A new directive from Governor Cuomo on March 20, mandates that 100% of the workforce stay home in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Only employees deemed critical to operations will be allowed in the workplace. For our schools, critical staff includes food service workers, maintenance/cleaning staff, and designated administrators.
Please note that during this closure, email is the recommended way to contact administrators and staff. Please visit our Contact Us page for a staff directory
Important reminders
All buildings will remain closed to the public through the March 31 closure. Outdoor facilities, including playgrounds, athletic fields and the track are also off-limits in an effort to keep groups from gathering and encourage social distancing. As difficult as this may be, please remind your children how vitally important it is to maintain a safe distance from one another to prevent the spread of illness.
Meals are available for all students
While our schools are closed we will continue to make sure families who depend on the school breakfast and lunch program will continue to have access to food for their children. Meals are offered for anyone who is 18 and younger.
Meals are available for pickup in the “grab and go” format from 8-10 a.m. Monday through Friday at the entrances to Watervliet Elementary School and the Watervliet Civic Center. A staff member will bring the meals to you.
Our “Food is Fuel” program continues for families that normally participate. Supply bags are available for pick up on Fridays between 8-10 a.m. at the elementary school.
Teaching/learning continues during the closure
Our teachers collaborated to create instructional resources that students can use for parent-guided and self-guided learning while school is closed. This is in the form of shared Google Classroom for grades 3-12 with links to resources and activities that will allow students to practice skills, review content and explore topics at home. More information and access to additional online resources
Chromebooks have been made available to all students in grades 3-12. Tech help for logging onto Chromebooks at home is available
Learning packets were delivered to students’ homes for prekindergarten to grade 2 students.
Additional support for students and families
Due to the closing of our schools, we are reaching out to our students and families to give additional support knowing that this is a difficult time. Our school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists are available via email throughout each day while we are closed. In addition, in the case of an emergency please see the following schedule of support staff who will be on call. You can reach out to our Student Support team using the email address supportstaff2020@vlietschools.org. Please note that the administrative team also will be on site for additional support if needed. View a schedule for support staff and email contact information