Wentworthville Public School unveils 1988 time capsule

Students at a western Sydney public school were happy to get their hands dirty for an outdoor history lesson that saw them unearth a time capsule.

Wentworthville Public School Year 6 students Jheel Gandhi, Miguel Redoblado and Hari Ramsundar absorb some of the news from a 1988 edition of the Parramatta Advertiser. Picture: David Swift

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Wentworthville Public School youngsters temporarily traded iPads, touch screens and whiteboards for an era of overhead projectors, stencils and — gasp — no social media when it dug up a time capsule on Wednesday.

Wentworthville Public School Year 6 students Jheel Gandhi, Miguel Redoblado and Hari Ramsundar peruse the Parramatta Advertiser for a history lesson. Picture: David Swift

Class photos were buried inside the capsule. Picture: David Swift.

Merit certificates fro 1988. Picture: David Swift

A $2 note (not coin), commemorative bicentennial medallion, copy of the Parramatta Advertiser, certificates and school newsletter from 1988 were uncovered during a ceremony at the 128-year-old school.

Principal Denise Lockrey said the capsule unveiling was organised before works on its major upgrade for 31 new classrooms, a new library and hall started.

The September 14, 1988 copy of the Parramatta Advertiser. Picture: David Swift

Many children who were at school in 1988 will remember this bicentennial memento. Picture: David Swift

“We connected with the past and present and future today,’’ she said.

“The children enjoyed digging a bit of dirt. They were really excited.’’

Mrs Lockrey was teaching at Penshurst Girls’ High School in 1988 and recalled the different teaching methods.

A spoon was part of the items dug up from the time capsule. Picture: David Swift

Items were contained in plastic to preserve them. Picture: David Swift

“We didn’t have the technology we have now,’’ she said.

“We had overhead projectors, not the whiteboards, and the old stencils so it’s so different.’’

Students at Wentworthville Public School speak more than 40 languages and 95 per cent of its 700-plus population hail from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Wentworthville Public School upgrade to be completed by mid 2021.

The school upgrade will accommodate 1000 students.

As more dwellings sprout up across the suburb, the student population is soaring and the number of pupils increased by 270 since 2015.

The upgrades, which also include new administration and staff facilities, special program rooms, are due to be completed by mid 2021 and will house 1000 students.

The school will look to bury another time capsule once the upgrades are completed.