The Time Capsule

N1: Sydney and her older brother, Justin, are riding the school bus to their
new school.

N2: Around them, kids talk about summer plans: camps, pool meetups, family trips.

N3: Sydney looks out the window, silent.

Justin: Are you OK, Syd?

Sydney (sadly): I can’t believe we’re starting a new school at the end of the year. It’s the worst time! Nobody wants to make a friend right before summer break.

Justin: I hear you, but maybe not everyone feels that way. And Mom’s new job needed her here right away.

N1: The bus stops. Sydney and Justin
file off.

N2: Justin hugs Sydney before heading to the middle school building.

Justin: See you later.

N3: Sydney sighs. She pulls her instant camera out of her backpack.

N1: She looks at her new school through the viewfinder and presses
a button.

Camera: Click!

N2: A printed photo comes out of the camera. Sydney puts it in her pocket.

Sydney (to herself): Here goes nothing . . .

Mr. Jones: Good morning, class! We have a new student. Everyone, this
is Sydney.

Class: Welcome, Sydney!

Mr. Jones: Sydney, you can sit there with Ava and Derek.

N3: Ava and Derek wave. Sydney smiles shyly and sits.

Mr. Jones: We’re just a week away from summer break, but there’s still a lot to do.

N1: Mr. Jones writes 250 on the board.

Mr. Jones: This Fourth of July, our country will be celebrating 250 years since its founding. Does anyone know how our town is marking this big anniversary?

Erin: I saw posters about a parade.

Jay: I heard there’ll be fireworks.

Preeti: And a cookout!

Mr. Jones (nodding): Our school will also be celebrating. This Friday, on the last day of school, we’ll be burying a time capsule.

Ava: What’s that?

Mr. Jones: A time capsule is a collection of things from today that are buried and then dug up in the future. It shows people in the future what the past was like.

N2: The students murmur excitedly.

Mr. Jones: Each class at our elementary school will add one object that represents our community.

Wilson: Oooh, we should include a plushie of the school’s mascot, Dolly the Dolphin!

Jay: What about a copy of our town magazine?

N3: The whole class jumps in with ideas.

N1: Sydney looks down and stays quiet.

Mr. Jones: Excellent brainstorm! In three days, you’ll each present your idea to the class. Then we’ll vote to choose the winning item.

N2: Ava and Derek approach Sydney.

Ava: Hey, Sydney! Do you want to play Frisbee with us?

Sydney: Sure!

N3: They toss the Frisbee around.

Derek: Do either of you have an idea for the time capsule?

Ava: I’m thinking my jersey from the town soccer league.

Derek: Great idea! What about you, Sydney?

Sydney: I’m not sure . . .

N1: She changes the subject.

Sydney: Hey guys—you keep playing. I want to take a picture of you.

N2: Sydney takes out her camera.

Camera: Click!

N3: Derek and Ava come over to look at the photo.

Ava: Cool! Derek, she got you just as you were catching the Frisbee.

Derek (impressed): Sydney, this photo is really good!

N1: Sydney and Justin are doing homework at the kitchen table.

Mom: Kiddos, I’m home!

N2: Mom gives them a hug.

Mom: How’s the new school, Syd?

Sydney: The other kids are nice. Here, look!

N3: Sydney shows Mom her photo of Derek and Ava playing Frisbee.

Mom: They look friendly. What are you working on in class?

Sydney: We’re doing a time capsule for the country’s 250th birthday. I’m supposed to bring in an object to put inside that represents the community. But I don’t know what to do . . .

N1: Sydney sighs.

Sydney: We just moved here. I don’t feel like I’m part of the community yet.

Mom (gently): These things take time, sweetie.

N2: Justin taps Sydney’s camera on the table.

Justin: Maybe your trusty camera can help you think of something.

N3: Just then, the doorbell rings.

N1: Mom opens the door.

Ms. Young: Hello! My name is Grace Young. I live in that blue house across the street. 

N2: Ms. Young holds up a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

Ms. Young: I’ve been living here for 50 years. In that time, I’ve brought cookies to every new neighbor who’s moved in. It’s my small way of saying welcome!

Justin: Thank you, Ms. Young! 

Mom: What a wonderful thing to do for our community. 

N3: Sydney steps forward.

Sydney (holding her camera): Can I take a photo of you?

Ms. Young: Sure thing, hon.

Camera: Click!

N1: Sydney watches the photo develop.

N2: She looks at Ms. Young’s proud smile. Then she sees her hands holding the gift welcoming them to the neighborhood.

Sydney: That’s it!

N3: She looks up, excited.

Justin: What’s going on?

Sydney: I have an idea!

Mr. Jones: It’s time to share our ideas for the time capsule! Everyone will present their idea and then we’ll vote. The idea with the most votes wins.

N1: One by one, the students share the items they’d like to add to the capsule.

N2: At last, it’s Sydney’s turn.

N3: She takes a deep breath.

Sydney: I have an idea . . . but I haven’t created it yet.

N1: All eyes are on her.

Sydney: That’s because I need your help to get it done. My idea is a photo album.

N2: She shows her camera to the class.

Sydney: I can take pictures of everyone in our class doing different things that show what they add to our community.

Mr. Jones: Great idea, Sydney! We all have something to contribute. Class, now let’s vote.

N3: The students raise their hands to vote on each idea.

N1: Every hand shoots up for Sydney’s.

Mr. Jones: It looks like we have a clear winner! But we’ll have to work fast. The capsule will be buried tomorrow. After that, it won’t be opened for 100 years.

Sydney (nodding): Let’s do it.

N2: Sydney takes photos of her classmates. Everyone shows her what they do for their community.

Wilson: I play the harmonica in the school band.

Camera: Click!

Jay: I help plant trees at the town park.

Camera: Click!

Preeti: I perform bhangra, a traditional Indian dance.

Camera: Click!

Erin: I volunteer to clean up our schoolyard.

Camera: Click!

N3: With each picture, Sydney gets to know her classmates.

N1: And they get to know her too.

N2: That night, Sydney puts together the album.

N3: Sydney rushes to school.

N1: She finds a buzzing crowd in the schoolyard.

N2: Each teacher is putting an item in a big metal box—the time capsule.

Mr. Jones: There you are, Sydney! Is the album finished?

Sydney: Yes! Here you go.

N3: The fourth-graders watch Mr. Jones flip through the album.

Wilson: Preeti, I didn’t know you danced!

Jay: Erin, let’s clean the schoolyard together this summer.

Preeti: Wow! I can’t believe you planted that tree, Jay.

N1: Ava looks up.

Ava: Sydney, your photo is missing!

Sydney: Yeah . . . I feel like I haven’t been here long enough to add to the community yet.

Derek: That’s not true! Just look—your album brought our class closer together.

Ava: I have an idea. You should take a selfie with all of us.

Derek: Not a selfie, an ussie!

N2: Smiling, Sydney nods and turns her camera around.

Camera: Click!

N3: Sydney adds the photo to the album. Mr. Jones places it in the time capsule.

N1: The friends watch as the capsule is sealed and buried.

Class: Hooray!

Ava: I wonder what people 100 years from now will think of our community.

Derek: Well, thanks to Sydney, they’ll know we were all an important part of it.

Ava: Especially you, Syd.