V – Tour: HFSI PRIMARY

V – Tour: HFSI PRIMARY

“We loved the virtual tour!!” was the shout out heard from all classes in Primary on Friday, Nov 6th.

This academic year has certainly been very different from the rest. We may not go for an actual field trip like we do every year, but that did not stop HFSI from taking learners of Primary sightseeing and the young learners were proud and happy as they set off on the first ever virtual tour in the history of the school. Students were invited to a 5-day rejuvenating learning experience wherein they visited and explored the beauty of North India. The virtual tour gave learners an opportunity to visit locations outside their geographical homes without having to wait in long traffic jams or spend time away from family; and learners gained an understanding of the history, culture, festivals, cuisines, etc. of the various states, as they were guided through museums and historical sightseeing places by their expert tour guide teachers.

Learners embarked on their journey from the HFSI school lobby to Mumbai airport on November 2nd. The in-house virtual plane flew them to the mysterious mountains of Leh and Ladakh on day 1. Learners continued their travel by road on WonderWheels – the in house virtual school bus and the second day of the tour took them to the agricultural land of Punjab and a visit to the Wagah Border. Patriotism could be felt in all the virtual classrooms as learners witnessed the famous Retreat Ceremony at the border. This was followed by an exciting jungle safari to the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. Day 3 was a virtual visit to the world heritage sites in Agra including the alluring memorial of Taj Mahal. The journey continued to Delhi where learners took a tour of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, visited the Parliament House, Raj Ghat and India Gate where they witnessed the first hoisting of the national flag by Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Learners were then teleported to the Thar Desert in Rajasthan where they explored the vibrant and colourful cities of Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur. The virtual travelers enjoyed learning about the famous forts, lakes and palaces in Rajasthan. Desert festival, virtual camel safaris and boat rides were amongst a few things that were thoroughly enjoyed by the young adventurers but the icing on the cake was the famous puppet show of Jaipur.

The detailed tour enhanced the learners’ experiences as they enthusiastically participated in the five day trip which included fun sessions like Quiz Time, regional dances and souvenir making activities every day. Certificates were rendered to the “star tourist” and the best group from each class. The young travellers could not purchase souvenirs on their virtual tour but that did not stop them from creating one of their own, as a memory to be cherished forever! The virtual learning experience was further extended into the language sessions where children penned down their thoughts on the trip in the form of blogs, reflections and colourful presentations.
The trip ended with a grand Diwali celebration and a sweet keepsake for everyone.

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