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Food Allergy Management Plan

Eastern Lebanon County School District

Fort Zeller Elementary School

Jackson Elementary School

August 2017

Table of Contents

|Team Members Rules and Responsibilities |3 |

|Details on Food Allergies |6 |

|Classroom Guidelines |8 |

|Allergic Reaction Health Care Plan |10 |

|Nurse’s Note Home |12 |

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Food allergies are a significant health concern within the school environment. Allergic reactions can range from mild symptoms to life threatening reactions. In an attempt to raise awareness and prevent an unnecessary exposure during school hours, Fort Zeller and Jackson Elementary School has implemented the following steps to address food allergies.

Children with food allergies must have a doctor’s certification stating what the food allergy is and provide a copy of that statement to the nurse and classroom teacher. The school cafeteria will be provided names of students with allergies in order to be able to provide an appropriate school lunches and/or snacks.

Preventing and managing food allergy at Jackson & Fort Zeller involves a team of individuals, including the school nurse, teachers, administrators, cafeteria staff, maintenance staff, transportation staff, other parents, and your child’s classmates. Below are rules and responsibilities for each team member.

Team Member’s Rules and Responsibilities

Nurses will:

1. Accept and collect any doctor notes or other information to confirm and document the need for an allergy-free classroom.

2. Collaborate with parents, teachers, staff and administration as needed.

3. Compose and send home a letter to all students in the classroom informing them of the allergy free classroom with recommended snacks.

4. Provide any needed training to all building staff. (EpiPen, handwashing, table washing)

Parents will:

1. Communicate any doctor’s note or other information on your student’s allergy concerns.

2. Communicate with classroom teacher on any details to help provide a safe classroom environment.

3. Will work with classroom teachers to provide alternate plans for activities that may include food.

Student will:

1. Eat only the foods they bring from home.

2. Bring safe snack/treats from home to be stored in a sealed marked container in the classroom.

3. Wash hands before and after eating, and after lunch or recess.

4. Be aware of his/her allergen and inform teachers/staff.

5. Ask questions about food not brought from home.

Teachers will:

1. Point of contact (POC) for allergy free classroom.

2. Monitor snack activities so that trading and sharing of food, cups, or straws does not occur.

3. Assure that anaphylactic students are not involved in clean-up activities.

4. Encourage students to follow the request to refrain from bringing allergenic foods to school.

5. Monitor all food brought into the classroom to share during events or celebrations.

6. Promote open lines of communication between all parents and the classroom.

7. Collaborate with Building Nurse on any student needs.

8. DO NOT use allergenic foods or products in crafts and activities.

9. Be certain that anaphylactic students are supervised by trained adults.

Cafeteria Staff Will:

1. Provide any needed specialty food for lunch.

2. Upon request, provide any needed non-allergenic snacks.

3. Provide an allergy free table in the cafeteria.

4. Will monitor proper washing of tables and chairs.

Maintenance Staff, Transportation Staff Will:

1. Be informed of any student food allergy concerns.

2. Receive any needed training from the building nurse to provide a safe school environment.

What is a Food Allergy?

The job of the body’s immune system is to identify and destroy germs (such as bacteria or viruses) that make you sick. A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein – an allergen – as a threat and attacks it.

The eight most common foods to cause an allergic reaction are:

Peanut, Tree Nuts, Wheat, Eggs, Milk , Shellfish, Fish, Soy

What are the signs of an allergic reaction?

Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from mild to severe. The symptoms may occur within a few minutes after coming into contact or ingesting the food, but could take up to several hours to appear.

• Mild symptoms:

o Hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)

o Itchy mouth or ear canal

o Nausea and/or vomiting

o Diarrhea

o Stomach pain

o Nasal congestion or a runny nose

o Sneezing

o Dry cough

o Odd taste in mouth

Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is a serious, life-threatening allergic reaction. Immediate medical treatment is required (Epi-Pen).

• Symptoms of Anaphylaxis:

o Swelling of the lips, tongue, and/or throat

o Trouble swallowing

o Shortness of breath or wheezing

o Loss of consciousness

o Chest pain

o A weak pulse

o Sense of “impending doom”

Epinephrine (EpiPen)

All teachers will receive training on how to properly use an Epinephrine (EpiPen).

New teachers will be required to complete an online webinar.

Returning teachers will have to complete training with the building nurse.

Facts

• Food allergies are a growing food safety and public health concern that affect an estimated 4%–6% of children in the United States.

• Studies show that 16%–18% of children with food allergies have had a reaction from accidentally eating food allergens while at school.

• In addition, 25% of the severe and potentially life-threatening reactions (anaphylaxis) reported at schools happened in children with no previous diagnosis of food allergy.

• Food allergies account for 35%–50% of all cases of anaphylaxis in emergency care settings.

• In the United States, fatal or near fatal reactions are most often caused by peanuts (50%–62%) and tree nuts (15%–30%)

Pennsylvania Guidelines on

Management of Food Allergies in Classroom

• Snacks and Meals

1. Student will be provided with an allergen-free table in the cafeteria.

2. Adult supervision will be available in the cafeteria to ensure that students are not sharing or trading food.

3. Students will wash their hands before and after the handling/consumption of food.

4. The teacher(s) will follow established school procedures limiting foods in the classroom.

5. If a student inadvertently brings a restricted food to the classroom, he/she will not be allowed to eat that snack in the classroom.

6. The parent/guardian will supply snacks needed in addition to or instead of any snacks supplied for all students.

7. Parent/guardian will be notified three days in advance, (or as soon as possible in emergency situations), with any changes in the school’s schedule that may affect care.

Managing Allergies in Classroom

(FARE Recommendations)

• Keep the classroom food-free. Schools may find that restricting food from the classroom altogether is the easiest and safest way to manage classroom activities. Any activates involving food can be scheduled in another environment such as the cafeteria.

• Restrict identified allergens from the classroom. If school officials choose to allow snacks or food in the classroom for meals, parties or other activities, it must be managed with care.  With 1 in 13 of children having at least one food allergy, anyone serving food to children needs to be aware of food allergies and the potential for a life-threatening allergic reaction.

• Find safe and inclusive ways to celebrate. There are many ways to celebrate that do not involve food. Birthdays can be celebrated with crafts, games, or extra recess. Treat bags can be filled with tiny toys, no-homework passes, or other non-edible trinkets.

• Foods provided for class-wide consumption must be selected with extreme care. Teachers should be aware of their student’s food allergies and special dietary needs. With parental permission, they can use this information to meticulously plan for a few “safe” foods that can be served during classroom celebrations. Extra care must be taken so that foods are approved and double-checked and that children eating in the classroom are monitored at all times.

• Limit the use of food in the curriculum. Skin contact or ingestion of food allergens used in classroom projects are a frequent cause of allergic reactions. Limit the use of foods in art, crafts, science and other classroom projects. Even used food containers (such as egg cartons) may pose a risk that is easily avoided. To ensure all students participation in any food activities in the curriculum, alternate plans can be arranged with parents.

• Limit using food as a reward. A classroom movie, extra recess, a fun guest speaker or field trip can motivate students without endangering or excluding those with food allergies.  If food is being used as a classroom reward, avoid ordering food from restaurants as trace amounts of allergens can endanger allergic students. 

• Keep epinephrine accessible. Reactions are never planned. Make sure that epinephrine is always within reach. Know the signs of anaphylaxis and enact emergency care procedures in the event of an allergic reaction.

EASTERN LEBANON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

ALLERGIC REACTION/ ANAPHYLAXIS HEALTH CARE PLAN

GENERAL INFORMATION

Student Name____________________________________DOB__________________

Photo Teacher__________________________________Grade_________________

Parent/Guardian Name____________________________________________

Address________________________________________________________

Home Phone___________Work Phone_____________Cell Phone___________

Parent/Guardian Name_____________________________________________

Address_________________________________________________________

Home Phone___________Work Phone______________Cell Phone__________

EMERGENCY AND PHYSICIAN CONTACTS

Emergency Contact #1 __________________________ __________________ __________

Name Relationship Phone

Emergency Contact #2 __________________________ ___________________ __________

Name Relationship Phone

Emergency Contact #3 __________________________ ___________________ __________

Name Relationship Phone

Physician for Allergy Treatment______________________________________ ___________

Name Phone

Other Physician ___________________________________________________ ___________

Name Name

ALLERGIC TO:

SIGNS OF AN ALLERGIC REACTION INCLUDE:

Systems: Symptom:

MOUTH itching & swelling of the lips, tongue, or mouth

THROAT* itching and/or a sense of tightness in the throat, hoarseness,

and a hacking cough

SKIN hives, itchy rash, and/or swelling about the face or extremities

GUT nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and/or diarrhea

LUNGS* shortness of breath, repetitive coughing, and/or wheezing

HEART* “thready” pulse, passing-out

The severity of symptoms can quickly change.

*All above symptoms can potentially progress to a life-threatening situation.

ACTION: (check appropriate boxes)

ο School Nurse to proceed directly to the symptomatic child, with emergency medicine in hand.

ο For accidental ingestion or exposure to _________________or ο stung by

_________________________________________________________.

ο Immediately give _______mg. Benadryl (Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride)

ο For any accidental exposure/sting – immediately administer epi-pen to outer portion of thigh, and dial 911.

ο Student is self-directed and may self carry emergency medication (as determined by MD and School Nurse). The nurse is to be contacted immediately in the event an emergency occurs and medication is administered.

ο Contact parent for any signs of an allergic reaction occurring in school.

DO NOT HESITATE TO ADMINISTER MEDICATION OR CALL 911

[pic]

Parent Signature _____________________________________Date____________________

School Nurse Signature________________________________ Date___________________

MD Signature ________________________________________Date___________________

Printed MD Name ___________________________________ ο Or see attached scripts

Must be updated/received yearly.

Health Office

Peanut Allergy Letter To Parents

Dear Parents,

Your child’s classroom is a food safe and allergy free zone which has students with severe life-threatening allergy to peanuts, peanut butter, and any foods processed in contact with peanuts. Touching these items, as well as ingestion, may provoke this reaction.

For the safety of this child we are instituting some restrictions in the classroom. We are asking parents to be conscientious in the selection of treats that their children bring to school in an attempt to limit the chances of this child being exposed to peanuts. It is ok to have food containing these products that is sealed in a lunch container and is meant for consumption at lunch (ex. peanut butter and jelly sandwich), as these will be consumed in our cafeteria.

In addition, we ask that you please be aware of the items contained in “treats” for the classroom. Please be sure to communicate birthday treat options with your child’s teacher several days in advanced. We want to be sure all children have an enjoyable time on his/her birthday and maintain the safety of all students.

We will encourage children to practice good hand washing with soap and water before and after eating and we ask for you to reinforce these practices as well.

Please communicate to your child the importance of not sharing food or drinks with others. This is for all environments of our school (ex. bus, classroom, playground, and cafeteria). This will help maintain a safe environment while still allow non-allergic classmates to enjoy those products.

Below is a partial listing of items that have no nut products in them. We are listing these to give you some ideas of safe snacks. The only way to be absolutely sure is to read the label carefully, so please send the package with your child. We thank you in advance for your consideration in making the school environment safe for this child. Together we make a difference for children.

Snacks: Cheezits, Wheat Thins (original), Triscuits, Club Crackers, Graham Crackers, Ritz Crackers (plain), Townhouse Crackers, Goldfish Crackers, Keebler Honey-Wheat Snack Sticks, Teddy Grahams, Cheese-and-Cracker snacks, Fruit Gushers, Fruit-by-the-foot, Fruit Roll-Ups, fresh grapes or apples, raw vegetables, pretzels, Go-Gurt.

Thank you for your cooperation in assisting with the safety of this child.

Elizabeth Quenzer BSN,CSN

ELCO Head School Nurse

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