Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
4-11

Aim
To appreciate what we have now and how things change over time

Faith Group
Christian

Resources
Empty plastic crate with lid, chain and padlock, many items such as: stamps, money, toys, exercise books, newspaper, clothes, photos etc.

Time of Year
School feast day, or beginning of the calendar or the school year.

Other Details
This script can be used just before a time capsule is buried, or hidden in the school for later retrieval.
At the beginning of the assembly, the container is empty and all the items are on display.

Script
1. Dear children, staff and governors, welcome to this special ceremony.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Today is the feast of (school saint - or other important day).
Every year, we try to do something special on our feast day.
This year we are sealing a time capsule.
We will open the time capsule again, on the feast of (name), in the year
(date - within five years so some of the children will be present for both ceremonies).

3. This is only (number) years away, but there will be a lot of changes in that short time.

4. When the time capsule is reopened, the youngest children here will still be in this school.

5. Our time capsule is going to be full of information about the school and the world as they are now.
Most of the staff and children have had a close look at what is going into the box.
As a reminder, here are some of those things ...

(Show some of the items.)

6. There are a lot of other items, such as: pictures, writing, photographs, maps, catalogues, toys and so on.
Children have provided a lot of these things.
(Child's name), in Year (number), has written a letter to the people who will open the box in the year (date) ...

(Read the letter.)

7. We will now put everything into the box.
While we are doing this, we will play a tape of the hymns we have sung in recent assemblies.
This tape will also go into the box.
Join in with the hymns if you can.

(Hymns)

8. The four youngest children in the school: (children's names) have drawn pictures and have done some writing for our time capsule.
The oldest child in the school, (child's name), will now lock the box...
The box will be put in a safe place for the next (number) years.

9. We will now thank God who made all things. We will use the prayer of Saint Alban...
He said, "I am Alban and I worship and adore the true and living God,
who created all things." Amen.
(If your school is named after a saint, use an appropriate prayer.)

10. We also thank God for our talents. God made the world and gave us the job of looking after it. He gave us the power and the talents to do this.
(Child's name) from Year (number) will end our ceremony, by showing us one of his/her talents.
(This part can be omitted or extended as appropriate.)
We hope you have enjoyed our ceremony.
Thank you for coming.
Let us now sing "Give thanks" by Henry Smith. (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 189)