23 April 2008 - Siskin Junior School Celebrates with Rowner Renewal Time Capsule

Pupils and staff at Siskin Junior School today received a personal presentation from Rowner Renewal Partnership of their plans for the £140 million regeneration of the centre of Rowner.

Community spokesperson, Hazel Warwick, Group Development and Regeneration Director for Portsmouth Housing Association, together with the Partnership’s architect Charles Campion presented the illustrative Masterplan to all the pupils within the school hall.

In response the school’s 12 school councillors and Helen Bruce, Siskin’s Maths Manager presented the Partnership with a time capsule to celebrate the regeneration plans for the area.

Helen Bruce, Maths Manager explains: “We are all very excited about engaging our pupils in the development proposals. I involved the children in a “Time Capsule Project” as part of our school’s Maths Week where we were celebrating the number 100. We talked about what things might show how we lived now if it was opened in a hundred years’ time. The children then chose the items that they would wanted to be placed in the capsule to show future generations how we lived in 2008.”

Amongst the items placed in the capsule are:

• Sun newspaper, pencil case with stationery, Beanie Bear, socks, book mark photographs, necklace, toy solider, plastic tiger, squeezy faces balls.
• Written information has also been included on topics such as Manchester United, school uniform, electricity, friends, sports, typical school day and music.

The lead time capsule was funded by Portsmouth Housing Association and will be buried by the pupils at a ceremony in 2009 when building work will start on the project. It has a planned reopening date of 2109!

Hazel Warwick, Group Development and Regeneration Director at Portsmouth Housing Association said:

“We are delighted that all the school were involved in the time capsule presentation and were so interested in the Rowner Renewal Project. Afterall they will be our future residents when the project completes in 2015. Later in the year, The Rowner Renewal Partnership will involve other pupils in the area including working closely with Siskin Infant School, SureStart and Brune Park Community College.

“I wish to take this opportunity to thank the headteacher Sean Connor, Helen Bruce and all the pupils for their interest. I understand that the school will be keeping the time capsule safe for the Partnership until we can choose a suitable position for it later in the year.”

The Rowner Renewal Partnership will update residents, community groups and stakeholders again in June on the feedback it has received to the illustrative MasterPlan and the detailed timetable in going forward. Everyone will have the opportunity of seeing the final design before the planning application is made in the summer.

The Partnership anticipates to have more detailed architectural plans for the first housing phase available immediately following the planning application.

For further information about this project visit www.rownerrenewal.com