School No. 5's annual Flag Day celebration carried extra meaning this year, connecting the school's past and present to the United States' 250th anniversary as a nation. In addition to the traditional proceedings, School No. 5 teacher Anthony Marino had a surprise in store.
The event opened with a color guard and a solemn flag retirement ceremony, with students folding a flag that had flown from the school's flagpole until wear took it out of service, following U.S. Flag Code protocol. Chorus teacher Joseph Horner then led a small group of students in the national anthem before leading the entire audience in a round of patriotic songs.
Then came the reveal. Marino had spent months preparing for this day. Among his efforts, he shared his children's book, “Americana Day,” with students and staff ahead of the celebration. The story follows Sheila Lehrman, a student who witnesses the burial of a time capsule at her school during the nation's bicentennial in 1976, then races to rescue it decades later when construction of a new bus circle threatens the spot where it was buried.
What happened to that capsule, it turns out, was not fiction. Working with principal Stephen Kriss, the real Sheila — who was present at the celebration — located the capsule. Though the original container could not be removed intact, she recovered and preserved its contents.
State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin attended the event and congratulated the school on the ceremony. The time capsule artifacts will be photographed and catalogued, forming the centerpiece of an exhibit planned for 2029 when School No. 5 marks its own centennial.
