Our SPECIAL visit to Chang Bang Du Primary School

In Druk School it’s almost mandatory for teachers (class and subject) to take their children out for a field trip at least once in each academic year. The children wait for it with utmost delight.

In our bus....here we come.....

Yesterday, Class II (A, B and C) went for a field trip to Chang Bang Du Primary School. It was more of an exchange program designed to bring two groups of students and letting them spend a moment together.

The primary aim was to provide an avenue for our children (Druk School) to explore a new school; observe the school environment and just interact with their new friends whom they have never met before and above all to let them experience the joy of giving.

Chang Bang du wasn’t the first choice but ultimately it proved to be the perfect one. The School was small and the majority of the students whom our children were scheduled to visit were from middle class families. Our gifts consisting of a chocolate bar, a story book and hand-made wishing cards with the recipient’s name written on it went to the needy hands!

Pema Tenzin ( II C, Druk School) Presenting his gift to
 his new friend Jamyang Phuntsho ( II  B Chang Bang du Primary School)

As the students started to exchange gifts (The host children were also ready with hand-made cards for our children) the smiles slowly invaded the silent class. The new faces and the place had silent our otherwise very noisy and hyper-active children. They looked nervous, confused yet excited and happy. The apparent blush on the faces of our children were obvious because they were meeting the students for the first time, but the long breath they took after handing over the gifts, I felt, did bring some happy feelings to our children. The host children were very happy too. The trip was well received. A host teacher was found giving warm hug to our children.

A host teacher showering warm hugs to Drukains

Then they went out with their respective friends at the courtyard of Chang Bang Du School and spent some more time giggling and flipping over the cards that they have exchanged. There, i felt the magic of the whole trip unrevealed in ease.

The card becomes the talking point

Happy students of Happy Chang Bang Du School

Vote of Thanks to the children of Chang Bang Du Primary School

A short vote of thanks by one of the students of our school marked the end of this special visit. The children waved their little hands to each other with heart filled with joy and deep appreciations for their new friends.

After leaving the school, we travelled through the heart of Thimphu city and entered the Centenary Children’s Park. There the children engrossed themselves playing in sand, slides and swings. We took a lot of photographs. Then we had our lunch.

At Children's Park

When we exit through the big iron gate of the Chang Bang Du School, a girl from my class speaks out with a lamented voice (on departing from her new friend) yet reiterating her promise to meet her again with her mother soon…this time with more chocolate bars…more story books and more love and affection for her new friend.

At that moment our purpose of the field trip, I guess, was silently fulfilled.

The field trip ended smoothly as we entered back through our school gate at 1:30 pm. The students enjoyed their day out without a scar but I strongly believe that the special meeting, though a brief one, with their new friends must have engraved a deep mark in their hearts and stirred a millions thoughts of friendship in their little minds.

The Escorting Team
With me Miss Tenzin P Wangdi, Madam Kamala Ghalley and Lopen Jamphyel

WARMEST REGARDS AND SPECIAL THANKS to the lovely students, kind faculty members, generous vice- Principal and the Principal of Chang Bang Du School for sparing us their valuable time on our field trip at their campus.