Air Quality Flag Day

This year Nurse Jade at SWS started an Air Quality Flag Program.  Each day they fly a flag at the entrance to the school indicating what color air quality day it is, so kids, particularly those with asthma and other respiratory issues, can adjust how they play outside depending on the air quality. The whole school has participated and learned a lot about the importance of air quality, and the relation between air pollution, air quality, and health. Since SWS was the first school in DC to start such a program, the EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, and Acting Assistant Administrator of the Air Office Janet McCabe, came to talk to the SWS fourth graders.  Well I couldn't pass up to see my bosses as a parent, so I volunteered to help out Owen's class with FoodPrints in the morning and the Air Quality Flag event afterwards.  Gina and Janet were surprised to see me of course, and Gina was quick to pick out Owen from the crowd.  Gina gave a great speech really engaging the kids, and she even was kind enough to call on Owen when she asked the kids to explain the importance of air quality.  After the event, Owen went to talk to the Administrator, and asked her what her favorite project was in all her time at EPA, and Gina answered with a wink and a pat on my back, "The modeling of course!"