Heatherwood Huskies go "Back to the '90s"

Heatherwood Elementary School celebrated its last school-wide assembly of the year on Friday, May 17, that took the school on a trip "Back to the '90s" with time capsules and photos. Sparky, Heatherwood's blue husky mascot, made the trip with them.

Sparky was trained by professional mascot trainers and was there to cheer on the school as kids were recognized for participating in school activities that included student council, Maji Safi, intramural sports, handbells and choir, Battle of the Books and the school's mentor program. Principal Genna Jaramillo also recognized two students who were never absent during the whole school year.

After student recognitions, a "Then and Now" video was presented representing Heatherwood in the '90s compared to today. A lot has changed. What used to be chalkboards are now projector screens. What were ropes for a swing set are now metal. After the video, firefighters from Boulder Rural Fire Department, located in Gunbarrel, led the school song. They got lots of positive feedback as well as lots of smiles from the students.

Opening the time capsule was the big event. The contents from 1997 included a book that won a Caldecott Award in 1996, bungee shoe laces, a couple fifth-grade plays on VHS tapes, books made by different grades, photographs, a couple of floppy disks from old computers, and lots of letters describing how students felt about Heatherwood in the '90s.

While a lot has changed, some things have remained the same, including the special spirit that makes Heatherwood the amazing community that it is.

That community was evidenced by the presence of two resident substitute teachers, Lisa Jenkins and Cheryl Griffin, who had been teaching at Heatherwood in 1997 when the time capsule was created. They both took part in the time capsule process, giving the school a bit more insight into the '90s. Jenkins, a life-long teacher at Heatherwood, now retired, said, "What a full circle that was for me, and what wonderful memories!"

After opening the time capsule, Principal Jaramillo took a school-wide selfie to celebrate the occasion. She said, "It's great to see where we have been compared to where we are now and it makes me excited to think about our bright future."

The "Back to the '90s" assembly was a great success. Everyone had a blast, even Sparky. Heatherwood is always ready for new students. Sparky loves meeting new people: to learn, make new friends, and have fun. Paws Up!