Friday, September 10, 2010

Food Allergy Planning In The AAPS

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