|
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: LAURA
SOLL, PUBLIC
RELATIONS
(860) 688-4499 or
(860) 833-4466 cell
Newest Member of
Rockville Bank's
“Rocky Kidsave
School Program”:
Philip R. Smith
Elementary School in
South Windsor
 |
Celebrating
with
students
at
Philip
R. Smith
Elementary
School’s
kick-off
of the
newest
Rocky
KidSave
Club are
(left to
right):
-William
J.
McGurk,
President
& CEO of
Rockville
Bank;
-David
Royce,
Assistant
Branch
Manager
of
Rockville
Bank’s
Sullivan
Avenue
location
in South
Windsor;
-Susan
Surprenant
(parent),
-Betsy
Hope,
Branch
Officer
of
Rockville
Bank’s
Sullivan
Avenue
location;
and
-Elizabeth
A. Podd,
an
Assistant
Vice
President
and HUB
Manager
for
Rockville
Bank. |
ROCKVILLE, CONN.,
April 13, 2010 –
Philip R. Smith
Elementary School in
South Windsor, Conn.
is the newest member
of Rockville Bank’s
"Rocky KidSave
School Program", an
innovative student
banking program for
children, ages six
to 12. A school-wide
celebration recently
was held to kick-off
the program and
students met
Rockville Bank’s top
management and its
large cuddly mascot,
Rocky Raccoon.
“We are the only
area bank with this
type of in-school
student banking
program for young
children and the
Phillip R. Smith
Elementary School is
the fifth school,”
explains William J.
McGurk, President &
CEO of Rockville
Bank. “We created
this program 14
years ago to teach
children that
financial
institutions are not
just for adults and
to reinforce the
benefits of saving
for the future. This
program offers
children the
opportunity to open
a Rocky KidSave
Account and to make
deposits at school
every week.”
“We are pleased to
become part of the
Rocky KidSave School
Banking Program,”
said Laura Stuart-Wonderlie,
Principal of Philip
R. Smith Elementary
School. “It is an
exciting complement
to the education we
provide to our
students, by
teaching them
personal
responsibility, good
saving habits and
money management.”
“When children open
a Rocky KidSave
Account, they
receive a special
passbook and, upon
saving their first
$50, get their own
Rocky Raccoon hand
puppet,” notes Betsy
Hope, Branch Officer
of Rockville Bank’s
full-service
location at 869
Sullivan Ave. in
South Windsor. Ms.
Hope is the lead
liaison between the
school and Rockville
Bank. “Throughout
the year, we send
them Rocky
newsletters which
include features
about money matters
and safety tips
written specifically
for children. Each
youngster also
receives a birthday
card from Rocky
Raccoon in the
mail.” Rockville
Bank will host
different events for
Philip R. Smith
Elementary School
where the students
can visit Rocky at
local bank branches.
And, Rocky will come
to the school to
make special
classroom visits of
his own.
In addition to South
Windsor’s Phillip R.
Smith Elementary
School, Rocky
KidSave Club members
include Center Road
School in Vernon,
Lake Street School
in Vernon, Somers
Elementary School in
Somers, and
Windermere School in
Ellington. South
Windsor also is the
location for
Rockville Bank’s
first “in-school”
branch. Elementary
students at any of
the participating
schools may open a
Rocky Raccoon
KidSave Account with
a minimum deposit of
only $5. One day a
week, students can
bring funds to
school for deposit
into their accounts.
Last fall, Rockville
Bank’s newest
location opened at
South Windsor High
School, serving its
students, facility
and administration.
The branch is
staffed by a
Rockville Bank
supervisor and two
students, called
“student bankers”.
The recent Rocky
KidSave kick-off
celebration at
Philip R. Smith
Elementary School
featured “Are You
Smarter than Rocky”
counting games,
prizes and lots of
fun. One of the most
excited attendees
was Susan Surprenant,
whose youngest
daughter is a fifth
grader at the
school. More than an
interested parent
and great believer
in student banking,
Ms. Surprenant
encouraged Rockville
Bank to add the
elementary school to
its program. She saw
its value when her
oldest daughter was
part of the Center
Road School Rocky
KidSave Club when
they lived in
Vernon. But Ms.
Surprenant’s
advocacy for student
banking began years
earlier…and it was
personal.
“When I was growing
up in the 1970s in
Vernon, I
participated in the
Maple Street
School’s student
passbook program,”
Ms. Surprenant
remembers. “In fact,
my parents still
have the passbook –
and it was from the
Savings Bank of
Rockville (now
Rockville Bank)!”
Rockville Bank is a
21½-branch community
bank serving
Tolland, Hartford
and New London
counties in
Connecticut. It
provides a
convenient banking
lifestyle for
Colchester,
Coventry, East
Windsor, Ellington,
Enfield,
Glastonbury,
Manchester,
Rockville, Somers,
South Glastonbury,
South Windsor,
Suffield, Vernon,
seven days a week in
Tolland, and three
Big Y supermarket
locations. For more
information about
Rockville Bank’s
services and
products, call (860)
291-3600 or visit
www.rockvillebank.com. |
