On Wednesday, 11 November, 2021 Head Prefect, Rena Tang, and 2021 Deputy Head Prefect, Liliane Spratt, buried a PVC capsule in a garden bed at the eastern end of the Bell Garden, committing to history a snapshot of what it was like to be a Meriden girl in a year that has delivered both trial and triumph.
The capsule replaces one unearthed earlier in the year and which gave students an insight into the experiences of students attending the School in 1998. This time, the girls have opted to lengthen the retrieval date of the time capsule from twenty-two years to one hundred years. Students in 2120 will re-discover the capsule’s contents, carefully curated by the School’s 2020 Prefects, who were ably led by Genevieve McKeown, and contributed to by every cohort in the Senior School.
Inside the time capsule are items that memorialise 2020’s major events, including COVID-19, bushfires, droughts and online learning, with letters, photos and articles offering explanations of how the Meriden community responded to these challenges. Also included in the capsule is a newly-introduced item to the Meriden uniform, the School mask, which is optional for staff and students and was introduced at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The burying of the capsule was a special event attended at lunchtime by many Senior School students and staff. Rena and Liliane addressed the crowd in a ceremony held in the Bell Garden.
“Today, all of us are playing a part in Meriden’s history, offering future students a window into the experiences we have had and the mark we have made on the world in 2020,” Rena said.
“As we bury the time capsule, know that it contains both our memories, and our encouragement, for the Meriden girls who come after us,” Liliane said.
Following their address, Rena and Liliane asked attendees to pause for a moment to imagine what life might be like at Meriden for the girls who will dig up the time capsule in 2120. The School community is sure to look different on the surface but Meriden’s deep-rooted values of excellence in teaching and learning, community mindedness and generosity of spirit, will surely endure.
