District School Nurses Honored by Asthma Coalition

School nurses in each of the Washington Township School District’s schools were honored by the Pediatric/Adult Asthma Coalition of New Jersey (PACNJ) with the “Asthma Friendly School Award” at Tuesday night’s Washington Township Board of Education meeting.

The award, according to a press release from PACNJ, “was given in recognition of the school’s efforts to enhance the quality of education for students and staff that face the challenges of asthma.”

Melissa Sherman, a representative from PACNJ, commended the school district for winning an award that “takes a lot of coordination and effort” to achieve—only about 16 percent of New Jersey’s schools are considered to be “asthma-friendly.”

To qualify, each school had to complete six steps toward establishing themselves as being “asthma-friendly.” These steps included allowing students to carry their inhalers in school, commissioning an “air quality team” for each school, implementing a “No-Idling Pledge” that prevents cars and school buses from idling on school premises, developing an asthma treatment plan for each school and having each school nurse in the district learn the basics of asthma treatment, which they then imparted upon their fellow faculty and staff members at an annual in-service training session.

District Superintendent Jeffrey Mohre was one of the first to congratulate the nurses and the district as a whole on the accomplishment.

“We are well and acutely focused on not only our children’s cognitive growth and development, but the educational development of the entire child socially, educationally and obviously, health-wise as it relates to the child,” said Mohre.

Board member Chance Healy was also appreciative of the district’s “asthma-friendly” efforts.

“It’s amazing how many children are affected by (asthma),” said Healy. “Your readiness and preparedness are deserving of that award.”

On hand to accept the awards on behalf of the district’s school nurses were Nancy Braithwaite of Old Farmers Road School and Marie Peppas of Walter J. Kossman School. Barbara Sickles (Flocktown), Nancy Meara (LVMS), Cathleen Sullivan (LVMS) and Nancy Auld-Morogiello (Cucinella) were unable to attend.