In 2018 the Vermont Department of Health began designating gold, silver and bronze “asthma friendly” schools based on how many criteria are met to reduce the potential for asthma attacks. The department recently recognized 30 schools in the state as “Asthma Friendly.” After a conversation with a representative from the health department and a school nurse, North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley spent an afternoon touring the Gertrude Chamberlin School in South Burlington to see what is being done to protect student health.
Gertrude Chamberlin School is busy when I arrive. The 300-student pre-K-through-fifth grade school has just let out, the buses are departing, music is playing on loudspeakers, parents are picking up their kids, and staff in bright yellow vests are directing traffic.
“Are you Pat?"
"Yes."
"I’m Kerry. Alright, so let’s head on in.”
I’m there to meet nurse Kerry Farrell, whom I talked to on the phone about the school receiving gold recognition for the 2024 – 2025 academic year. On the phone, Farrell noted that the program encourages a walk-through of the school to find potential asthma triggers.
“A lot of it is stuff that we’re already doing," Farrell points out. "So, for instance, having asthma action plans, having a full-time school nurse, making sure the nurse is educated in asthma. So a lot of that was something that we do.”
Following our phone conversation, we agree to meet at the school so I can conduct the walk-through myself.
Dr. Karen Casper, the Vermont Department of Health’s Respiratory Health Director and Asthma Program manager, joins us as we enter the school, and in the health office we meet South Burlington School District Nurse Leader Sarah Pineda, who helped spearhead the school’s asthma friendly project.
Then, with checklist in hand, Farrell shows us some of the 23 best practices they have implemented.
“Alright, let’s go. We’ll start in the front where people enter. So this is our lobby. One of the questions: are dumpsters located away from doors, windows and outdoor air intakes and are covered so not to attract pests. So we’re going to walk by the first dumpster right here.”
As we stop at a set of doors leading outside to the trash and compost bins, Casper adds:
“For the asthma friendly the main issue is to move trash and other things that might cause rodents or other pests to come close to the building. The concern is really about the droppings, possibly even the fur, that would serve as an asthma trigger.”
Meanwhile, Casper then notes the seemingly innocuous black mats at the doors.
“You’re standing on another best practice. Having an indoor mat at any doorway allows for dirt and dust to be collected here and not then carried out and around the building. Very subtle. Not too expensive for schools. But it makes a big difference for how many dust particles and allergens, leaf bits, pollen, other things that might cause a child with allergy related asthma to have some benefit just from a simple mat.”
Moving down the hallway, we stop at the boiler room. Casper explains why the heating system is an important aspect of the asthma-friendly checklist.
“There’s no water pooling in the corners and there’s no droppings around the edges from pests and it’s very clean, no dust. You probably have good ventilation, very little seepage. You don’t have mold buildup. And if it’s being well cared for it’s likely the rest of the grounds are being cared for.”
We leave the boiler room and head outside, where kids are participating in afterschool activities. Farrell notes that the students spend a lot of time outside.
“They go out typically for an extra break, either in the morning or the afternoon. And then for recess. PE class goes outside."
"Even in winter?" Bradley asks.
"Unless the wind chill with the temperature is minus zero they are outside," Farrell says. "We’ll walk around this way."
"I would think being outside, there’s only so much you can do to control the asthma related triggers. What do you do outside to try to prevent that?” asks Bradley.
Karen Casper points to the side of the building. “One thing we see is a walkway and no plants or things that would cause pests to come close or pollen to be right up against the windows.”
Back inside, we enter the cafeteria. Pineda picks up baby wipes and shows them to Casper.
“We sort of landed on last year for cleaning classroom tables was just unscented baby wipes for like just regular classroom messes and things.”
“Well, it definitely is probably milder than other products. Use by children versus adults might be a question," Casper ponders. "I might run this by our environmental health specialist just to double check the chemicals that are used in those.”
As we end our tour, I asked Dr. Casper why the program is called asthma friendly, which sounds rather welcoming to the respiratory condition.
“Once best practices are in place parents, the community, staff, teachers even kids can feel confident they can come to school, learn unhindered because they have as few triggers or issues as possible.”
