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Indoor Air Quality - Tools for Schools Action Kit for Canadian Schools

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Chapter 4: How To Get Started (Continued)

Appendices - Sample Memos/Letters

Sample Memo for School Staff

[Date]

Dear Staff Member,

This month, [school name] begins a new program to monitor and improve indoor air quality in our school. This letter accompanies specific guidance that shows how you can help make this program a success.

The school's new indoor air quality (IAQ) initiative is based on the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit, which was developed at Health Canada in collaboration with the Indoor Air Quality Working Group of the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Committee on Environmental and Occupational Health. The Canadian kit is based on a similar kit developed by the United States Environment Protection Agency (US EPA).

[School name] is proud to be taking a leadership role in providing a safe, comfortable, and productive environment for our students and staff so that we achieve our core mission - educating students. Using the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit as a guide, our school will improve our indoor air quality
(IAQ) by preventing as many IAQ problems as possible, and by quickly responding to any IAQ problems that may arise.

Good air quality requires an on-going commitment by everyone in our school, because every day each of us makes decisions and performs activities that affect the quality of the air we breathe. You can make an important contribution to this IAQ improvement program by reading the background information and applying the simple, yet important, activities in your Checklist, which is attached.

When you have read the IAQ Backgrounder and completed the Checklist, return the Checklist to our IAQ Coordinator [name], so that [he or she] can follow up on any unresolved IAQ problems. [Name] has agreed to administer the IAQ Management Plan, which includes taking a team leadership role,
coordinating emergency response, and serving as our information resource on IAQ. [Name] may be contacted at [phone and room number]. Please return the Checklist to [him or her] by [date].

The school newsletter will carry progress reports as we learn more about indoor air quality in our school.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Principle or Superintendent]

Sample Memo for Contract Service Providers

[Date]

Dear [Name of Contract Service Provider],

[School name] now has in place a program to monitor and improve indoor air quality in our school. Since the work you will perform in our school can have an impact on the quality of air within our school, this letter accompanies specific guidance that shows you how you can help make this program
a success.

You can make an important contribution in preventing IAQ problems by reading the IAQ Backgrounder and applying the simple, yet important, activities in your Checklist, which is attached.

If you have questions or concerns about how your activities may affect the air within our school, please contact me at [phone and room number].

Sincerely,

[Name]
IAQ Coordinator

Sample Memo for Parents

[Date]

Dear [Parent],

This month, [school name] begins a new program to monitor and improve indoor air quality in our school. [School name] is proud to be taking a leadership role in providing a safe, comfortable, and productive environment for our students and staff so that we achieve our core mission - educating
students. Our school will improve our indoor air quality (IAQ) by preventing as many IAQ problems as possible, and by quickly responding to any IAQ problems that may arise.

I thought that you would be interested in what we are doing, so with this letter I have enclosed a copy of the IAQ Backgrounder, which is from the IAQ Tools for Schools Action Kit that we are using in our school. Not only is this basic information useful to schools, you may also find it useful for application
in your own home, which is where most people spend most of their time.

[Name] has agreed to administer the IAQ program for our school. [Name] may be contacted at [phone and room number]. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact [him or her].
The school newsletter will carry progress reports as we learn more about indoor air quality in our school.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Principle or Superintendent]

Sample Parental Notification Letter for School Painting

Dear Parents:

The Maintenance Division plans to start painting in our school on or about [day and date].

The school plant is an important factor in the functioning of the total educational program. Proper maintenance of school buildings is necessary to provide a healthy and pleasant atmosphere. The majority of paint being used in [name] Public Schools is latex water-based. Some heavy traffic areas
and trim will require the use of oil-based paint. Paints for use on the surface of school buildings have been virtually free of lead and mercury since 1991. However, schools built before 1960 probably contain paint with high levels of lead and mercury.

Instructional areas will be empty during painting and drying times, and children will not be in the cafeteria while it is being painted.

We anticipate that paint crews will be in the school for a period of [# of days], beginning on [day and date].

The health and safety of all students is a primary consideration as the painting crews undertake this maintenance and beautification project. If you have any questions or concerns about the scheduled painting, please feel free to contact me at [phone #].

With the cooperation of parents, students, and staff, this painting project will result in a bright, new look for our school. I hope you will stop by when the project is completed to see the results for yourself!

Sincerely,

[Principal name]
[School name]


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	Last Updated: 2005-08-03		Important Notices