Where will you be in 10 years? St. Aloysius Regional School students make their predictions

As part of its 110th anniversary celebration, Cattaraugus County Bank of Springville invited second graders from St. Aloysius Regional School to contribute items for a 10-year time capsule, which was to be placed in the bank’s vault.

In 2022, when CCB is celebrating its 120th anniversary and when the second graders are in their senior year of high school, the students will be invited back to the bank to open the capsule and see what they were like when they were younger, how the world changed and what was happening in the beginning of 2012.

On Feb. 13, CCB Vice President and Springville Branch Manager Yvonne Bettinger stopped by Barb Kessler’s second grade class at St. Aloysius to pick up a capsule full of items the students and their teacher had collected. On hand to facilitate the exchange was St. Aloysius Principal Scott Kapperman.

The students shared the stories behind their many contributions, which included a plastic hermit crab, Silly Bandz®, sports trophies and more. In addition, a current issue of “The Buffalo News,” students’ guesses as to who the next president will be, a special-colored edition of the school’s newsletter, “Thursday Communication,” and photos of the second graders were also placed into the capsule.

One student shared part of a note he had written, which detailed a list of goals he said he hopes to accomplish by the time he is a senior in high school. In addition to becoming a black belt in martial arts and having large muscles and dark hair, he said he plans to be able to “run very fast and be one awesome kid.” He added, “I will be rich. I will have bodyguards and a private jet with a hot tub.” His list of goals will also be placed into the capsule.

After inviting the students to stop by the bank any time to see her and check out the bank vault, Bettinger told the students a little bit about CCB. She said that CCB’s logo, a tree, was chosen to “show growth in business.”

“Your capsule is part of our 100-year celebration,” she explained. “In 10 years, when we are celebrating 120 years, we’ll come back together and re-open it.”

Kapperman told the students that St. Aloysius Regional School has also been in the village of Springville for a very long time - 128 years.

The bank representative handed out change bags and quarter collecting cards to help the second graders save their money. Next, the students asked questions about banking, like if CCB has an ATM (yes) and if the kids could take home some of the money in the bank’s vault (only if they earn it).

After all of the items were collected, the capsule was taken to CCB on South Cascade Drive in Springville, where it will remain for the next 10 years.