By Mario Xuereb
TEACHERS at Sunshine North Primary are in search of a lost time capsule.
The school, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in less than a month, thinks at least one time capsule – possibly two – are hidden on its grounds but no one is sure where.
Grade teacher Julie Woodford, who is coordinating the anniversary celebrations, has been inundated with tip-offs about the capsule’s whereabouts – but none have hit the jackpot.
“I’ve sent emails, placed advertisements in the education news, contacted former students – they all come back with something different,” Ms Woodford said.
Most people think the capsule – which is probably a closed piece of PVC tubing – was placed behind a brick wall in the primary school’s hall.
But Ms Woodford and school principal Ken Ryan have scoured the hall looking for telltale patchwork or rendering.
They found nothing and, after $1.6 million in renovations have just been completed, are not keen on knocking down the walls.
“We’ve been searching for the capsule for the better part of a year,” Ms Woodford said.
“You would assume that there would be a plaque or something and that it would just be there.
“It’s all very exciting,” Ms Woodford said. “It’s like out own little mystery.”
To complicate matters, some students and long-serving teachers do not remember the school burying a time capsule at all.
Librarian Joyce Woods started out at Sunshine North in 1990 and cannot recall either time capsules being buried.
Ms Woodford now hopes that former students can remember what happened to the time capsule, or whether it exists, and will get in touch before the school’s anniversary on 10 November.
The school will officially open the new extension and, as it happens, bury its own time capsule.
Ms Woodford said the capsule would include newspapers of the day and the school’s Commonwealth Games baton.
“And this time, there will be a plaque,” she said.
If you know where Sunshine North Primary School’s time capsule is contact the school on 9311 2400.
Picture: GLENCAMPBELL.
