When working with students who have severe food allergies, the Ann Arbor Public Schools has established a set of guidelines to keep all students safe through a collaboration between the student, parents, physician and the school.
Highlights of the food allergy planning process:
· Safe lunch practices:
o A “No Nut” hot lunch program from Chartwells food service;
o Determining if a food-allergic child needs to sit at a “No Nut Table” in the lunchroom or if they can be safe at a general lunch table
o Allowing students who buy hot lunch to sit at the “No Nut Table” but NOT allowing students who bring lunch from home to sit at that table
· Safe classroom practices
o Determining if the child’s classroom should be designated as a “No Nut Classroom”;
o Requiring “safe” treats from home be stored in the classroom so there is always a treat for a food allergic student when there is special classroom occasion like a birthday party
· Safe school practices
o Requiring families to only send fruits and vegetables in the first 4 weeks of school while food allergy plans are being updated;
o Keeping potentially life-saving medication for each student in the school office;
o Requiring that parents of food allergic children send “safe” treats to be used whenever there is a special classroom occasion like a birthday celebration.
Parents can download the entire food allergy planning guidelines on the AAPS website from the following address:
http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.forparents/files/foodallergyhandbook.pdf
