Ridgebury Elementary School Unearths 1977 Time Capsule; Plan to Bury 2021 Version

Ever since Ridgebury Elementary principal Jamie Palladino arrived at the school ten years ago, he heard rumors of a time capsule buried near the RES flagpole. However, when they dug around the flagpole with alumni, they never found the historical treasure and there was no map.

This summer, the grounds crew was digging on another side of the school and hit a mysterious red, white, and blue plastic container. When they unearthed the vessel, it was the 1977 time capsule--proof that memories of where we think we put things are not always accurate. Principal Palladino opened the capsule last week and will display the contents this week for students and staff to commemorate the 100th day of school and the culmination of RES spirit week.

In 1977, students and staff included a project from every class, photos of everyday items, and a Ridgefield Press. Particularly striking are letters from governors across the country and the 1977 students’ cursive, which might not even be legible to today’s students. While there was water damage making some documents brittle, much is well maintained. Palladino says that RES plans do their own time capsule this spring, which will be fascinating during this historic pandemic year.

After sharing the contents with the public, RES will re-bury the 1977 time capsule with their own from 2021 for future Ridgefield residents. This time they will make sure that they leave a map.

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