Seventeen recent graduates returned to their former classroom at the Wilmington Middle School on Tuesday afternoon to open two time capsules they created with their teacher, Michael Mahoney, when they were in fifth and sixth grade.
The time capsule project started 10 years ago when Mahoney was in his first year of teaching in the middle school. Students decorate a cardboard box and put all of their names on it. They then write letters to themselves about their interests, or about classmates they like so they can come back and laugh and enjoy the letters as seniors. Some students even include photos and other memorabilia.
Then, as graduation nears, letters of invitation are mailed to each member of the class. Some are at WMHS, others are at Shawsheen Technical High School and some have moved away or left school.
Tuesday afternoon the latest class returned to Room 125 in the Discovery Building to share their letters and some laughs. There were two boxes to open this year. After teaching fifth grade, Mahoney moved to a self-contained sixth grade classroom, and some of the fifth grade students moved along with Mahoney and participated in the time capsule project in both grades. There were two group photos taken with Mahoney that will hang on a classroom wall next to their fifth and sixth grade class photos.
Returning student Stephanie Knoettner commented, “It’s weird, I haven’t been here since the last day of eighth grade.” In spite of the years between visits, as each student entered the room, Mahoney greeted them by name. “100 percent! I can still remember everyone,” he said proudly. At first the group looked at their old class photos, caught up on who’s going where to college and asked about missing classmates.
Soon it was time to open the green and blue boxes that were their time capsules. Only 2 students in the group thought they might remember something they had written in the capsule, but when they tore into the packages everyone seemed surprised by all of the other treasures they found inside. “They’re like little kids opening presents,” said Mahoney. Some of the treasures inside included a softball, a fuzzy hot pink mirror and brush, some hand-written reports and a contract that the teacher had signed with Tim Kent to ensure that Tim’s schoolwork would be completed. These were more than items saved in a box; they were memories.
There were piles of photos of the very hands-on activities that the classes had done throughout the year. There was also a solo photo of each student on the first day of school. Most students cringed and laughed upon seeing their photos.
Around the room there were random cries of “Oh my God – that’s embarrassing,” Oh, I didn’t remember that!” and “that’s such a funny picture!”
Linda Golden attended the event because her son Michael was unable to be there. She was happy to find several photos of her son and the envelope with his letter that she saved for Michael to open later. Of Mahoney she said, “He’s a phenomenal teacher, he really is.”
Mahoney explained the rewards of the project from a teacher’s perspective: “As a teacher you only get to see a small segment of a child’s school experience. I get to see the completed high school child and to hear their current dreams.”
He emphasized that this day is all about the students and remembering a common past experience. “Every year is a different dynamic,” he said.
One most memorable moment came when a student walked in one year and said ‘guess what, I’m going to give my speech!’ It turned out that she told Mahoney years ago that her goal was to be valedictorian – and she was!
This was the third class to return for a time capsule opening, but Mahoney has a closet with many more time capsules in it and looks forward to sharing them with former students for years to come.
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