Quaker Ridge

Quaker Ridge Allergy Guidelines

Here are the key points in our allergy preparedness plan: 

• Notification and Raising Awareness- 
• Before the start of school, or as soon as an allergy is diagnosed, we ask parents to notify the school by contacting the School Nurse. Be specific when naming the allergen to be avoided, and provide any documentation that will help us understand a medical professional’s assessment. 
• Our Nurse and Cafeteria Manager will communicate regarding any student with reported allergies. Children with allergies are “flagged” in the cafeteria’s database, so they may not choose a food item that includes what is an allergen for them. 
• As needed, our School Nurse will also notify any other staff and teachers that need to be aware of your child’s allergy, so they may be vigilant. 
• As may be appropriate for the age of the child, each student should be aware if they have an allergy and educated on how to maintain their health and safety in common interactions. 
• Safety and the Classroom - 
• All staff is trained in the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and the use of epinephrine auto-injectors (Epipen® and it’s equivalents). 
• If required, parents are responsible for bringing an Epipen® or it’s equivalents, with an Allergy Action Plan, to the School Nurse. This way, a specific Epipen will be available for your child in the classroom and on field trips. 
• We ask you not to send any nuts, or products containing nuts, as snacks to be eaten in the classroom. This is the most common allergy in school. Here is a list of nut-free snack options, Suggestions for Nut-Free Snacks.
• All teachers will review with students practices to keep children safe. This will include, for example, the fact that we have a “No Food Sharing” practice during snack and lunch.
• With food allergies in mind, and out of respect for the nutritional choices of families, we do not make food part of classroom celebrations; please do not send cupcakes or other food items on the occasion of a birthday. Discuss with your child’s teacher ways in which you may share your child’s birthday with classmates. For additional ideas on how to celebrate a birthday, please see Non-Food Ideas for Classroom Celebrations. 
• The only time you can expect food to appear in the classroom is during snack time or if it is connected to the curriculum, such as at the fourth-grade Colonial Day, in the fifth-grade Immigration Unit of Study, and during early grades’ gardening activities. In those instances, teachers will communicate with the School Nurse, special conditions will be noted, and teachers will consult with parents of any students with allergies. 
• Do not send any projects that involve peanut butter (like bird feeders) or peanut shells (art projects) into the classroom that might have been completed outside of school. We will not be doing any classroom projects that contain these items. 
• Safety in the Cafeteria - 
• Please note that our food services contractor does not serve any peanut/tree nut products or byproducts from our school kitchen. 
• We understand that nuts and nut products can be a source of high nutritional value for a child and, if this is a dietary choice for you, they will be permitted to eat such products in the lunchroom. 
• We will request that children who eat peanut butter or nut products for lunch notify the aide assigned to their class, so the aide may make any necessary seating accommodations. 
• To avoid cross-contamination: we will also ask the student(s) to wash their hands with soap and water after eating foods with allergens; we have a “No Food Sharing” practice during lunch periods; and custodial staff will wipe down all tables between lunch. 
• Safety at School-wide Events Where Food is Served and Parents are Present - 
• At school-wide events where donated foods will be consumed, we kindly request pre-packaged items have no nuts or tree nuts. Otherwise - whether they be prepackaged foods or homemade dishes - whenever possible we ask you please create a label with known ingredients so students and their parents may make informed food choices. 
• All should families supervise the foods their own child or children may consume at school community events to ensure their choices are appropriate and safe.