Just two days before Feb. 2 – 2/2/22 – Braelinn Elementary teacher Holli Huelfer came across a poignant way to capture the memories and dreams of her 21 first graders. As a bonus, they incorporated lessons in writing and math.
Huelfer was scanning teacher blogs when she saw a post that mentioned assembling time capsules for today’s first graders who will be high school seniors in 2033. And that year will have another special date: 3/3/33.
“I’m all about those sweet moments, and I thought this one was adorable,” said Huelfer, now in her eighth year teaching at the Peachtree City school. “But I saw it at 8 o’clock at night, and I knew if we were going to do it, the capsules had to be sealed on Feb. 2.”
Huelfer texted her colleagues, teaching assistant and parents, and started brainstorming how to pull off the last-minute project. They responded with personal mementos of handprints, dollar bills and pictures of the winning Atlanta Braves and UGA Bulldogs. Parents wrote letters to their children, and Huelfer added a class photo and a video of the students’ dancing. The youngsters also got in some writing practice by penning letters to their future selves and drew on math skills to measure their height for the capsule record.
But the biggest hurdle was how to store the assorted memorabilia.
“We couldn’t do a CD or get flash drives in a few days, so we made QR codes that, hopefully, will still be in the world of 2033,” said Huelfer. “A parent also suggested putting everything in paint cans, and we were able to get silver ones that we labeled on the outside for each child.”
After each paint can was filled, Huelfer snuck in a surprise: a personal letter with her contact info so students can reach out to her. The cans were then sealed with a “magic” material to keep them closed until 2033.
“It might have been a little dishonest, but they fell for that,” said Huelfer with a laugh. “I had to make the parents promise not to reveal the truth.”
The teacher said it’s possible the paint can capsules will be mislaid in the future, but if they survive, she’s sure the students will get a thrill remembering little details about being a kid.
“As a parent, I would have loved something like this,” she said. “The idea of packing away the little nuggets of things from first grade that they won’t remember and to have all those memories – oooh! And hopefully, it will allow me to hear from kids who are graduating high school in 11 years. That’s part of my joy: giving them something to remember.”
Information about Braelinn Elementary is online at fcboe.org/Domain/9.
SEND US YOUR STORIES. Each week we look at programs, projects and successful endeavors at area schools, from pre-K to grad school. To suggest a story, contact H.M. Cauley at hm_cauley@yahoo.com or 770-744-3042.
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