Opening of the Centenary Monument Time Capsule
On Thursday 19th June 2025 we held an event for the opening of the time capsule incorporated in the Centenary Monument in the school yard.
It all began in the summer of 1999, when the ESL 2000 Gold Award Group Alpha (Constantinos Demetriades, Nasia Kalaika, Doros Polydorou, Yiannis Theodorou, Alexia Yiangou and Stelios Yiatros) decided to do something special for the school as they prepared to enter their final year. They wanted to leave a lasting mark in a constructive and meaningful way before graduating. The idea took shape: to design and construct a monument celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary—one that would also include a time capsule to be opened 25 years later.
The basic shape of the monument is an inclined open book displaying a 1909 school photograph and that of 2000. The project officially began on 15th November 1999 and took approximately four months to complete. During this time, the group worked independently to construct the monument and the only outsourced element, the pages of the book, were carved from stone and were put in place at the end of the project. The unveiling ceremony was held on the last day of the spring term, on 21st April 2000. Remarkably, the very next day, Group Alpha embarked on their Gold Qualifying Adventurous Journey. The time capsule itself was sealed on the final day of the school year, on 23rd June 2000.
After 25 years sealed away, the time capsule revealed a nostalgic snapshot of school life from the year 2000, including four house t-shirts and a school sweatshirt signed by the members of Group Alpha, an ESL 2000 VHS tape, a CD of Christmas songs performed by the English School choir in 1999, the ESL 2000 yearbook, a photo-story of the Centenary Monument, an ESOBGA t-shirt, various ESOBGA stationery items, and a bottle of Commandaria. The most touching item was a plaque prepared by Mr Christakis Loizou, detailing the various posts he held during his remarkable 45-year career at the school since joining in 1956, a lasting tribute to his dedication and service.
As part of the events planned to commemorate the school’s 125th anniversary, we are preparing to seal a new time capsule—continuing the legacy that the ESL 2000 Gold Award Group Alpha so thoughtfully began 25 years ago, preserving memories and keepsakes of our time, for future generations to discover and cherish.
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