LOOSE CREEK — “This is my time capsule of the year 2025. It is very scary, I think. Because we wrote what would happen to us before we started thinking about it.”

Seventh-grader Danielle Marie Plassmeyer and her fellow students at Immaculate Conception School in Loose Creek dated their musings 1-29-2000.

Their fanciful predictions of their own futures were part of a time capsule that was safely stored and finally reopened two days short of 25 years after it was sealed.

Ms. Plassmeyer is now a seventh-grade teacher at Immaculate Conception School.

“To be honest, I was shocked that my letter was in the time capsule,” she acknowledged.

At her students’ cajoling, she wound up sharing the entire letter with them, offering background and commentary to provide some context.

“As I read through the letter, I was surprised by how much of it actually happened or was happening in my life,” she said. “There was a lot that definitely did not happen, though!”

She brought to mind the trusty truism, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

“He placed me here as a teacher in my hometown school that gave me so much during my education years, from the community members to the teachers and volunteers, and now I get the chance to give back to my students and community in many ways,” she stated. “I thank God every day for that opportunity.”

The current students, whose parents were children and teens when the time capsule was sealed at the dawn of the new millennium, gathered in Immaculate Conception Church on Jan. 27, at the beginning of Catholic Schools Week.

Two seventh-graders helped crack open the time capsule.

The children watched intently as Principal Courtney Pleus stood in the center aisle, lifting each item out of the container and holding it up for everyone to see.

“What a treasure trove we found!” said Mrs. Pleus.

Perfectly preserved Y2K ephemera included a 1998-99 yearbook, a 1999-2000 school calendar, newspaper clippings, a pocket calculator, a pencil and ruler, class photos, student rosters, a school handbook, a religion textbook, and prayer cards from the Church’s great Jubilee celebration of the 2000th anniversary of Christ’s birth.

“It was such a memorable experience for our students and the former teachers who joined us,” said Mrs. Pleus.

PAST IS PRESENT

Students were amazed by some of the now-obsolete “relics from so long ago,” including an AOL installation disk for dial-up internet service, and a Jefferson City area telephone directory.

“We also had a good laugh discovering multiplication flashcards, proving that kids 25 years ago also had to memorize their facts,” said Mrs. Pleus.

A highlight was reading from the letters from the students of 2000, which were written in the present tense and began with “It is 2025 and ... .”

“Some of the predictions those students made have actually come true,” said Mrs. Pleus, “such as the ability to shop for groceries online.”

Reading from them was a wonderful mix of nostalgia and fun, she said.

“It was a great way to connect the past and present and to reflect on how much has changed — and stayed the same — over the years,” she stated.

Today’s students found the treasures captivating.

“I loved it because it was history, and I like learning about people we personally know,” said Gracie A.

“I liked the letters that show what they thought it would be like in 2025,” said Lyla R.

Joe C. said it was interesting to explore “what people of the past would think about technological advancements of today’s society.”

Izora K. said she especially enjoyed the list of favorite foods and music from 2000.

Olivia K. said she was surprised to see the bulky phone book and “that they liked rock ’n roll music.”

Several students also shared what they enjoy most about going to a Catholic school.

“Catholic schools rock because everyone around here is nice and it’s fun to go to Mass and serve at Mass,” said Elliott S.

“We get the opportunity to go to church and pray before lunch,” said Kamryn H.

“We can freely speak about God,” said Gracie A.

“We have wonderful teachers and principal,” said Case K.

“My favorite thing is going to church and getting a good education,” said Jase B.

“You get to participate in song-leading at Mass,” said Chloe F.

HOPES AND DREAMS

As an I.C. student, Ms. Plassmeyer made predictions not only about her own life and occupation, but about her friends and classmates and the world they would inhabit.

“They have different computers than they did before,” she wrote of 2025. “They last a lifetime. They have new movies in theaters. One is ‘Playing with Wild Animals.’

“There are some new laws,” she continued. “One is there is no place in the city to hunt, just in the country. Another one is people need to support the poor and homeless people.”

Looking back, she said it was neat to be a part of this Catholic Schools Week activity in both phases — making a piece of it and getting to see the students’ reactions to the opening.

She said it would be interesting to see what all of her schoolmates wrote and predicted would happen by 2025.

“I hope they get to do that, just as I was able to,” she stated. “I think they might be surprised and get a good laugh, as well!”