Peanut & Tree Nut Free School
Dear Parents:
You’ve all read the headlines and seen the news stories: food allergies are a growing concern in schools across America. Millions of children - children who are perfectly healthy and normal in every other way – must watch every single bite they eat, or risk suffering a severe or even life threatening reaction. In fact, food allergies claim an estimated 150 lives and are responsible for more than 125,000 emergency room visits each year. A major health issue such as this must be taken very seriously, and it has always been the policy of this school to make the safety and well-being of our students our top priority.
A student in your child’s school has a serious peanut and tree nut allergy - the food allergy that claims more lives each year than any other. A child with a serious peanut allergy can suffer a reaction merely by touching a peanut-containing food or an object (such as library books, toys, markers, etc.) that has been touched by another child that has touched/eaten a peanut product. Therefore, we are becoming a peanut and tree nut free school including buses and putting the following safety guidelines into effect:
- Please do not send any peanuts, peanut butter or foods containing peanuts or peanut butter to be eaten as snacks in the school. The same is asked for any tree nuts (Brazil nuts, hazelnuts-Nutella, almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, coconut, etc.)
- We will not be doing any classroom projects that involve peanut butter (like bird feeders) or peanut shells (art projects), as well as nuts of any kind. Please do not send any of these products into the school with your child.
- Birthday parties are a special time for children, but can be a life-threatening time for the food-allergic child. It is asked that students do not bring any baked goods or treats of any kind to share unless it is on the acceptable foods list included in this mailing. It is also asked that you let your classroom teacher know if your child will be bringing a treat so the child with food allergies can have a safe alternative just in case.
- We will try to keep the food at holiday parties to a minimum. As with birthday parties, we must be extremely careful about the ingredients in all of the food items. Please do not enclose candy or other treats with holiday cards other than those that are included in the acceptable list included in this mailing, and be sure to read ingredient/food labels very carefully.
- If your child ate peanut butter or Nutella for breakfast, we would greatly appreciate your making sure that his/her hands are washed with soap and water before leaving for school. Water alone does not do the trick!
This is a learning process for all of us, but we trust that you understand how deeply important it is to respect and adhere to these guidelines. If throughout the course of the year you have any questions or concerns about food-allergy-related issues, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Wishing you and your family a safe and healthy school year.
Sincerely,
Diane Martinson
Currently Safe (Peanut/Tree Nut Free) Foods Guide
