Implementation of Safety Protocols Based on Input From All Parties
This section encompasses all the different ideas that were shared in the meetings prior to enrolling our daughter in school. It is prudent that all parties strive to address all issues relating to allergies prior to the end of the school year and before the child is enrolled in September. It's important to account for summer vacation as many staff are not available after June and may not be back until late August. Therefore, preliminary meetings should take place between the period of April and late June. It provides enough time to address all the issues and lay the foundation for the process of dealing with food allergies. The following is specific to our daughter's school but you may use it as checklist to address similar issues at your meetings with school staff and board representatives.
Raising awareness about allergies & anaphylaxis in the school setting
- vice principal (if available)
- HRSB representative, such as Student Services Facilitator
- Nurse (not the school nurse), specifically the nurse who liaises with HRSB and schools on student health matters
- designated teacher
- any other staff such as substitute teachers, etc.
- discuss the nature of anaphylaxis specific to my child
- discuss how she complains or describes symptoms of anaphylaxis
- warn others of what to watch out for in an allergic reaction
- discuss past allergic reactions and how they were dealt with successfully
- who will address the parents who have questions
- allergy parents can provide information on food allergies and anaphylaxis upon request
- school staff can make other parents aware of specific food allergies without mentioning names or classes
- info about food allergies must remain confidential and anonymous to protect the privacy of allergic child
- remind students during morning announcements to raise awareness
- put up posters about anaphylaxis and food allergies
- educate older students on allergic emergencies and the use of an auto-injector
- any food related events inside or outside of classroom, need to be communicated to allergic parents prior to the event
- what is the process for assembly or large gatherings
- what happens during a fire drill and who will carry extra auto-injector and anaphylaxis action plan
- during a lockdown drill, where will students go and who will carry auto-injector and anaphylaxis plan
- discuss rooms our daughter's class visits frequently, how to ensure they are clean, gym, music room, library, etc.
- how will the classroom be cleaned after recess and lunch
- how and when will the kids wash hands after recess and lunch
- where will my child eat during recess and lunch
- my child is not allowed to touch or use water fountains, her own water bottle will be supplied
- show staff how to operate and administer epinephrine through the use of an auto-injector
- review symptoms and what to look out for
- review anaphylaxis action plan
- teacher must discourage classmates from sharing food and personal items with others
- teach classmates the value of washing hands
- provide age appropriate books about allergies to help raise awareness about food allergies in classroom
- obtain permission to shadow teacher for entire day to see level of risk pertaining to routine activities in class
- supplies used by our child must be new and unopened at beginning of school year
- we can wash all manipulatives and other toys to help ensure they are safe for classroom use
- we can lend the teacher plastic containers and other learning tools that are safe
- where will my child store her personal items like backpack, jackets etc. and
- will those items be in proximity to classmates while they consume food and before washing hands
- we can provide help with food related activities to ensure safety
- one of us can be present during food events related to class to help out teacher
- will children wash hands every time they enter classroom such as after gym or music class
Preventing and dealing with an allergic emergency
- where do kids eat, observe how they eat recess and lunch
- check classroom supplies such as glue, play doh, paint etc. to ensure they are allergen-free
- where do kids store their personal items
- do they share equipment during class
- where do they sit during quiet time
- how often is the classroom cleaned
- is there carpet in the classroom and how is it cleaned
- is there a sandbox and how is it cleaned
- will there be pets or animals allowed in the classroom
- set a policy in place that everyone who enters classroom must wash hands upon entry
- where does teacher eat
- where does safe food get stored during food events i.e. does teacher have a dedicated classroom fridge?
- when and how do they wash hands
- check soap to make sure it's safe for our child
- is the equipment cleaned
- is food consumed in the playground
- classmates must wash hands prior to entering classroom after being on playground
- we will provide allergen-free baked goods for class activities
- we must be notified prior to any food event taking place on school grounds
- ask permission to be included on school email distribution list for events and newsletters
- obtain school web site address and work emails from all parties involved to remain in contact
- we can provide expired auto-injectors for training
- school can signup to receive free epi-pen or allerject training kids
- school can obtain information on anaphylaxis from AAIA or Anaphylaxis Canada
- where will auto-injectors be stored
- who will have access to information about location of auto-injectors and anaphylaxis action plan
- what happens in the event that my child forgets her auto-injector
- contact 911 first, then parents in case of an emergency
- contact 911 first, then parents in case of emergency
- who is the point of contact during an emergency
- who is the point of contact after the emergency to receive collected information
- ensure my child's photo & vital information is posted on staff medical board, in admin office and especially in classroom
- ensure all vital information about child is posted in substitute teacher's folder
- in the event that teacher is not available, we must be notified of substitute teacher and must meet with him/her
- ensure substitute staff is trained on the use of auto-injector and anaphylaxis action plan
Raising awareness about allergies & anaphylaxis in the school setting
- determine the parties involved in the meeting, their names and titles
- vice principal (if available)
- HRSB representative, such as Student Services Facilitator
- Nurse (not the school nurse), specifically the nurse who liaises with HRSB and schools on student health matters
- designated teacher
- any other staff such as substitute teachers, etc.
- present information specific to my child's allergies to designated teacher and any other parties involved
- discuss the nature of anaphylaxis specific to my child
- discuss how she complains or describes symptoms of anaphylaxis
- warn others of what to watch out for in an allergic reaction
- discuss past allergic reactions and how they were dealt with successfully
- present a brief description of food allergies to raise awareness during Primary Orientation for new parents
- who will address the parents who have questions
- allergy parents can provide information on food allergies and anaphylaxis upon request
- school staff can make other parents aware of specific food allergies without mentioning names or classes
- info about food allergies must remain confidential and anonymous to protect the privacy of allergic child
- investigate if the school can internally raise awareness about food allergies and allergic emergency
- remind students during morning announcements to raise awareness
- put up posters about anaphylaxis and food allergies
- educate older students on allergic emergencies and the use of an auto-injector
- school policies may need to change and must be documented to make a smoother transition for the upcoming years
- any food related events inside or outside of classroom, need to be communicated to allergic parents prior to the event
- what is the process for assembly or large gatherings
- what happens during a fire drill and who will carry extra auto-injector and anaphylaxis action plan
- during a lockdown drill, where will students go and who will carry auto-injector and anaphylaxis plan
- discuss rooms our daughter's class visits frequently, how to ensure they are clean, gym, music room, library, etc.
- discuss the details of recess and lunch
- how will the classroom be cleaned after recess and lunch
- how and when will the kids wash hands after recess and lunch
- where will my child eat during recess and lunch
- my child is not allowed to touch or use water fountains, her own water bottle will be supplied
- discuss how often staff will review their knowledge of anaphylaxis
- show staff how to operate and administer epinephrine through the use of an auto-injector
- review symptoms and what to look out for
- review anaphylaxis action plan
- talk about making other children aware of food allergies
- teacher must discourage classmates from sharing food and personal items with others
- teach classmates the value of washing hands
- provide age appropriate books about allergies to help raise awareness about food allergies in classroom
- work with the teacher to find out if routine class activities pose a risk and how to minimize the risk
- obtain permission to shadow teacher for entire day to see level of risk pertaining to routine activities in class
- supplies used by our child must be new and unopened at beginning of school year
- we can wash all manipulatives and other toys to help ensure they are safe for classroom use
- we can lend the teacher plastic containers and other learning tools that are safe
- where will my child store her personal items like backpack, jackets etc. and
- will those items be in proximity to classmates while they consume food and before washing hands
- we can provide help with food related activities to ensure safety
- one of us can be present during food events related to class to help out teacher
- will children wash hands every time they enter classroom such as after gym or music class
Preventing and dealing with an allergic emergency
- obtain permission to shadow teacher for a day to see how things run in the classroom
- where do kids eat, observe how they eat recess and lunch
- check classroom supplies such as glue, play doh, paint etc. to ensure they are allergen-free
- where do kids store their personal items
- do they share equipment during class
- where do they sit during quiet time
- how often is the classroom cleaned
- is there carpet in the classroom and how is it cleaned
- is there a sandbox and how is it cleaned
- will there be pets or animals allowed in the classroom
- set a policy in place that everyone who enters classroom must wash hands upon entry
- where does teacher eat
- where does safe food get stored during food events i.e. does teacher have a dedicated classroom fridge?
- pay very close attention to the process of washing hands
- when and how do they wash hands
- check soap to make sure it's safe for our child
- discuss issues related to the playground
- is the equipment cleaned
- is food consumed in the playground
- classmates must wash hands prior to entering classroom after being on playground
- discuss the methods of communication to remain in contact with the school
- we will provide allergen-free baked goods for class activities
- we must be notified prior to any food event taking place on school grounds
- ask permission to be included on school email distribution list for events and newsletters
- obtain school web site address and work emails from all parties involved to remain in contact
- how will staff be educated on use of auto-injector
- we can provide expired auto-injectors for training
- school can signup to receive free epi-pen or allerject training kids
- school can obtain information on anaphylaxis from AAIA or Anaphylaxis Canada
- where will auto-injectors be stored
- who will have access to information about location of auto-injectors and anaphylaxis action plan
- what happens in the event that my child forgets her auto-injector
- contact 911 first, then parents in case of an emergency
- discuss in detail the anaphylaxis action plan
- contact 911 first, then parents in case of emergency
- who is the point of contact during an emergency
- who is the point of contact after the emergency to receive collected information
- ensure my child's photo & vital information is posted on staff medical board, in admin office and especially in classroom
- ensure all vital information about child is posted in substitute teacher's folder
- in the event that teacher is not available, we must be notified of substitute teacher and must meet with him/her
- ensure substitute staff is trained on the use of auto-injector and anaphylaxis action plan
