Burch touted as asthma-friendly

Robert J. Burch Elementary has been recognized by the American Lung Association for its efforts to create a school environment that is healthy and “asthma friendly.”

Thanks to the efforts of school nurse Kimberly Smith, Burch has received the Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative bronze level award for taking the first steps toward creating a healthier learning environment, and will get $250 to expand the school’??s asthma-friendly plan.

The Asthma-Friendly Schools Initiative (AFSI) Awards of the American Lung Association recognizes schools that have taken positive strides to create a healthier learning environment using the strategies established by the National Asthma Education Prevention Program. AFSI offers guidance and resources to help schools create, plan, implement, and evaluate a sustainable asthma-friendly program.

In a classroom of 30 children, about three, on average, are likely to have asthma, and more than half of school-age children with asthma miss at least one day of school because of the illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).