The mystery had kept students at Bradfield Elementary guessing and was sure to enthrall future Broncos — what was inside their school’s first-ever time capsule?
Each grade had voted on what to preserve. The winning items were placed in a stainless-steel container to be buried in front of the school and opened by students 50 years from now.
During the big reveal on April 16, principal Aimee Hilton likened the sturdy box to “a message in a bottle that’s sent forward through time.”
“It carries our voices and our dreams and our stories to those who will one day attend our amazing school,” she told excited students. “Each item placed inside represents who we are at this moment.”
Fourth graders cheered loudly as Hilton divulged their contribution — a GOAT T-shirt like the ones that they each received at the start of the year.
Third graders clapped their hands on their knees to create a drumroll as Hilton announced their choice — the lyrics to The Greatest Showman’s “A Million Dreams,” which they sang on Biography Day.
The time capsule also included one item precious to the school community, a Bradfield Bold Bracelet honoring Eloise Peck and Lila Bonner, who lost their lives in the flooding at Camp Mystic and would have been third graders this year.
Other additions told how Bradfield marked its milestone birthday, such as a notecard that showcased the winner of its centennial art contest and photo of students standing in the shape of the number 100 on its newly turfed field.
A carpool tag and colorful 67 — the trendiest number of 2026 — were added to give children of the future a window into the lives of students today.
“I can’t imagine what the world is going to look like in 50 years,” parent teacher association president Kamela Aboussie remarked. “I can’t imagine that these things are going to feel like relics.”
After students learned the capsule’s contents, their teachers posed for photos with a ceremonial shovel that had already helped grow the school’s legacy. Bradfield kicked off its centennial week on April 13 by dedicating a live oak tree that had been newly planted on school grounds.
“This tree stands in honor of all who’ve been part of this journey,” principal Hilton said during the dedication. “It reminds us that what we build today will continue to shape the lives of those who come after us.”
Each fourth grader left school with an oak sapling of their own. Some of the budding arborists had big plans for their trees.
“I’ll probably plant it,” Betty Taylor said. “I’ll let it grow and make a little sign for it and plant flowers around it.”
Aboussie was inspired to dedicate the live oak by looking back at the school’s 50th year scrapbook, which documents how students planted the same type of tree for Arbor Day.
The book was also the origin for the week’s main event — a showing of Toy Story on the field for Bradfield families. In 1976, the school held a celebratory family movie night in its auditorium.
Principal Hilton said she hopes students realize that they’re part of Bradfield’s larger history and legacy.
“Even though we know things change over time, our values do not change,” she said while introducing the time capsule’s contents. “The values that define our school, such as integrity, friendship, and a commitment to excellence, will endure no matter who goes through our halls each and every day.”
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