September Principal News
Dear RBK Parents,
Welcome back to a new school year! I was with your students through the end of the school year and will continue in the building until further notice. We got off to a good start. We are able to provide bussing for even more students this year. We are still adjusting to times!
Thank you for coming to Open House on our first day of school. It was great to see so many of you!! I have been meeting with our PTA throughout the summer and we have some great plans throughout the school year!
I am always available if you have questions or concerns, feel free to call.
Barbara Converso
Safety Announcements
The safety of our students and staff is of paramount importance to us and we take great concern to ensure everyone is prepared. We will be having a lockdown drill the week of September 11th and this is coordinated by Mike Stover, the head of district security. We will also have an evacuation drill, as we did in June, during the week of September 25th. We walk to the Lockport Alliance Church located at the corner of Davison and E. High St. We will notify you of the exact day as we get closer.
Cultural Celebration: Hispanic Celebration
In a district wide effort to become more culturally inclusive, Friday, September 22nd all of our students will be taken by bus to LHS for a Hispanic Celebration that will include dance and singing performances. The performance will only be 1 hour and runs from 2:00 to 3:00. Permission slips have been sent home for this.
#WeAllBelong
Rachel's Challenge - Schoolwide Presentation
Thursday, September 28th we will have a schoolwide presentation in the morning from Rachel’s Challenge on bullying. Learn more about Rachel's Challenge at the link below.
Rachel's Challenge: Link Up Assembly
This assembly is a fun, energetic, interactive school assembly program that mixes music, video and activities to introduce elementary students to Rachel Scott and her challenge to reach out to others with deliberate acts of kindness. Students will learn about a young girl named Rachel; however, they will not hear or see footage related to the Columbine tragedy or her death.
Link-Up focuses on the following five challenges:
- Be Kind
- Accept and Include Others
- Choose Positive Influences
- Dream Big, Set Goals, Keep A Journal
- Start a Chain Reaction
Outcomes:
- Introduce and/or reinforce with students that treating others with respect is fun and should not just be what we do, but who we are.
- The program proactively addresses the issues of bullying and destructive behavior by giving students permission to be kind.
- Students leave excited about treating others with respect and wanting to start their own chain of kindness; both literally and figuratively with the paper chain of kindness.
Family Empowerment Center Workshop Offerings
In an effort to empower and create opportunities for students and families, the Family Empowerment Center (FEC) is a school-community “living room”, which is available to Lockport families as a space for information sharing, learning, and communication with the goal of leveraging school and community strengths to empower families and community members to support student growth and achievement. Housed on the 1st floor of the Cornerstone Arena, the center is strategically located in the city to help those who will benefit most from its use. The FEC offers a number of workshops throughout the year.
Family Peer Support Group will meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month - starting Tuesday, September 12, 2023 from 10:00-11:30 AM. Open discussion format. Walk-ins welcome. Advance Registration is encouraged. Find out more information here. Hosted by New Directions Youth & Family Services. Please call Alicia Vanderwalker at 716-343-0058 or email avanderwalker@ndyfs.org to register in advance.
American Sign Language - PRESCHOOL Series. (3-5 year olds & their Adult)
Tuesday, October 3, 2023 - Tuesday, October 24, 2023 Time: 3:45-4:15 PM
Who: Lockport Students, Parents, Staff, and Community members.
The Preschool ASL series, sponsored by the Lockport Sunrise Optimist Club, will be an introduction to AS for young children, ages 3-5 years old, with an adult to engage and learn together. Space is limited. Find more information here.