the visual and performing arts as a vital part of learning.

It was the youngest performers, however, who stole many of the hearts. When a few forgot the words to their songs, they made up for it with infectious enthusiasm, beaming smiles and delightfully spontaneous dance moves that sent waves of laughter and applause through the audience. Dressed in colourful Christmas costumes – Santa hats, angels and elves among them – the children added an extra sprinkle of magic to the night.

Head boy Kiran Mahabir and Head girl Kaithlyn Heeralal, guided the evening’s programme with confidence and poise.

In the absence of Government Ministers Dr Roodal Moonilal and Sean Sobers, both parents of students at the school, greetings were delivered by their wives, Natasha Moonilal and Kristin Sobers.

Natasha explained that both ministers were in Parliament debating fireworks legislation aimed at protecting children, the elderly and pets – legislation that was ultimately passed. She also shared Christmas wishes of peace and happiness and encouraged the audience to remember vulnerable and underprivileged families during the season.

Kristin reflected on the magic of Christmas as seen through a child’s eyes, thanking the teachers and staff who help students discover their talents and reminding all that children lie at the very heart of the Christmas celebration.

School supervisor II Dr Roydon Rampersad praised the students’ performances and described 2025 as a standout year for Cedar Grove. He highlighted the school’s academic achievement with its ninth-place ranking among approximately 550 schools nationwide according to the results of the 2025 Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examinations, placing it in the top 0.016 per cent of schools in Trinidad and Tobago. He reminded the audience that Christmas is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and to carry messages of love, joy and hope into the new year.

Throughout the evening, proud parents eagerly turned photographers and videographers, capturing memories as their young musicians, dancers and singers made their debut or returned for another much-anticipated performance.

Principal Dillan Daniel thanked families and friends for sharing in the celebration of joy, togetherness and faith, and reminded all of the Christmas call to be one another’s keeper.

The performances were as varied as they were memorable. The Senior Dance Club offered a graceful rendition of Ave Maria, while the Junior Dance Club brought energy to the stage with Carol of the Bells. Pre-K one delighted with Jingle Bells, followed by Pre-K two’s Merry Christmas Everyone. Grade four drew laughter with the musical comedy A Christmas to Remember, while the keyboard club performed a festive medley and the steelpan club delivered a stirring O Holy Night.

Grade one presented Christmas Callaloo, Upper Kindergarten charmed with Favourite Things and Laughing Children.

The evening closed on a touching note with the grade five students making their final Christmas concert appearance before preparing for the SEA examinations and moving to a secondary school in 2026. They bade farewell in vibrant red costumes with the parang favourite Cantando Gloria – a fitting and heartfelt end to a truly memorable celebration.