East Bradenton high school seniors reunite with their fifth grade classmates

Retired teacher Audrey Quale went to Braden River Elementary School on April 20 to literally dig up the past.

With a shovel in hand, Quale began digging just outside her former classroom to unearth a time capsule her fifth grade class buried at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. Quale had planned a special celebration to open the capsule April 22 at the school.

After hours of digging April 20, Quale had nothing to show for the effort except some holes.

"I'm going to owe them sod," Quale said as she looked at a pile of dirt.

She did find the stone marking where the time capsule was buried, but the time capsule was nowhere to be found underneath that stone. 

Brooke Pater, now a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School and a student in Quale's fifth grade class in 2014-2015, joined Quale on April 21 as they tried to find the capsule. Even Pater's mother, Lorraine Pater, lent a hand digging.

Lorraine Pater called Hayley Rio, the former principal who was working in 2014-2015, to see if she remembered where the capsule was buried. Rio did not know.

When 10 students from her 2014-15 fifth grade class reunited April 22, Quale was empty handed.

“Now it’s Braden River Elementary urban legend,” Quale said.

While disappointed, the students were just as excited to talk about their memories, as well as the unknown fate of the capsule.

“The time capsule was just an excuse to get together, so it’s OK if it actually is still in the ground,” Quale said. 

In 2015, the students in the "Q-Crew," the name Quale bestowed upon her class, knew they wanted to gather again in the future, but they didn't know how. Quale decided the time capsule would be the last assignment she gave her students before they graduated and moved onto middle school. 

None of the students could remember what they put in the time capsule.

Frank Petrone, now a senior at Parrish Community High School, thought he might have put a drawing of Thumper Jr., the bunny the class saved after finding it injured alongside the school during a science project, in the time capsule.

“(Thumper Jr.) had a big influence on class because he was our class pet for a couple of weeks,” Petrone said.

He also thought he might have put a puck in the capsule because of his love of ice hockey.

But it looks like they might never know.

Even if they didn't have the capsule, Quale was all smiles as she visited with the students who spent 180 days together in her class.

Petrone said it was weird being back at his elementary school with his former classmates. He hadn’t been to the school since he graduated from fifth grade.

“The halls seem so much smaller,” Petrone said. “I get it’s been seven years but still. I recognize everything. I knew exactly where to go. It’s just very nostalgic.”

As students looked at photos from their fifth grade years, the memories started coming back.

Allessia Ukmar, now a senior at Cardinal Mooney High School, remembered having a sleepover at Sea World as a fifth grade field trip. Quale’s class stayed in the room outside the beluga whales' tank.

Petrone remembered his days as a safety patroller, creating friendships with his fellow patrollers. He loved going to Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando with all the safety patrollers. 

“It’s like working a job, you make a bond with somebody quickly,” Petrone said. “I remember it was the whole day we spent (at Islands of Adventure). I’ll never forget it. It was kind of sad too because it was our last field trip at that age.”

Pater recalled studying for weeks for the spelling bee. On the day of the bee, she was eliminated in the first round. Her word was photograph. 

“I studied so hard for that, and I lost with my first word,” said Pater, still disappointed. 

Jair Geraci, now a senior at Parrish Community High, remembers spending his days after school playing wall ball with Petrone and his other friends. 

Most of all, every student and Quale remembered how tight knit the students were in the “Q-Crew.” 

“Having taught for as long as I have, I can tell you there is an almost undefinable spark you can sometimes feel in a class,” Quale said. “I’ve only felt it a handful of times. All the days aren’t perfect, but you’re building a love of learning and respect for each other and respect for setting goals for the future. They all had that.”

Petrone said the class bond was unbreakable.

“Every single person in that class got along,” Petrone said. “There were no cliques in the class. Everybody knew everybody. Everyone knew Ms. Quale’s class because we all just got along.”

After seven years, Quale was able to give her students a grade on what Quale said was possibly the “longest lasting homework assignment (the capsule) in history.”

“They all get A’s,” Quale said with a smile.