25 Years Later, Hodgkins Elementary Opens Time Capsule

La Grange IL

03 June, 2022

3:56 PM

Description

HODGKINS, IL —On the final day of school, fourth through sixth graders at Hodgkins Elementary School were able to look into the past as Principal Emily Crement and school faculty opened up a 25-year-old time capsule, one of the last activities of the school year as the La Grange District 105 school celebrated its 100-year anniversary. The opening of the time capsule was split between two days, with kindergarten through third graders viewing it on Wednesday and fourth through sixth graders viewing it on Friday. On both days, students, along with current and retired faculty members, filed into the gymnasium and watched a presentation beforehand of aspects that defined the 1990s — sporting events, movies, TV shows, video games and technology. During the presentation, the students also got a glimpse of what their teachers looked like in 1997. Afterward, the time capsule was opened up. Crement invited faculty members to reveal a different artifact that was inside the nearly four-foot wooden box that served as the time capsule. The content inside the box included a floppy disk and D.A.R.E water bottle, as well as items more closely connected to the school and community: a letter from the principal of Hodgkin Elementary at that time, Paul Vorwick; a poem written by District 105 school board member and PTO President Kelly Young, who was a 5th grader at Hodgkins when she wrote it; a newspaper clipping from June of 1997; and a t-shirt commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Village of Hodgkins. Kelly Young, second from left, a District 105 school board member and president of Hodgkins Elementary PTO, holds a poem she wrote as a 5th grader in 1997. Her son, second from right, is a current kindergartener and got to read his mother's poem. (Leesa McHugh) "I think it was particularly exciting when there was an artifact that was a member of their family so they could not only be proud of the history of their school, but proud of the history of their family," Crement said. Students and faculty of each grade level then had the opportunity to present a bin they put together of items they believed students 25 years from now should know about. Some of these items included masks, hand sanitizers, Fortnite gift cards and their school's lunch menu. They also created posters on different topics relating to 2022. They ranged from social media to Chicago professional sports teams. The bins and posters will be placed back into the time capsule for students in 2047 to see. Julio Parra, a 4th grader, hold a newspaper clipping from June 1997 which features an image of his father, who also attended Hodgkins Elementary. The time capsule opening was one of the many activities throughout the year, as students also had the opportunity to create a mural with help from a local artist, play with games and toys from 100 years ago and meet a Thomas Edison impersonator.