Our school will be going 'peanut free' due to allergies. I am wondering how other schools implement this. Do you ban all snacks, send a list of acceptable snacks, limit it to certain snacks? What do you do when kids bring in things with nuts? How do you supervise it? Do you call it peanut free, peanut safe ? etc... Thanks.
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Is your school peanutfree?
- Thread starter emmiek
- Start date
dee
Senior Member
Almost there...
We have nut-free classrooms with a designated nut table in the cafeteria.
Education is the key, and not just for parents and techers, but for kids too. The kids have watched a half-decent video our school nurse had and we have had a lot of discussions and q & a. They understand that several students' lives depend upon their actions.
It's hard. For instance, the ritz bitz packages have a cheese or a peanut butter filling. Guess what? The cheese cracker also has peanut oil in it. We can only du the best we can.
We have nut-free classrooms with a designated nut table in the cafeteria.
Education is the key, and not just for parents and techers, but for kids too. The kids have watched a half-decent video our school nurse had and we have had a lot of discussions and q & a. They understand that several students' lives depend upon their actions.
It's hard. For instance, the ritz bitz packages have a cheese or a peanut butter filling. Guess what? The cheese cracker also has peanut oil in it. We can only du the best we can.
Sharon D. W.
Full Member
Nut Aware
This year we have changed to become Nut Aware. We have several students in various grades and classroom that have allergies to nuts. We also have other allergies and health conditions that the staff have been made aware of as well. One great thing we have done is to take photos of the children with serious medical conditions. These photos have been taken and posted in the office for safety reasons so that all staff should know who these children are in case of an emergency and what their condition is at this time. All medication to the best of my knowledge is kept in the office. I have no students who need any meds this year but do have a few with Medical Conditions which I note on my class list with an * and also explain the details in confidence in my sub plan book just in case a sub needs to know. I do this for safety reasons. A sub is also able to see the photos in the office as well to know children in other grades/classrooms who have medical conditions.
As for the Nut Free we changed because you can't police it all! So we are now Nut Aware and we talk about it in our own classrooms. I try my best to check snacks, especially at the beginning of the year with my first graders and when I'm on duty. I take away any obvious snack which is not safe. Usually it is returned at lunch time or home time with a note explaining why it is not safe and a copy of our school's nut aware letter and approved snack list. If there ever was a problem from home I'd refer the parent/family to the office. I have not yet had any problems.
Also I try and buy Dare food products that actually have on the package that they are made in a nut free/peanut free facility. I just bought a few bags of jellybeans for a Math/Easter assignment that we are planning to do this week. Also any holiday treats are usually Dare or one other company that also are made in a nut free/peanut free facility. Also sometimes you can find Halloween/snack size treats that are also nut safe and the package tells you this info as well. You really have to read the packages to know. I do try my best. Also this a good reason to ask for fresh fruit to snack on.
If we are not sure then we have those students not eat the item. Often I just won't buy it. It just makes sense - better safe then sorry. There are cute classroom assignments that I'd love to do related to a food or snack item but because I can't find the food item that is made in a nut free facility I won't use it in my classroom. Also last year I had a child with an egg allergy and so I often kept things that we knew she could have for those times when the others were having something she couldn't.
Last year one boy was one of our Reading Buddies so I made sure if I had a treat for his class that it was safe for him or I got him something else. His classroom teacher did the same. He is a bit older (grade 4 now) and can verbalize what he needs others to know about his nut allergy.
I talk to my first graders to remind them that allergies - any allergy- can be deadly. I do not sugar coat it. I tell them that a child or adult with some allergies could become very sick and might even die. I also tell them I am not saying these things to scare them but to help them be informed for themselves and for their classmates/schoolmates.
Also a few times a year I read a book that was put out here in Canada called "No Nuts for Me" by Aaron Zevy. It is about a boy named Noah who has a nut allergy. What I really like is it also talks about another girl who has an allergy to fish to show that it is not just peanuts... I think this is important. I have heard of some really interesting allergies. Mushrooms, chicken, raspberries, strawberries, milk, eggs, dyes (colours), cold, hot... There are so many out there. When we did our nutrition unit in March we had a booklet that had peanuts and peanut butter in the booklet. This gave our student teacher a chance to talk about being nut aware again with our class. It was a nice way to review this safety concern
Good luck. Please let me know what ideas your school/class comes up with as we are always looking for safer ways.
sdwl
This year we have changed to become Nut Aware. We have several students in various grades and classroom that have allergies to nuts. We also have other allergies and health conditions that the staff have been made aware of as well. One great thing we have done is to take photos of the children with serious medical conditions. These photos have been taken and posted in the office for safety reasons so that all staff should know who these children are in case of an emergency and what their condition is at this time. All medication to the best of my knowledge is kept in the office. I have no students who need any meds this year but do have a few with Medical Conditions which I note on my class list with an * and also explain the details in confidence in my sub plan book just in case a sub needs to know. I do this for safety reasons. A sub is also able to see the photos in the office as well to know children in other grades/classrooms who have medical conditions.
As for the Nut Free we changed because you can't police it all! So we are now Nut Aware and we talk about it in our own classrooms. I try my best to check snacks, especially at the beginning of the year with my first graders and when I'm on duty. I take away any obvious snack which is not safe. Usually it is returned at lunch time or home time with a note explaining why it is not safe and a copy of our school's nut aware letter and approved snack list. If there ever was a problem from home I'd refer the parent/family to the office. I have not yet had any problems.
Also I try and buy Dare food products that actually have on the package that they are made in a nut free/peanut free facility. I just bought a few bags of jellybeans for a Math/Easter assignment that we are planning to do this week. Also any holiday treats are usually Dare or one other company that also are made in a nut free/peanut free facility. Also sometimes you can find Halloween/snack size treats that are also nut safe and the package tells you this info as well. You really have to read the packages to know. I do try my best. Also this a good reason to ask for fresh fruit to snack on.
If we are not sure then we have those students not eat the item. Often I just won't buy it. It just makes sense - better safe then sorry. There are cute classroom assignments that I'd love to do related to a food or snack item but because I can't find the food item that is made in a nut free facility I won't use it in my classroom. Also last year I had a child with an egg allergy and so I often kept things that we knew she could have for those times when the others were having something she couldn't. Last year one boy was one of our Reading Buddies so I made sure if I had a treat for his class that it was safe for him or I got him something else. His classroom teacher did the same. He is a bit older (grade 4 now) and can verbalize what he needs others to know about his nut allergy.
I talk to my first graders to remind them that allergies - any allergy- can be deadly. I do not sugar coat it. I tell them that a child or adult with some allergies could become very sick and might even die. I also tell them I am not saying these things to scare them but to help them be informed for themselves and for their classmates/schoolmates.
Also a few times a year I read a book that was put out here in Canada called "No Nuts for Me" by Aaron Zevy. It is about a boy named Noah who has a nut allergy. What I really like is it also talks about another girl who has an allergy to fish to show that it is not just peanuts... I think this is important. I have heard of some really interesting allergies. Mushrooms, chicken, raspberries, strawberries, milk, eggs, dyes (colours), cold, hot... There are so many out there. When we did our nutrition unit in March we had a booklet that had peanuts and peanut butter in the booklet. This gave our student teacher a chance to talk about being nut aware again with our class. It was a nice way to review this safety concern
Good luck. Please let me know what ideas your school/class comes up with as we are always looking for safer ways.
sdwl
No Nuts
I have a student that is allergic. I wrote a not explaing that during snack, that we were a not free room. I did have to remind the students and parents in weekly notes for a while. I did have a parent question me after 8 months of school as to why I had this policy. That is was unfair for me to not allow her child to eat nuts. She actually questioned if it would really hurt him if someone ate nuts in the classroom.
I have a student that is allergic. I wrote a not explaing that during snack, that we were a not free room. I did have to remind the students and parents in weekly notes for a while. I did have a parent question me after 8 months of school as to why I had this policy. That is was unfair for me to not allow her child to eat nuts. She actually questioned if it would really hurt him if someone ate nuts in the classroom.
I am the one with the allergy!!!
I am the only one in our school with a peanut allergy. Our building has never been totally nut free but everyone tries to keep all peanut products away from me and my classroom. No one really paid attention to my allergy until I had an attack last year at school. Now everyone really watches the peanuts. The cooks in our building do not fix anything with peanuts even when it is on the district menu. Students in my class watch the other students carefully. Anyone that brings a peanut product from home must wash their hands very carefully. If someone happens to send a snack with peanuts I either send it back home with a note explaining the problem or I let someone pass it out to the students as they go to the bus. So far I have only had one attack at school and one on a field trip. My kids have gotten so protective that when I had an asthma attack a few weeks ago some of them demanded to know who had brought peanuts.
Several years ago I saw a very good Bill Nye the Science Guy on asthma and allergies. He did a very good job explaining this in a way that children can understand what happens during an attack.
I think that your students will adapt quickly.
I am the only one in our school with a peanut allergy. Our building has never been totally nut free but everyone tries to keep all peanut products away from me and my classroom. No one really paid attention to my allergy until I had an attack last year at school. Now everyone really watches the peanuts. The cooks in our building do not fix anything with peanuts even when it is on the district menu. Students in my class watch the other students carefully. Anyone that brings a peanut product from home must wash their hands very carefully. If someone happens to send a snack with peanuts I either send it back home with a note explaining the problem or I let someone pass it out to the students as they go to the bus. So far I have only had one attack at school and one on a field trip. My kids have gotten so protective that when I had an asthma attack a few weeks ago some of them demanded to know who had brought peanuts.
Several years ago I saw a very good Bill Nye the Science Guy on asthma and allergies. He did a very good job explaining this in a way that children can understand what happens during an attack.
I think that your students will adapt quickly.
A
Alta Rose
Guest
Peanut Free
We've become peanut free this year. Two little ones in K. have severe allergies to peanuts. The parents have been pretty accepting. We've sent notes home and lists of snack suggestions. If one of the kids in my class forgets, usually the child or a classmate brings it to my attention. I send it back home with a little note reminding the parents that we are peanut free.
Alta
We've become peanut free this year. Two little ones in K. have severe allergies to peanuts. The parents have been pretty accepting. We've sent notes home and lists of snack suggestions. If one of the kids in my class forgets, usually the child or a classmate brings it to my attention. I send it back home with a little note reminding the parents that we are peanut free.
Alta
PEPteach
Senior Member
Another teacher
I'm glad to see there is another teacher with a peanut allergy! :-) I haven't had any incidences at school yet, luckily. I tell my kids that no nuts of any kind are allowed in the classroom. The kids have actually gotten really protective of me about it! One time I had a cold and started sneezing and one kids shouted "Who has peanuts? Put them away! She can't breathe!". All the kids got so worried. So, I had to explain the symptoms of an allergic reaction. It almost made my day to know that they were so concerned about it!
I'm glad to see there is another teacher with a peanut allergy! :-) I haven't had any incidences at school yet, luckily. I tell my kids that no nuts of any kind are allowed in the classroom. The kids have actually gotten really protective of me about it! One time I had a cold and started sneezing and one kids shouted "Who has peanuts? Put them away! She can't breathe!". All the kids got so worried. So, I had to explain the symptoms of an allergic reaction. It almost made my day to know that they were so concerned about it!
PEPteach
I am also glad there are other teachers with this problem. People that don't work at school do not realize how much we are around peanut butter. It's nice when there is someone else that understands this problem.
I think it's so cute when the kids get so protective. The aide in my classroom had peanut butter at lunch the other day and one of my boys asked what she was doing with peanut butter and told her she knew better than bringing peanut butter around me. I have even had parents of kids in a different class tell that their child won't bring peanut butter things to school because I might come to that classroom.
I am goiong to a different district next year. I just hope they are as understanding.
I am also glad there are other teachers with this problem. People that don't work at school do not realize how much we are around peanut butter. It's nice when there is someone else that understands this problem.
I think it's so cute when the kids get so protective. The aide in my classroom had peanut butter at lunch the other day and one of my boys asked what she was doing with peanut butter and told her she knew better than bringing peanut butter around me. I have even had parents of kids in a different class tell that their child won't bring peanut butter things to school because I might come to that classroom.
I am goiong to a different district next year. I just hope they are as understanding.