The Surat field trip that took place on April 1, 2022, was absolutely mind-blowing! It was an experience of education being mixed with fun, which is what B. D. Somani International School is all about.
We started off early in the morning from Mumbai Central and boarded the Shatabdi Express to Surat. The hours that we spent on the train journey were a great bonding experience for all of us. We reached Surat and visited the Blue Star Diamond Factory where we learned all about their company and ventures. The splendid way of welcome and great hospitality extended to us by Mr. Achal Mehta, a B.D.Alumnus and Director of Blue Star Diamond Factory were very heartwarming.
We further went on to explore different parts of the factory and were amazed to witness the step-by-step process of how a diamond is made. To put a cherry on top, we not only got to see different diamonds through microscopes and watch glasses but also were able to have photos clicked with the 649-carat rough diamond that adds shine to the Blue Star Diamond Factory name. B. D. Somani International School is also known for its way of teaching and this trip would have been incomplete without this wonderful part. All of the students on the Surat Field Trip got a chance to polish a diamond on the wheel that the craftsmen use, the traditional way.
I believe all the students would agree that the food too was absolutely scrumptious, once again one of the highlights of our trip. All in all, we are grateful to have been able to have this school trip after two long years of the pandemic. It allowed all the students to get to know each other better. The trip not only taught us about the 4C’s, different cuts, shapes, types of machinery, and more used in the diamond industry but also provided us with the valuable hands-on experience that we needed to understand the concepts and processes better.
We all returned home that night, with a smile on our faces, a sense of fulfillment, and a plethora of memories that we will all reminisce on with the help of the photographs, videos, and vlogs that different students made.
I would like to extend a special thank you to the teachers on the trip, Ms. Reshma S, Ms. Miriam, Mr. Animesh, Mr. Navroz, and Dr. Rupesh. They not only allowed us to uphold the B. D. values, ethics and ethos but also took an active interest in understanding our needs and took part in bonding with the students. Personally, there is nothing I would change about the day because we all enjoyed it to the fullest and had valuable takeaways from this field trip.
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the teachers and the leadership team for curating this fantastic experience which was the perfect blend of informative and entertaining!
This post has been co-authored by Jivishaa Pandit, Grade 11
