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Is your child's elementary school nut/peanut-free? - Page 2

post #21 of 43
10/13/08 at 12:38am
Ours is peanut and nut free. It is a private school in Gatineau, Quebec.
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post #22 of 43
10/16/08 at 2:59pm
Glen Tay school here in ontario where my kids go changes their policy on a year-to-year, class-by-class basis. This year, there are no students at the school with serious allergies, there is no nut (or other) ban in place...
post #23 of 43
10/16/08 at 3:47pm
My daughter's school here in Newfoundland is peanut-free. I noticed that there is also a sheet up on the wall in her classroom with a picture of the child, lists the allergy, and where his medication can be found in case of an emergency. They also have these notices in the main office of the school.
post #24 of 43
10/16/08 at 4:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by D&S Mom View Post
My daughter's school here in Newfoundland is peanut-free. I noticed that there is also a sheet up on the wall in her classroom with a picture of the child, lists the allergy, and where his medication can be found in case of an emergency. They also have these notices in the main office of the school.


Here is a sample food allergy action plan that we used in our home child care for a child with a peanut allergy:

http://www.foodallergy.org/actionplan.pdf

I think they are a brilliant idea, especially where there might be substitutes and other adults coming in from time to time.

I always carried the epipen for the child - a two year old - in a fanny pack on my person. My first aid instructor said she believed epipens at school should be carried on the child's person, in a special pack, rather than locked up. I don't know what the policy is at our school on this, though.
post #25 of 43
10/17/08 at 12:09am
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone

Quote:
Originally Posted by D&S Mom View Post
My daughter's school here in Newfoundland is peanut-free. I noticed that there is also a sheet up on the wall in her classroom with a picture of the child, lists the allergy, and where his medication can be found in case of an emergency. They also have these notices in the main office of the school.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aubergine68 View Post
Here is a sample food allergy action plan that we used in our home child care for a child with a peanut allergy:

http://www.foodallergy.org/actionplan.pdf

I think they are a brilliant idea, especially where there might be substitutes and other adults coming in from time to time.

I always carried the epipen for the child - a two year old - in a fanny pack on my person. My first aid instructor said she believed epipens at school should be carried on the child's person, in a special pack, rather than locked up. I don't know what the policy is at our school on this, though.
Thanks. Regardless of whether the school decides to go 'peanut/nut-free', we will also have other procedures in place, including the allergy notices, at least 3 epipens at school (including one kept on the child's person at all times) and handwashing policies. Thanks for the link.
post #26 of 43
10/19/08 at 2:17pm
I'm in the south okanagan and our little primary school is peanut free. The secondary one might be as well, but I'm not sure - I have no kids in there yet.

There are at least 2 children attending the school that have life threatening nut allergies so it's something none of us take lightly. I know when the youngest one enrolled in the school, his grandma was upset that people knew it was him, she was afraid he'd be singled out, made fun of and all that. In fact it was quite the opposite. The kids are more vigilant to keep him (and the other student) safe than I think some of the parents would have been.
post #27 of 43
10/19/08 at 3:22pm
I'm in Northern Ontario and our school is nut-free. They have a sign on the front doors.
post #28 of 43
10/19/08 at 3:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by D&S Mom View Post
My daughter's school here in Newfoundland is peanut-free. I noticed that there is also a sheet up on the wall in her classroom with a picture of the child, lists the allergy, and where his medication can be found in case of an emergency. They also have these notices in the main office of the school.
I've seen those sheets in the teacher's lounge.
post #29 of 43
10/19/08 at 10:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluey View Post
I'm in the south okanagan and our little primary school is peanut free. The secondary one might be as well, but I'm not sure - I have no kids in there yet.

There are at least 2 children attending the school that have life threatening nut allergies so it's something none of us take lightly. I know when the youngest one enrolled in the school, his grandma was upset that people knew it was him, she was afraid he'd be singled out, made fun of and all that. In fact it was quite the opposite. The kids are more vigilant to keep him (and the other student) safe than I think some of the parents would have been.
That's great - I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for posting.
post #30 of 43
10/26/08 at 2:48pm
Our local schools are nut free but still allow "may contain trace" products. Our daycare on the other hand is ALL nut free (including - may contain trace) I find this very very anoying because my youngest is wheat allergic and the one and only granola bar (nature valley - apple crisp flavor) that she can eat (all the others contain wheat flakes) is made in a facilty that handles nut bars as well. She can have "trace" of wheat so these are fine for her and she loves them - instead of cookies that the other kids could have.
The staff decied that they where a risk - so now she is stuck eating rice crakers when the other kids have cookies - it's not fair that they are able to accomadate one child and not another.
post #31 of 43
10/27/08 at 3:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by momtoalexsarah View Post
Our local schools are nut free but still allow "may contain trace" products. Our daycare on the other hand is ALL nut free (including - may contain trace) I find this very very anoying because my youngest is wheat allergic and the one and only granola bar (nature valley - apple crisp flavor) that she can eat (all the others contain wheat flakes) is made in a facilty that handles nut bars as well. She can have "trace" of wheat so these are fine for her and she loves them - instead of cookies that the other kids could have.
The staff decied that they where a risk - so now she is stuck eating rice crakers when the other kids have cookies - it's not fair that they are able to accomadate one child and not another.
I feel your pain, and I think 'may contain nuts/peanuts' foods should be allowed even when actual peanuts/nuts are not allowed - for reasons that I stated in an earlier post in this thread.

There is a company: nonuttin.com that makes yummy granola bars that are free of wheat and nuts that you would be able to send with your daughter. Also, Enjoy Life brand makes cookies and cereal bars that are wheat and nut/peanut-free.
post #32 of 43
10/27/08 at 5:07pm
All the elementary schools here in our southwestern MB town are nut-free. ODS's school just went nut- and whole egg-free this fall, the last school in town to do so. Also his old preschool and DD's current preschool are nut-free also.
post #33 of 43
10/30/08 at 3:12am
The school I teach at in Ontario does not ban peanuts/nuts but their are only a couple of students with allergies and those classrooms definitely are peanut/nut free. My DS's K class is peanut/nut and other allergen free and I know that the teacher lines them up with their snacks every day and inspects them before they eat. One day someone brought in fish (an allergen for one of the kids) and they didn't let the kid eat it. They also disinfected/cleaned the tables and such. I know from talking to a custodian (who had a severe allergy that an epi-pen wouldn't even save her) that her cleaning solution dealt with the allergen if present right away no problem.

Also I know that when I taught in another board in the province that one school was designated as being completely peanut/nut free and the students with the severest allergies were sent there. Those were the students who were so sensitive that the slightest smell would give them a reaction.
post #34 of 43
10/31/08 at 2:35am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, everyone, for replying.

Quote:
Also I know that when I taught in another board in the province that one school was designated as being completely peanut/nut free and the students with the severest allergies were sent there. Those were the students who were so sensitive that the slightest smell would give them a reaction.
Hmm - that's not a bad idea. Was this in Canada, and if so, which province?

Thanks.
post #35 of 43
10/31/08 at 11:56am
It was a Catholic board in Ontario that did that. I taught in the public school next to it. It has been a decade since I have been there so I am not sure what they do now.
post #36 of 43
11/1/08 at 2:07pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mamatowill View Post
It was a Catholic board in Ontario that did that. I taught in the public school next to it. It has been a decade since I have been there so I am not sure what they do now.
Thanks for the info!
post #37 of 43
11/4/08 at 12:41am
Aw darn, looks like I've been foiled by the nut free rule again. I paid for a table to sell baked goods at my kids' school craft fair. Apparently even my packaged baked goods cannot contain nuts. My best saleable goods have nuts. Poo.
Time to come up with new ideas for baked goods, and perhaps also suck it up making biscotti with no nuts.
post #38 of 43
11/11/08 at 10:56pm
Is your daughter planning to attend a Vancouver Public School?

I previously worked at a school and there was a Nut Free policy which was implemented when a boy with a severe Peanut Allergy started Kindergarten. He did not have known allergies to Tree Nuts, but had never had them. There were parents from my class who fought the blanket "No Nuts" in favour of "No Peanuts" since Peanuts are a Legume. The children in my class ate in their classroom, kept all their food there and some of them had very limited diets.

In your case if you have one child with a severe peanut allergy and one with a severe tree nut allergy, I can understand a blanket "No Nuts" policy.

I would contact the Coastal Health Unit if the principal is not willing to listen to you.

I personally object to the banning of any food that says processed in a factory that contains nuts as 99% of processed foods from America are printed with that 'butt covering' statement even when there are no nuts, peanuts.

Truthfully, even in "Nut Free" schools, I see kids walking around with things like Oh Henry bars, Reese's Peanut Butter cups. There are speed limits and people speed. There are no Nut Allergy police.
post #39 of 43
11/11/08 at 11:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by westcoastmom View Post
Is your daughter planning to attend a Vancouver Public School?

I previously worked at a school and there was a Nut Free policy which was implemented when a boy with a severe Peanut Allergy started Kindergarten. He did not have known allergies to Tree Nuts, but had never had them. There were parents from my class who fought the blanket "No Nuts" in favour of "No Peanuts" since Peanuts are a Legume. The children in my class ate in their classroom, kept all their food there and some of them had very limited diets.

In your case if you have one child with a severe peanut allergy and one with a severe tree nut allergy, I can understand a blanket "No Nuts" policy.

I would contact the Coastal Health Unit if the principal is not willing to listen to you.

I personally object to the banning of any food that says processed in a factory that contains nuts as 99% of processed foods from America are printed with that 'butt covering' statement even when there are no nuts, peanuts.

Truthfully, even in "Nut Free" schools, I see kids walking around with things like Oh Henry bars, Reese's Peanut Butter cups. There are speed limits and people speed. There are no Nut Allergy police.
Thanks for the info. Yes, it would be a public school in Vancouver. The principal seems receptive, but she doesn't have experience with allergies as there were none in her last school. I agree that 'may contains' shouldn't be banned as the risk is small (since the allergic child is not actually eating them) and because companies are not legislated to provide a 'may contain' statement, it's too confusing to parents as to what is a may contain and what isn't (ie many foods are may contains, but are not labelled as such).

With the situation you mentioned, as the parent, I would be in favour of peanut-free and not nut-free, since tree nuts are considered a 'may contain' to a peanut-allergic person. They should maybe get their child tested for tree nuts just to know once and for all.

I also agree that even with a peanut-free school, there is a chance a child or parent may forget or just not care about the ban. In some classes, the teacher would act as the peanut police, but the kids in other classes are probably less regulated.
post #40 of 43
11/12/08 at 12:55am
I have seen some schools in Vancouver with "Peanut Free" posters posted around the school. My assumption would be that those from the local Coastal Health Unit. There is a binder for Coastal Health info in every school, and thee likely is info in there.

Not all parents come into the school and see posters. Some never read the newsletters that are sent home with notices that there are students with severe allergies

Kindergarten is sometimes easier to manage if the kindergarten does parent meetings at the beginning of the year (which many do) If the teacher knows ahead of time, she can tell parents when they come for meetings.

The kindergarten child at my previous school had such a severe allergy even traces of peanut butter on the wall could trigger a reaction. The school nurse gave a presentation to all the staff about severe nut allergies, using an epipen
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