Blair Mill Invites Alums to Go Back in Time

Blair Mill Elementary School will add time-traveling to its curriculum - if only for a day - when the school invites alumni back to reminisce over photos, writings and other memorabilia. 

During the Nov. 14 student-led event, former students and staff will join the school's 450 pupils in opening a time capsule sealed in 1989. Back then, 419 students attended Blair Mill, according to Principal Nancy Doherty.

"We had found it and unearthed it," Blair Mill librarian Jennifer O'Leary said. "It was a cool thing to have the kids look at the past and the present."

O'Leary said the time travel in a wooden box came in handy last school year when kids were participating in the school's 1 million minutes reading challenge. The program's "reading through time" theme served as the perfect complement to the idea of rediscovering the past. 

And students from nearly a quarter century ago left plenty of drawings, hand-written stories, book reports, photos and other mementos to give an idea of their hobbies, idols and more. 

"It's generated a lot of excitement," O'Leary said. "It's great to be able to look back."

If you go

Blair Mill is inviting alumni and educators to its Family Reunion event, which will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 14 at the school, which is located at 109 Bender Road in Hatboro.

Blair Mill student ambassadors will take visitors on a tour of the school and provide them with mini lessons of new curriculum and education initiatives, and showcase WBME-TV5 — the school’s student-run TV station. In the gymnasium, visitors will have the opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues, look at old and new photos and view items that will be placed in the 2012 time capsule.

 If you are a former Blair Mill Elementary student, educator or staff member and are interested in attending the Nov. 14 reunion, RSVP Principal Nancy Doherty by phone at 215-420-5201, or email at ndoherty@hatboro-horsham.org.