Smiles, laughs and memories abound as a group of former Carinya Christian School students gathered to witness the excavation of a time capsule on Wednesday, May 1.
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Its contents were buried to mark the school's 20th anniversary in 2004.
The unveiling of the time capsule - buried in front of the school - kicks off a month of celebratory events for Carinya's 40th anniversary.
The event was attended by a number of past and students and teachers as well as a few current students.
Principal David Jones said 2004 would be remembered for many things, not the least the release of The Incredibles movie and John Howard was Prime Minister.
Former student Nathaniel Turnbull dug up the capsule, which Mr Jones said had been unearthed once before.
"We had a sneak peak to check it and sadly there had been a little bit of water damage to some of the items," Mr Jones said.
"We were, however, able to salvage most of it and for those here today, we are unveiling some of what you wrote 20 years ago for you to reflect on and hopefully have a good laugh about."
The time capsule's contents included student artwork, classwork, photos and memories from the school's Tamworth and Gunnedah campus, offering a unique glimpse into the past through the eyes of the school community.
There were even a couple of "relics", such as a video and Twistie packet.
Mr Jones said Carinya started with just six children in 1984 and in 2004 the school had grown to 577 students.
"At the moment we are seeking to expand our school to 1050 students - that's very exciting in terms of seeing the growth in our school community," he said.
Elizabeth Hutchison was among the former students who was there for the time capsule reveal.
Miss Hutchison was a Kindergarten student in 2004, and her contribution to the time capsule was a sheet noting she wanted to be a singer when she grew up.
Today, she is a learning support officer at Carinya, which she said was a much easier way to earn a living than by singing.
Former student Luke Stevenson was in Year 4 in 2004, and reading through his time capsule contribution it noted he wanted to be "a pilot in the Royal Australia Air Force, have a law degree, and live on Sydney Harbour".
Mr Stevenson did become a pilot but today works as an education officer with NSW Fire and Rescue managing training bases across the state from here in Tamworth.
In Year 1 in 2004 Annabelle Stier wanted to be a ballerina.
Today she works as a receptionist but does still dance as a member of Tamworth Musical Society.
"I guess I kind of fulfilled my dreams," she said.
You can catch a glimpse of Miss Stier in Tamworth Musical Society's production of We Will Rock You, which opens at Tamworth Capital theatre on Friday, May 3.
