Allergy Policy

School Responsibilities

Administration

  • System of student identification for those students with life-threatening allergies (sheets with name, room number, photo, specific allergen, treatment).

  • Provision of a system of training and review at the beginning of each school year to aid staff (teachers, support staff, substitute teachers) in dealing with students who have life-threatening allergies.

  • Inclusion of Allergy response in the School Emergency Plan.

  • Publication of strict ‘no food-sharing’ policy throughout the school.
    We are a Peanut/Nut/Shellfish Safe & Allergy Aware’ School!
  • Contact appropriate authorities to insure that bus drivers have appropriate training and are able to respond to a reaction situation.
  • Provide ‘Peanut/Tree Nut/Shellfish Allergy Alert’ signs to be posted outside of classes where students have those allergies.

Staff Members

  • Review proper treatment and potentially severe nature of reactions prior to each school year.  Adult supervision is mandatory, even when students are self-administering.
  • All staff needs to be made aware of students needing epinephrine treatment (i.e., ID sheets with name, photo, specific allergen, treatment)
  • Use of food in crafts and cooking activities may need to be restricted, depending on allergies of the students.
  • Epinephrine will be kept in the cabinet in the infirmary and should be known to all staff members.  All affected children must carry their EpiPen with them in their fanny-type pack.

Lunch Program

  • Surfaces such as tables should be washed clean of contaminating food on a daily basis.
  • Staff also must receive training on the us of auto-injectors.
  • Create a supervised ‘nut-free/allergy’ table.

All Parents

  • Respond cooperatively to requests from schools to eliminate specific foods from lunches and snacks.
  • Encourage children to respect school policies and other children with allergies.
  • Inform teacher prior to distribution of any food within the school.

All Students

  • Avoid sharing food.
  • Follow school rules about keeping specific foods out of the school and washing hands.
  • Do not tease or bully students with allergies.

Families of Children with Severe Allergies

Home:

  • Do not ever assume that the school is ‘peanut/nut free’.
  • Parents must inform the school of their child’s specific allergy by filling out and signing the “Student Medication Administration Approval Form.”  (RVSO SS 20/03 d/s)
  • Parents must discuss the medical condition with their child’s teacher.
  • Secure ‘Medic-Alert’ bracelet for child with life-threatening allergy.
  • Provide an EpiPen for storage at the school and one that the child can carry in a fanny-type pack.
  • Provide the school with properly labelled medications and replacement medications after use or upon expiration.

    • Educate the child on the following:

  • Safe and unsafe foods.
  • Strategies of allergic reactions.
  • Symptoms of allergic reactions.
  • How and when to tell an adult they may be having an allergy-related problem.
  • How to read food labels (age appropriate).
  • How to self-administer an auto-injector device (age appropriate).
  • Location of student’s medication.

    • Student:

    • All food-allergy students should have their own EpiPen, labelled with their name and kept in an accessible location.
    • In addition, students should carry their own EpiPen, labelled with student’s name and expiry date.  These students should also wear a Medic-Alert bracelet that identifies their allergy.
    • Older student (age 7-8) should be familiar with how to self-inject their EpiPen, however, adults should always be on hand when a student self-administers.

    Student responsibilities include:

  • No trading of food, food utensils or food containers.
  • All food-allergic children should only eat lunches/snacks that have been prepared at home.
  • Hand washing is encouraged before/after eating.
  • Contact an adult immediately if they eat something that they believe may contain the food to which they are allergic.

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    EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

    Students with Severe Allergy

  • Administer epinephrine.
  • Contact an ambulance or drive the child to the hospital.
  • If possible, include a familiar and trusted adult to accompany the child.
  • Contact the student’s parents to debrief.  (Also to resupply epinephrine used in the incident).
  • Fill out the ‘Student Medication Record of Administration’.  (RVSD SB 21/00)

    • Document Actions
    Late Bus Alerts
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