Ledgeview Elementary goes back in time

Ledgeview Elementary students, faculty and staff are celebrating 50 years by stepping back in time. They’re taking a look at what life was like in 25 years ago and beyond.

At Ledgeview’s 25-year anniversary celebration, students put together items to put into a time capsule. The time capsule was buried and was not to be touched until now. Now, in 2012, the time capsule was dug up and unveiled to current students.

As a way to prepare the children and teach them a little history, last year, each grade was assigned a decade. Throughout the year, students put on assemblies associated with the fifties, sixties, seventies and more.

“The principle and secretary dressed as the Brady Bunch,” said PTO President Sarah Williams. “It benefitted [the students] with a little bit of a history lesson and it brought everyone together. They were learning about history in a fun way.”

Recently, at Ledgeview’s Fall Harvest Festival, items that were in the time capsule and buried for 25 years were displayed for everyone to see. Throughout the school day, each classroom had the opportunity to go through and view everything before it was open to the public.

“I think it’s neat for kids to see how things have changed or how things haven’t changed in 25 years,” said Ledgeview Principle Keith Kuwik. “They got to see what life was like and read the predictions and see if the students had been right or wrong.”

Several items had been damaged and even ruined from being buried underground for so long. The items that did make it through the weather are now in a display case at the school for everyone to see.

There were quilts made by two classrooms as well as several letters and predictions made by the students from 25 years ago. One prediction from a student was that the school would have robot teachers. Although technology isn’t quite that advanced yet, some students had predicted that there would be computers available for each student and the school does rent laptops to its students.

Several former Ledgeview students attended the festival, including some from 1987, the year the time capsule was buried. They were able to see the letters they had written and what they believed their lives would be like in 2012.

Video footage of the burial ceremony was also in the time capsule. The children were able to see how people dressed back then and what the school looked like as well.

Plans for a new time capsule are underway and will continue throughout the school year. The school’s Building Team, lead by art teacher Kate Greene, is putting together a list of items to possibly go into the capsule.

At the festival, students had the opportunity to fill out cards with what they believed should go into the time capsule that will be buried for another 25 years. Along with several items from the previous time capsule, they came up with several ideas.

“It’s cool to be able to see their thoughts and what they believe the future will look like,” said Greene.

The Building Team has several things planned for the year to help promote this year’s school theme, Ledgeview Legacy, which ties in with the time capsule unveiling and reburying.