Im really upset.....ok I am LIVID!

[kathymuggle]

Maybe I am difficult, but I would not be overly satisfied with the PTC. The teacher and nurse both said they thought the other communicated? Say what? I am glad the teacher has committed to calling in the future, but way to pass the buck in this instance....

 

I still think the epi-pen in a lock box in the office is a huge issue.

 

If you feel better about the whole thing, that is good.

Edited October 21, 2011 by kathymuggle

[DianeW88]

I am not saying the school or lunch room should be nut free. I am saying that classrooms should be food free period. I think that is very doable:).

 

I am also saying that students should be instructed on a "no food at all" in the classroom rule and notified of the consequences.

 

Young children can be taken to the lunch room for snack time as well.

 

The reason why I think classrooms should be food free is that is where students spend most of their day. This would prevent contamination of the classroom environment with allergens:)

 

Again....this seriously is not going to happen past elementary school. It is just not possible to enforce. High school kids eat all over the school. There are vending machines in most hallways in the public school in our neighborhood and the kids can get food and eat it whenever and wherever they want. It is also an open campus (as most high schools are) and the kids routinely leave school whenever they have a free period (and bring the remains of it back to eat during the afternoon...in their classrooms). So, saying that classrooms should be food free is absolutely laughable in the upper grades. What do kids in these grades do to prevent contamination?

[Catwoman]

Thanks for posting the update -- I'm glad this was resolved to your satisfaction! :001_smile:

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Again....this seriously is not going to happen past elementary school. It is just not possible to enforce. High school kids eat all over the school. There are vending machines in most hallways in the public school in our neighborhood and the kids can get food and eat it whenever and wherever they want. It is also an open campus (as most high schools are) and the kids routinely leave school whenever they have a free period (and bring the remains of it back to eat during the afternoon...in their classrooms). So, saying that classrooms should be food free is absolutely laughable in the upper grades. What do kids in these grades do to prevent contamination?

 

With obesity rates as high as they are, perhaps vending machines should only be in the cafeteria:) Also, I again posit that they can at least try to attempt no food in the classroom. It would also be distracting and disruptive IMHO to allow eating in classrooms. We were not allowed to eat outside the cafeteria when I went to highschool and middle school.

 

ETA: We were not even allowed to leave the school in highschool:) I actually think that is a good idea to keep kids out of trouble;)

Edited October 21, 2011 by priscilla
spelling

[msjones]

No you would not have to forbid someone from eating at home. Food free classrooms and a protocol to wash hands upon entering the classroom could solve this for most part.

 

Are you saying that reasonable attempts such as a food free classroom or washing hands (which also helps decrease colds:)) should not be done for the allergic child? All children are entitled to a free, appropriate public education.

 

It could take up to 15 minutes for an entire class of students to wash their hands. There simply is not time for students to wash hands each time they enter the classroom.

 

Also, there are many children with health impairments who receive their free, appropriate public education outside of a traditional classroom.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

It could take up to 15 minutes for an entire class of students to wash their hands. There simply is not time for students to wash hands each time they enter the classroom.

 

Also, there are many children with health impairments who receive their free, appropriate public education outside of a traditional classroom.

 

The law provides for mainstreaming I believe whenever possible. In this case it is possible.

 

As for hand washing I would only recommend it for about K-4 perhaps (since young children have a tendency to get food on their hands and everywhere else) and only after lunch or snacks. This has already been easily done in many schools since they have sinks in the lunchroom and classroom. Again IMHO it is not an unreasonable accommodation at all.

[msjones]

The law provides for mainstreaming I believe whenever possible. In this case it is possible.

 

As for hand washing I would only recommend it for about K-4 perhaps (since young children have a tendency to get food on their hands and everywhere else) and only after lunch or snacks. This has already been easily done in many schools since they have sinks in the lunchroom and classroom. Again IMHO it is not an unreasonable accommodation at all.

 

I never worked in an elementary school that had sinks in the classrooms or in the lunchroom. Older schools often have no classroom sinks. Where I have worked the lunchrooms were outdoors (under a cover) or were simply the gym with tables set up for lunch and taken down again afterwards. All sinks were in bathrooms down the hall.

 

 

It is not sensible for a parent of a deathly allergic child to send his/her child to a traditional public school. Who would take such a risk? And why? Alternative setting are available for medically impaired students. What school would mainstream a child at risk of sudden death? Absurd.

[choirfarm]

No you would not have to forbid someone from eating at home. Food free classrooms and a protocol to wash hands upon entering the classroom could solve this for most part.

 

Are you saying that reasonable attempts such as a food free classroom or washing hands (which also helps decrease colds:)) should not be done for the allergic child? All children are entitled to a free, appropriate public education.

 

I don't see how washing her hands would prevent the crumbs from the peanut butter crackers that had been in her backpack over vacation and now are touching the books she put in there. I'm not saying I would do this deliberately. I'm just saying that we eat peanut butter all the time at my house even though oldest is allergic. His RAST came back negative, but his skin test was positive. That is how I knew he was allergic. Wherever peanut butter touched him he broke out in hives. We have fish fries at the house in peanut oil and it doesn't bother him at all. The doctor explained it like the poster above.

 

Anyway, I just don't see how you could guarantee a peanut free zone. If people are eating it in their house, then the crumbs or whatever can get into the school. Oh yes, my daughter eats trail mix with peanuts all the time and it spills in her backpack.

 

I guess I don't expect people to jump through all the hoops for my child. If I don't like it, then I will do something else. My oldest's third grade teacher told me at the beginning of the year that she hoped he wouldn't be bored and that she could keep up with his little brain. She couldn't, but she was incredibly sweet. But it was all about getting everyone to pass the TAKS test. I just brought him home. The system isn't equipped to handle everyone's individual accomodation.

 

Christine

[Lisbeth]

My oldest DD, now 11, is severely allergic to peanuts and several other tree nuts. She was in a Catholic school for several years. Her kindergarten teacher was stubborn and dumb as a box of rocks. She would roll her eyes at me or get a blank "I don't get it." look over the allergy. The nurse was equally scary in the logic department - equating sugar for diabetics with peanuts for the peanut allergic. Anyway...after a few years we gave up and started homeschooling...for this and other reasons. We love homeschooling! I wish we had done it from day one!

A couple of things: a locked box for epipens is a GIANT no-no. Seriously, I would call everyone I could, be very loud, and keep my allergic child home until that was changed.

Secondly: someone said she would refuse to have a very allergic child in her classroom? You can do that? Seems like a lawsuit on a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act just waiting to happen.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I don't see how washing her hands would prevent the crumbs from the peanut butter crackers that had been in her backpack over vacation and now are touching the books she put in there. I'm not saying I would do this deliberately. I'm just saying that we eat peanut butter all the time at my house even though oldest is allergic. His RAST came back negative, but his skin test was positive. That is how I knew he was allergic. Wherever peanut butter touched him he broke out in hives. We have fish fries at the house in peanut oil and it doesn't bother him at all. The doctor explained it like the poster above.

 

Anyway, I just don't see how you could guarantee a peanut free zone. If people are eating it in their house, then the crumbs or whatever can get into the school. Oh yes, my daughter eats trail mix with peanuts all the time and it spills in her backpack.

 

I guess I don't expect people to jump through all the hoops for my child. If I don't like it, then I will do something else. My oldest's third grade teacher told me at the beginning of the year that she hoped he wouldn't be bored and that she could keep up with his little brain. She couldn't, but she was incredibly sweet. But it was all about getting everyone to pass the TAKS test. I just brought him home. The system isn't equipped to handle everyone's individual accomodation.

 

Christine

I agree that you cannot guarantee anything:) I am not even guaranteed when we check the ingredients on every single thing that the manufacture did not mess up with the ingredients but I have to take that chance or else ds would not be eating. I am saying a good attempt should be made at reasonable accommodations such as a food free classroom and possibly handwashing of younger students after lunch and snacks. Obviously, occasional crumbs as you say may enter the classroom but they would still be minimized by having a food free classroom:) And people still seem all up in arms about this?

 

Of course, I agree homeschooling is a great option and we did factor in allergies when we homeschooled but it was not the only reason. OTOH ds has been in school and we did not have a choice at the time. Not everyone can homeschool and every child is still entitled to a free public education.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I never worked in an elementary school that had sinks in the classrooms or in the lunchroom. Older schools often have no classroom sinks. Where I have worked the lunchrooms were outdoors (under a cover) or were simply the gym with tables set up for lunch and taken down again afterwards. All sinks were in bathrooms down the hall.

 

 

It is not sensible for a parent of a deathly allergic child to send his/her child to a traditional public school. Who would take such a risk? And why? Alternative setting are available for medically impaired students. What school would mainstream a child at risk of sudden death? Absurd.

 

I took the risk because I had to at the time. Am I supposed to keep my child in a bubble? The school made reasonable accommodations such as no nuts or peanuts in the classroom and handwashing since it was young students. They also had someone capable of giving the epi-pen and the epi-pen wherever he went.

 

I am suggesting food free classrooms as a reasonable alternative for those who think it is too difficult to monitor snacks:)

[Haiku]

Schools go waaaay out of the way to make gay children feel safe from teasing

 

:001_huh:

 

Wow, I'd like to live where you live.

 

Tara