Pupils create vision of York’s past for the 22nd Century
Posted on 4 September 2009
Children from Lord Deramore’s and Badger Hill Primary Schools have helped staff and students at the University of York to compile the contents of a time capsule. The capsule will be buried next week to mark the construction of the University’s Heslington East expansion.
The capsule with contents ranging from a scooter to a sample of University lake water, from a Cubs uniform to a digital camera and an iPod will be sealed and buried on the Campus expansion. It will not be opened for 100 years.
As a reward for their efforts, pupils from the two schools have been invited to the Heslington East site to see the time capsule being buried. Representatives of the contractors, Shepherd Construction, will also give the children a tour of the new Goodricke College where 600 students will live from next month.
The University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, Elizabeth Heaps, said: “We are grateful to the pupils at both schools for helping us with this project and for the wonderful ingenuity and imagination of their suggestions. Together with the items suggested by staff and students at the University, they paint a fascinating picture of life in and around York in 2009.”
Ms Heaps will write one of the items contained in the time capsule – a letter to the people who will open it in 100 years’ time.
Shepherd Construction's Contracts Manager, Andrew Wilson, said: "We are delighted to be completing Goodricke College in time for the start of the University's new term. We always work closely with the local community during our projects and the time capsule event is a great opportunity for local schoolchildren to get involved at the site. It gives them chance to feel that in some small way they have a timeless connection with the college, which they may attend themselves in years to come."
Andrea Hellam, headteacher of Badger Hill Primary School, said: “The time capsule has encouraged the children to think in depth about how they live their lives now and what objects will tell future generations the most about life in York 2009.”
Sheena Powley, headteacher of Lord Deramore’s Primary School, said: “The children have not only had to come up with great ideas for the time capsule but also think about how practical they are and what kind of things will stand up to being buried for 100 years.”
| Time capsule contents: | |
|---|---|
| children’s scooter | student newspapers |
| stamped addressed envelopes | plant seeds from the area |
| mobile phone | poster of University wildfowl |
| toothbrush | Kit Kat |
| passport | University graduation dinner menu |
| Harry Potter book | school dinner menus |
| digital camera | sweatshirts from two schools |
| Cub uniform | recordings of the children |
| Pocket Oxford Dictionary | school photos |
| map of York | a newspaper of the day |
| sample of University lake water | an iPod |
| Argos catalogue | University publications and photographs |
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- More about the University of York’s Campus Development at http://www.york.ac.uk/campusdevelopment/
- More about Shepherd Construction at http://www.shepherd-construction.co.uk/
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