Watervliet will always be the Garnet and Grey, but our facilities are going green!

Today is Earth Day and I thought this was great time to talk about the use of environmentally friendly technologies that we are utilizing as part of our construction and renovation projects. Watervliet will always be the Garnet and Grey, but our facilities are going green!

As many of you know, we are doing a great deal of construction and renovation to our schools here in Watervliet. These renovations have been well thought out and meticulously planned to enhance the learning environment for our students. In addition, we’ve also made a conscious effort to be environmentally friendly.

At the Watervliet Elementary School we have included many green systems that will help us conserve energy and shrink our “carbon footprint.”

Dedicated Outdoor Air Supply (DOAS) with Heat Recovery: This green technology delivers 100% fresh, outdoor air in a continuous stream to every area in our elementary school. More than 60% of the energy required to heat this air is recovered through the use of filtered exhaust which saves energy and reduces emissions.

Thermal Energy Storage: Watervliet Elementary School’s new air conditioning system utilizes an ice storage system that reduces demand during peak usage, translating to a 50% reduction in the energy needed to maintain comfortable temperatures in our classrooms. This system also reduces the humidity in the building reducing the risks of mold and dampness.

Chemical-Free Condenser Water Treatment System: Chemical Free water treatment reduces the environmental “foot print” of the school by eliminating toxic water treatment chemicals and utilizing an energy efficient, pulse powered system to treat condensed water. This system also saves water and reduces cost by eliminating the need for system purges or “blow downs.”

These efforts are just the start in making Watervliet City School District a greener district. The use of environmentally friendly systems and materials will also be a focus of the work that will begin this fall at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Keep an eye on our web site’s construction area for more on green technologies in our buildings.

A big day at Watervliet Elementary School

Today we had some distinguished visitors at Watervliet Elementary School. New York State Commissioner of Health, Richard Daines and Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention toured our school to learn about the many initiatives we have underway here at Watervliet to keep our students healthy. (Story on our website can be found here)

Across the country childhood obesity numbers are on the rise and we are concerned about what this trend could mean for our students. We’re making every effort to work lessons about healthy eating into our elementary curriculum. Our physical education department focuses on not only team sports but also individual sports so we can help instill lifelong physical activity habits in our students. Our students study food science and nutrition to learn about healthy food choices. These initiatives go on all year at WES.

Additionally, we participate in the Seal A Smile program. Seal-a-Smile is an oral health program providing services to elementary school aged children. The program has an oral health classroom education component (read more about their visit to WES here) as well as providing dental screening, fluoride treatment, dental cleaning, individual oral hygiene instructions and follow-up oral health care management services. All participating students receive a tooth brush and toothpaste and other fun surprises.

It was exciting to have visitors of this caliber at our school. Thank you to our students and staff who, as always, were excellent and welcoming hosts. I am pleased that we were chosen for this visit - in many ways our school is the center of our community and we strive to provide as many services to our students and their families as we possibly can. It was nice to have an opportunity to “show-off” some of what we are doing to state and federal policymakers.