For five years I attended Indian River Elementary School in Edgewater. The memories are still vivid of all the good and challenging times. I remember being unsure but excited on the first day of kindergarten and I remember holding my breath the same year on Sept.11th.
Photo by Cheyenne Drews / This is the marker that covered a time capsule at Indian River Elementary School in Edgewater.Indian River was mine and many others’ starting point in life that really prepared us for reality.
From the first years I noticed a time capsule buried outside the front office. All of the kids who attended the school with me counted down the years until the time capsule would be opened.
Personally I thought about how long away it would be and whether my family and I would still live around the area and how much things would have changed.
The time capsule was buried on Feb. 14, 1991, and 20 years later, on Feb. 14, 2011, it was to be opened. I recently attended the ceremony that they had to open it.
Although I had to miss three periods of my normal school day, it was something I had to do for my younger self. The ceremony was very nice and all of the past principles attended. The current class of fifth graders watched the ceremony that took place in the cafeteria as well as community members, past students and teachers.
It was very interesting seeing past students that are now adults with their kids that attend the school now. At the actual ceremony the chorus preformed “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story, one that came out 20 years ago.
The past principal and current principal spoke and shared memories from when the time capsule was buried. In all of the speeches I noticed the principals told of how the school and times have changed, but the spirit has not.
I think through all that has changed, the people’s spirits and mission has been maintained. Following the ceremony the guests traveled to the media center to see the contents of the time capsule.
The capsule was not glued well so many of the contents eroded over time. In the capsule there was a cloth that old students signed, a few pictures, a VHS tape that was corroded, two floppy disks, stamps, a safety patrol badge, a signed baseball and a few signed pieces of paper.
It was so nice to go back to the elementary school and remember all of the feelings I had when I was younger.