The Rancho Santa Fe School District cracked open its 50-year-old Bicentennial Time Capsule on Monday, Oct. 5. The rusted, argon-filled box yielded letters from politicians, a magnetic film reel and McDonald's wrappers.

The ceremony at R. Roger Rowe School's Performing Arts Center launched a year of centennial celebrations for the district, which turns 100 in 2027, as first reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Sixth graders assembled the capsule during the 1976-77 school year under teacher Donna Miano, then known as Donna Spaulding. The late science teacher Bob Meyer designed the argon-filled container to preserve its contents. Board member Paul Seitz helped crack the welded box at the ceremony.

Inside: purple-tinted dittos, an old lesson plan, a Bicentennial stamp and button, copies of The San Diego Union Tribune from 1977 and magazines with ads for cigarettes and station wagons. The students had written to elected officials. The capsule held a letter from then-San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson and one from then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., addressed to "the citizens of the 21st century."

The centerpiece was a student-made booklet called "This was our American Bicentennial." Its cover was slightly dirtied and construction paper pieces dangled where glue had lost its grip. The fragile pages were mostly intact, bound with blue ribbon.

Sepia-toned photos showed The Inn and the Village, including shops like Ashley's Market and Toy Village. One caption noted that many residents kept horses and pointed to the community's corrals and "bridal (sic) paths." The booklet also captured 1970s pop culture: The Fonz, "Charlie's Angels," Nadia Comăneci and "Rocky." One student contributed McDonald's cheeseburger and fries wrappers.

A black-and-white film reel showed student life on the old campus, including a spelling lesson where eighth grader Bridget McDonald correctly spelled "jealous." A grown-up McDonald shared memories at the ceremony alongside Cutter Clotfelter, a first grader in 1976. The film also captured Dr. Roger Rowe circulating among desks in Miano's classroom, complimenting students on their work. Rowe spent 43 years as a teacher, principal and superintendent before retiring in 1991. The school was named in his honor.

"We all had a mission: to show the world what life was like in 1976," Miano said at the ceremony, according to the Union-Tribune.

The capsule nearly vanished.

In 2009, when construction began on the new campus, former student and Rancho Santa Fe resident Bibbi Herrmann called Miano to warn that the school was being rebuilt over the buried box. Herrmann helped orchestrate a dig, and the capsule sat in administrative offices from 2010 until its opening.

Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society archivist Matt Kitchens provided additional photos and student writings from 1976 for the celebration. Among them were cursive essays describing eucalyptus trees, orange groves and wildlife. Eleven-year-old Sam Huffaker wrote about moving to "heavenly" Rancho Santa Fe from Los Angeles: "Will it always be this pretty? … If there is nothing we can do to stop it, we can at least try to slow it down and preserve this beautiful happy place that I've grown to love."

Board President Jee Manghani said it was a privilege to discover what students in 1976 thought was worth preserving. Music teacher Jonathan Valverde closed the ceremony by singing "America the Beautiful."

The capsule is on display in the school's front office. The district's website invites residents to share historical photos and stories as centennial events continue through the school year.