Public school pupils were given goodie-bags by TelEm Group following their annual Christmas rendition of carols, poems and dance at the company’s Pond Island building on Friday.
POND ISLAND--TelEm Group customers and staff were greeted to the “heavenly sounds” of youth voices and instruments when they entered the company’s main building on Pond Island on Friday, when music pupils and teachers of five public schools performed at the establishment.
The schools visit TelEm each year around this time to bring some Christmas cheer to the St. Maarten community. Schools represented were Genevieve de Weever primary school, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. school, Leonald (formerly Leonard) Connor, Prince Willem Alexander School for Special Education and Ruby Labega Primary.
According to one of the programme coordinators Rosemary Marsham-Hodge, TelEm Group is one of the first stops of the students each year, because they are always well received, and they enjoy interacting with company personnel and members of the public.
This year’s programme included a duet of “Give love on Christmas Day,” a musical solo, a recital of the Christmas Story by fourth-grade pupil at Leonald Connor primary school Shellie Rogers, and ended with a group carolling session before pupils, teachers and instruments move on to another location for the day.
Marsham-Hodge said that in total, pupils spent two days visiting different businesses and organisations, including Port St. Maarten, the senior citizens’ home in Hope Estate, Windward Islands Bank (WIB) and RBC bank.
“Our students had a great time at TelEm and always look forward to visiting each year. We were well received, and we are very grateful to everyone, management and staff of TelEm,” said Marsham-Hodge.
She said the visit has given inspiration and encouragement to the students as they prepare for their end-of-year concert to wrap up the school term. This year, they are working on a unique collaboration with the Sports Department, who also has an end-of-year programme so that the two can combine sports with music for a refreshing change. “We call ourselves the Music Enhancement Committee (MEC), and we not only want to showcase the talents of our youth and teachers by spreading the good cheer of Christmas, but also by taking music into the general community for all to enjoy,” said Marsham-Hodge.
She said the programme is the brainchild of Director of Public Education Glenderlin Davis Holiday, who continues to support it by her attendance and encouragement to the music students and teachers.
TelEm Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kendall Dupersoy said the youth programme has his total support, noting that the company’s doors will always be open to the students and their teachers to share their Christmas joy with staff and customers. “I’ve heard what they can do as a group and as individuals and I would like to personally congratulate each one of them and their teachers and coordinators for a job really well done,” said Dupersoy.
