By KELCY DOLAN

E.T. Wyman Elementary school is preparing for a blast from the past as they celebrate their 80th year by unearthing a 1986 time capsule.

“I’m expecting a lot of Cabbage Patch Kids, Back to the Future memorabilia, Michael Jackson music,” Principal Ronal Celio said. “For the teachers it will be a throwback to the ’80s; for our students it’ll be a big surprise.”

Wyman opened in 1936 as the Gaspee neighborhood was expanding.

Throughout the year Wyman has been hosting different events to celebrate the school’s 80th year from research competitions on the 1930s, days to dress up like the 1930s or to dress like an 80-year-old. The time capsule will be unearthed on May 26 in front of the entire school community, and together they will examine the contents.

To replace the time capsule, the current teachers, staff and students are putting together items to put in their own time capsule, which will be dug up in the 100th year, 2036. A special notebook meant to last inside the capsule is being filled with notes from teachers and students alike.

Celio believes the power and importance of a time capsule is knowing it will be opened again, that new people will find meaning in its contents.

“We explained to students that they are writing a message to the future, and that seemed to really resonate with them,” Celio said. “They are taking this very seriously. They want to make sure the words things just right to future students.”

Other items and mementos from the school, like photo albums and yearbooks, will be added to the time capsule, scheduled to be buried on June 16. When the capsule is finally opened in 2036, Celio says the technology within the school will most likely be something we “can’t even imagine.” Seeing a notebook made of paper might be a complete surprise to students in the future.

As some things change, Celio is sure one thing will remain the same: the care and dedication of teachers to their students. Having gone through yearbooks, newspaper articles and other memorabilia from Wyman’s past, Celio said that has always seemed to be at the forefront of the elementary school’s philosophy.

“I have no doubt it will be the same in 2036 when our capsule is dug up,” he said.

Wyman is also searching for the missing time capsules from 1961 and the school’s bicentennial, with the use of a borrowed metal detector.

Celio said, “It is important to celebrate our history, but I remind our students that we are making history every day. It’s not just what we read about in books from long ago.”

To celebrate the 80th year Wyman will also be hosting a celebration on June 10 for current and former Wyman community members. There will be a slideshow with photography dating back to the 1940s and guest will be invited to participate in a memory mic, to share memories from their time at E.T. Wyman.

“We are excited to have the community come together; we have a rich history and a lot of generations have come through this school,” Celio said. “This school has always been the hub of this community, there is always a strong connection. There is a lot of pride and ownership of this school. It’s a special place.”

The time capsule unearthing will be on Thursday, May 26 and is by invitation only. The 80th year celebration is open to any and all former students, teachers and parents of Wyman Elementary.

The ceremony will be on June 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the school’s all-purpose room, 1 Columbia Ave. Wyman will be collecting $5 donations per person.

For more information or to RSVP for the event visit sites.google.com/a/warwickschools.org/wyman-elementary.