1. CREATING ASTHMA FRIENDLY SCHOOLS CAFS http://www.asthmainschools.com/

2. ASTHMA AND SCHOOLS  Children spend about 40% of their time at school.  Recognition of asthma and the impact it has on children in school is important.  School personnel play an important role in helping students with asthma manage the condition at school

3. Asthma and Schools  Establishes a supportive learning environment for students with asthma.  Reduces school absenteeism.  Reduces disruption in the classroom.  Provides the necessary support in the event of worsening asthma or emergency.  Achieves full participation in school related activities including physical activity.  Improves communication between members of the school environment.  Assists students to become life long successful managers of their asthma

4. Creating asthma friendly schools allow students  to maximize their potential and  experience rewarding educational, social, and health benefits. Empowering students in a supportive environment helps them:  develop life-long skills for controlling their condition  and improve their quality of life.

5. 3 Sections- CAFS  Section 1: Intro and Background (pg 5)  Section 2: Responsibility Lists for Creating Asthma Friendly Schools (CAFS) (pg 13)  Section 3: 7 Goals for CAFS (pg 19)

6. How to Get Started  Step 1: Identify Students in the school with asthma  Step 2: Provide every student with asthma a School asthma information Package  Step 3: Provide School-based asthma education to school personnel, the student body and students with asthma

7. Responsibility Checklists School Boards Principal, Vice Principal Support staff Classroom Teacher Students with Asthma Parents/Guardian

8. Responsibility Checklists School boards have the advantage of advocating for a board-wide creation and maintenance of asthma friendly schools and are in a key position to promote and disseminate the Creating Asthma Friendly Schools Resource Kit to individual schools. *The checklist outlines activities to create asthma friendly schools appropriate at the school board level.

9. Responsibility Checklists Principals, Vice-Principals and support staff play a central role in creating asthma friendly school environments. *The checklist recommends activities appropriate for principals, vice principals and support staff to support asthma friendly schools.

10. Responsibility Checklists Classroom Teacher Open communication between teachers and parents/guardians about a student’s asthma can assist with achieving good asthma control, thereby allowing the student to participate fully in all school activities. *The checklist recommends activities appropriate for teachers to create/support asthma friendly schools.

11. Responsibility Checklists Students with Asthma Students who learn how to manage and control their asthma should be able to participate in all school activities to the best of their abilities.

12. Responsibility Checklists Parents/Guardian Parents/guardians are responsible for providing school personnel with up-to-date information about their child’s asthma. Information should be provided to the school at the start of each school year regardless of whether your child is a new student or not. The school should be informed of any changes to your child’s asthma situation that will affect their school routine, performance or ability to participate in activities. At a minimum your child should be able to: o Recognize symptoms of worsening asthma. o Communicate to an adult about asthma symptoms and the need for help. o Access and use medication quickly. All children with asthma should have easy access to their inhaler medication at all times.

13. 7 Goals of CAFS  Goal 1: Establish a process to identify students with asthma.  Goal 2: Allow students with asthma easy access to inhalers.  Goal 3: Establish a school-wide process for handling worsening asthma.  Goal 4: Identify and reduce common asthma triggers within the school environment.  Goal 5: Encourage students with asthma to participate in school activities to the best of their abilities.  Goal 6: Provide school personnel, parents and the student body opportunities to gain a general understanding of asthma.  Goal 7: Collaborate with families, health care professionals and school personnel to create asthma friendly schools.

14. Acknowledgements NLHF: PHAC for Project Funding THANK YOU! 14