Attention Parents of Students with Asthma
If desired, students with asthma in grades 5-8 are permitted to carry their prescription inhalers in their backpacks. In order to do so, a release form MUST be signed by the student and parent. Please stop by the Health Office and we will be happy to provide you with the form.
Recently, we have been having poor air quality issues in the Phoenix area. In the bottom paragraph, you will find a very wordy description of the two different air quality warning levels.
We will be allowing the students to participate in recess/PE on the days that are documented at "Health Watch" levels. However, if you would NOT like your child to be outdoors on these days, please inform the Health Office ASAP. On the days where there is an HPA (High Pollution Advisory) warning issued, we will be limiting their outdoor exposure/activity - unless we hear of a different preference from you.
Now, if you would like no limitations to recess/PE please inform the Health Office. It is possible that your child is not currently experiencing any asthmatic issues and you would like full participation to be allowed. In this case, again, we do need your permission.
After some research we have discovered that there are two different terms used by the AZ Dept. of Environmental Quality. There is an HPA warning (High Pollution Advisory) in which the state sends the school nurses an email warning via the SchoolAlert system. This strongly recommends that any people with respiratory issues or cardiac conditions restrict their outdoor activity. There is also a Health Watch warning level for pollution. We do not get an email warning for this level. In the Health Watch warning level, the pollutants are higher than usual, but not at HPA levels. Again, we will be permitting the students to go outside on these Health Watch days unless you advise us not to.
Thank you for your help in the continued health care of your children,
Melina Rzonca RN
Anne Feeney RN
