We are exploring a piece of St. Viator history with Mr. Slawik, our dedicated Media Studies teacher. Back in 2000, Mr. Slawik was the 8th Grade Homeroom Teacher, and the Middle School History Teacher. He helped launch a Time Capsule project as part of the 2000 Catholic Schools Week festivities.
The Time Capsule sat safely in storage until this past summer when we pulled it off the shelf and started planning for January.
Mr. Slawik insisted we share the Time Capsule with the student body, highlighting how it was a student project from the start. We created a plan where he would first open the capsule at the 2025 Catholic Schools Week Open House. The following week, he would share the capsule with the student body at the Morning Assembly. And finally, the capsule contents would go on display for the students to view.
Catholic Schools Week Open House
We hosted our Catholic Schools Week Open House on Saturday, January 25th. The Open House was a chance for our existing families to see the school, speak with teachers, and check out the classroom their child will attend next year. For interested families, this was a chance to see St. Viator School, meet the faculty, and see our community. We also reached out to alumni to return and see the school, and revisit the Time Capsule!
Mr. Slawik presented the Time Capsule to the group. He talked about the year 2000 and society's concerns about the new millennium. After setting the context, he opened the capsule and showed the contents. It was fun to watch attendees react to the school newspaper, year book, and items that each grade included. Current parents and students were joined by faculty & staff and alumni - including a woman who was part of the 8th grade class that organized the capsule. It was a great peek into the 1999-2000 school year!
Morning Assembly
On the Monday after the Open House, we wheeled the Time Capsule to our gym for the Morning Assembly. Some students saw the capsule on Saturday, but this was a chance for all students to view the surprising contents.
Mr. Slawik and Mrs. Sutfin unpacked the capsule and offered an explanation for the different items. They were both at St. Viator for the original project, so it was perfect that they handled the unveiling!
Time Capsule, Unpacked
When we finished revealing the capsule, we brought it back to the school conference room. Mr. Slawik unpacked the contents and set them up for display.
Teachers were invited to bring their class to the conference room to get a closer look at all of the items.
One of the more entertaining items is a cassette tape from the 4th Grade Class with their favorite songs from the year 2000.
The students filled out the playlist, so we know all of their picks. With the list in hand, Mr. Slawik built a Spotify playlist for easy listening - check it out!
2025 Time Capsule
The Y2K Time Capsule was a great project bridging 25 years of St. Viator School's interesting history. This spring, Mr. Slawik will organize a new Time Capsule for 2025! He will introduce the idea to his fellow teachers, then set about preparing the actual vessel. We'll share the updates as that project comes together!
It is exciting to share St. Viator's history with students, families, and the larger community. If you want to be a part of St. Viator, contact us for information about enrollment. We are currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year!
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